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I Advice - How The Internet Has Leveled The Playing Field For Entrepreneurs
Most people don’t realize how powerful a negotiating tool silence is. I discovered exactly how effective as I recently observed someone discussing a deal with a prospective customer this past week.The customer started describing his situation and after a few moments he paused – briefly. It was an opportune time for the sales person to make a comment or talk about her product and service. However, she remained silent, sensing that the customer had more to say. Her intuition proved correct - a few seconds later he continued talking about his needs, and when he had finished discussing his point he paused. The sales person refrained from speaking and her customer began talking again.During this last monologue the sales person learned the exact information that she needed to close the sale without resorting to discounting. If she had spoken during those moments of silence, she may still have closed the sale but not as effectively.I remember watching my wife use silence as a customer several years ago in a retail s
Especially if starting a venture on a shoestring. And many of us have done just that. We may find that we are good writers, or artists, or speakers or salespersons. Whatever we discover about ourselves on the Internet, it will most likely be through “meeting” other people on the Internet with similar skills, or with skills that complement our own.
When I say skills that complement our own, I will give you an example of my first Internet venture. I could write one line “gags” for cartoons or stand up comedians very well (not too great at delivering them but very good at writing them, I am told). But my illustration skills are waning. The Internet gave me the opportunity to meet artists interested in a venture I started a decade ago called Londons Times Cartoons. I wrote all the gags (still do) and my team of illustrators make me look good. But, there is a bright side to it. Its win-win. My writing makes them look good too. In fact, together, we have created a website that, at first, was receiving a hundred hits (on a good day). W
The business world sometimes appears to be a war zone. Customers and clients feel that businesses don’t respect them. Workers mutter about the treatment from customers or clients, co-workers, supervisors, or employers. Employers complain about employees and customers or clients. Everyone seems to be angry about someone else. Let’s choose one battleground and examine it: the relationship between business’ representatives and customers (which includes clients). The old adage still exists somewhere that the customer is always right.Mrs. Smith fumed as she left the store. If the door weren’t automatic, she would have slammed it behind her. “Fifteen minutes I stood there while those clerks visited. Don’t they know without customers, they wouldn’t have jobs?” she complained to her friend. That business probably lost a customer.In another business, the receptionist tried to keep a smile on her face as a client berated her because the person he wanted to see wasn’t available. “I’m sorry, sir. Mr. Moore had a meeting acro
If you are one of the ones who, like me, found it hard to “find oneself” early in life or to even know what my “voice” was, then you might be able to identify.
I had not been a good student in school and was working, unhappily, in my father's real estate business in a small Mississippi town. It was not a good scene for me.
I somehow stumbled through it, looking back I am not sure how.
I can honestly say, and it is hard to believe, that for at least twenty or so years, my life was “on hold”. I simply had no idea which way to go, who to turn to, or what to do with it, even if I had found it. That is not something of which I am proud, it is just the reality I was facing.
I needed a challenge and nothing was challenging to me.
I ended up in cities around the country taking jobs that were often, I felt, beneath me but I had to make a living.
Something inside me kept saying “the arts, the arts,” but I did not have the patience to sit still to learn the arts. I was, by then, feeling very washed-out and ridiculed.
Occasionally I would try something like stand-up comedy while living in New York, and it was a disaster, as was screen writing in Los Angeles. But I tried.
In 1994, fate and the Northridge Earthquake, shook my life into a new direction. Back home. My mother had fallen ill right after the earthquake, and I felt this might be a sign to go home. Truly I thought it was to go home “to die”. I was only forty-two but by then feeling very burned out.
I cannot remember the full details, but somehow I was given a computer and taught myself the Internet. That was 1997.
This was pre-Google, pre-blogs, pre-Ebay, pre-almost everything except Yahoo!. As I began reading the information available on the Internet, I learned that there was much to learn.
Suddenly even college courses were offered, and the chance to earn a degree. I signed up. That was five years ago and I am still there. Why would someone at my age even think about getting a college degree? I have no corporate ambitions. I don't think I can “save the world”.
