A 20 Something About 20 Somethings
September 19, 2007
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To gain a greater understanding of the 20 somethings (Gen Y) working for you, take some time to read this post and the comments, very insightful.
Generation Y (25 and under) has grown up watching their parents go off to work every day, 40 - 60 hours per week, with fierce loyalty only to be downsized, outsourced, or laid off in their 40’s and 50’s.
This reality has the 20-somethings with a different mindset from previous generations. We do not want to merely work our time away, but to live a life of significance and fulfillment. That means being and doing more than just having. Via 20-Something Business Trends: The Online Entrepreneur with Time and Money
Dozen Opinions: Does Economic News Scare You?
September 15, 2007
Anita Campbell hosted a great post titled Economic Dark Clouds and Your Business, by Tim Berry of Planning, Startups, Stories and Up and Running. Read more
Am I nuts or what?
September 11, 2007
Over at the Joyful, Jubilant Learning blog I shared my observations and learnings as a result of declaring a Big Hairy Audacious Goal last September (Impact a Million Business Owners) and subsequently entering a competition at Cambrian House (CH). Here is an excerpt:
July 24th I entered a competition at CH, a crowd sourcing community based in Calgary, Alberta - a three hour drive from my home town Edmonton. I entered the competition because I liked the tools, system, and community they developed to assist entrepreneurs with developing their ideas.
I have grown as a result of entering the competition. I have had to summon up my courage to persist, run the full race, and play full out. The folks at CH make it a lot easier with the support, communication, and of course the competition itself draws out the best. I would appreciate your help encouraging me to strive for my best.
My goal is to build what I call my Dream Application for Small Business. This web based software application will:
1) Help business owners identify their “Issues & Problems”.
2) Suggest a variety of “Processes, Solutions, & Strategies”.
3) Lead business owners through a step-by-step process/project/plan to achieve the results they need.My goal is to create a small business development tool kit to help entrepreneurs evolve and develop their business throughout the life cycle of the business. Ultimately, this will be an intelligent system to help operate and grow your business.
I have to admit some days it is tough slugging. Today is one of those days when I think I must be crazy. There is always a price to be paid to achieve anything and right now the price is sorting through all the development options.
I am caught somewhere between developing a rough prototype for a proof of concept versus putting more energy into developing a foundation using Software as a Service (SaaS) options that are surfacing online. Things I am thinking about:
- Is it realistic to build a foundation on a platform I do not own and plan to use to impact a million business owners?
- I think this could be developed using a tool like FileMakerPro, should I try it?
- Is there a simpler way to develop a prototype and proof of concept?
When I started this project I was able to justify the investment of my time because I could use the application in my coaching practice. That way even if it never gained traction in the small business market I could use it in my business. I entered the competition at CH on a bit of a lark. I did not know what to expect from my participation at CH.
No doubt that CH has built a solid community in the programming and web development community. Other than the voting system and competitions they conduct there is not much in the way of real business support, standards, or best practices. being discussed or encouraged. Perhaps that is because they are a crowd sourcing initiative and the ‘crowd’ is supposed to flesh that out?
The competitions become addictive due in part to my competitive nature, but is it good for my business?
Am I simply swimming in a pool of my own presuppositions? These are uncharted waters for me. Has anyone participated in crowd sourcing initiatives before?
What do you think? Am I nuts or what? I’ll take (and appreciate) feedback from anyone.
Help Me Build the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
August 30, 2007
I have been thinking of the ‘ecosystem’ that supports the entrepreneurial community.
This mind map represents my first attempt at categorization of the many different people, companies, and services that make up the ‘entrepreneurial ecosystem’.
The Start of the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
I have created a database using an online service from Dabble DB. It allows me to design a database and embed objects in a web page. In Web 2.0 speak its called a mashup.
Help Me Build the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
If you would like to add a web site/blog to this database, enter the information by using the form on this page. No spam please.
CEO Radar
August 14, 2007
What does the term CEO Radar mean to you?
I had an amazing meeting with one of the web’s most brilliant and relatively unknown, creative thinkers, Reg Cheramy from web2.0central.com
Reg lives in Edmonton, the same city where I live but in a different part of town. Towards the end of our meeting he suggested that I purchase CEOradar.com which I did (thanks Reg).
Meaning to You
When you think of CEO Radar, what does it say to you? What meaning, feeling, or service/content would you expect to see on a website by that name?
Can you help me out?
View Live Business Transitions Mind Map
August 10, 2007
I have created a version of the my Transitions Mind Map. You are able to view the branches of the map and zoom in and out.
I will be making changes to the Mind Map over a period of time. I am thinking of experimenting with adding links to specific content back here - I will update this message when I get time to add some links - then we can experiment with it and see if it is useful.
IdeaWarz Video
August 6, 2007
The folks at the infamous Cambrian House update their blog weekly with a look at the winner of the IdeaWarz and a video. Little did I know they were going to talk about me!? Take peak and see for yourself.
How This Idea Came To Life
August 2, 2007
We Won! My idea won the August 1st, 2007 Cambrian House (CH) IdeaWarz! The elevator pitch that won the battle:
Small Business Transitions is the home for a small business development tool kit that helps entrepreneurs evolve and develop their business throughout its life cycle. It integrates the principles of business coaching to guide you in building your business model, profitable financial plan, and actionable project plans in a single web application.
The Beginning
I thought it would be important to share a bit of the history of this project, my background, and what we plan to accomplish. I have two motivations for doing this:
- To create a record of our vision and direction for the web application, just in case we get sidetracked.
- Provide a foundation of transparency and disclosure for future readers.
My Role in This Project
As the champion of this project my role is to set the vision, provide leadership, and lend my experience gained working as a business coach since 1990.
Outcomes vs. Activities
The real value of experience is the perspective it provides. As I look back on the habits of 100’s of business owners I have coached in my career, those that ultimately succeed have an obsession toward focusing on ‘outcomes’.
I have found that most people tend to confuse activity with outcomes - and it is a breathtakingly expensive mistake. In a world of infinite choices, choosing which activities will occupy your day is likely to be your single greatest driver of effectiveness. Via Found Read
Activities that do not lead to an actual needed ‘business outcome’ are distractions. No matter how exciting an opportunity, idea, or activity might be - without producing an actual result - it is a distraction. Read more
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Getting the Right Price
I created a new Voice Thread on the subject of pricing your products and services. You can listen and participate by leaving a text comment, voice or video response.
View Larger Version Here
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My Books on Amazon
