Sudhir Ahluwalia's Blog, page 11

How do I ensure that my company is sustainable in the long run?

The path to sustainability in a company is unique. I researched this subject area for one of my clients. Based on this research, I am picking the case study of Enel, one of the world’s largest power-producing companies. Its 2019 revenues were reported to be $89.95 billion. The sustainability strategy developed by the group has been integrated with the group’s business model.
In response to the evolving market, the company has started focusing on decarbonization and gradually phasing out conventional power generation assets. These programs are supported by expanding digitalization to increase electricity consumption and improve grid efficiency.
The group has planned activities that will help achieve U.N. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 – Climate action, SDG 7 – Affordable and clean energy) and SDG 9 (Industry, innovation, and infrastructure), and SDG 11 – Sustainable cities and communities.
These goals will be achieved by accelerating the development of renewable energies, gradually closing coal plants, promoting electrification of consumption, and developing new services for end customers. It is building infrastructure and platform models to leverage technological and digital progress.
The group is increasing investments to bring forward Net Zero commitments to 2040. This objective will be achieved by speeding up the electrification of consumption. The shift of energy consumption to electricity will benefit customers in terms of costs, efficiency, reduced emissions, and price stability.
According to the company’s plan, the green strategy will increase the customer base by 12 million by 2030, reaching 86 million. The energy consumption through electrification will increase by 30 percent.
The transition to renewables will help reduce customers’ energy expenditure by up to forty percent. Decarbonizing the energy mix will reduce carbon footprint by up to eighty percent by 2030.
In 2019, Enel launched an SDG-linked bond. The first tranche for $1.5billion was floated on the U.S. market. The second tranche was launched in Europe and was for 2.5 billion Euros. The issuance was oversubscribed. Investors showed confidence in the issuance.
Enel got its ESG performance independently monitored. The monitor has said that as of November 2021, “Enel displays an advanced ESG performance, ranking 2nd in the European Electric and Gas utility sector, covering 64 companies. Enel’s performance is advanced in all three pillars: Environment, Social, and Governance.”

Supporting credentials:

Climate change: Financial risks and Opportunities

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What is the role of Alibaba in growth of Chinese small businesses?

Jack Ma’s, the Founder of Alibaba, had a vision for Alibaba. It is a partner to all business people. It has enabled these businesses to access the riches only the Internet could unlock. Small companies find the Alibaba model attractive. It gives them access to the Chinese domestic and international markets. Manufacturers post their product listings on the site. Buyers worldwide use the platform to send inquiries to sellers in China.

They find Manufacturers, Suppliers, Exporters, Importers, Buyers, Wholesalers, Products, and Trade Leads on Alibaba.com. The platform enables them to interact and trade with each other and the outside world.

Alibaba offers a range of products to customers, most of whom are based out of China. It includes wholesale, group buying, retailing merchandise, luxury, branded products, financial products, and IT infrastructure services.

AliPay escrow payment-based services are another Chinese-specific facility. Payments for goods sit in an escrow account and are released only when both parties are satisfied with the deal and the product. The mechanism provided buyers with the assurance of payments for goods delivered. It has helped small businesses hugely.

Taobao.com and tmall.com group companies under the Alibaba banner, account for 15 percent and 14 percent of the global e-commerce market. Amazon comes third with a 13 percent market share in the world. Alibaba controls over 50 percent of China’s eCommerce market.

Alibaba has played a significant role in China’s journey from a poor developing country to the world’s second-largest economy. Alibaba has played an important part in transforming Chinese small businesses into large exporters.

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Why do corporations need to evaluate their strategy?

All major corporations continually evaluate their strategies at the highest levels. It is one of the to-do lists of C-level executives.
Companies strive to maintain and secure a competitive advantage in the market. That is only possible when you have your ear to the ground for changes in customer preferences and need. I have seen this happen firsthand in global IT services multinational companies like TCS, Accenture, and others.
These companies have an extensive field force of executives spread throughout their major markets. The organization is structured to ensure that two-way communication is concentrated via these functionaries. These managers are the eyes and ears of corporations. All projects are executed and supervised under the management control of these individuals.
A dialog between these field managers and the top leadership is continuous. Successful corporations keep the customer at the center of their operations. Feedback and market changes are continuously exchanged between corporations and their customers. New needs are identified, and new solutions are researched, tested, and implemented.
Given the speed at which technology evolves, I notice that the weight of change becomes large enough for a corporation to feel the need to bring about strategy changes every three or four years. The nature of changes can vary from identifying new lines of businesses required to service an entirely new technology requirement.
You may have noticed that ten years ago, corporations were operating almost exclusively with data that was held company-owned and company-specific data. Technology evolved, and data storage moved from individual company servers to the cloud. Technology change required IT service providers to change their skill base and delivery models. Business and operational strategies of both providers and customers occurred. Companies with the ability and agility to make strategy changes stayed competitive, while others lagged.
The above example illustrates the drivers and imperatives behind strategy changes that continue happening in today’s technology-driven world. You can stay ahead only by having a mechanism for strategy evaluation.

