Some Days Are Not So In FLOW!
Talk about going from one extreme to the other!
Yesterday, as smooth as clockwork.
Today, disaster…
Actually that’s not strictly true, it depends on what I’m comparing it to.
If using my diary and to do list (as I did yesterday), today’s activities were not even remotely close to doing what I was supposed to have done. If on the other hand, I review the activities in terms of upping the ante on playing a bigger game then I was right on the money…
Today I had two phone calls that were not planned but have the potential to be enormous…
Both took time to work out what was being asked, both took time to nurture and both could go absolutely nowhere!
Using the old “Tattslotto” motto – “you’ve got to be in it, to win it“, this goes for business opportunities as well. Yes, you do have to be savvy enough to recognise not all presented are in fact what you should be pursuing. Nonetheless, the initial conversations can be rather interesting, as well as time-consuming, so you do have to be careful.
As I’ve been known to say, being opportunistic and bold is the only way to really get ahead.
Sometimes doing the stuff you’re invited to do has to take precedent over doing the stuff you need to do; don’t you think?
What sphincter-tightening moment did you have today?
A Website Does NOT an Online Strategy Make…
Another day, another conversation with a Business Owner who thinks that having a website covers off the Online Strategy question…
IT DOES NOT!
A website forms part of an Online Strategy, absolutely.
But is it not the be-all that ends-all.
In fact it is only a small part of the overall digital consideration.
From a “Sale-ability” point of view, when asked about what digital | online strategies are in place, if “I’ve got a website” is offered as the answer, the potential buyer will start rubbing their hands together in glee (if it’s a business they want that is).
Why? Because it gives them an issue on which to start down a sale price-discounting path.
Do you have to cover off every little thing to appeal to a potential buyer?
Well ideally, yes, but we know that’s not necessarily doable.
However, given the growing impact and importance of the whole digital | online space, “what is your Online Strategy?” is one question Business Owners looking to sell have to have a well-formulated and accurate response for.
Business Book Club…
Seth Godin’s – Poke the Box
I’ve just returned from my every 6-week Book Club soiree. We have a lovely time catching up with each other and discussing the books. Some of which we’ve loved and others not so but nevertheless, much discussion and sometimes debate ensues. And we all learn about little bit more about ourselves and the world around us as a result.
That got me thinking on the way home… why don’t we have a Business Book Club. I’d be happy to run it. Can do it via webinar so no need to leave home. I’m convinced a whole lot of learning about the businesses we are building would take place, both at an individual level and the greater good we are trying to impact.
What do you think?
If you’re interested, email me on sell@theentrepreneurialmother.com and lets get it started… Never enough book reading and learning in the world I say!
10 Crucial Consumer Trends for 2013…
According to TrendWatching.com…
2013 will be the perfect storm of necessity and opportunity: some economies will do OK(-ish), others will be shaky, but whatever market or industry you’re in, those who understand & cater to changing consumer needs, desires and expectations will forever have plenty of opportunity to profit.
A remapped global economy, new technologies (or ‘old’ technologies applied in new ways), new business models… hey, what’s not to like?
Hence this overview of 10 crucial consumer trends (in random order) for you to run with in the next 12 months.
Onwards and upwards
Read on…
If you want to bring your business into the 21st Century in order to Exit it, pay attention to these trends and see what else you can be doing to step up?
The Creative Instinct: How Big Ideas Happen…
“When we realize that our mind is a creative platform—a vast network of networks—we experience a revolutionary and profound transformation. New possibilities emerge. The process of realization and transformation is the essence of life. It means that everything in this world has an inherent purpose—and that is to find its optimal form. This is why we are constantly trying to improve ourselves, why we venture out into the unknown, why we have children, and why we want to be the best in the world at what we do.
The more creative we become, the more resourceful we will be. We can transform ourselves and everyone around us. These connections, and this archetype of innovation, uncovers the building blocks of life itself, revealing our origins. Innovation is intrinsic to essence, and essence is intrinsic to the act of creation.”
We Are All Artists Now… Seth Godin
“We know how much you care, and it’s a shame that the system works overtime to push you away from the people and the projects you care about. The world does not owe you a living, but just when you needed it, it has opened the door for you to make a difference.
