START A BUSINESS ONLINE

Income levels are low in Uganda, and large sections of its population are unable to buy the basic necessities of life- food, clothing, and shelter. Low incomes have also let to poor heath and limited education. 

Secondly, people are lonely in their real lives or find it hard to build good and lasting social connections because the current social media platforms are only designed to promote building fame or getting likes/followers to individual user pages. 

Lastly, millions of people have access to internet, but only use the internet to discuss events, gossiping and promoting hate speeches globally.

Therefore, there is urgent need for a solution to solve the problems below;

1. Lack of capital to startup a business or grow a current business 
2. Lack of skills to turn available resources  into  source of income 
3. Limited ability to build good and lasting social connections

Start a business online program powered by Gopien.com platform, tackles these challenges directly. By providing jobseekers, students, communities and business owners with tools that they need to start new businesses, build lasting social connections or grow current businesses faster with less effort.  

1. To solve the Limited ability to build good and lasting social connections

Human connection with people we consider significant and who we share a commonality of experience and interest is vital to our survival, safety and the quality of our lives. Isolation and loneliness are not only detrimental to our well-being, but are potentially dangerous for our security. It is the people who know us personally who are more likely to take the extra effort to check if we are OK, if we look anxious or upset, or haven’t been seen in a while. But the current social networking platforms or available options do not promote building social connections.  The start a business online program through Gopien.com platform, is here to help people to build good and lasting social connections by bring people together in communities and empower them to connect (both virtually and physically), help themselves or support each other to grow together. The program uses both online technology and face to face networking to enable people build social support and lasting connections

2. To solve the Lack of skills to turn available resources into a source of income. As of January 2024, there were 5.35 billion internet users worldwide, which amounted to 66.2 percent of the global population. Of this total, 5.04 billion, or 62.3 percent of the world's population, were social media users and not business owners or users ( more information from here  https://www-statista-com.ezproxyberklee.flo.org/statistics/617136/digital-population-worldwide/). Mainly because these users are having the resources but lack the skills to turn their access to internet into source of income. Therefore, the Start a business online program through Gopien.com platform, is here to provide every internet user with the tools they need to start a business online, develop real community connections or grow a current business faster with less effort. NO skills required to get started and NOBODY is left behind, including the disabled

3. To solve the Lack of capital to start a new business or grow a current business and overcome the lack of capital problem, the Start a business online program through Gopien.com platform, encourages members to start small, learn how the program works and then grow big but above all, it is free to join and optional to upgrade.Meaning that everyone who will join at no cost, will automatically start their journey to becoming self employed.

The program is run on a platform with multiple business opportunities. Making it easy for everyone to concentrate on one or more opportunities. Right now, there are over 15 ways for one to start a business online and more options are under development

We also started doing weekly trainings to people in small organized groups, teaching them about the START A BUSINESS ONLINE program, see more here https://drive.google.com/file/... . The participants have learnt a lot and most importantly have been able to build lasting social connections through this program . See more training pictures here https://drive.google.com/file/...

Lastly, we are also working on partnerships with local organizations. see here

The solution serves the following categories of people below;

• The Employed, Self-employed and Unemployed
• Students/Youth and the disabled
• Schools and Churches
• Retirees and Expats/Foreigners
• Artists/Celebrities
• Community groups
• Wholesalers, Suppliers, Manufacturers and Retailers, etc.
• Professionals, Corporate Companies and Government ministries

The ways the solution will impact their lives

1. The 62.3 percent of the world's population online will be able to turn their access to internet into source of daily and monthly income instead of just gossiping online 
2. The employed will be able to make extra money to supplement their income The solution will enable people to build social support and lasting connections, locally and globally
3. Students and the young people get a chance to discover their full potential in life since its free to join
4. The Unemployed and students will embrace entrepreneurship and become their own boss
5. Business owners will get an opportunity to sell more with less effort and increase brand recognition
6.  Business owners will be able to build customer loyalty
7. Business owners will be able to offer effective communication with their customers and partners
8. Members will get an opportunity to connect with a vibrant community of like-minded individuals.
9. Participants will be able to acquire new skills or make money selling their own tutorials
10. Members will have an opportunity to Advertise their businesses inexpensively while giving back to their customers 
11. Community owners will get a better way to communicate and also easily share information and resources with members
12. Community owners such as (churches, schools, clubs, associations, etc) will be able to build and grow their communities faster with less effort while having extra income avenues and so much more

The team behind Start a Business Online program is deeply rooted in the communities we serve and in addition of international senior software developers who work day and night to make the platform’s software effective in managing users and keeping it safe. They have a diverse range of expertise and experiences that uniquely position us to design and deliver impactful solutions to all categories of people the program is designed to serve locally and globally.

Internationally, we currently have software developers in Pakistan, India, Sweden and advisors/well-wishers from Australia, UK, Kenya and more to join in the near future.

