critical assumption

8/24/2011

3 keys to being true to your "brand"

Posted by amckinnis |

Have you noticed that companies aren't true to their brand? They constantly make decisions which are true head-scratchers. Is Coke a health brand? Is Snapple a fruit drink? Does McDonalds conjure up images of a night out on the town?

I've got three questions you can ask yourself as you look to expand your company or market - that may help you stay in-line with what your customers want and all the hard work you've put into establishing your "brand"...

(1) Does it make sense? Seems simple enough - you should have already asked yourself this question - right? During the frenzy of the new product or service idea this one sometimes slips through the proverbial cracks. Making sense does not always when making money is key motivator (or retrenching, establishing a foot hold, maintaining market leadership, etc.). And maybe it was your boss or your boss's boss that came up with this brilliant idea. Do you question their sanity by asking a simple question like "Does it make sense"? Of course it makes sense - these brilliant people thought of it - and look what they've done.

But sometimes, it doesn't make sense to expand, to introduce that new product or service, to move into new area or market. Just think to yourself it your customers will believe this new thing. If you're a fast food joint, does it make sense to put table cloths and candles on the table after 5pm? If you're an accountant, should you start selling insurance?

Just make sure "it makes sense" - no just to you, but to your customers.

(2) Will it make money? Sometimes businesses rush into something because it's a hot trend, or "everyone will expect us to...". It happens in the world of technology all the time. Some new technology or service hits the market and everyone is afraid they'll miss the next internet trend, and the next Google or Facebook will be born - and they will be out of business. That may happen regardless of chasing the trend or not. All you really have to do is look at a company like AOL or Yahoo or MySpace to realize that consumers are fickle.

What stays is "style" no matter what business your in is making money. By that I mean, making more than you spend, thus leaving you with the ability to "invest" in your business. So ask yourself - can I make money with this new product or service? How and when? Many companies today are doing the "try it before you buy it" program - or the 100% of your money back if you don't like it program. Neither of these are bad - but can you make money long term. What's the second and third "thing" you are going to sell your customers? How do you make money?

(3) Is it a long term or short term "play"? Now most people want to believe their business or products will sell forever. Some do and some don't. Being realistic about the longevity of your product helps you create a long term roadmap. Maybe this is just a way to get people in the door, get them to understand who you are and become life long customers. Maybe its just a way to fund a longer vision. Nothing wrong with a short term play if you have a long term plan.

Well those are my thought for today - help they help.

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5/27/2011

Random Thoughts | Commodities Profiteers

Posted by amckinnis | tags..... business, Life

There's probably another post in here about it, but I'm going to say it again - we need to totally revamp the commodities market for oil, including gasoline, diesel and heating oil.

It should be about a market for buyers and sellers - not middle men and brokers. I know, there's a thousand reasons why it's a good thing - but I have one reason why it's bad....it adds cost to the product - pure and simple. Some will say it balances out during the long term - but remember that Milton Friedman [one of the fathers of modern economics] said that the problem with long term planning is that most of us are dead in the long term [I paraphrase].

But I don't believe it does zero out in the long term. I believe one of the reasons we fell into the great depression of 2009 was the rising gas prices. I caused a slow down of spending in other areas - and that combined with some interesting financial system trickery - the world economy blew up. We are on the same path now - and I believe it's because we have people trying to hedge large currency plays - they don't care if it's factional gains or losses - it's about keeping their "money in motion".

Buying and selling contracts on the commodities market is just good business when you need to to move huge sums of money. Unless you are actually a "buyer" of the raw material [crude or gasoline]. Your goal it to match and balance three things - your raw materials, your production and your inventory. Buy too much and you loose money - but too little and you miss out on revenue and profits. Those are real business concerns. And they have a huge impact on the lives of millions of people in the country.

Our law makers need to actually do something - quit having meeting, quit taking money from the power brokers, and actually think through what is in the best interest of this country, rather than their own best interest - or their next re-election campaign.

I may not be simple - but it can be done.

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5/26/2011

Dissenting Opinion | Why Cloud Computing is a Distraction

Posted by amckinnis |

First of all, I'm a 20 or 30 something - so there are going to be lots of things that I don't get. Like why putting all your personal information on Facebook and Twitter is such a good thing. That having 5M "friends" on Twitter is impressive. Or why Angry Birds is so popular.

So, when I say that Cloud Computer [and all it's variations and as a Service terms] is just a distraction for CIOs - there's probably something I'm not getting. But here's my reasoning...