I learned that the motivation of college is not always about money. It is about self-improvement and direction.
Though I have only finished three years of college in five years due to health issues, I can say I have learned a lot. Most of what I did learn is how little I knew, and still know. I know a lot of basics or principals of business, entrepreneurial ship, and the Internet, but there is still much to learn.
One of the important things I learned is that the Internet, is a community just like a real city or town. I have found a good many people discovering the Internet to make their dot.com millions, only to discover the same challenges and obstacles that exist in the real world. In fact the Internet reflects the real world, because it is a microcosm of the real world.
Our behavior, in fact, is magnified on the Internet. We share our souls with strangers and that is taking a risk and chance within itself.
By doing this in both blogs and ezinearticles I have met a great many people online. Some I have actually met in real life and our meetings changed mine (and they have told me their) lives. Sometimes the opposite. The Internet does not always tell the whole story of the person behind the keyboard.
The trick, I am finding, is to try to be as accurate as possible behind the keyboard as to whom one is and be prepared. The closer you can describe yourself, your abilities, your products or services, the fewer surprises you will have (or emit). You don't want to over-hype, you don't want to under-hype You want to find your niche and “tell it like it is”.
The Internet has “leveled the playing field”. I told that once to Dr. Vinton Cerf, the Father Of The Internet. Dr. Cerf invented the TCP-IP protocol (which we now call the Internet) while a student at Stanford in 1969. I had the pleasure of meeting him online, and thanked him for this wonderful invention. He seemed to know what I was saying when I tried to explain to him that this invention had “leveled the playing field”.
What I meant by that was that information that once was only available to major captains of business, is now available to all.
We all now have the opportunity, if we choose, to utilize this device to brand ourselves, advertise our business, purchase from the very wholesalers and distributors that the “big dogs” do and have them drop-shipped one at a time, be more creative than the big dogs, and possibly earn a very good living. Still it takes work and planning. Just because the new landscape of the workplace may be pajamas in the living room, does not mean one can sit back and be inactive. If anything the opposite. A very proactive stance is mandatory.
Especially if starting a venture on a shoestring. And many of us have done just that. We may find that we are good writers, or artists, or speakers or salespersons. Whatever we discover about ourselves on the Internet, it will most likely be through “meeting” other people on the Internet with similar skills, or with skills that complement our own.
When I say skills that complement our own, I will give you an example of my first Internet venture. I could write one line “gags” for cartoons or stand up comedians very well (not too great at delivering them but very good at writing them, I am told). But my illustration skills are waning. The Internet gave me the opportunity to meet artists interested in a venture I started a decade ago called Londons Times Cartoons. I wrote all the gags (still do) and my team of illustrators make me look good. But, there is a bright side to it. Its win-win. My writing makes them look good too. In fact, together, we have created a website that, at first, was receiving a hundred hits (on a good day). W
Banking Instruments are used as Credit / Asset Enhancement in order to aid in the development of projects, to facilitate trade-finance, help to secure Loans, Real-Estate Development, or General Business Expansion.The advantage of using these instruments is that it is immediately confirmed as Viable Security, thereby meeting the criteria of the Standard Credit Committee and triggering the Credit Line Days and dispensing with the normal 60-90 day period of Institutional Due DiligenceHere is a summery list of projects that a Bank Instrument could be used for, from this authors experience.They have been used for:-Increasing the underwriting Ratio for an Insurance Co.-Substantiating a stronger financial position of a Company going public prior to issuing an IPO.-Triggering the release of Funding from a Foundation / Trust / Pension Fund-Enhance the Book value of a Company in order to implement corporate financial strategy-Allows the Client to meet a Collateral First requirement>Occasionally I would try something like stand-up comedy while living in New York, and it was a disaster, as was screen writing in Los Angeles. But I tried.
In 1994, fate and the Northridge Earthquake, shook my life into a new direction. Back home. My mother had fallen ill right after the earthquake, and I felt this might be a sign to go home. Truly I thought it was to go home “to die”. I was only forty-two but by then feeling very burned out.
I cannot remember the full details, but somehow I was given a computer and taught myself the Internet. That was 1997.