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What is a platform business model?

According to Business Makeover, “A platform connects two or more interdependent groups of users and enables them to interact with each other. The platform operates an infrastructure that facilitates such interactions. The platform typically earns from advertising or a percentage of the transactions made on the platform.”

Google is a great example of a platform business model. It enables customers to operate on its infrastructure. Its major earnings are from advertising. It is a marketing company that leverages technology. Google is probably one of the most popular digital marketing platforms. Other competing platforms in the same genre are Baidu, Facebook, and others.

Amazon, on the other hand, is both a platform and a cross-selling platform. You buy a book on Amazon and get a series of recommendations. Sometimes you end up purchasing a book from the suggestions. The company has two business models, both successfully implemented.

Uber, on the other hand, revenues come from sharing of revenues. Companies first test business models before they are finally adopted. The business models that we see in most companies have evolved.

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What factors determine a decision to induct new technology into an enterprise?

Technology tools are implemented in a company to improve operational efficiency. These can also help enhance an existing competitive advantage that an enterprise has vis-a-vis its competitors.
Most organizations, therefore, introduce new technologies to achieve the objectives mentioned above. Technology tools, on their own, do not help an enterprise achieve a competitive advantage. Most IT services companies, though, market technology solutions that will help transform a company’s operations. Tools only improve operational efficiency; the foundational competitive advantage is a consequence of strategy and business models.
Flagging productivity, the need to streamline operations, reduce overheads, and staffing costs are other factors that determine technology implementation decisions.
Let me try and explain the confusion between IT transformation and competitive advantage that has been caused by IT services marketers. A decision, for instance, to enter a new market is a strategic decision. Bringing a new model or product is another example of a strategy-driven decision. Using a technology tool to streamline the operations that will facilitate the implementation of strategic choices are examples of IT transformation.
The company’s objectives, therefore, drive the choice of inducting a new technology solution into an enterprise. Do not get carried away by the marketing hype; look at your underlying need. If you do that, you will make the right decisions.

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Is Elon Musk not just a great innovator but a greater marketer?

Elon Musk has become a brand in himself. He dared to enter segments of that market where others feared to tread. He had the foresight, resilience, and determination to succeed in his ventures. He was not afraid of failure and was not deterred by them. It took several failures before the first successful launch of SpaceX reusable rockets. In the process, he came close to bankruptcy. The story was similar for Tesla too. He continues to innovate and expand into frontier areas. These traits have led to Elon Musk becoming a brand in himself.
As a brand, he knows that brands can be powerful influencers too. He makes statements and takes bold and unconventional actions. Critics, experts, news people, and common people follow each word. It enables him and his companies to stay in the news. From the marketing standpoint, his statements alone have a very high return on investment. Unlike competitors who spend billions on marketing, Elon Musk’s tweets and media comments achieve the same and even better results.
Take the Twitter controversy, His decision to make an offer to buy and then to withdraw the request, and now the litigation around the deal are all tracked daily on business media and over social media. People debate on his next steps. Speculation on his actions is continually swirling around.
I regard Elon Musk as a master marketer who knows how to keep the spotlight on himself, his actions, his companies, and his moves. Arguments and counter-arguments to his actions are part of his marketing strategy.

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Can Yoga help prevent diseases such as cancer and diabetes?

I have looked at the scientific study-based evidence for the role of Yoga and meditation in cancer and diabetes patients during my research on my books on natural solutions for these two diseases. Here are some highlights from that research.

Diet and exercise are prescribed for cancer prevention. They are adjuncts to cancer treatment. Mind-body therapies are being mainstreamed into cancer treatment. These seek to reduce pain, anxiety, insomnia, nausea, hot flashes, and mood improvement.

Ayurveda and TCM emphasize the ability of the body to self-heal. It is now understood that the neural system constantly goes through a cycle of death and renewal. Neurons die, and new neural connections are created. Kandel, the neuropsychiatrist awarded the Nobel Prize in 1990, found that if we do not use neural connections, they begin to shrink and die. We do appear to have the ability to reshape our brains.

Fatigue in cancer survivors disrupts normal functioning and quality of life. Nonpharmacologic approaches are being tried to provide relief (Bower et al., 2014).