The paradigm shift is about services - not technology. Cloud Computing is obscuring that fact. CIOs need to be thinking about how to "manage and integrate" services - and stop thinking about how to manage and integrate technology. Because the darlings of the "cloud" world are mostly technology plays [like compute and storage].
Cloud is about a shift in risk because the "cost of IT" is basically a zero sum game. Regardless of who pays for what - the full market for IT balances to Zero. Who bears the risk of the consumption model? Is it the service provider or the customer? For cloud - it's the service providers and they are usually hedging their bets and are over subscribed - just like that airline flight overbooking seats for the most popular routes. There have been recent headlines about "cloud" providers going down or losing service. That's going to happen - with the cost model only works for the service provider if they over subscribe for capacity. If they bet wrong - then systems go down.
CIOs have to figure out how to "get their own house in order" before being forced by business units to provide a certain service from a certain vendor. Sure it sounds like a really good idea for the EVP of Sales to go out and buy Salesforce.com for the 200 person sales department - but who actually has to support those 200 "users"? Not the EVP of Sales - it's the CIO. But that's just one example of hundreds - how about the Shipping department or Account department or Marketing department - there are "cloud" services for all of them. The functional business units need to work with the CIO - because if they don't - then the chaos just gets worse.
Finally - CIOs have to figure out how to "market" themselves better. Go out and find a professional Product Marketing person to help "package" services. The reason the EVP of Sales purchased Salesforce.com without your input - was because you've been distracted about keeping the lights on. Caught up in your world of operations and technology. Start to package your services, create user directed "messages" to users, directly sell to them - quit being passive - your career depends it.
Well - I don't think Cloud Computing is the answer or the problem. It's just another way for technology people to not have to really deal with their lack of understanding. Users want their lives to be easier - they don't care how it's "delivered" or where information is stored. Most don't understand the what a ritualized server and storage infrastructure looks like - nor do they care.

So CIOs - quit with the technology and start with the services. Sit down and listen, figure out what your users really want - then figure out how to "integrate" all these new and cool technologies and services to make it happen.

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5/26/2011

What is passion?

Posted by amckinnis | tags..... ideas, Life

We've all heard the saying "Do what you love and the money will follow." I kinda believe that statement - but it's not a hard and fast rule in life. There are plenty of people that are doing what they love - and have no real money to show for it. Probably a better statement would be "Do what you love and happiness will follow [and sometimes money tag along."

So how do you determine "what you love"? Well, one of the best ways to figure that out is to look at those ideas that just won't leave you alone. Maybe you've had these ideas for years and you have not really done anything with them. These hopes, dreams, thoughts, goals, and possibilities consume you - when your mind and life are quiet, you think about them. When asked "if you had a $1M, what would you do...?" - this is the thing that pops into your mind.

Now, it's easy for someone writing a blog post, or a book, or speaking at a conference to tell you "Just follow these passions. Don't listen to the skeptics and naysayers. They are just trying to keep you in the herd, they don't want to you have courage, because they don't." That's easy. Hearing and doing are two different things. Getting all jazzed about "following your heart" is great until the rent comes due or your kids want to enjoy another activity. It's a hard place to be - wanting to follow a dream, and dealing with the realities of life. [like the fact that Walmart does not a heightened sense of passion at the cash register]

I don't really have any answers. I believe most people just allow their lives to unfold in front of them most of the time. The few times in life they took the reigns - they had a sense of what it is to be fully alive - but that feeling is not for everyone. Everything has it's time and place. But that does not mean we should give up dreaming - give up on having some lust for life.

Keep going and keep dreaming.

Passions are those ideas that don't leave you alone. They are the hopes, dreams and possibilities that consume your thoughts. Follow those passions despite skeptics and naysayers, who do not have the courage to follow their dreams.

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5/13/2011

I still don't quite get it....

Posted by amckinnis | tags..... business, technology

The whole thing about "cloud" computing. I mean I understand how delivery is different - take music as an example. When I was in high school - it was about having a kick-ass stereo in your room with speakers that made the walls shake. Now music is bit more personal and instead of stacks of records, there's a thing that fits in your pocket with ear phones.

So is music different or just the delivery and store? Radio is another adjunct to that music "ecosystem" - I'm listening to Pandora right now, and they are serving me music (like radio did when I was in high school) - but it's different. But I still like radio - with technology, I can listen to my favorite radio station in the world - KBCO in Boulder. I couldn't do that a few years ago.

So it Cloud the new thing - or just another step along the path? It is a technology thing or a tech delivery thing? Like I said - I don't necessarily get it, mostly because I saw this coming a few years ago, when Amazon decided to start selling their extra capacity so they could pay their bills a bit easier between holiday selling seasons.

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5/13/2011

Manifestos for Life | ChangeThis: Issue 82

Posted by amckinnis |

ChangeThis: Issue 82

Little Bets: Think Differently by Peter Sims

"Our education system places great emphasis on teaching us about facts that are already known, such as historical information or scientific tables, and then testing us in order to measure how much we've retained about that body of knowledge. Those skills work perfectly well for many situations, but not when doing something new. Or creative. Or original. They certainly won't help us invent the future.

