8/04/2010
About Us | ServiceNation
About Us
ServiceNation is a national campaign to increase service opportunities and elevate service as a core ideal and problem-solving strategy in American society.
Reaching an estimated 100 million citizens through its 200-plus member groups, ServiceNation played a leading role in the drafting and April 2009 enactment of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, which authorizes the greatest expansion of national service in America since FDR created the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Now that the Act has passed, the ServiceNation coalition is working to inspire a powerful culture of volunteerism in our country through the promotion of national days of service and strategic partnerships across the entertainment, philanthropic, and corporate sectors. We envision an America in which a commonly asked question is, "Where do you serve?"
If you haven't already, please help us spread the word, share your story, and explore service opportunities.
ServiceNation is the first campaign of Be the Change, Inc., a Cambridge, MA-based non-profit dedicated to strengthening American democracy by uniting citizens, social entrepreneurs, the service world and leaders from every sector of American society. Be the Change taps the wisdom, experience, and networks of these practitioners and thought leaders to craft post-partisan policy solutions to our greatest challenges and build powerful coalitions to advocate for them.
To learn more:
- Read our blog.
- Check out our policy blueprint.
- Find out more about the ServiceNation Presidential Forum on Service and Summit.
- See reports from the Day of Action.
- Visit members of the ServiceNation Coalition.
Also, have a look at our sister campaign, OpportunityNation.
Army Stressed After Nearly a Decade of War - ABC News
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After nine years of war, the U.S. Army is showing signs of stress because of repeated deployments and inadequate support for soldiers when they return, according to a blunt internal report released today. It blasts the Army's leadership for failing to recognize the problem.
Why?
While noting that Army service, particularly during a time of war when a soldier is almost sure to see combat, attracts individuals more prone to what it terms high-risk behavior, the study says the problems are exacerbated by inadequate leadership and screening of troops. It suggests leaders are focusing only on preparing soldiers for their next deployment too quickly without allowing them sufficient time to reset after time in war.
Facebook | Lola Koumantzias: Learn Just About Any Lesson Quickly Using The Hugging Method - teach your child to swim with love
Another beautiful story from my friend Lola!
Attorney Directory, Lawyer Directory, Law Firm Directory
After I happened upon article marketing as a way to generate website visitors, I became curious. However, it took me quite a few hours to write that very first piece of writing intended for my personal Internet business Internet site, as well as an additional two hours to send this article to a few article directories. I nevertheless enjoyed the concept, but it really looked like loads of hours put in for the results. There had to be a better way.
Right now, I typically compose a new article in less than 1 hour. Then I submit it to 21 article publication sites within about 10 minutes. It indicates six times as much productivity within the same time, so this means six to eight times as much targeted traffic produced, which implies six times as much income produced regarding the identical effort. It appears to be very worth it right now.
Initially, I found out precisely how to compose smaller articles. Interest ranges on the web are usually short, and you want to keep the particular audience reading through to the actual end – the place that the website link to your Internet site is. In addition, you want for the content article to be used upon some other Internet sites, and lots of website owners will not make use of longer content pieces. These are typically a pair of great reasons for you to ensure that it stays brief. Obviously and this also means much less time writing also.
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The next essential lesson I acquired, was to always maintain a text file of article publication sites on a file within my laptop. I merely copy and paste an address directly in to my Internet browser to have instant access to any one of the actual article directories on my personal list. The addresses go right to the actual submitter web page, or the sign in page. Adding the article directory links within your “favorites” folder would certainly work effectively also.
One of the most mind-numbing component of the actual article marketing method may be the article submission pages. Several article directory websites ask for article descriptions, others don’t. A few let you use HTML, whilst others do not. To make this component go quickly, you will want to keep your articles prepared inside a Window’s Note pad data file or perhaps a program equivalent. Create the title, followed by a two or three sentence brief description, then a short list of four to six key phrases that the article could be located for. After that create the content.