A systematic review of articles and studies on the health impact of Yoga shows that its’ practice helps in weight control and reduction of blood pressure, blood lipids, and blood sugar. (Yang, K., 2007; Youngwanichsetha, S. et al., 2014)

Diabetic individuals who performed pranayama felt a sense of well-being in 7 to 10 days of practice. Demand for insulin and other diabetes control medicine dropped. In this trial, four types of pranayama were practiced for 30 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of resting yoga posture called Shavasana (a dead person pose posture). (Sahay, B.K., 2007)

In addition to breathing exercises, eight forms of physical activities – (Yoga asana)- have been observed to benefit diabetic patients. These exercises were practiced daily for 45 minutes, followed by relaxation exercises like Shavasana (Deadman pose) and Makrasana (Crocodile pose).

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What is the best way for a new startup to acquire customers?

With the innovation in digital marketing, there are plenty of organic marketing options available to startups and others to market themselves.
Begin by defining your business strategy and choosing an appropriate business model. These are foundational requirements for any business; without these, your marketing efforts will be in vain.
The next step is to build the customer persona for each customer segment. Each customer set has certain likes and barriers to buying, and thinking about these is critical to designing a marketing and branding plan. Marketing messages should be prepared to align with the customer profiles that you create. You would not want to include messages that will turn your customers away from the product and service you are taking to the market.
Content creation is the next step for brand development, building customer awareness, and driving sales. Content can be of various formats – audio, video, and text. It can be long-form content or short messages.
Content is at the heart of marketing. Content creation is an art that very few digital marketers possess. Invest time and effort in creating content that will appeal to your target customers. There are plenty of tools available both for automation and dissemination of content. Channels, too, are available in abundance. Blogs, articles, white papers, tweets, emails, videos, gifs, jingles, and music are some types of content that can be deployed. Channels can vary from websites, online magazines, and newspapers; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and YouTube are the prominent options for organic marketing. Remember, organic marketing takes a little while to show its impact. With a bit of patience and you will start seeing results.

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How can I get an expert business consultant for my business?

A consultant is an advisor. It is your business, and you know it best. A good consultant spends a bit of time understanding your business needs. He uses the tools and experience and offers you a set of options to help you make decisions that will help you take your business forward.
The right consultant for you is one with whom you are comfortable and confident interacting. You should be able to trust the advisor. You will not get the expert business consultant by looking at the credentials and asking for copies of advice and reports that the consultant may have offered to other clients.
I have seen some entrepreneurs engaging with a consultant as if hiring an employee. You will hire an operator who knows how to handle a boss. A consultant is not an employee, he is not a subordinate, and he is also not a boss. He is an advisor. As an advisor, some of his advice may require you to make course corrections to your business. That will not happen in a boss-subordinate relationship.
With this background, let me share a simple tip to help you hire the best consultant for your business. I have gathered this during my 45 years of professional leadership and consulting experience.
Get into a dialog with the advisor that you have shortlisted to hire. Don’t rush into signing a contract and realizing later that the individual you have selected is not right for you. The dialog process often begins tentatively. Both sides are trying to understand each other. Ask questions and look at the responses. The dialog process could start as written messages and end with a video call.
If, by the end of the process, you conclude that the consultant is an individual you can work with and has the right skills and credentials, you can formalize the relationship.

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Can you lose weight by doing yoga for an hour everyday?

Obesity is a complex disease. Losing weight is best achieved when we proceed systematically. Yoga results on individuals showed significant improvements in muscle strength and endurance. Still, there is no significant gain in weight loss than a control group on a weight-loss dietary regimen alone. (Mahadevan et al., 2008)

A few scientific studies indicate that kapalbhati could help decrease abdominal obesity. A small trial with overweight doctors who performed kapalbhati did show that body mass index and abdominal skinfold thickness fell significantly. (Kekan, 2013)

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (brisk walking, leisure bike ride, light swimming, etc.) and 75 minutes of vigorous (soccer, basketball, jogging, hiking, aerobics, etc.) activity in a week will help keep you in good health. Of course, the nature and extent of physical activity will depend on the individual’s actual physical condition.

Many people are looking for a silver bullet to quickly reduce weight with the least effort. They try a variety of weight loss supplements and medication. The thinking is also inherent in the question.

No, you cannot lose weight by doing yoga, tai chi, or cardio exercise in the gym for an hour, two hours, or more a day. Nor can you lose weight sustainably by diet plans sold by dietitians. Diet plans will help bring about temporary weight loss. Weight will revert to its original state after the diet plan regime ends. Weight loss is sustained through a systematic and comprehensive regimen supported by a physician, dietitian, and exercise specialist.

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