As education and creativity researcher and author Sir Ken Robinson puts it, 'We are educating people out of their creativity.' But it's still there. And unleashing our creativity, however deeply it's hidden, begins with little bets."

Don't Let the Sidewalk End: How To Create a Revolution by Patrick J. Howie

"This manifesto is about creating revolutions. Not big political revolutions, although it could help there too, but revolutions of any size and in any field or industry. It is also about innovating, and how to be better at it and how innovations, properly nourished, are the catalysts of revolutions."

To start with, we should all recognize that innovation is a process, not an event. When the process results in dramatic change, it is called a revolution."

Happiness Advocacy, Or, How Positive Psychology Will Save Us From Zombies by Annie Passanisi

"Happiness. That feeling you get from StuffOnMyCat.com or Skyping with a far away friend. Side effects include: joy, contentment, glee, elation, and surges of confidence, hope, and gratitude. That happiness. If you're ready to throw in the towel (or this in the garbage), kindly allow me to clarify something. This ain't yo' momma's (or for that matter my momma's*) self-help book so don't get all judgmental. If MacGyver can stop a bomb with a toothpick, we can save the world with happiness. 'Fiction!' you say? It's even been scientifically proven. You see, it's all in the technique, my friends."

The Four Strands: Creating Companies Aligned With Human DNA by Henry Cloud, Ph.D

"There are universal developmental issues and milestones in the construction of all people, which like gravity, must be obeyed. They are like the laws of physics, non-negotiable. Break these laws and dysfunction occurs. But, obey these laws and people thrive. They will be what we call "healthy."

So, when a company is designed and operates in ways that are aligned with how people are constructed, it will be like an airplane aligned with the laws of physics that govern force or torque."

How to Sharpen Your Sales Strengths by Tony Rutigliano & Brian Brim

"There is no single right way to sell. In fact, we believe there are as many ways to sell as there are salespeople.

Does that feel liberating? We hope so. If you enjoy sales, if you're good at it, and if you're finding some of the success you want, you possess a rare ability—and you should celebrate it. You're someone who can do this job. And if you're trying to follow a method or emulating a sales hero and it's not working, it might not be your fault. Who you are is who you should be. You'll be most successful at sales if you make the most of who you are."

Make It Happen: Turning Good Ideas Into Great Results by Peter Sheahan

"The world is not short of ideas. It's not. It is short of people who can execute on them. It is short of people who know how to take their aspirations and make a real impact on the world with them.

What differentiates the great ideas that end up on the cutting room floor from those that wind up changing the world? There are five steps, or rather five competencies you can build that separate the haves from the have-nots, the doers from the talkers … They are not a mantra for meditation, they are not positive affirmations that you chant to yourself in the mirror, they are actions."

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4/20/2011

Being Real as Opposed to Getting Real

Posted by amckinnis |

I got an email today from one of the many email newsletters I subscribe to - nothing really new and existing about that. But what was new - was the tone of this email. The Author apologized for having a great year last year - and probably getting off the track - in the name of building business.

He then when on to state who [and why] he wanted to do business with. He clearly stated in the email that if you don't fit please feel free to unsubscribe - no harm no foul. I find that blunt honesty refreshing.

He decided he didn't want to be everything to everybody - he wanted to be a somebody to a few people - that he could really help and educate. No excuses. If you don't fit - that's fine - because he's not really there to help you. If you don't understand - he's not there to help you.

We all should be that honest in your business and personal lives.

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4/20/2011

Springwise | Trends and Ideas from Around the World

Posted by amckinnis |

It appears the whole world is turning Mobile. And that is the growth in the market right now. Hardware it's all about being mobile. Storage it's all about the "cloud" and sharing files or backing them up. Applications it's all about mobile access through browers or your phone. So - what becomes important? Having a mobile platform [believe the OS will continue to be unimportant to anyone by those that develop the OS and developers choosing what platforms to develop for] and your location.

So Mobile and Location is the big trend right now in technology. Products and services in those areas are key. Enjoy!

Your weekly fix of entrepreneurial inspiration! (View this message in a browser)

Here are the new business ideas that caught our attention this week:

App enables live video direction across multiple mobile devices
	The ability to direct a live video shoot across multiple cameras in real time has historically been a luxury reserved for professionally equipped directors. However, once again, app-based technology has turned a well-established norm on its head. Offering the same capability to anyone in possession of a smartphone or tablet, we recently came across CollabraCam. READ MORE...

Portraits created from Twitter users' tweets
	Regular readers of Springwise may remember Social Print Studio, the service that created posters from collections of Facebook friends or Twitter followers. In a similar vein, we recently came across Netherlands-based Kunst Buzz, who are upping the personalization ante by creating users' images out of a Twitter user's tweets. READ MORE...