Some people believe it is quicker to have 2 variations, 1 using HTML intended for items like subtitles and italicizing. Have an writer’s bio box (much like the 1 at the end of this particular web page) ready in 2 versions also – the first one with just the entire URL connected with your own Internet site, and the other one having an active HTML website link.
You can now proceed swiftly to the article directory sites in your list, and then copy and paste the proper elements in the appropriate aspects of the online form. If you have an auto-fill feature within the Google or some other toolbars, it is possible to type in your name and also your e-mail address with a click.
Swiftness is what you are looking for, for the final result, this means, additional revenue for that time invested. To be able to truly make it successful, you must have a process. You can start by using the system I used when I was beginning. Then, search, and you will locate even more strategies to automate your article marketing, such as distribution software and also acquiring pre-spun content articles. The the larger the quantity of articles you send out to the Internet the more success you can expect to attain.
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Giant Campus Adds Marketing, Technology, Entrepreneurship and ‘Green’ Online Courses To Leading Curriculum Catalog | Business Wire
Giant Campus Adds Marketing, Technology, Entrepreneurship and ‘Green’ Online Courses To Leading Curriculum Catalog
Online School Curriculum Provides High School Students with Skills for College and Career
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Giant Campus (www.giantcampus.com), a nationally recognized leader in innovative technology education programs for youth and adults, today announced the release of five new online high school courses focused on technology and business innovation. As part of the Giant Campus licensing program, educational organizations across the United States can license the new curriculum for use in their online high school programs.
“Our licensing program is an effective way for schools to offer relevant courses that are not typically available for high school students”
The new courses include:
- Audio Engineering
- Digital Arts
- Introduction to Entrepreneurship
- Introduction to Marketing
- Green Design and Technology
“Our licensing program is an effective way for schools to offer relevant courses that are not typically available for high school students,” said Giant Campus Founder and CEO Pete Findley. “There is an increasing demand for technology and business education in our nation’s high schools. Students want to gain these skills before they start college or begin a career, and these courses provide students with that opportunity.”
Giant Campus is the nation’s leading provider of technology courses to educational providers, including online schools such as K12, Insight, Kaplan, Pearson Virtual Learning and Louisiana Virtual School. Each course is supported by instructor training and a comprehensive set of instructor materials, including project grading rubrics, pacing guides, answer keys and course guides. Additionally, Giant Campus’ certified instructors are available for providers to use if needed. The courses are designed to meet the needs of the 10.5 million U.S. students who, according to a recent estimate by educational consultant Ambient Learning, are expected to take an online class by 2014.
These new licensed courses are also available through two online schools operated by Giant Campus:
- Giant Campus Academy – online classes taught by Giant Campus instructors where students around the world can earn a high school degree or take classes a la carte
- Giant Campus of Washington – online classes taught by Giant Campus instructors where Washington state students can earn a high school diploma for free or take individual classes
For a complete list of Giant Campus licensed curriculum, go to www.giantcampus.com/programs/licensed-programs/online-school-curriculum or call 888-904-2267.
About Giant Campus
Giant Campus is an education and learning experience company that empowers teens and adults through in-person and online technology classes. These programs provide education on cutting-edge technology including game and Web design, digital photography, video production, computer programming, business applications and much more. Students are encouraged to reach their full creative potential, with classes focused on building collaboration, communication and critical thinking skills. Millions of students worldwide have participated in Giant Campus programs since 1997 in a wide variety of environments, from K-12 classrooms to U.S. military installations, and at camps at prestigious academic institutions such as Duke University, MIT, Stanford University and UCLA. For more information on how Giant Campus is connecting people with technology, visit www.giantcampus.com.
Business Asia: Inside the Mind of a Risk Taker
By RYAN STREETER
The past few years have seen no shortage of commentary about the comparative economic environments in China and India, where growth and the rise of enterprising classes have gone hand in hand. Yet we have very little data to help us understand how entrepreneurs in these countries think and what motivates their decisions and actions. A new survey of more than 4,000 entrepreneurs, business managers and aspiring entrepreneurs, conducted by YouGov and released today by the Legatum Institute, sheds light on the countries' respective enterprising classes—and raises some questions for policy makers and investors.