Locally, we have a team of over 20 people and growing with skills and experiences in different fields in regards to marketing, looking forward to make this project a success

Collectively, our team's diverse skills, experiences, and deep understanding of the communities we serve, enable us to design and implement solutions based on the needs of our users.

We are committed to building more program features based on user feedback that give everyone and everywhere an opportunity to start something online to make money everyday with less effort. and we believe that the Start a Business Online program is the right platform to make this vision a reality.

We current organise weekly meetings to small and  organized registered groups, teaching them how the platform works and how it can help them. See video here https://drive.google.com/file/...

Start a business Online program is currently in Pilot stage. Because we have already developed and integrated the tools in Gopien.com platform that the users need to start a business online or to grow a current business faster with less effort.

We have also already started weekly trainings in communities with small, organized
and registered groups of people. Teaching them about how the platform
works and how they can easily benefit from the program. See more here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ffe3edP2c8fl_c7owh4NUdCj-UzYqvjs/view?usp=sharing and video here  https://www.youtube.com/shorts/KpEc-EGYsXM 

We have already registered several users on the platform and their feedback has helped us a lot in modifying the platform functions to best meet their needs regarding to; starting a business online, building lasting social connections or growing a current business faster with less effort.

1. We are applying to Solve because we believe in their mission to support innovative solutions that address global challenges and drive positive change. Solve's commitment to connecting Solver teams with partners who can provide both monetary and non-monetary support aligns perfectly with our current needs and future goals.
2. As we continue to develop and refine the Start A Business Online program, we face several barriers that Solve can help us overcome. On the financial front, securing additional funding and resources is crucial for scaling our platform and reaching a larger audience of globally with a new way to start a business online, build social connections or grow a current business faster with less effort while using their already available resources and doing what they already do everyday – surfing the internet. Solve's network of partners can offer valuable financial support, as well as expertise in fundraising and investment readiness, to help us attract the necessary investment to grow and expand our impact.
3. Technically, we are looking to enhance the functionality and capabilities of our platform to better serve our users and adapt to their evolving needs. Solve can connect us with technical experts and mentors who can provide guidance and support in areas such as AI development, data analytics, and platform optimization, helping us to accelerate our technological innovation and improve the user experience.
4. Legally, navigating the regulatory landscape and compliance requirements in the financial sector can be challenging, especially when dealing with sensitive financial data and integrating with multiple financial institutions. Solve's legal partners can offer valuable advice and assistance in ensuring that our platform meets all legal and regulatory standards, thereby mitigating potential risks and liabilities.
5. Culturally, understanding and addressing the unique cultural and societal factors that influence financial behaviour and decision-making among our target population is essential for the success of our platform. Solve's network of experts and local partners can provide valuable cultural insights and guidance on how to effectively tailor the start a business online program to easily empower the people we aim to serve.
6. Lastly, in terms of market barriers, building and maintaining strategic partnerships with financial institutions, government agencies, and other stakeholders is crucial for scaling our platform and expanding our reach. Solve can help us connect with potential partners and collaborators who share our mission and can offer valuable support in terms of market insights, customer acquisition, and ecosystem development.

1. It is the first program in the world that gives everyone globally an opportunity to start a business online and NOBODY is left behind, including the disabled
2. No skills required for anyone to get started and its open to everyone
3. It is one program with multiple entrepreneurial opportunities . The program has over 15 ways for one to start a business online
4. The program enables participants to work from; home, school, office or anywhere
5. The program is scalable and can be established globally
6. It promotes environmental protection
7. It is the first program that gives people an opportunity to build good and lasting social connections

1. From our weekly trainings to small groups of people as seen here https://drive.google.com/file/... or in our short video here   and the feedback we get from participants, many young people go online everyday, to gossip or to create hate speeches online. Not because they are not interested in doing income generating activities. But because they lack the skills and capital to get started. Therefore, the start a business online program, powered by Gopien.com platform, here with a solution to empower millions of people worldwide become self employed, using the resources they already have and use everyday for non productive activities online and above all, NOBODY is left behind, including the disabled 
2. The current social media platforms are more into content generation or gaining fame. That is why you find people with millions of likes or following on their pages but so lonely in their real lives. The start a business online program, powered by Gopien.com, is here with a solution to help people build good and lasting social connections and this is not an idea. But already tested through our interactions with people in our weekly trainings that social media platforms do not enable them to develop a sense of belonging. So, our program is here to make it happen in their lives

Our impact goals for Start a Business Online are clear and ambitious: we aim to empower over 800 million internet users worldwide by registering them on the Gopien.com platform that will provide them with the tools they need to start a business online, build social connections or grow current businesses faster with less effort.

