BBC NEWS | Business | Britain's Brilliant Ideas Boom

BBC NEWS Business Britain's Brilliant Ideas Boom

I missed this programme last Saturday, does anyone know if the BBC have an 'on demand' feature so i can watch it?

Plus, just in case you didn't already know, Facebook isn't just fun, it's for business! http://www.freelanceuk.com/news/2531.shtml

See you next week!

I am worried.

Do you know what event is happening in the next two weeks?

There is an event looming in the distance – THE FESTIVAL OF INNOVATION at the NEC on 15th November 2007

• What is it?
  

http://www.festivalofinnovation.com/

• What’s in it for you?
  

Hear from entrepreneurs who have started some of the UK’s most innovative companies.
Learn from expert speakers and take away practical tips to help you build your innovative business.
Network with your peers and make valuable new business contacts.
Check your business into the Innovation Clinic - is it as healthy as you think?

• How can you get the most of it?

Go with an open mind, talk to people, attend workshops and get ideas!

• Should you go?
  

Yes! OK, it’s a West Midlands based event, but where’s the harm in getting involved?

• Are you going?
  

Cos we are and we'd like some company!

• Have you told me?

I have some names, do I have yours? If I have, it’s pinned up on the Hive’s noticeboard. I’d rather you told me twice than not at all and miss out

• Have you got a seat on the bus?

The bus has limited seats so unless you tell me you are going, you may miss out.

• What do I need to do now?

To confirm your place, contact me at The Hive. Register online to reduce hassle on arrival, on the website above

>Control out

Embedded Video, how exciting!

Thanks Warren (http://fitbrits.blogspot.com/) for the tutorial on embedding a video in your blog, here's the result!


If someone can now help me get the paragraph spacing right, it'll be perfect! (Hint)

Thanks so much to Neil http://www.husqvarnastudio.co.uk/ for giving up his time for free (and if you knew him you'd know what a gift that is!) and talking to us about customer service. I hope you found it enlightening. Dan, that bottle of Cava disappeared...has your mum bought that sewing machine yet? Anyhow- thanks Arkwright, it was a good one. We'll return to the subject very soon, I am sure!

I had the following email from Chris Davies http://www.bigtreeproject.org/ and will pass it on as requested - "Could you also pass on to Hive students Open Office http://www.openoffice.org/ You can open all Word, PowerPoint and spreadsheet documents, etc... AND its 100% FREE!"

I have been having a number of conversations with people about Intellectual Property (IP). I heard a really interesting Radio 4 programme last week called The Bottom Line, all about Trade Secrets and IP. It's hosted by Evan Davis, the guy in charge of the Dragons Den! http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/news/bottomline/bottomline.shtml. You can download the podcast or listen online within a week of the episode. It's worth 30 minutes listen anyway, I listen whilst I am washing pots!

(Why is there so much washing up by the way? There are only two humans in our house, but tons of washing up everyday..how does that happen? Is the dog leaving his washing up for me to do when I get back from work, are my neighbours eating their tea at my house, have I got greedy ghosts?)

align="justify">The Hive is a member of East Midlands Incubation Network http://www.emincubation.co.uk/ , as a result I get a newsletter from them each week. This week's newletter had news of the following e-tool which you may find useful. Iwatched the first five minutes, have a look and make up your own mind http://www.wipo.int/sme/en/multimedia/

News- update on the latest

I'm in holiday come down mode. It's rubbish when you get back from your week in the sun and everyone says 'You don't look that brown!' Let me just say this, I am browner than my holiday buddy Wendy... admittedly she has got red hair and pale skin, more of a Scottish tan really.

As a result, I'm not really feeling like posting this blog. So if it just turns into a random list of links, bear with me and plough through them.

• Don't forget next week's Pathway to Enterprise Event on Customer Service, led by Neil Coles. I shall be his stooge for this seminar, so sympathetic faces in the class please. 10th October 2007, at the Hive 12 - 2pm (Lunch included) please book your place before it's too late!

• Whilst I was away, I received details of another business plan competition run by HSBC and supported by NCGE. You should consider entering if you are either a student or have graduated in the last year since May 2006. Prizes are good though, up to £20,000, so if you feel it’s worth trying for, please let us know and we'll do our utmost to help. The closing date is Friday 23rd November but click the link for further details
  
  http://www.unipreneurs.hsbc.co.uk/index.php

• A big thank you to all of you who provided me with information for the Business profiles to use in the recent NTU celebration of progress across the University over the past 3 years. They were really great and very useful. We used some of them as A4 size posters on the stands outlining and also produced a rolling display of Hive Business Winners, which outlined your names, Company name, logos, photos etc and just one or two key points from the information you provided us with. Many thanks for your help

• Last link provided by Warren, try it, it helps you calculate how many calories you burn ding all sorts of activities, check out the church dancing!! http://www.calorie-count.com/calories/search.php?searchpro=dancing&search_type=activities&grp_id

getting closer to video podcasting...

I was trying to get this video podcast thingy to work on blogger in draft. But since at present I am having difficulty, here the link, instead!


http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=NLlGopyXT_g


I found this on the blog from the nlabwomen Women, Business and Blogging Conference http://groups.google.com/group/nlabwomen

It kind of says it all about web 2.0...

Indian Summer

The year is conforming to type. The sun waited for the kids to go back to school and then remembered it's supposed to warm us! Mark my words, it shines when it's finals time, to tempt all the students out of revising and then comes back out again when summer holidays are over. If you had the misfortune to go to a university by the coast, like I did, you'll know that revising on the beach seems like a great idea, until you actually sit down in the exam hall...

I digress, as usual. It has been a busy summer really, getting ready for the new intake of SPEED students. I hope they get as much out of their placement as the original crowd have. The real hard work starts here, but I really am looking forward to seeing the businesses start up and then thrive in the Hive environment.

For those starting web based businesses I thought this web based book worth a look, Mike Huxley at the Hive@Mansfield put me onto it, thanks Mike! http://www.entrepreneur.com/downloads/10waystoimproveyourwebsite.pdf

It's actually called 'I hate my website!' - which is actually something I hear quite alot. Gotta confess though, I hear it most often from people who've done it on the cheap. That leads me neatly to Toby's quote of the day... 'You buy cheap, you buy twice!'

Think about it, it's true. Websites designed and made by mates can be tempting, especially when cash is in short supply. But consider this, your friend may start with good intentions, but as time passes other things could get in the way, things that earn them more money. What about the guilt you may feel in constantly asking them to make amendments in their spare time? How would you feel if they totally wreck your branding?

Talking of guilty, I feel bad that I failed to update this blog since I went to V. Not because I had such an amazing time I lost ability to type, just because the mud fouled up the typing fingers!