Web Based Restaurant Guide

kjohrikjohri subscriber Posts: 10
edited June 2008 in Business Planning
Hi All,
Firstly, I would like to say I am glad to come across this site. It has got a lot useful information. I have a lot of reading to do and there is a lot to learn..
 
Just to introduce myself and give my background...
I am 25 and been working for a semiconductor company for over two years, having graduated with a BS in Electrical Engineering in 2005. Life has been pretty comfortable and routine when one day I was pondering in my sunroom about my life. I asked myself do I want to be Test Engineer for the rest of my life?
My heart, mind and soul said, " Ummmm I do not think so", and thus my journey to Entreprenurial ideas began. I spent couple of weekends on www.entrepreneur.com and www.springwise.com.
 
There were some real excellent ideas. I know at heart I am an environmentalist but would like to hold on the green ideas for a bit, but I did find some nice web based ideas..
 
So getting to the discussuion, I am planning to open a web-based restaurant guide - something on the lines of www.lasvegasrestaurants.com    (no fast food)
I am planning to launch this in North Carolina, where I live. So wanted to get some ideas/suggestions from the gurus here about how do I go about forming a business plan.
 
How do I approach the restaurants or get a listing?
How do I market my idea to restaurants and consumers alike?
How should I devise my growth strategy?
I am plannning to charge restaurants for web space and have it free for consumers..How do I make my revenue stream more robust and diverse?
What kind of technical expertise is required with respect to website? I would like to have a site where people can reserve a table by going online - do everything online like you would do in amazon.com, for example.
Once a customer base is established and the site has gained some visibility, I plan to charge users for additional benefits like discount coupons for a theatre or discount in restaurants/pubs etc...Is this a good idea?
 
I have a lot of questions but I think this is good to start with. This is the first time I feel entrepreneurial and I am really excited about it.
 
Please feel free to answer any questions or ask me more questions if anything is not clear. Hope to have a gainful discussion here.
 
KJ
 
 

Comments

  • ProdigyProdigy subscriber Posts: 19
    Great idea!! I would copy the model of the LasVegas site. I see they have been around since 2001 and have restaurant guides to other cities so it looks like a promising idea if done right. You can start with one of the larger cities in NC. I wouldn`t charge customers a thing. Listing any available coupons will give added incentive for customers to actually visit your site. Only charge restaurants a fee for reservations made through your site. Also offer advertising to restuarants to be featured on the homepage for example.
    I don`t think there will be a problem listing restaurants on your site. Just go down the phone book. Selling the idea of online reservations and how much you`ll get will be the main thing to really worry about. I think this is the main revenue stream for this company. Look how many reservations they have made since 2002. 500,000+ wow!! So if they charged like $5 per reservation thats like over $400,000 per year in sales.
     
    Good luck
  • kjohrikjohri subscriber Posts: 10
    Thanks Prodigy!
    I have been doing my home work lately and trying to learn more about the E-business etc...
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