‘BizAbroad Xpress’商業計劃書 - 政大學術集成

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(1)國立政治大學商學院國際經營管理英語碩士學位學程 International MBA Program College of Commerce National Chengchi University. 碩士論文政治. 大. 立Master’s Thesis. ‧. ‧ 國. 學 sit. y. Nat. ‘BizAbroad Xpress’商業計劃書 n. al. er. io. ‘BizAbroad Xpress’ Business Plan. Ch. engchi. i n U. v. Student: Jeffrey Ling Deck Lee Advisor: Chester S Ho. 中華民國一○二年五月 May 2013.

(2) ‘BizAbroad Xpress’商業計劃書 ‘BizAbroad Xpress’ Business Plan. 研究生：林德理. Student: Jeffrey Ling Deck Lee. 指導教授：何小台. Advisor: Chester S Ho. 國立政治大學. 學. ‧ 國. 立. 政治大. ‧. 商學院國際經營管理英語碩士學位學程碩士論文. er. io. sit. y. Nat. A Thesis. n. a to International MBA Program Submitted iv l C n U NationalhChengchi University engchi. in partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Master in Business Administration. 中華民國一○二年五月 May 2013.

(3) Acknowledgements I thank my thesis advisor, Professor Chester S Ho, for his class of Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship which started me on this entrepreneur’s path. I thank my wife, Chung Nai-Wen, for her loving support in the form of taking up a hefty share of the childcare load when I was away from home for many nights and weekends attending classes and group meetings.. 政治大 I thank my two little angels, Makayla and Theodore, for giving me the motivation to be the 立. ‧ 國. 學. best that I can be so that they can have a role model to look up to.. I thank my parents for raising me, nurturing me, and making me a thankful person.. ‧ sit. y. Nat. Last but not least, I thank God and Jesus Christ for the grace and mercy in my life and may. io. n. al. er. His name be glorified forever and ever.. Ch. engchi. i. i n U. v.

(4) Forewords The original idea behind BizAbroad Xpress emerged from the writer’s intention to solve his own problems after experiencing the painstaking process of setting up three new companies in three different jurisdictions, respectively, in his capacity as his organization’s legal department head. It is important to note that BizAbroad Xpress, together with its underlying business model,. 政治大. is not a mere concept, but offers a real business solution to often the first business hurdle. 立. encountered by countless enterprises and individuals worldwide when it comes to starting a. ‧. ‧ 國. 學. business abroad.. The writer envisages an ideal business world where everyone is empowered by modern. sit. y. Nat. internet tools to engage in global commerce with ease. Once the required business. io. al. er. knowledge becomes widespread and equally accessible to everyone through such internet. n. tools, commerce should naturally flourish.. Ch. engchi. ii. i n U. v.

(5) Abstract ‘BizAbroad Xpress’ Business Plan By Jeffrey Ling Deck Lee. This business plan will reveal the scalable business model that BizAbroad Xpress has. 政治大 entities that simply want to立 start a business (such as register a new company) in a foreign. devised, namely, by creating an online platform that brings together, on the demand side,. ‧ 國. 學. jurisdiction without the hassles that are traditionally associated with the processes involved, and, on the supply side, the carefully vetted top tier business service providers (such as. ‧. lawyers) that desire to increase the number of their high value international customers.. y. Nat. io. sit. This business plan includes details on how the BizAbroad Xpress method is appealing. n. al. er. enough to make the aforementioned entities and service providers to want to switch from. Ch. i n U. v. the traditional ways of service engagement and provision to the BizAbroad Xpress way, as. engchi. well as how this new way possesses sufficient competitive advantage to acts as a challenging barrier of entry to other potential competitors in the business service category. Keywords: starting business, doing business, business service, lawyer, accountant. iii.

(6) Table of Contents. 1.1.. Executive Summary................................................................................................ 1. 1.2.. Organizational slogan, vision, mission, values, and aims ...................................... 2. 1.3.. Core team members ................................................................................................ 2. Problem Overview .............................................................................................................. 4 2.1. 2.2.. ‧. What BX is creating and why ................................................................................. 7. 3.2.. Value propositions .................................................................................................. 9. 3.3.. How it works ........................................................................................................ 10. 3.4.. Example: how to use the platform ........................................................................ 12. 3.5.. Product development roadmap ............................................................................. 13. io. y. al. n. 5.. 3.1.. Nat. 4.. Product Overview ............................................................................................................... 7. sit. 3.. Solution for both problems ..................................................................................... 6. 學. 2.3.. 政治大 Problems to be 立 solved for BSPs ............................................................................. 5 Problems to be solved for BSUs ............................................................................. 4. er. 2.. Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1. ‧ 國. 1.. Ch. engchi. i n U. v. Business Analysis ............................................................................................................. 20 4.1.. Key partners analysis ............................................................................................ 20. 4.2.. Key activities analysis .......................................................................................... 21. 4.3.. Key resources analysis.......................................................................................... 22. 4.4.. SWOT analysis – perspective of BSUs ................................................................ 23. 4.5.. SWOT analysis – perspective of BSPs ................................................................. 24. 4.6.. Competitors analysis ............................................................................................ 26. Target Universe ................................................................................................................. 30. iv.

(7) Statistics ................................................................................................................ 30. 5.2.. Tax havens ............................................................................................................ 31. 5.3.. Customer types ..................................................................................................... 32. Marketing Strategy ........................................................................................................... 35 6.1.. Objectives – acquisition, retention, referral and revenue ..................................... 35. 6.2.. Marketing tools ..................................................................................................... 35. 6.3.. Online tools .......................................................................................................... 36. 6.4.. Printed tools .......................................................................................................... 38. 6.5.. Public relations ..................................................................................................... 39. 6.6.. Road shows ........................................................................................................... 40. 6.7.. Regional marketing offices ................................................................................... 41. 立. 政治大. 學. ‧. ‧ 國. 6.. 5.1.. Channels Strategy ............................................................................................................. 43. 8.. Customer Relationships and Quality Assurance ............................................................... 45. y. sit. Relationship with BX BSUs and BX BSPs .......................................................... 45. 8.2.. Disputes from BX BSUs: ..................................................................................... 46. 8.3.. Disputes from BX BSPs: ...................................................................................... 48. n. al. er. 8.1.. io. 9.. Nat. 7.. Ch. engchi. i n U. v. Revenue Model ................................................................................................................. 49 9.1.. How BX makes money ......................................................................................... 49. 9.2.. Other revenue sources .......................................................................................... 50. 10.. Financials .................................................................................................................. 52. 11.. Future Business Strategies ........................................................................................ 54 11.1.. Strategic alliance................................................................................................... 54. 11.2.. Initial public offering ............................................................................................ 54. 11.3.. Acquired by other(s) ............................................................................................. 54 v.

(8) 12.. Action Items ............................................................................................................. 55 12.1.. Minimum viable product .................................................................................. 55. 12.2.. Product demonstration and commercial launch ............................................... 55. 12.3.. Continuous optimization .................................................................................. 55. 12.4.. Funding for scaling ........................................................................................... 55. 12.5.. Who BX is looking for right now ..................................................................... 55. 立. 政治大. ‧. ‧ 國. 學. n. er. io. sit. y. Nat. al. Ch. engchi. vi. i n U. v.

(9) 1. Introduction 1.1. Executive Summary When it comes to starting a business in a foreign jurisdiction, most enterprises and individuals would prefer to register a local company to protect their valuable investment. As a result, lawyers and accountants (as well as other professional business service providers) have traditionally been retained to assist them with this specific task. It is noteworthy that. 政治大. these professions form a lucrative service industry that charges one of the highest service. 立. fees on this planet due to their monopoly over certain specialized business knowledge.. ‧ 國. 學. BizAbroad Xpress (“BX”) has identified a unique business opportunity here and aims to. ‧. disrupt the prevailing business processes that this particular industry segment has utilized. sit. y. Nat. for many decades. In particular, there are two processes that BizAbroad Xpress wishes to. io. er. disrupt: how the required business knowledge is being found by and disseminated to the. al. v i n C h lawyers and accountants by and provided to the aforementioned for the business start-up engchi U n. aforementioned enterprises and individuals, and how the relevant details are being requested. purposes. BX has confidence that consolidating the aforementioned business processes will immensely ease the pains traditionally associated with starting a business abroad. As will be evidenced by the financial figures under Article 10, BX is also confident that it will earn a sustainable profit within the first year of operation through such business process consolidation.. 1.

