Building up a home based information business, using the internet: a personal view
| Pages | 48-51 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/eb040763 |
| Date | 01 March 2000 |
| Published date | 01 March 2000 |
| Author | Diana Nutting |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
Building up a home
based information
business, using the
internet: a personal
view
by Diana Nutting, Nutting Marketing
The internet has made
it
much easier to build
up
a
free-lance information business working
from
home,
not only using the web
for
information sources, but also for networking
and for
finding
work.
The
key
to running
a
successful home-based business
is
to offer
added value information services
to
companies that would not otherwise use
information professionals.
Introduction
When I set up my marketing consultancy two years
ago I did not expect that information services
would be the most lucrative and satisfying aspect
of my work. While I still undertake some pure
marketing projects, one of my early contracts was
to return to Parcelforce, a previous employer, to
revitalise the market intelligence service I had
founded 12 years previously. In doing so I tapped
into a market place for information and business
analysis that keeps me much busier than marketing
does.
It is a niche; there are companies out there
who cannot afford to have a researcher on
staff,
and do not have the time to do the research them-
selves.
Getting up to speed
The information world had moved on while I was
concentrating upon marketing, and although I was
web-literate, I was certainly not up to date with the
information sources that are now available on the
web.
My first task was to update myself with
current sources and practice. My mind was
concentrating on having to work immediately and
urgently on a major acquisition study. I did not
attend any of the many short courses that were
available, mainly on the grounds of cost. I relied
on reading everything I could lay my hands on, and
asking questions of anyone who would talk to me,
at the same time building up my own database of
sources while searching the web. My starting point
was the excellent Strathclyde University site
www.dis.strath.ac.uk/business/index.html, which
lists all the major sources of company and business
information. I also very quickly found out about
Freepint www.freepint.co.uk which not only
provides feature articles on finding particular kinds
of information, but also has an
e-zine
and the very
useful Freepint Bar, which has been a lifeline on
more than one occasion.
Now my own database of sites has become my key
source for finding information. I rely heavily on
book marked sites and referral sites. I do not use a
search engine unless I am completely clueless
about the subject, which is not a common
occurance.
I could spend my life trying to stay up to date with
what is happening, but I have to balance that
against time spent earning money. Networking
(both physically and electronically) is time con-
suming, but is vital to keep up to date and to find
work.
Intelligence not information
I am a business researcher. I concentrate on the
sort of intelligence which helps companies antici-
pate what the competition and market is doing that
could affect their profitability and strategic direc-
tion.
Researchers are now being asked to do more than
simply find information and deliver a print-out of
search results. They are being asked to provide
research answers that explain why and how the
information they are giving can answer the client's
question. There is undoubtedly an information
overload. The job is to sift and analyse that infor-
mation, so that the client gets something useful
without having to invest his time. Companies come
to me because they have found out that while there
is lots of information on the internet, they do not
have the time or the expertise to get it themselves.
48 — VINE 120
To continue reading
Request your trial