To measure our progress towards these impact goals, we have identified several key indicators that align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. First, we track the number of people signing up on our platform and participating in our start a business online weekly training program. This helps us assess the reach and scalability of our solution and ensures that we are making progress towards our goal of empowering over 800 million internet users globally.

Third, we measure the adoption and utilization of the several services by our users, including the new sign ups, pay per click advertising, marketplace sales, paid membership, etc. Increased adoption and utilization of platform services indicate that our people are increasingly using our program to fight poverty in their lives,

Lastly, we collect feedback and testimonials from our users to understand their experiences, satisfaction, and perceived benefits of using start a business online program, powered by Gopien platform. Positive feedback and testimonials validate the effectiveness of our approach and provide valuable insights for continuous improvement and refinement of our solution.

By regularly tracking these key indicators and conducting comprehensive impact evaluations, we can assess the effectiveness of our solution in achieving our impact goals and make data-driven decisions to optimize our approach and maximize our positive impact on the lives of internet users worldwide

Start a Business Online program is powered by Gopien.com platform that provides users with the tools they need to start their own businesses online, build social connections or grow their current businesses faster with less effort. The platform files and data are currently stored on both private hosting service and amazon s3 servers.

But with the growing number of internet users in Uganda and East Africa and especially the use of smartphones to access the internet, our recently uploaded Android app on google play platform and iOS soon, ensures easy access for our target customers. This streamlined accessibility will enable users to download, sign up, and start utilizing Start a business online service promptly and efficiently through the Gopien.com platform

We currently have the following contractors

1. One lead software developer from Pakistan
2. One software developer from India
3. One website design from Sweden
4. One content editor or proof reader from Australia 
5. One system Administrator in Uganda
6. 10 part time volunteers for marketing in Uganda
7. One volunteer and soon to be a partner from Kenya
8. One volunteer and soon to be a partner from UK

Gopien limited is a global platform that provides members with the tools needed to start a business online, Build lasting social connections or to grow a current business faster with less effort.

The platform development started way back in 2014 but got registered in 2018 as a limited company in Uganda.

The Start a Business Online program tools development and integration into the Gopien.com platform started in 2019

We believe in harnessing diverse backgrounds, experiences, and

perspectives to drive innovation and effectively address the complex
challenges of most internet users not having the skills or opportunity to start their own businesses online.

Though our team is currently small, our aspirations are vast. We aim to
diversify our team, welcoming individuals from varied backgrounds to
ensure our solutions resonate with our diverse user base. We're
exploring the integration of audio technology to make our platform
inclusive for people with visual impairments, enhancing accessibility to
our services

Our commitment extends to minimizing barriers to opportunity for our
staff through inclusive hiring practices, ongoing professional
development, and creating a supportive work environment. We engage in
discussions about diversity and inclusion, conduct training sessions,
and collaborate with external organizations to learn and implement best
practices

Creating an inclusive environment is a continuous journey, and we are
steadfast in our dedication to fostering a culture where all team
members feel valued, respected, and empowered. By embracing diversity,
equity, and inclusion in our team and operations, we aim to build a
resilient organization that effectively serves our diverse user base and
drives positive change in the lives of internet users.

At Start a business online program, powered by Gopien.com platform, the business model is designed to create a sustainable and impactful solutions for almost every internet user but with different needs. We serve as a bridge that helps people to achieve the following but not limited to;

1. Starting own business
2. Growing a current business faster
3. Building and growing a community faster with less effort
4. Building good and lasting social connections

Our plan for achieving financial sustainability revolves around
diversifying our revenue streams through strategic partnerships, grants,
equity investments, and increased user engagement. For instance, we have successfully initiated a partnership with KEDDI Foundation and KFTV. The partnership will be to provide us with small funding needed to organize training workshops in areas of Kampala. Here is a youtube video https://www.youtube.com/live/_...  when the CEO of Gopien.com and the Director of KEDDI foundation where live on KFTV discoursing the partnership to start soon and we also aim to partner with more organizations such as schools, churches,etc.

This partnership model will allow us to generate revenue based on the number of users reached in their target markets, providing a sustainable and
scalable income source.

In addition to our partnership model, we aim to secure grants from various organizations that support our mission of empowering internet users with the skills and tools they need to start their own businesses online. These grants will enable us to expand our reach, enhance our platform's features, and invest in marketing and user acquisition strategies. Furthermore, we are planning to raise equity investments from impact-focused investors who share our vision and believe in the potential of our solution

In addition to the above, the platform has also got several ways to collect revenue from users and these include;

1. Pay per click advertising
2. Monthly paid membership
3. Group account paid membership
4. Marketplace subscription
5. Each user business website update fees ( e.g https://gopien.com/b/dreamcars )
6. Skill share commissions and many other ways of collecting revenue from members

The revenue generated from our partners, additional funding
received through grants and revenue collected from members, will allow us to cover our operational expenses and invest in our growth and expansion initiatives.