A lot of folks say that you cannot get something from nothing, but in the sphere of affiliate marketing there happens to be an exception. Setting clichés and terminology out-of-the-way, the realm of affiliate advertising has made the Internet a pulsating commercial playground. And much unlike the early days, people are able to yield huge returns from advertising and web space. Needing modest effort and initial outlay the affiliate system has revolutionized website possession.

But when an individual makes up his mind to be an affiliate, which website or sites should they promote. There is a massive collection to be had on the Internet that the assortment is really overwhelming. Questionably the most significant factor should be how well-liked or how likely is it that persons visiting a personal website are likely to follow the links to another. The larger the industry the larger the prospective clientele. Very few industries these days can match the growth and the sustainability than that of the online poker business.

The virtual kingdom of the Internet has revolutionized the complete gambling and gaming business. Making betting possible from the comfort of one’s home for 24 hours a day. The ease at which people can place bets or play games is astounding and has no doubt influenced the extraordinary rise of all gaming sites, but most notably that of online poker. For a long time poker had a very underground muted status even going to the level of seediness. But now with online poker the boundaries and the preconceptions have been blown away. Online poker has changed the game forever, making it more trendy and more accessible than at any point in its history. The global village that is the World Wide Web allows gamers from all over the globe to take on each other in matches and tournaments, matching their wits with professionals and rookies alike.

Due to the rise in popularity of online poker, there has been a enormous boom in the revenue that these companies can turn over. As with any thriving industry companies are desperate to cash in on the profitable businesses. So the role of the advertising persons becomes all the more important as companies vie for new customers, to stay ahead or catch up with the leading sites. It is a dog eat dog business so it is easy to understand why they might be willing to share some of the profits in order to preserve their reputation and develop the sites. Here is where the typical affiliate comes in. In exchange for a few Ads on their private site, they can collect money. All that the affiliate needs to do is attract visitors to the poker site and convince them to join up and they are off. For the lifetime of each player that joins through their site the affiliate will earn between 25 and 35% of the money they create. What could be more clear-cut than that, all that is desired is the will power and a plan to tempt visitors and an affiliate can make some serious cash for a very minimal effort.

~Channel Marketing Team

Talk to any fresh graduate about the kind of company that they would like to work with and you will hear the names of all Fortune 500 companies, although one hardly needs to be a rocket scientist to understand that at one point of time, all these Fortune-500 companies were start-up companies. Today, they are listed in various stock exchanges and perhaps have lots of public funds at their disposal to execute their plans; however, it took them lots of time and effort to reach their current positions. Would you have joined Google when they were operating from a garage or Infosys, when they were operating from a two bed-room flat? Probably not. We all wish to work with extremely well known and recognized brands rather than creating a brand.

Let’s take TWO prominent challenges and opportunities that are associated with being a part of a start-up company.

Challenges

1) Low Resources: Resources are never adequate. Even in a large scale multi-national company, obtaining the correct resources is a struggle. Resource management or resource optimization is a basic requirement for a professional or a manager in any domain. If the supply of resources equals demand, then companies can work on their own; they won’t need you. It’s just that the resource scarcity is a little more acute in start-up companies. In start-up companies, you are expected to complete your work with whatever resources are available. Unlike many Fortune 500 companies where the influx of money is high, liquid funds are comparatively low in start-ups. Facilities, benefits and comforts are less and are mostly earned.

2) Future is uncertain: They say that the future of an employee in a start-up company is uncertain because the future of such company itself is very vague. They only have to pause and reflect on what happened to companies like Lehman Brothers, Satyam Computers, etc? Future is and will always be uncertain. No one can give you any assurance about your future. Like the human beings who establish them, companies are born, go through infancy, grow, flourish, and then die. Just like human beings, some of the companies die in their infancy, some in their adulthood and many in their old age. Can anybody say with certainty that they will live for one more day? Uncertain future is not a primary attribute of just a start-up company, but life itself

Opportunities

1) To create and being a part of something big: Start-up companies, just like a new team, provide an opportunity to do and create something big and new. Consider for a moment the sense of pride felt today by those who worked with Infosys when the company was operating from two bed-room flats or the feelings of those who joined ICICI Bank (a bank that revolutionized the way banking was done in India) at the time when it was nothing or those who worked with Google when it was operating from a garage? That feeling cannot be described in words. It is with immense satisfaction and pride that they look back at how they were a part of something that’s so big now. Start-up companies offer you these opportunities. If you are focused, determined and stable, you can go the distance.

2) Growth and learning opportunities are immense: When you do everything on your own; when you handle Business Development, Marketing, and Operations OR when you do everything that is involved in Graphic Designing or Finances, either as a separate domain expert or as a generalist in a cross-functional atmosphere, you cannot even imagine the learning or growth opportunities that comes your way. You can choose to move up in a hierarchy in a traditional way in a multi-city, multi-national, cross-cultural company or move up faster in start-up companies. Leave alone young founders and entrepreneurs, we are talking about Vice-Presidents, Presidents and Directors in late-20’s or early 30’s. Start-up companies provide immense opportunities for talented people a hunger to make a difference. For them, only sky is the limit.

This note is an attempt to educate aspiring professionals regarding challenges and opportunities available in start-up companies. So, stop chasing big names; instead, help a new enterprise to create a big name for itself. Creation is always more difficult than destruction. Once I have a brand, everybody will follow me; however, I will always preserve and cherish those who will be part of the brand-creation.

~ Human Resources Deptt.