Entrepreneurs in both countries share a high degree of bullishness. Nearly half of the respondents believe their societies are more welcoming of entrepreneurial activity than they were 10 years ago, and only one-quarter in India and one-third in China believe that the global financial crisis has seriously hampered the prospects for new businesses. The vast majority believe their lives will improve dramatically in the next five years.
Read more in Business Asia
Looking beyond the economic optimism, however, two different styles of entrepreneurship emerge. The differences start with why entrepreneurs launch businesses in the first place. Asked about their main motivation, the overwhelming majority of Indian entrepreneurs name "being my own boss," while the most popular response in China is earning more money. In this way, Indian entrepreneurs more closely resemble the Western model: American entrepreneurs were more likely to cite "owning my own company" than "building my wealth" as the main reason they launched a business, according to a Kauffman Foundation study last year.
When asked about other factors inspiring their decision to start businesses, nearly half of Chinese entrepreneurs give answers related to the state's efforts to promote and manage enterprise. Compared to just 9% in India, 23% of Chinese entrepreneurs say what they learned in school or at the university prompted their decision, presumably a result of the government's strategy of using universities to promote entrepreneurship. Chinese business owners cite pro-business actions by the government or pro-business messages in the media (which in China are state-controlled) at three times the rate of their Indian peers.
Indian entrepreneurs paint a more relational and organic picture. Twenty-one percent cite family expectations as the source of their entrepreneurship compared to 9% in China, and 27% of Indians cite the inspiration they glean from knowing another entrepreneur, compared to 18% in China.
![[BAstreeter]](http://sg.wsj.net/public/resources/images/AG-AC041_BAstre_NS_20100804111202.gif)
This difference in inspiration and motivation manifests itself in many ways. The relational Indian model of business start-ups is evident in enterprise financing, where 49% of business owners rely on family resources to start their enterprise, compared to only 25% in China. Chinese entrepreneurs are much more dependent on banks, with 49% taking out loans compared to 27% in India. Indian entrepreneurs use conventional financing through debt and investors at about half the rate of their Chinese peers. This raises some interesting questions for further study. Are Indian entrepreneurs more careful about working out the kinks in their business models before they start because they know a default will hurt their friends and family instead of a faceless bank? And are Chinese banks as good as Indian families at evaluating the business merits of an entrepreneur's idea before extending credit?
In listing factors important for starting a business, Indian entrepreneurs place nearly as much value on internal personal qualities, such as creativity and the ability to take risks in the face of adversity, as they do access to finance. Access to information and knowledge, for instance, is more important to Chinese entrepreneurs than being creative. This suggests that Chinese entrepreneurs believe business success depends on external market conditions that can be known and manipulated, whereas Indian entrepreneurs regard success as the result of their internal ability to adapt to changing conditions.
There are also significant differences in how entrepreneurs see themselves relating to their policy environments. In India, 81% of business owners say that jugaad, the ability to improvise and find ways around prohibitive rules and institutions, is important to business success. In China, 93% of business owners say guanxi, the networks and relationships (primarily with the state) necessary to succeed in business, are important to their own success. Generally, enterprising individuals in India believe they succeed in spite of the state, while in China they think they succeed through their connections to it.
The survey results uncover an unfolding experiment on how best to foster business creation in developing countries. So far, our findings suggest entrepreneurship in India is marked by a kind of sustainability that is less evident in China. Because India's entrepreneurs have succeeded amid dysfunctional government and financial institutions by developing a kind of independent and experimental ingenuity, it stands to reason that the enterprising class would prosper even more were India to reduce barriers to business and clean up corruption. In China it is unclear what will happen if state efforts are no longer sufficient to entice and groom the entrepreneurs its economy needs.
Mr. Streeter is a senior fellow at the Legatum Institute in London.