(10) 1.2. Organizational slogan, vision, mission, values, and aims BX aspires to be an all-purposes business services platform propelled by the following assertions: Slogan: Meeting your business needs abroad! Vision:. The number 1 choice for quality business services abroad. Mission:. Create value and make a difference for businesses worldwide. Values:. (a) Customers’ satisfaction is our top priority; (b) Employees’ happiness is. 立. 政治大. ‧ 國. 學. our competitive advantage; (c) Sharing unlocks possibilities; (d) Hack. ‘The 100% Rules’: (a) 80% of corporate revenue from emerging economies1;. sit. y. Nat. Aims:. ‧. everything. io. al. er. (b) 10% of employee’s time devoted to innovation; (c) 10% of employees’. n. time devoted to community. 1.3. Core team members. Ch. engchi. i n U. v. BX currently comprises the following core members: Jeffrey Ling (in charge of product development, marketing, sales) . Currently legal professional with 10 years of relevant experience; qualified lawyer (New Zealand); MBA (Taiwan).  1. Founder - Entrepreneurs Society of Taiwan; Co-Founder – Profindr.com http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerging_markets 2.

(11) Cecily Pan (in charge of finance, product development, sales) . Currently an accounting professional with nearly 10 years of relevant experience; certified public accountant (United States and Taiwan). . Co-Founder – Mbox. Cliff Lien (in charge of system architecture, database design, search engine optimization) . 政治大. Currently a software engineer with 7 years of relevant experience. 立. Eli Wong (in charge of user interface/user experience, social media, mobile application) Co-Founder – Pasteme.cc; Chirpy.tw. ‧. ‧ 國. 學. . Thomas Chen (in charge of web development, web analytics). sit. y. Nat. Currently a university student. io. n. al. er. . Ch. engchi. 3. i n U. v.

(12) 2. Problem Overview 2.1. Problems to be solved for BSUs Enterprises and individuals that wish to use certain business services for, say, registration of a new company abroad, often encountered the following common issues (this list is by no mean exhaustive): . 政治大 minimum capital requirement, tax implications, procedures and costs involved etc). 立. Lack of easy access to all the relevant information (such as foreigner restrictions,. ‧ 國. 學. The fact that such information (including those provided by the relevant government agencies) is in foreign language and/or presented in a not-so-user-friendly way does. ‧. not help either.. y. Nat. Inability to comprehend and process the vast specialized knowledge (such as the. sit. . er. io. relevant laws and regulations governing company registration).. al. n. v i n No readily-available tool toCcompare the pros and cons of different business entities heng chi U. . (such as subsidiary versus branch) or even the different jurisdictions (such as Country A versus Country B). . Overwhelming choices when it comes to selecting the right local business service provider to handle the relevant application process. Often, the ranking provided in the relevant directory is not very meaningful in terms of narrowing down the choices.. . Substantial time, and even money, spent trying to double-check with the selected business service provider what can or cannot be done. Often, this pain is exacerbated. 4.

(13) by the technical jargons used. . Not sure what kind of end result is standard/acceptable since there is usually no reliable reference source(s) available for making a quick assessment.. The aforementioned issues tend to render many business services users (“BSUs”) feeling the sense of powerlessness. Undoubtedly, there must be an easier way to achieve the same desired outcome(s).. 治政大 2.2. Problems to be solved for BSPs 立 ‧ 國. 學. Providers of business services (“BSPs”) often encountered the following common issues (this list is by no mean exhaustive):. ‧. . For certain BSPs like lawyers, the national self-governing associations they belong to. y. Nat. io. sit. have imposed rules to the extent that marketing activities are severely restricted in. al. n. . er. terms of types and scope. BSPs have continually. v i n C h money into having poured e n g c h i U the. relevant information made. comprehensively available in various printed materials, on the internet, and even through overseas seminars, to target audience beyond the national border, yet without being able to measure the benefit(s) of doing so or knowing whether the right crowd is targeted. . Despite being included, and even highly ranked, in reputable industry directories, BSPs like law firms must still compete against other law firms also found in the same directories for the attention of the same target audience.. 5.

(14) . Even if the promotional effort got noticed, BSPs must still spend valuable manpower and effort, most of which may be non-chargeable, answering countless telephone/email inquiries from potential customers, who may afterward end up using a cheaper alternative to perform the same work.. There must be an easier way for BSPs to identify which BSUs provide the relatively better return and directly concentrate their valuable resources on them only.. 政治大. 2.3. Solution for both problems. 立. BX perceives the issues faced by BSUs and BSPs as essentially two sides of the same coin.. ‧ 國. 學. As such, BX will address these identified issues/problems simultaneously with one. category.. ‧. consolidated process that can be applied universally irrespective of business service. sit. y. Nat. al. er. io. In the following, the ‘lean startup’ methodology 2 and the ‘business model canvas’. v. n. methodology3 will be used to partly explain BX’s overall business model in finer details.. Ch. engchi. i n U. By the end, the objective of this business plan is to ensure sufficient details are given to demonstrate how BX solves or intends to solve the aforementioned problems.. 2 3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lean_Startup http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Model_Canvas 6.

(15) 3. Product Overview 3.1. What BX is creating and why When it comes to starting businesses abroad, BX has come up with a simple customer-oriented method created to benefit both BSUs who use the BX platform (“BX BSUs”) and BSPs who joined the BX platform (“BX BSPs”). In essence, this method entails streamlining and standardizing the steps on how information is exchanged between. 政治大. BSUs and BSPs. Instead of numerous rounds of verbal/written communication between a. 立. BSU and its BSP, BX resorts to: firstly, the availability of an open and searchable. ‧ 國. 學. information database – allowing BSUs to search for information needed for, say, registering. ‧. a new company in the selected jurisdiction(s); secondly, the usage of a guided do-it-yourself online form – allowing both BSUs and BSPs to focus on dealing with only the information. y. Nat. er. io. sit. needed for the specified purpose.. al. v i n Ch free-of-charge. i Unot only be e n gThey c h will. n. To BSUs, they have nothing to lose from using the BX platform since all the information database will be available. able to compare the. advantages/disadvantages of using different jurisdictions, the transparency of information database and pricing means BSUs can always compare what they see on the BX platform with their own sources and decide whether it is worthwhile to choose BX. What truly makes BX exceptional and gives it its competitive advantage is how it will entice each carefully vetted top-tier BSP to join the BX platform and represent the jurisdiction where it is located: not as one of the many BX BSPs in the designated business service category (such as company registration category) for such jurisdiction, but rather as. 7.