They told you to get your résumé in order, to punch your ticket, to fit in, and to follow instructions. They told you to swallow your pride, not to follow your dream. They promised trinkets and prizes and possibly riches if you would just suck it up and be part of the system, if you would merely do what you were told and conform. They sold you debt and self-storage and reality TV shows. They sold your daughters and sons, too.
All in exchange for what would happen later, when it was your turn. It’s your turn.”
by Seth Godin for ChangeThis.com
Anything by Seth is GOLD, and this is no exception…
How to Make Your Business Franchise-Friendly…
Picture this… you’ve been running your home-based business for 16 years when you decide in 2007 that it could be a successful model for other entrepreneur mothers to follow.
After extensive planning and roughly $65,000 in consulting and legal fees, you sell your first franchise that year.
Within three months, it had failed.
Now what???
This is the basis of one entrepreneurial mothers true story. To read what happened, and how she turned it around, click here. Enjoy!
A Trillion Dollar Reason to Work Together: Public-Private Partnerships Are Here to Stay…
“All across the land trouble is brewing, as tax revenues continue to shrink and The Great Recession slogs on. … Almost every state has reduced educational funds and numerous school districts are being forced to lay off teachers, reduce bus services and eliminate curriculum. Colleges and universities, public hospitals, law enforcement organizations and public transportation agencies are struggling to find additional revenues. Roads and bridges can no longer be maintained with public funds.
Relief won’t come quickly or easily, but one thing is crystal clear: government must reach out to private sector partners for innovative solutions.”
Are you ready? Can you start facilitating such a discussion starting… now?
By Mary Scott Nabers for ChangeThis.com
Unleashing the Creative Reservoir: The Rise of the Creative Class, Revisited…
“If the economic crisis has taught us anything, it’s that putting our faith in the market alone will not work. New institutions are needed to harness powerful new economic forces, to address worsening class divides, and to make society and the economy work for all of us. We desperately need to institute and ratify a new social compact, entailing everything from investment in our human capital, the only real capital we have, to a new approach to education and learning. We need to recommit our economy to innovation, our society to openness and diversity, and we need to knit a new safety net for the truly disadvantaged. We need a complete break with the old Fordist order. It’s time to forge a new society that reflects the demands, challenges, and opportunities of the Creative Age.”
By Richard Florida for ChangeThis.com
With Ecommerce being Hotter than Ever, be part of the (R)etail (R)evolution…
Exactly as predicted by e-gurus 15 years ago, e-commerce is hotter than ever. Whether in mature markets, where consumer spending is shifting online, or in growth markets where rapid urbanization and increasing (mobile) internet penetration are unlocking new shopping habits, shoppers are ‘e-commercing’ it up.
Some obligatory stats:
- US e-commerce sales will grow 62% by 2016, to USD 327 billion (Source: Forrester, February 2012).
- European e-commerce sales will grow by 78% by 2016, to USD 230 billion (Source: Forrester, February 2012).
- Brazilian e-commerce sales will grow 21.9% in 2012 to USD 18.7 billion (Source: eMarketer, January 2012).
- Chinese e-commerce sales were CNY 780 billion (USD 124 billion) in 2011, an increase of 66% from 2010. E-commerce is expected to rise from 3% of consumption to 7% by 2015 (Source: IDC, March 2012).
- India’s e-commerce market is expected to grow to USD 70 billion by 2020, from just USD 600 million in 2011 (Source: Technopak Advisors, February 2012).
- Indonesian e-commerce sales are forecast to grow from USD 120 million in 2010 to USD 650 million by 2015 (Source: Frost & Sullivan, February 2012).
Now, consumers’ current ‘online’ experiences are of course fundamentally different to those during the early dotcom boom: e-commerce is no longer just about choice, price, convenience, reviews and ratings, but also about everything that consumers look for in any purchase: status, the right product and a compelling experience.
So, time to learn about and profit from the latest innovations that are transforming e-commerce, and ultimately, reshaping shopping behavior. Both on and offline. Click here to do so…
Source: www.trendwatching.com. One of the world’s leading trend firms, trendwatching.com sends out its free, monthly Trend Briefings to more than 160,000 subscribers worldwide.