This was pre-Google, pre-blogs, pre-Ebay, pre-almost everything except Yahoo!. As I began reading the information available on the Internet, I learned that there was much to learn.
Suddenly even college courses were offered, and the chance to earn a degree. I signed up. That was five years ago and I am still there. Why would someone at my age even think about getting a college degree? I have no corporate ambitions. I don't think I can “save the world”.
I learned that the motivation of college is not always about money. It is about self-improvement and direction.
Though I have only finished three years of college in five years due to health issues, I can say I have learned a lot. Most of what I did learn is how little I knew, and still know. I know a lot of basics or principals of business, entrepreneurial ship, and the Internet, but there is still much to learn.
One of the important things I learned is that the Internet, is a community just like a real city or town. I have found a good many people discovering the Internet to make their dot.com millions, only to discover the same challenges and obstacles that exist in the real world. In fact the Internet reflects the real world, because it is a microcosm of the real world.
Our behavior, in fact, is magnified on the Internet. We share our souls with strangers and that is taking a risk and chance within itself.
By doing this in both blogs and ezinearticles I have met a great many people online. Some I have actually met in real life and our meetings changed mine (and they have told me their) lives. Sometimes the opposite. The Internet does not always tell the whole story of the person behind the keyboard.
The trick, I am finding, is to try to be as accurate as possible behind the keyboard as to whom one is and be prepared. The closer you can describe yourself, your abilities, your products or services, the fewer surprises you will have (or emit). You don't want to over-hype, you don't want to under-hype You want to find your niche and “tell it like it is”.
The Internet has “leveled the playing field”. I told that once to Dr. Vinton Cerf, the Father Of The Internet. Dr. Cerf invented the TCP-IP protocol (which we now call the Internet) while a student at Stanford in 1969. I had the pleasure of meeting him online, and thanked him for this wonderful invention. He seemed to know what I was saying when I tried to explain to him that this invention had “leveled the playing field”.
What I meant by that was that information that once was only available to major captains of business, is now available to all.
We all now have the opportunity, if we choose, to utilize this device to brand ourselves, advertise our business, purchase from the very wholesalers and distributors that the “big dogs” do and have them drop-shipped one at a time, be more creative than the big dogs, and possibly earn a very good living. Still it takes work and planning. Just because the new landscape of the workplace may be pajamas in the living room, does not mean one can sit back and be inactive. If anything the opposite. A very proactive stance is mandatory.
Especially if starting a venture on a shoestring. And many of us have done just that. We may find that we are good writers, or artists, or speakers or salespersons. Whatever we discover about ourselves on the Internet, it will most likely be through “meeting” other people on the Internet with similar skills, or with skills that complement our own.
When I say skills that complement our own, I will give you an example of my first Internet venture. I could write one line “gags” for cartoons or stand up comedians very well (not too great at delivering them but very good at writing them, I am told). But my illustration skills are waning. The Internet gave me the opportunity to meet artists interested in a venture I started a decade ago called Londons Times Cartoons. I wrote all the gags (still do) and my team of illustrators make me look good. But, there is a bright side to it. Its win-win. My writing makes them look good too. In fact, together, we have created a website that, at first, was receiving a hundred hits (on a good day). W
Picture this…It’s a typical Monday morning…you’re swamped, it’s 11:00am and you are just getting through the projects on your desk that didn’t get finished from last week. It’s almost time for lunch and you haven’t even started today’s list yet. And then your boss walks in…1. He just told you that he wants to conduct an offsite meeting to talk about increasing sales for next year. He has great vision, but no concept of what planning this meeting takes.2. He wants the meeting to be held next month over specific dates, needs a general conference meeting room, breakout meeting rooms, extra space for exhibit tables and a separate room in close proximity for dining and breaks.3. There is a budget that doesn’t seem nearly enough to cover lodging, let alone the entire program. You don’t have a meeting site or lodging or menus yet, so how do you begin to know how to start budgeting?4. All 200 global sales representatives are required to be present which means you need to plan their air t
One of the important things I learned is that the Internet, is a community just like a real city or town. I have found a good many people discovering the Internet to make their dot.com millions, only to discover the same challenges and obstacles that exist in the real world. In fact the Internet reflects the real world, because it is a microcosm of the real world.