(16) the sole and exclusive BX BSP in such category for such jurisdiction (or if such jurisdiction can be further subdivided into smaller sub-jurisdictions – each with somewhat distinctive legal system, then in each such sub-jurisdiction within such jurisdiction). That is, each jurisdiction (or sub-jurisdiction) will only have one authorized BX BSP to provide the relevant business services. The rationale behind this extraordinary feature is the hypothesis that, on top of improving the ‘information gathering/search’ stage, the ‘evaluation of alternatives’ stage within the ‘consumer decision process’ is something worth eliminating.. 政治大. BX is convinced that BSUs will be better off without having to select their own BSPs since. 立. the opportunity cost involved is not merely the missed opportunity of finding the best BSP. ‧ 國. 學. available on the market, but the time wasted on what essentially amounts to a zero-or-low-economic-benefit activity.. ‧. sit. y. Nat. The other rationale behind the aforementioned feature is the hypothesis that not all BX. io. er. BSUs have sufficient knowledge base or capacity to help them cope with the vast amount of details procured during the ‘consumer decision process’. As such, the BX BSUs should. al. n. v i n presumably be comfortable with C merely one BSP choice for the selected jurisdiction as long hengchi U as the overall user experience is made very pleasant for them. Even if the BX BSUs are sophisticated enough for the evaluation task, BX is convinced that time is a scarcer item to BX BSUs than ‘best choice’ and that rational BX BSUs will accordingly rather want to spend their valuable time in a more productive manner. If time is what really matters, everything else will become a luxury (rather than necessity). Overall, BX is convinced that its platform can really offer real value to BX BSUs through building something that reduces the steps involved and makes decision-making uncomplicated for them. 8.

(17) 3.2. Value propositions In terms of value propositions, BX will summarize the major ones as below: . To BX BSUs: BX enables them to experience efficient search for relevant information, engage BX BSPs with the assurance that the service quality to be expected affords them nothing but certainty, and, most importantly, enjoy an enhanced overall user experience as BX edges towards the one-stop-shop status.. 學. ‧ 國. . 治政 To BX BSPs: BX enables them to stand out from 大competition, handle only quality 立 international inquiries through the use of self-customized online form, and, most importantly, enjoy increased international revenue (both directly and indirectly). ‧. sources.. y. this. BX). deals. n. al. case,. sit. (in. with. the. mundane. and. often. er. else. io. someone. Nat. A large part of the underlying idea of BX is somewhat comparable to outsourcing – letting. v. zero-or-low-economic-benefit task(s) (in this case, the task of finding the right information. Ch. engchi. i n U. and the right BSP) involved in the new business start-up process, thereby enabling BSUs to devote their valuable time and resources on the crucial aspects of their overseas expansion plan, such as devising the promotional campaign or staffing the local office for the new market(s). For BX BSUs, BX will design the BX platform to the extent that the BX BSUs can expect the same user experience no matter which jurisdiction they chose. For BX BSPs, standardizing the information collection process means any well-trained personnel can now handle large volume of incoming information with ease. The benefits to be reaped are not difficult to foresee: save time and money for both BSUs and BSPs for the same transaction when compared to using the conventional way.. 9.

(18) For example, by using the online form – a form that is well-designed to capture only the needed information, BX will make lives significantly easier for both BX BSUs and BX BSPs: BX BSUs do not need to spend valuable time asking the wrong questions about what to do next, which at the same time means BX BSPs do not need to spend efforts dealing with trivial matters. The ‘online form’ feature is not an alien practice since BSPs often have their own printed forms for use by the BSUs which are prepared for more or less the same purposes. An online version of the same thing removes the hassles typically associated with. 政治大. the paper version and translates to time and cost savings.. 立. At the end of the day, BX believes the great value it can ultimately deliver is that, by using. ‧ 國. 學. the BX platform, BX BSUs got what they have come to expect while BX BSPs acquired. ‧. customers with educated expectation.. Nat. er. io. sit. y. 3.3. How it works. Any BX BSU that intends to, say, register a new business entity in a foreign jurisdiction,. n. al. Ch. i n U. v. can find and compare all the information they needed on the BX platform (such as what. engchi. details are needed, how long it takes and how much it costs), supply the relevant details by completing a comprehensive yet user-friendly online form, send the completed form via a dedicated link directly to BX BSP of the selected jurisdiction, courier the required documents (such as personal IDs), and pay the pre-specified service fees to BX BSP to trigger the performance of the selected business service. Such BX BSP will verify the accuracy and sufficiency of the details/documents provided, arrange follow-up steps (such as signing hard copy documents), proceed with the registration filings with the relevant authorities, and report to such BX BSU when the relevant registration certificate is. 10.

(19) obtained. Taking a closer look at how will BSPs’ practices be impacted after joining the BX platform, one will find that it will be mostly ‘business-as-usual’. In other words, the usual service delivery practices will be largely untouched since BX BSPs will still need to exercise the same diligence and care as was the case before joining the BX platform. As can be seen, BX is not trying to alter the fundamental relationship BSPs have with their BSUs, merely. 政治大. facilitate it through the use of internet technologies.. 立. For BSPs who joined the BX platform, in exchange for the enjoyment of the exclusive. ‧ 國. 學. traffic derived from the ‘monopoly’ position (which will more likely than not lead to additional works from the same BX BSUs beyond the initial new business start-up), they. ‧. will need to collaborate, free-of-charge, with BX on the following major terms:. y. Nat. io. sit. Create, update and improve the designated part of information database for the relevant jurisdiction in accordance with the pre-agreed format.. n. al. . Ch. engchi. er. . i n U. v. Vest any underlying rights of the intellectual property works on the BX platform (such as copyrights) to BX.. . Set a very competitive service fees schedule for the relevant business services.. . Pay a pre-agreed fixed percentage of their actual payment received from each BX BSU for the services provided as service charge to BX.. 11.

(20) 3.4. Example: how to use the platform On the BX official website4, the first page shows a drop-down menu that lets BX BSUs select a country (for example, ‘Singapore’) and an action item (for example, ‘Company Registration’). After the selection is made, the next page will show a summary table of the relevant information telling BX BSUs what details/documents will be required to complete the selected action item.. 政治大. If BX BSUs are satisfied that, say, registering a company in Singapore, is something they. 立. wish to do for sure, they can then proceed to the next page where the online form is and. ‧ 國. 學. commence to supply the details/documents by following the step-by-step instructions provided next to each blank field. An itemized service fees summary will also be shown to. ‧. indicate how much in total BX BSUs can expect to spend for the type of work selected,. Nat. er. io. sit. y. depending on the additional service items checked.. When completing the online form, to save and resume any work-in-progress, BX BSUs will. n. al. Ch. i n U. v. be required to complete a quick membership sign-up in order to access the ‘save work’. engchi. feature. Once the online form is completed and documents uploaded, BX BSUs can click the ‘send’ button and BX BSPs on the receiving end will receive the information directly. BX will not act as an intermediary to the information exchange; nor will BX retain any information except for those made/deemed necessary due to: (1) national statutory requirements; (2) internet security purposes. Once the details/documents provided have been verified as accurate and sufficient, BX BSPs will send a confirmation message to BX BSUs together with a total chargeable service 4. See Exhibit 1. 12.

(21) fees summary for payment in advance. After payment is made in accordance with the prescribed payment terms, BX BSPs will commence the relevant work. Any documents that require signing will thereafter be couriered to BX BSUs for their attention. Once all items for registration purposes are available and ready, registration filings and payment will be lodged. The last step is for BX BSUs to wait for the arrival of the registration certificate.. 3.5. Product development roadmap. 政治大. BX recognizes the importance of continuous product improvement/innovation. As such, BX. 立. has devised the following 3-year product development roadmap as guideline:. ‧ 國. 學. All BX BSUs can voluntary sign-up as registered members (“Registered BX BSUs”) in. Membership sign-up enables BX to collect useful user data to help it improve the. sit. y. Nat. . ‧. order to enjoy certain perks reserved for Registered BX BSUs.. io. BX platform and thereby increase customer satisfaction.. n. al. er. . . Ch. i n U. v. There are two ways to complete membership sign-up: completion of an online. engchi. membership registration form, or use one of the following social media membership accounts: Facebook, LinkedIn, Google, Twitter, Sina Weibo, Yahoo, Baidu. Sign-up and any subsequent sign-in will be quicker when Registered BX BSUs registered with a social media membership account. . During membership sign-up, BX BSUs can further choose to be ‘individual user’ or ‘business user’: the former is for occasional users of the BX platform while the latter is for industry professionals (such as a lawyer) who repeatedly use the BX platform to assist other BSUs. For the ‘business user’ category, BX will introduce. 13.

