Rule of thumb:


Tim, pls find time to read Great ideas!

Saturday, March 10, 2007

9/10-3-2006 讀報
8:18 AM

New:
Armchair Economist: Economics And Everyday Experience
Steven E. Landsburg / Publisher: Free Press; Reprint edition (March 1, 1995)

招聘解凍 紀律部隊請2800人 2007-03-10, 香港經濟日報, A21, 港聞
腦波控制電子遊戲年底上市 2007-03-10, 星島日報, A26, 國際
沃頓蟬聯商學院榜首　多交換生 推行小組學習 2007-03-10, 香港經濟日報, A16, 國際專題, 黎卓賢、謝媛彰
內地創投明星 —— 沈南鵬 2007-03-09, 香港經濟日報, A65, 行政人員, 最新雜誌速遞, 丹妮絲
中國80後消費攻略 2007-03-09, 香港經濟日報, A65, 行政人員, Global Watcher, 陳靜汶
「補習天王」申請英皇教育清盤 2007-03-10, 星島日報, A10, 港聞
2007 Undergraduate B-School Rankings Business Week, ISSUE DATE: March 19, 2007, SPECIAL REPORT
Sidestepping Disaster - THE STRATEGY PARADOX Business Week, ISSUE DATE: March 19, 2007, BOOKS
The World's Billionaires Forbes, 03.08.07, Special Report, Luisa Kroll and Allison Fass
The World's Billionaires - Why Didn't I Think Of That? Forbes, 03.08.07, Special Report, Luisa Kroll and Allison Fass ←Really worth reading

An idea a day:
85. Setup a online bookshop, which can let paid member to view the whole first (few) chapter of all books.
Traditional bookshops like amazon, earn by selling books, apart from that, this online bookshop have a new/ alternative revenue stream by earning membership fee, at which in this world, no bookshop have ever tried before, except the discount membership card, which will surely promote sale but hamper the maximium profit(reducing selling price).

Everyone should have a experience of buying bad books, no matter how experienced you are. When you are in a actual bookshop, it is not so comfort for you to view a critical amount of pages, in order to determine and buy a good book. Amazon provides a better way by letting people to view freely the content page and others with limited access.

Why amazon just provide limited access, but it is crystal clear that this could increase the chance of closing deal online? I guess it probably because of the copyright issue, publisher could only earn when the sales (from amazon) is good, letting people view freely online just kill the cash cow, as amazon can not earn $$ by letting people to view free pages.

No business deal cant be solved by $$, if we charge member a little monthly to cover the copyright cost and earn a little, there will be two-fold effect, on one side, without increasing sales, the bookshop still earns, as there are constant membership fee, the other side, allowing members to view could let people feel more comfort for buying, thus increasing sales.

Remember the long tail? For rare books with niche subject, it is very difficult to pursuede the mass to buy, although the mass are starting to take heed, but this bookshop will lower the barrier of entry, by allowing no-risk trial for members. Remember this fact: It is standard rate, it is the same cost for viewing whatever amount of books! For sagacious members, they will surely to maximize the investment by view as large as they can, in this way, the sales will surely be promoted.

This business model is similar to Napster, letting users to paid a monthly fee, then allow people to listen MP3 for unlimited amount.

Actually, I think there is a great similarity between the music and book industry, both the selling contents can be digialized and downloadable nowadays, there are virtually unlimited authors, pulishers, artists, genres, subjects, catagories in both industries, people favrioute varies, nearly any niches have it's fans. The contents could be sell to world-wide over to the internet....

If Napster can do, why book cant?

Comments:

armchair economist is quite enjoyable. tho most of the ideas therein appeared in his columns in slate already... enjoy.

kitty
posted by Anonymous Anonymous @ Saturday, March 10, 2007 at 8:32:00 PM GMT+8
I'm one of the "China 80s". Some of the descriptions really depict the picture of young Chinese, though I'm skeptical to certain sayings. And in fact, the "Hong Kong 80s and 90s" are experiencing the same, aren't they?
posted by Blogger cat_dog_and_chocolates @ Monday, March 12, 2007 at 1:44:00 PM GMT+8
Hi Tim. I'm a every day reader, thanks for your sharing all along.

In reply to "The World's Billionaires" from Forbes, just found the following reply on Reddit:

The real richest people in America
Social Entrepreneur.
posted by Blogger 草 @ Monday, March 12, 2007 at 2:27:00 PM GMT+8
To Cat,

Yes, I think this is also the case in HK.

"崇尚「錢是賺來花的」消費觀念。"

This is especially true in HK.

To Kitty,

Airchair economist is good, although this is published a long ago, (I still in kindergarden when 1995) but the fact still apply.

Are there any other magazines which is worth seeing??
posted by Anonymous Anonymous @ Monday, March 12, 2007 at 2:36:00 PM GMT+8
To Amakusa,

The link is good!

All are great Social Entrepreneurs!

John Wood is one of my hero!
posted by Anonymous Anonymous @ Monday, March 12, 2007 at 2:39:00 PM GMT+8

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