blogging for charity?

I read the wishful thinking blog, amongst many others. Today I received a post about this book, being promoted for charity. It actually gives a number of tips on how to spread the word about not just books and charities, but about your product or service too.

Just a thought, sent out into the ether...

15 Start up Commandments

I liked this list, and thought you would too (I found it on Facebook of all places!) It's not definitive, it's certainly not my work, but it hopefully raises a few questions...and a smile! I hope they won't mind my reproducing it here!

+15 Start-up Commandments

1. Your idea isn't new. Pick an idea; at least 50 other people have thought of it. Get over your stunning brilliance and realize that execution matters more.

2. Stealth start-ups suck. You're not working on the Manhattan Project, Einstein. Get something out as quickly as possible and promote the hell out of it.

3. If you don't have scaling problems, you're not growing fast enough.

4. If you're successful, people will try to take advantage of you. Hope that you're in that position, and hope that you're smart enough to not fall for it.

5. People will tell you they know more than you do. If that's really the case, you shouldn't be doing your startup.

6. Your competition will inflate their numbers. Take any startup traffic number and slash it in half. At least.

7. Perfection is the enemy of good enough. Leonardo could paint the Mona Lisa only once. You, Bob Ross, can push a bug release every 5 minutes because you were at least smart enough to do a web app.

8. The size of your startup is not a reflection of your manhood. More employees does not make you more of a man (or woman as the case may be).

9. You don't need business development people. If you're successful, companies will come to you. The deals will still be distractions and not worth doing, but at least you're not spending any effort trying to get them.

10. You have to be wrong in the head to start a company. But we have all the fun.

11. Starting a company will teach you what it's like to be a manic depressive. They, at least, can take medication.

12. Your startup isn't succeeding? You have two options: go home with your tail between your legs or do something about it. What's it going to be?

13. If you don't pay attention to your competition, they will turn out to be geniuses and will crush you. If you do pay attention to them, they will turn out to be idiots and you will have wasted your time. Which would you prefer?

14. Startups are not a democracy. Want a democracy? Go run for class president, Bueller.

15. You're doing a web app, right? This isn't the 1980s. Your crummy, half-assed web app will still be more successful than your competitor's most polished software application.

Testing testing

I need your help!

Below is a list of subjects we are offering seminars/workshops in. Please let me know which you would be interested in attending...rate them 1 = not interested to 5 = very interested.

a. Market research - The Who, How and Why of finding your customer

b. Sales Forecast - Planning your income

c. Cashflow and expenditure forecast - How to balance your outgoings

d. Balance Sheets and Profit and Loss - Understanding and producing them for a business plan

e. Branding - The art of projecting your image

f. e-Business - How to use the Internet for marketing your business

g. Limited Company vs Sole Trader, what are the issues?

h. Raising finance for a new business

i. Selling Skills - getting those first sales

j.Tax, Vat and NI Issues - make sure the taxman is your friend!

k.Presentation Skills - the art of presenting your business

l. Intellectual Property - The perils and pitfalls of protecting your work

If you have any suggestions for topics, please comment below...

Website updates

I've spent most of the day uploading new things onto the SPEED project website. The web team, led by the hard working Clair Hameed, have been adding a new search facility to the Fellow's directory. Click the picture to go there...

I'd really like to think that this work is worthwhile, we have the resources available to us, but how much do we think of trying a new ways to source new suppliers or make new contacts. Phil has a saying ...never close the door. He usually means that he is open to staying in touch with people even when the working relationship is over. It pays to make and keep good networks.

I'd like to stretch that metaphor a little further...do you even notice when people are holding the door open for you? By that I mean, do we make the most of our networking opportunities? For example, on SPEED at NTU we have a partnership called Rapid Renders (guys, if you had your website up and running I'd link to it!). They make realistic 3D drawings (they call them renders I think) for design businesses.

Are you creating a product and need a design team to draw it up for you? Or are you in need of a logo design, website, advice on branding and market research? I bet there's a SPEED company that could help...

So how do you find out about these useful people? First, always listen when people tell you what they are doing. Sound simple? Picture the scene, you are sat in a seminar room and the group leader asks you to introduce yourselves. Normally you will sit worrying about what you are going to say, so that afterwards you realise you don't know anyone's name let alone their business idea.

Try this - as others are speaking, note down their name and maybe one or two words. I find it easier to note them down on the paper in the positions they are sitting around the table. I can then associate their face with the name. It's also a useful tool for coming back to during the seminar, as you can put a star by anyone you think you should get to know.

I can't say I always practice what I preach though. Yesterday at our 'team away day', I sat at the table and watched twenty people introduce themselves and could only recall the eight I already knew.

So, the fellow's directory. Use it, it's like an introduction to other companies that you don't have to memorise!
>

>

>

Oh, and make sure your businesses entry reflects what you can offer others!

check out the slideshow!!

look up... top left. How cool is that? If you want your logo or images on the slideshow, send them to me and I'll upload them!

Team away day

Just a quick note to say Phil and I are out of the Hive tomorrow, Wednesday 5th March. We are participating in a team meeting with our NTU colleagues at Brackenhurst.

See you on Thursday! (hint hint, you know we do like to see you!)