(22) an invitational-only profit sharing program to reward those local users with the heaviest or potentially heaviest traffic (“Local BX Reps”). . Any BX BSUs who for whatever reason are uncomfortable using the BX platform by themselves can ask the aforementioned Local BX Reps who are located in the same locality as them to assist them with the use of the BX platform. . These Local BX Reps will be scrutinized and certified by BX, and be allowed to. 政治大. share profit with BX for every business service transaction they have helped. 立. completed on the BX platform. Such profit will be an additional revenue stream to. ‧ 國. 學. the Local BX Reps on top of the service fees they will have earned from spending the chargeable hours working on the BX platform on behalf of someone else.. ‧. . These Local BX Reps are more likely to meet BSUs with overseas expansion. y. Nat. er. io. sit. need, and therefore have greater opportunity to promote the BX platform to them compared to BX undertaking the same task. They essentially act as the local. n. al. Ch. outlets for ‘the BX platform’ experience. . engchi. i n U. v. BX will formulate a loyalty program to reward BX BSUs and BX BSPs. . The loyalty program is designed to encourage: (1) BX BSUs to engage BX BSPs through the BX platform (as opposed to BX BSUs finding BX BSPs on the BX platform but bypassing it when actually engaging them); (2) BX BSPs to get works from BX BSUs through the BX platform (as opposed to BX BSPs persuading BX BSUs to bypass the BX platform for works which can be done through it).. 14.

(23) . The loyalty program will encourage cross-referral among BX BSPs (as opposed to one BX BSP referring non-BX BSPs to BX BSUs when there is already another BX BSP on the BX platform who is capable of undertaking the work).. . Thirdly, the loyalty program will encourage BX BSUs to promote the BX platform to non-BX BSUs irrespective of whether they know of any non-BX BSPs who can undertake the same work.. . 政治大. To increase the exposure and usage of the BX platform, BX will release an easy-to-use. 立. internet tool that anyone can download free-of-charge and build into any websites. ‧ 國. 學. (“BX Link”) which, with a click, redirects the viewers to the relevant landing page on the BX official website. The BX Link can provide convenience of accessing the BX. ‧. platform to entities such as BX BSPs, non-BX BSPs, Local BX Reps, government. Nat. sit. y. agencies, professional self-governing associations, trade-related organizations, and. n. al. er. io. industry bloggers. . Ch. i n U. v. To make it more convenient for Registered BX BSUs (especially those of the ‘business. engchi. user’ category) to access the BX platform, BX will build a dedicated application for them (“BX BSU App”) and supply it free-of-charge to all Registered BX BSUs. Major features will include: . Available to computers and tablets, but not handheld mobile devices.. . Has offline mode, so Registered BX BSUs can use most features of the BX platform without the need to stay online or go to its official website.. . Correspond with BX’s customer service team instantaneously.. 15.

(24) . Correspond with BX BSPs whom Registered BX BSUs have engaged for works. The line of communication will be direct and secure.. . Send feedbacks on the services performed by the BX BSPs, whether anonymously or otherwise.. . To make it more convenient for BX BSPs to access the BX platform, BX will build a dedicated application for them (“BX BSP App”) and supply it free-of-charge to all BX BSPs. Major features include:. 立. 政治大. Available to computers and tablets, but not handheld mobile devices.. . Has offline mode, so BX BSPs can use most features of the BX platform without. ‧. ‧ 國. 學. . the need to stay online or go to its official website.. y. Nat. . Correspond with BX BSUs who have engaged them for works. The line of. n. al. er. sit. Correspond with BX’s customer service team instantaneously.. io. . Ch. engchi. communication will be direct and secure. . i n U. v. Receives customer feedbacks on the services performed, whether anonymously or otherwise.. . BX will build a special built-in toned-down application for the popular social networks (such as LinkedIn and Facebook) to take advantage of the viral effect these social networks have on offer (“Social Network App”). Not all features found on the BX platform will be made available on the Social Network App, just sufficient useful functions to make it worthwhile for BSUs to download, repeatedly use it and then. 16.

(25) hopefully share with their acquaintances and communities on the same social network. . BX will build into the BX platform a customer relationship management tool (“CRM Tool”) to help BX BSPs better manage those BX BSUs who became their customers as well as the demand on their resources (such as manpower).. . In order to make it easier for BSUs to find BX BSPs and Local BX Reps, BX will build a dedicated appointment booking System (“Appointment System”). The. 政治大. Appointment System will initially be a part of the BX platform, and may eventually. 立. become a standalone platform of its own. All BX BSPs and Local BX Reps can be. ‧ 國. 學. found on the Appointment System and any BSUs can access the Appointment System free-of-charge. The Appointment System may also be built into BX BSPs’ and Local. ‧. BX Reps’ own official websites so that whenever any BSUs need to visit them about. Nat. sit. y. the BX platform, a simple click will redirect them to the relevant landing page on the. n. al. er. io. Appointment System. In other words, making an appointment with BX BSPs and. v. Local BX Reps becomes hassle-free – anytime and anywhere. The aim is to achieve a. Ch. engchi. i n U. seamless fusion of online experience and offline experience for all BSUs. . BX will work with online payment service providers (such as Paypal) to make online payment on the BX platform possible. The obvious benefit of this is that BX BSPs can receive payment in a timely manner.. . BX will, depending on the ease of migrating the outsource-able and standardize-able business processes onto the online platform, gradually introduce new business service categories to the BX platform.. 17.

(26) . During the initial phase, company registration and tax registration will be the first two business service categories to be made available on the BX platform.. . At the right timing, the following business service categories will be introduced (this list is by no mean exhaustive): company secretariat, notary public, intellectual property protection, product registration, customs and shipping, commercial property leasing, commercial insurance, property management, talent. 政治大. search and payroll, public relations and advertising, translation and printing. . 立. BX will divide certain large jurisdictions into smaller sub-jurisdictions so that each. ‧ 國. 學. such sub-jurisdiction can have its own BX BSPs. By having more geographical areas locally represented, the BX platform can become more relevant to the wider target. y. Nat. io. sit. BX will be careful so as not to divide any jurisdictions prematurely until there is. er. . ‧. audience.. sufficient evidence that a substantial number of geographical areas within the. n. al. Ch. i n U. v. same jurisdiction can no longer be well-served by having just one nationwide BX BSP. . engchi. Countries that can be further ‘divided’ into sub-jurisdictions include5: China (22 provinces (not including Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau), 5 autonomous regions, and 4 municipalities), India (28 states and 7 union territories), USA (50 states), Indonesia (33 provinces), Brazil (26 states and 1 federal district), Russia (8. 5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_system_of_government#Systems_of_Int ernal_Governance 18.

(27) federal districts), Japan (47 prefectures), Mexico (31 states and 1 federal district), Germany (16 states), United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland), Argentina (23 provinces and 1 autonomous city), Canada (10 provinces and 3 territories), Malaysia (13 states and 3 federal territories), Australia (6 states and 3 territories).. 立. 政治大. ‧. ‧ 國. 學. n. er. io. sit. y. Nat. al. Ch. engchi. 19. i n U. v.

(28) 4. Business Analysis 4.1. Key partners analysis BX sees the following entities as key partners to its sustainable success and therefore deems it imperative to establish/maintain a long-lasting relationship with each one of them: . BSPs (such as law firms and CPA firms): BX sees the importance of building and. 政治大 intends to court into becoming BX BSPs, not simply because they are the main source 立. nurturing a healthy partnership with them, especially those top tier BSPs that BX. ‧ 國. 學. of BX’s revenues, but also because they are the best evangelists of the value of the BX platform. That is, BX will rely on BSPs to deliver news about BX by word of mouth –. ‧. more convincing and costs virtually nothing – to their own customers, many of whom. sit. y. Nat. are BX’s target audience. It is critical that BSPs, especially BX BSPs, understand that. io. er. BX is there to help them focus on their own core competencies/activities, and that they. al. v i n Callh BSPs to act as independent Additionally, BX will rely on observers on the accuracy engchi U n. do not perceive BX as a competitor, but a strategic complement to their business.. of BX’s information database as well as the service quality of BX BSPs. . Government agencies (such as embassies and trade offices): The government of each jurisdiction is vital for being the source to BX’s information database. Each government also sets out procedures governing how foreigners can start/do their businesses within its jurisdiction. In other words, governments directly influence how BX delivers its products/services. Furthermore, because many BSUs tend to visit the websites of various government agencies for assistance, it makes sense if a hyperlink. 20.