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What Millennials Want in Leaders
The Millennial generation is the generation that has grabbed my heart. I know that my preference is largely related to having and loving three Millennial sons and their friends. But I know that my favoritism also stems from the attitude of hope that this generation brings.
As I have shared in other writings, my son, Jess Rainer, and I just concluded writing a book about this generation with the basic title, The Millennials. The book will be released in January 2011. Our work was based on a massive research project led by LifeWay Research, where that team asked 1,200 older Millennials dozens of questions in multiple categories. The responses were fascinating.
Who Are the Millennials?
As a reminder, the Millennials are America’s largest generation, over 78 million in number. They are slightly larger in number than the well-documented Baby Boomer generation.
The Millennials were born between 1980 and 2000, though our research included only the older portion of this generation, those born between 1980 and 1991. The study included demographic sampling that well represents the generation in total.
The Leadership Factor
Though we asked relatively few questions about leadership in our study, the intensity of their responses provided clear indication that this subject was one of great interest to many in this generation. At the conclusion of our study, we found four major leadership foci among the Millennials. We dubbed them simply “What Millennials Want in Leaders.”
1. Mentoring. This generation has great respect for those older than they are. Most of them have good relationships with their parents. They have learned from older people all their lives, and they don’t want to stop now. They want to be led and taught in their places of work, in their churches, and in their families. They particularly want to learn from couples who have had long and successful marriages. Many Millennials see such examples as heroes to emulate.
2. Gentle spirit. This category is easier to describe by what Millennials do not want in leaders. Divisive, loud, and acrimonious persons turn them off. They loathe politicians and political pundits who scream at each other. They are leaving churches to some extent because they see many Christian leaders as negative and prone to divisiveness. They are repulsed by business leaders with harsh and autocratic spirits.
3. Transparency and authenticity. I wish Jess and I had counted the number of times that Millennials used the word “real” to describe leaders they want to follow. As one Millennial told us, her generation “can smell phony and pretentiousness a mile away.” They don’t want phony; they want authentic. They don’t want pretentious; they want transparent.
4. Integrity. The Millennials are weary of politicians who don’t keep promises. They are tired of Christian leaders who fail basic moral standards. They are fed up with business leaders who are more concerned about personal gain than serving others. They want leaders with integrity.Looking for a Few Good Leaders
The Millennial generation has much to offer. As a whole, they desire to serve others. Most of them are very family oriented. And they really want to listen and learn from others. Indeed they are looking for a few good leaders to follow. When they find them, they will follow with commitment and enthusiasm.
Our study of this generation was one of the most encouraging research projects in which I have been involved. I found great hope in the Millennials. I see great promise in many of them. And I found among them a hunger to learn from leaders they respect.
May we who have come before them be that type of leader.
The largest generation in America is watching us closely.
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Dr. Thom Rainer is president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
5 Ways to Build Your Blog’s Voice
Written on August 5th, 2010 at 12:08 am by Georgina Laidlaw
5 Ways to Build Your Blog’s Voice
Voice can give a blogger a serious edge. Your unique voice can set you apart from the competition, form a foundation for your brand, engender audience loyalty, and more. If you find it difficult to retain readers, and you’re confident of the quality and accuracy of the content you provide, you may need to work on your voice.
What is Voice?
Voice is the tone in which you present content. Your blog’s overall tone is also affected by visual elements like colours and fonts, but voice is a critical element in the tone of your content.
If a message is what we say, then voice is the way we express what we say. Pace, rhythm, turns of phrase, idioms — even the way you use punctuation — all contribute to the voice of your blog. Unless you’re a die-hard writing buff, it probably won’t pay you to get too hung up on grammar or the finer points of semicolon usage. Instead, focus first on assessing your posts in terms of how they sound overall.
First, choose a word that best reflects how you want to sound — “friendly” or “authoritative” or “experienced”, for example. Then assess a cross-section of your posts, scoring each on how well you feel it meets that requirement. Voice is strongest when it’s consistent, so also look at elements like tags and category labels, email autoresponders, error pages, and so on, to see how well they reflect your desired tone of voice.