Our behavior, in fact, is magnified on the Internet. We share our souls with strangers and that is taking a risk and chance within itself.
By doing this in both blogs and ezinearticles I have met a great many people online. Some I have actually met in real life and our meetings changed mine (and they have told me their) lives. Sometimes the opposite. The Internet does not always tell the whole story of the person behind the keyboard.
The trick, I am finding, is to try to be as accurate as possible behind the keyboard as to whom one is and be prepared. The closer you can describe yourself, your abilities, your products or services, the fewer surprises you will have (or emit). You don't want to over-hype, you don't want to under-hype You want to find your niche and “tell it like it is”.
The Internet has “leveled the playing field”. I told that once to Dr. Vinton Cerf, the Father Of The Internet. Dr. Cerf invented the TCP-IP protocol (which we now call the Internet) while a student at Stanford in 1969. I had the pleasure of meeting him online, and thanked him for this wonderful invention. He seemed to know what I was saying when I tried to explain to him that this invention had “leveled the playing field”.
What I meant by that was that information that once was only available to major captains of business, is now available to all.
We all now have the opportunity, if we choose, to utilize this device to brand ourselves, advertise our business, purchase from the very wholesalers and distributors that the “big dogs” do and have them drop-shipped one at a time, be more creative than the big dogs, and possibly earn a very good living. Still it takes work and planning. Just because the new landscape of the workplace may be pajamas in the living room, does not mean one can sit back and be inactive. If anything the opposite. A very proactive stance is mandatory.
Especially if starting a venture on a shoestring. And many of us have done just that. We may find that we are good writers, or artists, or speakers or salespersons. Whatever we discover about ourselves on the Internet, it will most likely be through “meeting” other people on the Internet with similar skills, or with skills that complement our own.
When I say skills that complement our own, I will give you an example of my first Internet venture. I could write one line “gags” for cartoons or stand up comedians very well (not too great at delivering them but very good at writing them, I am told). But my illustration skills are waning. The Internet gave me the opportunity to meet artists interested in a venture I started a decade ago called Londons Times Cartoons. I wrote all the gags (still do) and my team of illustrators make me look good. But, there is a bright side to it. Its win-win. My writing makes them look good too. In fact, together, we have created a website that, at first, was receiving a hundred hits (on a good day). W
An art portfolio reflects the artist's vision and represents his or her technical and artistic skills. The artist's understanding of the technical aspects as well as the business and the seriousness of art are judged through the portfolio. Thus, the portfolio of an artist plays an essential role in deciding the success of the artist and evaluating the business. An impressive art portfolio can ensure the acceptance by renowned art colleges and win scholarships for the artist.In order to develop an interesting art portfolio, an artist should maintain a diversity of illustrated subjects. The work may represent independent projects, classroom assignments, or selected pieces from a sketchbook. They could be displayed through any medium, such as watercolors, pastels, photographs, or oil. Although submission of a minimum of ten pieces of art work is recommended by most of the prestigious art colleges, it is essential not to compromise the quality of the work.Apart from maintaining diversity to ensure the right impression,
The Internet has “leveled the playing field”. I told that once to Dr. Vinton Cerf, the Father Of The Internet. Dr. Cerf invented the TCP-IP protocol (which we now call the Internet) while a student at Stanford in 1969. I had the pleasure of meeting him online, and thanked him for this wonderful invention. He seemed to know what I was saying when I tried to explain to him that this invention had “leveled the playing field”.
What I meant by that was that information that once was only available to major captains of business, is now available to all.
We all now have the opportunity, if we choose, to utilize this device to brand ourselves, advertise our business, purchase from the very wholesalers and distributors that the “big dogs” do and have them drop-shipped one at a time, be more creative than the big dogs, and possibly earn a very good living. Still it takes work and planning. Just because the new landscape of the workplace may be pajamas in the living room, does not mean one can sit back and be inactive. If anything the opposite. A very proactive stance is mandatory.