(29) to the relevant landing page on the BX official website can be prominently displayed on these websites. . Industry associations (such as law societies, chambers of commerce, import/export associations, and other trade-related organizations): The industry associations are usually the industry standard setters and therefore also influence how BX delivers its products/services. Furthermore, because many BSUs tend to visit the websites of. 政治大 relevant landing page on the BX official website can be prominently displayed on these 立. various industry associations for assistance, it makes sense if a hyperlink to the. websites.. ‧ 國. 學. . News media: BX replies on the news media to spread the words about BX all over the. ‧. world. When BX becomes newsworthy, this can easily multiply the effect of BX’s. Nat. sit. y. marketing effort. Likewise, any negative publicity can prove lethal due to the same. n. al. media and work it to the advantage of BX.. 4.2. Key activities analysis. Ch. engchi. er. io. multiplier effect. As such, it is essential for BX to actively court and manage the news. i n U. v. To deliver value to BX’s customers, BX will undertake the following key activities: . Product development (such as the product development steps outlined under Article 3.5): Incremental product improvement/innovation, reinforced by validated learning, scientific experimentation and iterative product releases, will continuously take place to ensure BX will eventually have what it takes to become a one-stop shop as more and more business services are put on offer on the BX platform. The necessity for such. 21.

(30) improvement/innovation can also be justified by the need to constantly lowering the costs of developing and running the BX platform. . Platform management: BX must make sure the BX platform is working as promised, including maintaining the integrity of the information database, helping BX BSPs to focus on their own core competencies/activities, and verifying each transaction is satisfactorily completed.. . 政治大. User experience measurement: BX believes customer satisfaction equals to customer. 立. retention. Furthermore, if BX BSUs have a pleasant user experience with the BX. ‧ 國. 學. platform, they are more likely to refer BX to other BSUs. These reasons alone make it justifiable for BX to continually evaluate the overall user experience so that it knows. ‧. which aspect(s) of the user experience requires enhancement.. y. Nat. io. sit. Marketing/personal selling: BX’s marketing efforts (such as those outlined under. er. . Article 6) are mainly directed at BSUs while BX’s personal selling efforts (such as the. n. al. Ch. i n U. v. one(s) outlined under Article 7) are predominantly directed at top tier BSPs. The. engchi. former is to increase the awareness and trial of the BX platform among BSUs while the latter is to convert top tier BSPs into BX BSPs. The fact that BX only needs to sell to a selected group of vetted BSPs means BX can easily boast a low cost structure to its business model in this respect.. 4.3. Key resources analysis BX has three key resources: . Intellectual: Since BX is not a capital intensive venture, the intangible assets created. 22.

(31) exclusively for BX as a result of the intellectual efforts commissioned by BX, such as trade secret (business process), trademarks (brand name, logo), copyrights (computer codes, information database), and patents (software, business method), will be invaluable to BX when it comes to acquiring/protecting BX’s market share in each jurisdiction. . Information database: What truly sets BX apart from its competitors is its content – the. 政治大 website and its accompanying features. BX’s internal team will build the initial 立. vast information database. This database is what draws traffic to the BX official. information database from studying and organizing business start-up information for. ‧ 國. 學. most jurisdictions. After the relevant BX BSPs came on-board, BX will rely on them to. Nat. y. User generated content: BX will also set itself apart from its competitors with a. sit. . ‧. contribute to and maintain the information database.. n. al. er. io. different type of content – the user generated content. In time, all Registered BX BSUs. i n U. v. will be given the ability to contribute discussions, feedbacks, testimonies, reviews etc.. Ch. engchi. on the BX platform for all to see – a way to establish credibility among the general public, especially those who are not so familiar with BX.. 4.4. SWOT analysis – perspective of BSUs If BX BSUs have performed a SWOT analysis on using the BX platform compared to conventional methods, the following is the likely conclusion: Strengths. Weaknesses. -. Use of English language. -. English is not the preferred language. -. No need to pay BX anything. -. Unsure of BX quality. 23.

(32) -. -. -. No or substantially less search time and. -. Not all countries are available. cost; one-stop shopping. -. Information still overwhelming. Bountiful choices on country and. -. Time spent on filling in the form. business vehicle. -. Unable to choose BSP. Only need to read and provide the. -. Unnecessary to use top tier BSP for the. relevant details, just enough to understand and make informed decisions. -. -. Everything reduced to one form to fill. -. Information provided by top tier BSP. -. Discrete communication with BX BSP. 立. engaged. relationship with BX BSP -. Confused over BX’s role. Know how much BX BSP will charge. ‧. ‧ 國. -. 學. Relationship still with BX BSP, not BX. -. Lack of opportunity to build trust. - Lack of payment options 政治 - BX 大 keeps user details. -. beforehand. simple tasks required. Can stop using BX anytime and go direct. al. er. io. v i n C h and things such as promotional campaign transmission and storage engchi U Ability to focus on the more important. -. Security issues regarding data. talent search. -. Information provided later found. n. -. Threats. sit. BX only keeps basic user details. Opportunities -. Nat. -. y. to BX BSP with no strings attached. Opportunity to become a Local BX Rep or integrate the BX platform as part of. inaccurate -. own total business solution to own customers. BX BSP lacks manpower to meet demand in a timely manner. -. BX’s lack of ownership over customer dispute resolution. 4.5. SWOT analysis – perspective of BSPs If BX BSPs have performed a SWOT analysis using the BX platform compared to. 24.

(33) conventional methods, the following is the likely conclusion: Strengths. Weaknesses. -. Use of English language. -. English is not the preferred language. -. BX not competitor as not actually. -. Unsure of BX quality and capability. providing services as a BSP. -. Fixed period contractual obligations with. -. Free trial period. BX. -. Customizable form for database setup and. -. maintenance. Manpower and time spent on database setup and maintenance. -. - Need to agree to lowering the usual fee 政治 Exclusive traffic derived from the level大 or setting a fixed fee 立 ‘monopoly’ position - Potential competition from same-service. -. BSUs come through the BX platform. Need not do anything to promote BX. -. Direct feedback to BX BSUs, not through -. Nat. -. Receive payment from BX BSUs in. -. -. Need to disclose certain billing information to BX. Ch. Only pay BX when payment is received from BX BSUs. relationship with BX BSUs. n. -. al. Lack of opportunity to build trust. er. Lower customer acquisition time and cost. io. -. advance. BSUs. y. BX. Not easy to filter out the bad or illegal BX. ‧. -. BX BSPs of nearby countries. sit. using real identity. 學. ‧ 國. -. -. i n U. v. BSUs confused over BX’s role. e n g c-h iBX keeps too much details of BX BSUs. Customer analysis provided by BX for a reasonable fee. -. BX only keeps basic details of BX BSUs. Opportunities. Threats. -. Ability to reach more international BSUs. -. BX over-promised and under-delivered. -. Repeat businesses from the same BX. -. Security issues regarding data. BSUs -. -. transmission. New BSUs through words of mouth of. -. Demands become overwhelming. satisfied BX BSUs. -. BX withdrawing availability of its. Own customers receiving extra value. platform and finding second source. 25.