This process will probably let you identify some inconsistencies that dilute the voice of your blog — and make it more difficult for your audience to know what they can expect, or to identify with your blog’s personality.
Ensuring Consistency
For many of us, it can be difficult to work out exactly what makes one post sound better — friendlier, more authoritative, or whatever — than another. All we know is that this post sounds friendly and relaxed, while that one is flat, and this other one comes across as a bit of a rant.
The good news is that you can take a number of steps to make the voice of your posts more consistent.
1. Picture your audience.
If you want your blog to sound friendly, you might imagine a good friend who’s in your target audience each time you write a blog post. It might sound odd, but holding a clear picture of the person you’re writing for in your mind while you write can have a significant impact on the tone of your content.
2. Watch your mood.
With experience, you’ll learn to churn out content on demand, in a consistent voice. But while you’re still getting a handle on your blog’s voice, it can be a good idea to try to write when you’re in a good frame of mind. Not just a positive frame of mind, but one that reflects your respect for your readership and your enthusiasm for your blog topic.
We all have moments when we’d rather be doing something other than writing a post for our blogs; try not to write at those times, at least while you’re finding your voice. If you’re not interested in what you’re writing, that’ll come across in your post’s tone.
3. Separate writing from publishing.
Try to avoid publishing posts as you write them. Instead, save the post and review it later, when you’re in a different frame of mind. This way, even if you can’t avoid writing posts in varying moods, you’ll be able to cast an objective eye over your posts, and to edit and tweak them in ways that reinforce the tone you’re aiming for.
Don’t be afraid to edit your posts if you don’t feel they’re couched in the right tone of voice. You might find that a quick review, with fresh eyes — and the implementation of a few well-chosen tweaks — prior to publishing makes all the difference to the tone of your posts.
4. Create a style guide.
A style guide — a set of rules for grammar, spelling and expression — can help you to automate elements of your blog’s voice.
If you can identify, by looking critically at your blog, and blogs you like the tone of, elements that detract from your tone, you can list them in your style guide. Over time, you’ll compile a list of rules that can act as a sort of template that you can apply to every post your write.
“Have I used friendly text for links, rather than simply pasting the URL straight into the body copy of my post?” you’ll ask yourself. “Have I mentioned the position of every individual I’ve quoted in this article, to show the quality of my research and my respect for my industry peers?”
Using your style guide as a checklist on which to assess your posts can help to ensure that the tone of your blog remains consistent.
5. Consider tactics that may dilute your voice.
Some blogging tactics may actually serve to dilute your blog’s voice. Guest bloggers, for example, probably won’t write the way you do, and may jar with readers’ expectations of your blog’s voice. Similarly, being paid to write a post in which you promote a product can alter your tone of voice in subtle ways. You may even write about certain topics within your chosen field in a way that doesn’t reflect the tone of your blog.
Before you adopt a new tactic on your blog, consider what it might mean for your blog’s voice. Consistency of voice is crucial when it comes to establishing trust and loyalty among your readership, so it pays — in the short- and long-term — to weigh up the pros and cons of each new tactic before you adopt it.
Glen Stansbery outlined some handy tactics that can actively help to enhance your blog’s voice, but again, use these with discretion and caution. Giving various approaches an open-minded try before you set your heart on adopting them is a good modus operandi.
Have you established a strong voice for your blog? What advice can you share?
About the Author: Georgina has more than ten years’ experience writing and editing for web, print and voice. She now blogs for WebWorkerDaily and SitePoint, and consults on content to a range of other clients.
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12 Responses to “5 Ways to Build Your Blog’s Voice” - Add Yours
Hi,
Great advice. I agree. Having a voice, and that too a consistent one, can greatly be beneficial to you. It compasses a whole range of benefits, including branding.
I like how you said ‘1. Picture your audience.’. This will visually help in getting a consistence voice.
“Try to avoid publishing posts as you write them. Instead, save the post and review it later, when you’re in a different frame of mind.”
