Brand Butlers – why Serving is the new Selling

The April 2010 edition of trendwatching.com is well worth reading, as always…because

It has never been more important to turn your brand into a service. Jaded, time-poor, pragmatic consumers yearn for service and care, while the mobile online revolution (it’s finally, truly here!) makes it possible to offer uber-relevant services to consumers anywhere, anytime. Basically, if you’re going to embrace one big consumer trend this year, please let it be BRAND BUTLERS!

and of course this applies to internal and external customers, plus all elements of your brand whether it be corporate, employer and even Brand You!
read on…

Mums Need Better Incentives to Work…Really?

Interesting article in TheAge.com on Sunday… seems that the only option open to mothers is working in a part time job, together with all the associated costs and time constraints etc based around that choice… but as all entrepreneurial mothers know, a part time job is not the only choice, and nor will it pave your way in gold; there is another choice where such considerations do not warrant a second thought…

One of the questions at its heart is the affordability of work.

It’s a funny one – the government needs as many people as possible to work for as long as possible to raise money to run the country; most people need to work to raise money to run their household.

Despite these apparently complementary aims the government makes it difficult for many parents to work by paying them with one hand and taking back the money via taxes with another. It’s called churn and the Henry review will examine the problem.

The complicated relationship between taxes and family benefit payments becomes a problem when mothers go back to work. Most mums do, about the time their child turns one, and they go back part-time.
read on…

The other choice…Don’t work, build a business; your own business.
It’s the only way you can work your designated hours, and leverage the dollars per hour you can make.
Once established, hire the mothers who do want part time work, to work for you!
Now there’s a plan.

Top Three Myths about Entrepreneurs…from a Mother who knows

I bring to you attention this great little entry on the CurrentMom blog titled “The Three Myths about Entrepreneurs”. “From a Mother who knows” is my reference to the author, Katherine Lewis, an entrepreneurial mother we can all learn from…

Essentially, the 3 myths are:
* Entrepreneurs Are Swashbuckling Risk Takers
* Entrepreneurs Need Lots of Funding
* Entrepreneurs Succeed Overnight
I strongly encourage you to read the entire article…

I certainly concur with these being myths also.
From my point of view, I believe everyday living is risky. Having a job is risky. Having more control over my own day is far less risky than waiting for the pay check, in the hope that it does come on a regular basis. Any “project” that’s considered is done so through a ROI and risk management filter. Nothing is done blindly, unless of course I have to go with the flow, and when I just wing it!

Certainly when I started the entrepreneurial mother™ (and aCE talentNET for that matter), I had no start up capital either. What I did have was the support of those around me, and a dogged determination to DO stuff. The rest falls into place, one way or other.

Overnight success? HA!
That is so true. Many overnight successes, once the surface is scratched, have been in the game a long time. The overnight success part is more about the rest of the world catching on (especially if media driven) when the offering hits their collective radar, and not a whole lot more than that really…

That’s my experience at least…that has been your experience?