Especially if starting a venture on a shoestring. And many of us have done just that. We may find that we are good writers, or artists, or speakers or salespersons. Whatever we discover about ourselves on the Internet, it will most likely be through “meeting” other people on the Internet with similar skills, or with skills that complement our own.
When I say skills that complement our own, I will give you an example of my first Internet venture. I could write one line “gags” for cartoons or stand up comedians very well (not too great at delivering them but very good at writing them, I am told). But my illustration skills are waning. The Internet gave me the opportunity to meet artists interested in a venture I started a decade ago called Londons Times Cartoons. I wrote all the gags (still do) and my team of illustrators make me look good. But, there is a bright side to it. Its win-win. My writing makes them look good too. In fact, together, we have created a website that, at first, was receiving a hundred hits (on a good day). W
I went to lunch with a friend the other day to ask him about his company's marketing journey.You see, I knew that he and his partner had hired a marketing coach a couple of years back. I wanted to find out what their experience was like and where they had challenges and successes along the way.This particular company is very typical of the small, service-based businesses that I focus on in my own marketing practice. They would tell you that they're a couple of accountants who are really good at what they do and enjoy the clients they work with. They would also tell you that they weren't marketing people who knew how to attract a steady stream of new business.I asked my friend if there was a particular point in time or event that finally triggered their marketing breakthrough. I wanted to understand what they learned through their own trial and error. I wanted to see if there was something specific that helped them finally crack the code on marketing.At first he thought the answer was when the
Especially if starting a venture on a shoestring. And many of us have done just that. We may find that we are good writers, or artists, or speakers or salespersons. Whatever we discover about ourselves on the Internet, it will most likely be through “meeting” other people on the Internet with similar skills, or with skills that complement our own.
When I say skills that complement our own, I will give you an example of my first Internet venture. I could write one line “gags” for cartoons or stand up comedians very well (not too great at delivering them but very good at writing them, I am told). But my illustration skills are waning. The Internet gave me the opportunity to meet artists interested in a venture I started a decade ago called Londons Times Cartoons. I wrote all the gags (still do) and my team of illustrators make me look good. But, there is a bright side to it. Its win-win. My writing makes them look good too. In fact, together, we have created a website that, at first, was receiving a hundred hits (on a good day). We looked up and eight years later it was one of the most popular and visited websites on the Internet (at least in the top 80,000 according to Netcraft and top 200k according to Alexa.
This was actually a big surprise to all of us because there came a point that we thought this was only going to be a hobby. It finally evolved into a large store as well (a manufacturer agreed to make our products on items such as tee shirts, mousepads, clocks, aprons, and such. The store does well.
In addition, we took another risk and launched “the world's first cartoon gourmet coffee gift basket” which includes 5 packages of fresh-picked bean coffee (different flavors and blends), a cartoon coffee mug, and four ceramic cartoon coasters.
We had it made and “put it out there”, that is, advertised it on the Internet. We looked at other coffee gift baskets and decided $44 was a fair price. It turned out to be a good risk as others agreed and bought and still buy.
Then we found wholesale distributors (real ones...don't be fooled by middlemen, that is the majority). But we did some research and found that Ebay only recommended two, Doba.com and Worldwidebrands.com. They turned out to be right on target. We get the same low prices the “big dogs” get and get to pass the savings on to the customer. So we opened another retail store to sell popular products like mp3s, digital cameras, etc.
Then we learned about “cross-promoting”. We decided to give away a free coffee gift basket, with a minimum amount purchase. It took awhile for people to give it a try but finally they did and everyone was happy once again.
I say all this now as if I “take it for granted” but I do not. The Internet did “level the playing field” and it is important to remember that, if Dr. Cerf had not been a good student and developed such an amazing piece of work, many of us would have left the planet, never having a chance to express ourselves in a way that we are able to today. So we owe him a world of thanks.
So, my advice and a student, is to always be a student, even if one is not, that is, be open to learn and not always know the answers. I often don't, and the Internet seems to teach me that more each day. I hope you find a similar experience.
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