The classic 24-hour rule. I read it on copyblogger. The rule says that after 24 hours of writing a piece, you can have a more objective view of your article.
Kindest,
NabeelThanks for the important point of “Separate writing from publishing.” Will practice this point from future!
Excellent points Georgina. I think # 3 is especially important. I try to follow this rule and have many times come back to a post a day after writing it and I’m kind of shocked at how it sounds. Not that it’s bad, just not the typical me. It’s really interesting how my own writing voice changes from day to day as my mood changes.
I have actually been thinking about voice and consistency over the past week. Sometimes I write light, funny posts and other posts are more serious. I am trying to mix it up, but wonder if that actually creates confusion. I am staying true to my elevator pitch though.
Right now I am analyzing the stats based upon voice (categorizing posts by funny, neutral, serious, authoritative/how-to, etc) to see if I have a better reader response to one style over the other.
This post was helpful in this process. Thanks!
Number 3 is really important. Even if you think you are following all the rules you need that cooling off period. I tend to write in bursts so some of my posts sit a while before I publish them. I can come at them with a new perspective in editing them.
Rob
Hey Georgina,
Another great post. You’re really doing awesome work here.
Some great points there.
I really like the point #4 – Create a Style Guide…!! Grreatt…Thanks for sharing this great Post. Keep up the great work.
~Dev
Hey Georgina,
There were times I did save the post for later viewing and found it that the words that I was using shows what mood I was in. That’s amazing!
Chat with you later…
JoshGreat stuff as usual. I personally love the point about creating your own style guide.
It’s important that your blog keeps the same tone throughout each post, as your readers will come to know you as they “hear you speak” through your posts.
Be consistent and be true to yourself. Soon, you’ll find you’ve got a winning blog with avid and dedicated readers.
I started operating with a style sheet last autumn, and it’s been great for my blog. It really helps to provide consistency and it also helps me to more easily post recipes and tutorials in a standard format.
I also avoid guest posts now. I tried for a long time to encourage guest posts on my site, but, frankly, my readers never seemed to like them. Traffic would decline, comments and shares. So I don’t bother with them any more.
I forgot to mention – many of my old posts and recipes aren’t written according to the style sheet and while I try to rewrite them – some slip through the cracks and I actually do get emails from readers who are confused by the old format or who so strongly prefer the new style that they suggest I “revise” the old posts. And the old posts weren’t all that bad in the first place, after all they drove traffic and grew the blog.
i never thought that “voice” or setting a consistent tone in writing in blogs is a critical part which is usually taken for granted, i didn’t realize that it can make a big impact.
I agree with you. Having a “voice” in your writing is someone who has vast experience and a wealth of knowledge. Writing is not something that we can just pick up around a corner. It is acquired through years of hard work and constant practice. Not everyone is a great writer though.
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Forgiveness: The Intelligent Choice : The World :: American Express OPEN Forum
Forgiveness: The Intelligent Choice
Aug 03, 2010 -
Long ago, Aristotle said: “The energy of the mind is the essence of life.” Today, there is a great deal of research on the importance of managing our energy for optimal performance in every area of our lives. We know that emotions play a pivotal role in harnessing or depleting mind energy.
One emotional response that is not talked about often enough, in this context, is forgiveness. It is one of the least understood qualities and one of the most difficult to practice. And yet, forgiveness is one of the quickest paths to salvaging wasted energy.
To forgive someone is to waive our right to resentment, anger or another negative reaction. This is not about condoning or excusing actions, but about intentionally deciding to let go of a sense of offense at snubs, ego scuffs, disappointments and other occurrences that pull our strings. Making forgiveness a part of our operating system is a key aspect of emotional intelligence: it is taking ownership of our own emotional reactions.