(34) from other business solution(s) available. -. through the BX platform. Government or professional self-governing associations may tighten control on BX’s business practice. 4.6. Competitors analysis Potential competitors/substitutes of BX come in different forms and sizes. They can generally be divided into two different categories – offline and online.. 政治大. Offline: The following methods are common and self-explantory.. 立. Unknown referral(s) from friends. . Known local BSPs (such as a local law firm, a local CPA firm etc.). . Known global BSPs with localized services (such as PWC, Deloitte, Ernst &. 學. . ‧. ‧ 國. . y. Nat. al. n. Known professional services alliances/networks:. Ch. engchi. er. io. . sit. Young, KPMG etc). i n U. v.  Legal alliances: Lex Mundi6, TerraLex7, State Capital Group8, World Law Group9, Pacific Rim Advisory Council10, Meritas11  Legal/Accounting alliances: World Services Group 12 , Geneva Group 6. http://www.lexmundi.com/lexmundi/default.asp http://www.terralex.org/ 8 http://www.statecapitalgroup.org/ 9 http://www.theworldlawgroup.com/ 10 http://www.prac.org/ 11 http://www.meritas.org/default.aspx 12 http://www.worldservicesgroup.com/ 7. 26.

(35) International13, MSI Global Alliance14  Accounting alliances: Praxity 15 , TIAG 16 , Leading Edge Alliance 17 , PrimeGlobal. 18. , AGN International. 19. , BKR International. 20. , DFK. International21  Accounting networks: BDO International 22 , RSM International 23 , Grant Thornton International 24 , Baker Tilly International 25 , Crowe Horwath. 政治大. International26, PKF International27. 立. Government agencies (such as embassies, trade offices etc.). . Industry. associations. (such. as. professional. self-governing. ‧. ‧ 國. 學. . trade-related organizations etc.). 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27. y. sit er. al. v. http://www.ggi.com/ http://www.msiglobal.org/ http://www.praxity.com/Pages/default.aspx http://www.tiagnet.com/ http://www.leadingedgealliance.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=dsp_home http://www.primeglobal.net/ http://www.agn.org/ http://bkr.com/. n. 14. Printed publications:. io. 13. Nat. . Ch. engchi. i n U. http://www.dfk.com/ http://www.bdointernational.com/Pages/default.aspx http://www.rsmi.com/en/default.aspx http://www.gti.org/ http://www.bakertillyinternational.com/web/home.aspx http://www.crowehorwath.net/ http://www.pkf.com/ 27. associations,.

(36)  Law firm directories (such as Chambers and Partners 28 , Legal 500 29 , Martindale-Hubbell30 etc.)  Guidebook: Legal Guidance for Establishing Corporations in 40 Countries and Regions (authored by Walter Chen)31 . Online: Some of the following methods are rather unknown, so further clarification becomes necessary for them.. . Legal information services (such as HG.org32, FindLaw33, LexisNexis34, Doing. ‧ 國. 學. . 治政 Key words search using online search engines大 (such as Google, Bing etc.) 立 Business35 etc.). ‧. Legal document services:. sit. y. Nat.  www.legalzoom.com;. io. al. n. www.corpnet.com;. www.rocketlawyer;. er. . v ni. www.uslegalforms.com;. C hetc. engchi U. www.lawdepot.com. www.bizfilings.com; www.incorporate.com;.  These online platforms operate with a different business model – they are essentially online legal document services providers with their own in-house 28. http://www.chambersandpartners.com/. 29. http://www.legal500.com/ http://www.martindale.com/ https://hk.lexiscn.com/book/cn/book-read-1051.html#1524 http://www.hg.org/ http://www.findlaw.com/ https://www.lexisnexis.com/en-us/home.page http://www.doingbusiness.org/. 30 31 32 33 34 35. 28.

(37) lawyers providing the actual business services, although they do not assert themselves to be a law firm. This poses as a potential rsk since most national law societies or bar associations will not permit any entities to provide legal services without a valid practicing license. Additionally, these online platforms are for USA market only so far. In other words, they are not designed with foreigners and foreign jurisdictions in mind. . 政治大. Business consultation services:. 立.  www.upcounsel.com; www.startupoverseas.co.uk; www.startupr.com etc.. ‧ 國. 學.  These online platforms do not provide an in-built capture-all online form that. ‧. deals with the information exchange hassles.. sit. y. Nat. Whether offline or online, the aforementioned approaches are viewed as incapable of. n. al. er. io. efficiently and effectively addressing the problems raised under Article 2. For BSUs, having. v. the needed information scattered among various channels invariably means they will have. Ch. engchi. i n U. to go through many of the aforementioned approaches at some stage before even starting the actual application process for, say, company registration. BX is here to make a change for the better.. 29.

(38) 5. Target Universe 5.1. Statistics Based on the statistics found on Wikipedia, BX believes, for the initial phase, it may be worthwhile to target BX BSUs from the following countries first (“Target BSUs”): . Top 25 countries by FDI abroad36: United States, France, United Kingdom, Germany,. 政治大 Ireland, China, Russia, Australia, Norway, Denmark, Singapore, Taiwan, Austria, 立. Netherlands, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Japan, Spain, Belgium, Canada, Italy, Sweden,. ‧ 國. . 學. Brazil, Finland, South Korea.. Top 25 countries by exports 37 : China, United States, Germany, Japan, France,. ‧. Netherlands, South Korea, Italy, Russia, United Kingdom, Canada, Hong Kong,. y. Nat. sit. Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Belgium, Spain, Taiwan, Switzerland, India,. er. io. Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Brazil, Australia.. al. n. v i n Countries mentioned by at C least countries as their leading import source h etwonother gchi U. . 38. :. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, United States, Uzbekistan. In other words, BX’s marketing efforts will be honed at Target BSUs during the initial phase of scaling. Based on the latest statistics found on Wikipedia, BX believes, for the initial phase, it may 36 37 38. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_FDI_abroad http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_exports http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_leading_trade_partners 30.

(39) be worthwhile to target BX BSPs from the following countries first (“Target BSPs”): . Top 25 countries by received FDI39: United States, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Hong Kong, Belgium, Netherlands, Spain, China, Canada, Switzerland, Italy, Brazil, Australia, Mexico, Sweden, Russia, Singapore, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Poland, India, Austria, Denmark.. . Top 25 countries by imports40: United States, China, Germany, Japan, France, United. 政治大. Kingdom, Italy, South Korea, Netherlands, Hong Kong, India, Canada, Spain,. 立. Singapore, Mexico, Belgium, Taiwan, Russia, Turkey, Switzerland, Brazil, Australia,. ‧ 國. Countries mentioned by at least two other countries as their leading export market41:. ‧. . 學. Austria, Poland, Thailand.. Australia, Brazil, China, European Union, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Russia, Singapore,. y. Nat. n. al. er. io. sit. South Africa, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United States.. v. In other words, BX’s personal selling efforts will be honed at Target BSPs during the initial phase of scaling.. Ch. engchi. i n U. 5.2. Tax havens When it comes to setting up business vehicles, BX will also extend its coverage to include BX BSPs from the following major tax havens42 (for easy reference, the definition “Target BSPs” shall be extended to include the following tax havens): 39 40 41 42. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_received_FDI http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_imports http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_leading_trade_partners http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_haven 31.

(40) . Sovereign Tax Havens: Bahamas, Cyprus, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Panama, San Marino, Seychelles. . Non-sovereign Tax Havens: Bermuda, British Virgins Islands, Cayman Islands, Isle of Man. 5.3. Customer types It should be clear by now that BX has two customer types: primary customers and. 治政 secondary customers. Within each type, BX has further大 defined the scope as Target BSUs 立 and Target BSPs respectively. Even so, due to the scarcity of resources, for the initial phase, ‧ 國. 學. BX must further narrow its scope and concentrate only on:. ‧. . For primary customers: small and medium enterprises 43 (“SMEs”) among Target. sit. io. Compared to large enterprises, it is quite likely that Target SMEs do not know any. n. al. er. . y. Nat. BSUs with overseas expansion need (“Target SMEs”).. Ch. i n U. v. local BSPs for the jurisdiction(s) they are interested in or do not have competent. engchi. staff who can handle the overseas expansion steps for them. As such, they are presumably more likely to be happy at paying for certainty. . Example of Target SMEs:  All SMEs in jurisdictions categorized as Target BSUs. . For secondary customers: top tier law firms and CPA firms found among Target BSPs. 43. See various definitions given: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_and_medium_enterprises 32.