In India, mobile water tracking system updates local residents
	The reliability of water supply is a major issue for millions of households in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Although water is meant to be delivered to communities via a piped supply on a rotational schedule, the water often isn't being piped when it should be — leaving families waiting indefinitely for supplies. Hoping to provide a solution, we recently came across NextDrop. READ MORE...

Easter chicks for rent from Michigan farm
	We've seen try-before-you-buy urban chicken farming and we've seen household pets offered up for rent. Combining a bit of each, Michigan-based J&M Farm is now offering "Easter chicks" for two-week rentals, giving kids and families a short-term taste of what it's like to raise the real thing. READ MORE...

In Japan, real-world gifts sent via Twitter
	It's been several years since we first saw the emergence of real-world gifting capabilities for online friends, and it appears the trend is still going strong. After beginning in the Facebook realm, though, we're now seeing the gift-minded offerings move to Twitter as well — now with Japanese Giftee. READ MORE...

Gourmet airline food served for free from roving New York truck
	We've seen food trucks experience a surge in popularity over recent years, usually using Twitter or Facebook to keep potential diners updated on their whereabouts. Just recently we saw the Roving Mammoth putting an alpine twist on the concept, and now we've discovered Air France putting another new spin on the food truck: free food! READ MORE...

Whiskey and espresso for shoppers at Sydney shirt store
	If consumers can drink coffee or eat pizza while they shop for books, then why not let them sip whiskey or java while they contemplate a rack of shirts? That, indeed, is much the premise behind Shirt Bar, an Australian venture that offers an assortment of dark spirits and fresh espresso drinks for the pleasure of its visiting customers. READ MORE...

Cross-platform digital magazine adapts to the reader's device

We've seen numerous innovations in the word of online publishing, from a magazine that detects and adapts to users' reading interests, to digital books focusing on reader immersion through interaction. The latest spotting? The Toronto Standard is a newly relaunched web-based magazine that's been designed from the ground up to span digital platforms, adapting automatically to the reader's viewing device. READ MORE...

Giant sticky notes feature templates for web & mobile design
	Necessity is the mother of invention, as the old saying goes, and we'd be hard-pressed to find a better example than UX stickynotes. Targeting designers of web pages and mobile apps, the self-adhesive sheets of paper feature pre-printed browser and iPhone templates, making it easy to visualize and explain new interface designs. READ MORE...

Local networking platform offers community and care for pets
	The cost of caring for pets can often be a burden for owners, and we've already seen initiatives such as Coupawz stepping in to offer a helping hand. Now, hoping to relieve the financial pressures associated with pet care, we recently came across US-based Pet It Forward. READ MORE...

Brandable sleeves help consumers mark their bottle of beer
	Evenings spent at a busy party or bar can often cause drinkers to lose track of their beverages. Wine drinkers already have wine charms to identify their glasses, and now — thanks to BeerTag — there's an equivalent for beer drinkers too. READ MORE...

Combined deliveries from small, local grocers
	It was just a few short months ago that we covered the UK's Beelocal grocery delivery service, and already we have occasion to cover yet another like-minded venture. Also in the UK, London-based Hubbub lets customers place online grocery orders with multiple local shops and receive a single, aggregated delivery to the door. READ MORE...

In London, public transport travel gets gamified
	We've already noted the rise of gaming as a way to create engagement among consumers, but we didn't expect to see it applied so soon to something as seemingly mundane as public transport. Sure enough, though, Chromaroma is a new application from UK-based Mudlark that turns Tube travel in London into a rewarding game. READ MORE...

Urban farming expands onto school grounds

Community-supported agriculture is not an unfamiliar concept for regular Springwise readers, nor are the often-associated add-ons of bicycle-based produce delivery and compost services. Canadian Fresh Roots Urban Farm offers all of these; what sets it apart, however, is a series of partnerships it's formed with local schools in the Vancouver area to create urban farms on school land. READ MORE...

Brazilian video rental service distributes using USB drives
	Just as the music industry is struggling against the popularity of illegal downloads, so too the film industry is being badly affected by movie piracy. But just as DATAROCK have turned to USB pens to fight back, we recently discovered Brazil-based 100% Video adopting USB pen drives to widen the circulation of legal movie rentals. READ MORE...

Connecting buyers and sellers of agricultural goods & services

We've featured countless online exchanges over the years that connect buyers and sellers of a wide variety of goods. Zeroing in on the agricultural domain there's been Eggzy, for example, targeting home chicken farmers, as well as Veggie Trader and Local Dirt, to name just a few. The latest spotting — Farmbook — however, is an international agricultural marketplace based in Russia that aims to help both companies and individuals around the world market their agricultural goods. READ MORE...

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Warm regards,

Chris Turner
Senior Editor
chris@springwise.com

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