(41) (“Target Firms”). . Compared to those not in the top tier, it is quite likely that Target Firms can afford to put high caliber staff in charge of their contribution and presence on the BX platform. As such, they are presumably more likely to instill confidence among the BX BSUs as well as better equipped to handle a sudden surge in demand from BX BSUs for their services. The other crucial reason is that, compared to those. 政治大. not in the top tier, Target Firms are more likely to want to have more international customers.. Examples of Target Firms:. ‧ 國. 學. . 立. ‧.  Top 10 law firms in each jurisdiction categorized as one of Target BSPs. io. sit. y. Nat.  Top 10 CPA firms in each jurisdiction categorized as one of Target BSPs. n. al. er. Once BX can secure sufficient resources, it will carefully and gradually undertake the following expansion steps: . Ch. engchi. i n U. v. For primary customers: BX will aim for all BSUs (including large enterprises and potential candidates for Local BX Reps), especially those from the developed economies44. Examples include:. 44. . Top 50% multi-national enterprises from each developed economy. . Top 50% multi-national enterprises from each emerging economy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developed_market 33.

(42) All mid-size law firms in each jurisdiction. . All mid-size CPA firms in each jurisdiction. . All mid-size business consulting firms in each jurisdiction. For secondary customers: BX will aim to sign up any top tier BSPs, especially those from the emerging economies. Examples include:. 政治大. . Top 10 law firms in each emerging economy. . Top 10 CPA firms in each developed economy. . Top 10 BSPs in any other business service category in each jurisdiction. 立. 學. ‧. ‧ 國. io. sit. y. Nat. n. al. er. . . Ch. engchi. 34. i n U. v.

(43) 6. Marketing Strategy 6.1. Objectives – acquisition, retention, referral and revenue BX’s limited marketing resources must be spent solely for the measurable objectives of (1) acquiring new BX BSUs, (2) retaining existing BX BSUs, and (3) getting referral to potential BX BSUs. The ultimate objective of any marketing efforts is to increase revenue for BX.. 政治大 In particular, BX needs to deliver sufficient marketing messages to BSUs to the extent that: 立. ‧ 國. 學. . For acquisition: BSUs are interested in what BX has to offer, as can be evidenced by the numbers of site visit, newsletter sign-up and membership activation.. ‧. For retention: BSUs are confident BX provides better user experience, as can be. sit. y. Nat. . io. i n U. v. For referral: BSUs are willing to share BX with their friends, as can be evidenced by the viral coefficient.. . al. n. . er. evidenced by more than one site visit from the same BSUs.. Ch. engchi. For revenue: BSUs are convinced BX saves them time and money, as can be evidenced by their willingness to pay for the business services ordered.. 6.2. Marketing tools For each of the following identified objectives, multiple marketing tools will be employed, with emphasis being placed on those tools that can yield high volume, high conversion, and/or low cost.. 35.

(44) . For acquisition: search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (SEM), internet ads, magazine ads, billboards, flyers, public relations etc.. . For retention: social networks, email marketing etc.. . For referral: social networks etc.. . For revenue: official website etc.. 6.3. Online tools. 立. 政治大. In light of BX’s limited resources, instead of opting for the traditional marketing methods,. ‧ 國. 學. majority of BX’s marketing efforts will be devoted to the following online tools in order to. Search for relevant key words on search engines (such as Google, Bing, Baidu etc.):. y. sit. n. al. er. SEO: BX will attempt to rewrite the content on the BX platform to organically. io. . Nat. . ‧. generate worldwide awareness of the BX platform:. i n U. v. achieve a higher ranking for BX’s official website on the search engine result page. . Ch. engchi. SEM: There are several types of paid online advertising campaigns (such as pay-per-click (CPC), pay-per-action (CPA), and pay-per-impression (CPI)) that can be utilized to promote the visibility of BX’s official website. The objective is to have the search engines purposely include BX’s official website on the search engine result page.. . Place targeted internet ads on social networks:. 36.

(45) . In light of the dominant business-to-business nature of the BX platform, it is will more cost-effective if BX’s advertising dollars are spent to display the internet ads only to the social network members who meet the targeting criteria. A good example is to use LinkedIn Ads45.. . For all announcements: Facebook46, LinkedIn47, Google +48.. . 治政 For short announcements: Twitter , Sina Weibo 大. 立. . For demonstration and testimonies: Youtube51.. 49. 50. 學. Send emails to potential and current BX BSUs, especially those who have subscribed. ‧. . Visit the official fan page on social networks for tips and updates:. ‧ 國. . to it on the BX platform, in the attempt of maintaining and extending the relationship. y. sit. al. er. io. Visit BX’s official website52 to experience its various offerings, such as:. n. . Nat. with them.. . E-commerce enabler.. Ch. engchi. i n U. v. 45. http://partner.linkedin.com/ads/info/Ads_faqs_updated_en_US.html?utm_source=li&utm_ medium=el&utm_campaign=gate-c 46 47 48 49 50 51 52. https://www.facebook.com/BizAbroad http://www.linkedin.com/groups/BizAbroad-Xpress-Official-Fan-Page-4702204 https://plus.google.com/103208013347239582190/posts https://twitter.com/BizAbroadXpress Yet to be built. http://www.youtube.com/user/bizabroadxpress http://www.bizabroadxpress.com/ 37.

(46) . User-generated content: discussions, feedbacks, testimonies, reviews etc.. . Share with friends:  ‘Share’ button: Post a link of the official website on own social networks for others to see.  ‘Email’ button: Send an email message about BX to friends.. . Online real time Q&A.. 立. 政治大. When using the aforementioned online tools, BX will attempt to collect, measure and. ‧ 國. 學. analyze every aspect of the internet traffic generated by BX’s target audience (such as hit,. ‧. page view, visit, bounce rate, exit rate, duration, active time, frequency, click path etc.) using search analytics tools (such as Google Trends53) and web analytics tools (such as. y. Nat. io. sit. Google Analytics54, Alexa55 etc.). As part of BX’s viral marketing initiatives, BX will. n. al. er. constantly identify individuals with high social networking potential (such as industry. Ch. i n U. v. bloggers) and convert them to become evangelists for the BX platform.. engchi. 6.4. Printed tools When the resources permit, BX will magnify its marketing efforts to include the following more traditional marketing tools: . 53 54 55. Periodic publications:. http://www.google.com/trends/ http://www.google.com/analytics/ http://www.alexa.com/ 38.

(47) . Major business magazines (this list is by no mean exhaustive): Business Week, Entrepreneur, Fast Company, Financial Times, Forbes, Fortune, Harvard Business Review, Money, Red Herring, The Economist, Wall Street Journal etc.. . Industry journals (this list is by no mean exhaustive): law society, bar associations etc.. Billboards located in certain locations (this list is by no mean exhaustive): . 學. . 治政 Golf courses, driving ranges, tennis courts, country 大 clubs, marinas, international 立 airports, international train stations etc. ‧ 國. . Flyers at certain locations (this list is by no mean exhaustive):. ‧. . Central business districts, major business conferences etc.. sit. y. Nat. io. n. al. er. 6.5. Public relations. i n U. v. BX will direct some of its marketing efforts on selected public relations (PR) events: . Ch. engchi. Press releases and featured profile on major technology news and blogs (this list is by no mean exhaustive): . 56 57 58 59 60. Techcrunch56, Mashable57, GigaOM58, VentureBeat59, Readwrite60 etc.. http://techcrunch.com/ http://mashable.com/ http://gigaom.com/ http://venturebeat.com/ http://readwrite.com/ 39.

(48) . Road shows in strategically-selected cities (this list is by no mean exhaustive): . . Major trade shows/exhibitions, product launch/demonstration events etc.. Event co-host or co-sponsor (this list is by no mean exhaustive): . Startup events, business networking events, ‘Starting Business in ___’ seminars, business model contests, community projects etc.. 6.6. Road shows. 立. 政治大. In order to create exposure among Target BSUs, BX will attend major trade. ‧ 國. 學. shows/exhibitions and organize product launch/demonstration events in most-populated61. ‧. or strategic cities. The 3-year road show itinerary is as below:. sit. y. Nat. For 2013: Road shows in selected Asia countries: Taipei, Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul, Beijing,. io. er. Tianjin, Shanghai, Wuhan, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Shenzhen, Hong Kong,. al. v. n. Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Yangon, Dhaka, New Delhi, Lahore, Karachi, Ahmedabad, Mumbai,. i n C Hyderabad, U h eBangalore, n g c h iChennai,. Kuala Lumpur, Singapore,. Auckland, Melbourne, Sydney, Jakarta, Manila. For 2014: Road shows in selected Middle East, Europe, and Africa countries: Dubai, Doha, Riyadh, Tel Aviv, Istanbul, Sofia, Bucharest, Budapest, Warsaw, Kiev, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Munich, Milan, Zurich, Paris, London, Dublin, Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, Casablanca, Lagos, Kinshasa, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Nairobi, Cairo.. 61. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_proper_by_population 40.

(49) For 2015: Road shows in selected North America and Latin America countries: Vancouver, Toronto, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Austin, Mexico City, Caracas, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Lima, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle.. 6.7. Regional marketing offices In the event that BX has secured substantial funding for major overseas expansion. 政治大. initiatives, BX will establish 12 regional marketing offices, as below, to support its. 立. 學. For Taiwan, Japan, Korea: Taipei.. . For China, Hong Kong, Macau: Shanghai.. . For Southeast Asia: Singapore.. . For Oceania: Auckland.. sit. n. er. io. al. y. Nat. . ‧. ‧ 國. worldwide marketing campaign:. Ch. engchi. . For South Asia: Mumbai.. . For Middle East: Dubai.. . For Africa: Cairo.. . For Europe: Zurich.. . For North America (except USA): Toronto.. . For USA: Los Angeles.. 41. i n U. v.

(50) . For Latin America (except Brazil): Santiago.. . For Brazil: Sao Paulo.. 立. 政治大. ‧. ‧ 國. 學. n. er. io. sit. y. Nat. al. Ch. engchi. 42. i n U. v.

(51) 7. Channels Strategy BX will perceive the following channels as vital to its success: . Official website: This is the platform where information search and exchange take place, and value proposition delivered. BX’s platform team will ensure that the official website is made available 24-hours/7days. The widespread availability of BX BSU App and BX BSP App is designed to increase the visit to the official website.. . 政治大 Social networks: Fan pages have been created on the popular social networks (such as 立. ‧ 國. 學. Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ etc.), the main purpose of which is to raise worldwide awareness of the BX platform among the various online communities. When utilized. ‧. wisely together with the Social Network App, this kind of channel can become the. sit. y. Nat. most cost-effective one in causing BX to become visible and viral among the target. io. al. er. audience as well as making overall user experience complete. BX will also use social. n. networks for lead generation. . Ch. engchi. i n U. v. Friendly websites: BX will persuade the relevant government agencies and industry associations in each jurisdiction to display the BX Link on their websites. BX perceives them as essential channel partners for facilitating the gradual behavioral shift from the conventional method of business start-up to the BX method.. . Direct sales force: To effect its personal selling efforts, BX will maintain a dedicated team of account managers to contact and serve the BX BSPs directly. Their main responsibilities will include: maintaining a good rapport with the relevant industry that BX BSPs are in, scouting for potential BX BSPs, negotiating partnership with them,. 43.

(52) acting as the contact window between BX’s database team and BX BSPs’ contact windows, increasing BX BSPs’ direct and indirect revenues with the aid of the CRM Tool, measuring BX BSPs’ satisfaction, and resolving disputes relating to BX BSPs. Indirect sales force: With the aid of the Appointment System, BX has the ability to create for itself essentially a new category of channel – a voluntary sales force comprising BX BSPs and Local BX Reps who will help promote the use of the BX. 政治大 but also the offline traffic, for BX BSPs and Local BX Reps, making BX an integral 立. platform. With the Appointment System, BX can increase not only the online traffic,. part of their business practice. BX BSPs and Local BX Reps will benefit from the. 學. ‧ 國. Appointment System in two ways: direct revenue from spending chargeable hours. ‧. helping the BSUs using the BX platform; and indirect revenue from additional works. sit. y. Nat. from the same BSUs beyond the scope of what the BX platform provides. As such, it makes sense for BX BSPs and Local BX Reps to want to use the Appointment System,. io. er. . which is just another tool for promoting the use of the BX platform.. n. al. Ch. engchi. 44. i n U. v.

(53) 8. Customer Relationships and Quality Assurance 8.1. Relationship with BX BSUs and BX BSPs When it comes to taking care of customer relationship, BX will confine its efforts to the following approaches: . Self-service: The do-it-yourself designs such as find-and-compare and the online form. 政治大 for those BX BSUs using the BX platform repeatedly, especially when aided by the 立 will have a heavy emphasis on making any favorable user experience easily duplicable. ‧ 國. 學. mass customization capability the BX platform has on offer. Although customer service personnel will be available at the same time to deal with any issues in relation. ‧. to self-service, BX is nonetheless confident that BX will offer an empowering. sit. y. Nat. experience to BX BSUs to the extent that any interaction between BX BSUs and BX’s. io. al. n. . er. customer service personnel will be kept to a very minimal.. i n U. v. Dedicated personal assistance: For BX BSPs, BX will use a team of dedicated account. Ch. engchi. managers to personally look after them to make sure that their needs (both technical and non-technical) are met on a timely manner. . Communities: . BX intends to build an ecosystem around BX BSUs so as to increase their dependency on BX. In other words, BX wants BX BSUs to repeatedly visit the BX platform for all their business needs. To make this an easy decision, BX will make sure that those BSUs who have registered to become the Registered BX BSUs will stand to benefit from the following membership privileges (this list is 45.

(54) by no mean exhaustive): access to an extensive network of BX BSPs covering multiple business service categories; exclusive promotional deals for the featured jurisdictions; smart tips based on usage history and preferences; rewards from the loyalty program; and access and right of contribution to the user-generated content. . For BX BSPs, BX will also build for them a community they can call their own. 政治大 exclusive representation right in the selected jurisdiction(s); free promotional 立. with the following membership privileges (this list is by no mean exhaustive):. campaigns (such as featured profile of them in the emails sent to all BX BSUs);. ‧ 國. 學. free platform support and upgrade; rewards from the loyalty program; and VIP. Nat. y. Co-creation of products: Feedbacks will be routinely solicited from both BX BSUs and. sit. . ‧. access to CRM Tool and Appointment System.. n. al. er. io. BX BSPs through questionnaires and interviews etc. to provide ideas/inputs and. i n U. v. impetus for continuous product improvement/innovation. It is important that both BX. Ch. engchi. BSUs and BX BSPs are brought in at a very early stage to participate as a co-owner of the entire co-creation process.. 8.2. Disputes from BX BSUs: The most anticipated issue from BX BSUs regarding the BX platform is quality: . Since the services on the BX platform are customized and straightforward (that is, limited room for complication) and are provided by top tier BSPs, it becomes relatively unlikely for BX BSUs to have any disputes with BX.. 46.