Forgiveness is not just a “nice to have” quality. There is now scientific evidence that a lack of forgiveness leads to increased stress and anxiety, and chronic conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. One of the pioneers in the field of forgiveness research is Dr. Fred Luskin, Director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Projects and a senior consultant in health promotion at Stanford. In this send to a friend http://bit.ly/b85l6h" title="twitter" rel="Forgiveness%253a%2bThe%2bIntelligent%2bChoice%2b%253a%2bThe%2bWorld%2b%253a%253a%2bAmerican%2bExpress%2bOPEN%2bForum">1
Entrepreneurship and Acton » Blog Archive » Entrepreneurship In The News: Week of July 26
Entrepreneurship In The News: Week of July 26
Jul 29th, 2010 by Lady Liberty
Doomsday scenarios, more spy stories, money, more money, and cool new products. It’s been an interesting week in the world of entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurs hold the keys to the internet. Literally. Seven people were selected by the internet watchdog organization ICANN to be Trusted Community Representatives. They each have a smart card. In the case of a catastrophe, five of the seven would have to meet and use their cards to activate a master key to recreate the internet’s “yellow pages” database of web addresses. The seven are leading experts and innovators in internet security. The US’ Dan Kaminsky is behind start-up Recursion Ventures, where he’s Chief Scientist. Paul Kane of the UK is the chief executive of internet management company CommunityDNS. And Ondrej Sury is the head of R&D at CZ.NIC Labs in the Czech Republic. The others are Norm Ritchie of Canada, Jiankan Yao from China, Moussa Guebre of Burkina Faso, and Bevil Wooding from Trinidad and Tobago. (CBS news)
INC released its 30 under 30 list of America’s coolest young entrepreneurs. It includes Naveen Selvadurai, co-founder of Foursquare, Sarah Prevette of entrepreneur web tool Sprouter, and Tim O’Shaughnessy and Eddie Fredrick of LivingSocial. There are a bunch of great ideas, new products, and inspiring childhood stories. Check them out. (INC)
Pick up some networking tips from glamorous Russian spy Anna Chapman. In newly uncovered footage from last year’s Entrepreneur Week in New York, she explains how she used sequences of introductions to get closer to more and more important people. Hopefully you use introductions for business purposes and not state secrets. (Telegraph)
Maybe your customers don’t want to talk to you. Companies tend to think their customers value live service more than twice as much as they value self service. But new research from Matt Dixon and Lara Ponomareff shows that customers — regardless of age, issue type, or urgency — are indifferent and value the phone just as much as a self-service kiosk. What’s more, customers who try to self serve, fail, and are forced to pick up the phone are more likely to be disloyal. So when was the last time you waited to use an ATM even though there was no one in the bank teller line? (HBR)
An entrepreneur introduced tax cut legislation for technology start-up investors. They’d get a 25% federal tax credit for an equity investment in a qualifying business. The Innovation Technologies Investment Incentive Act was proposed by five members of Congress: Reps Chris Van Hollen, Jared Polis, Allyson Schwartz, and Betty McCollum. Rep Polis of Denver founded Proflowers.com and Bluemountain.com. (INC)
Could an MBA kill your chance to become a great tech entrepreneur? Katie Cowing of The Journey of Entrepreneurship has an interesting analysis of the educational backgrounds of technology leaders like Michael Dell, Mark Zuckerberg, and Larry Page. She urges aspiring entrepreneurs to look at three factors when deciding if they should pursue an MBA: short term vs long term thinking, managing companies vs creating disruptive businesses, and analysis vs action. What do you think? (Business Insider)
Entrepreneurs in the education market may get a boost. The University of Pennsylvania wants to create one of the country’s only business incubators dedicated to education entrepreneurs — a “Sillicon Valley around education.” The Department of Education is also introducing a $650 million fund to spur innovation. While schools and institutions spend over $1 trillion on education annually, entrepreneurs face significant hurdles. Different local policies, frequent curricula changes, and cumbersome purchasing processes can make it hard for entrepreneurs to succeed. (USA Today)
The UK is backing a bold innovation universities project in India. Eight British universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, will forge links during the design and creation of the new universities. The Indian government is also looking for mentors from leading universities in the US. The 14 innovation universities will be centers of excellence and are meant to fill a gap in research and tackle new problems significant to India, like urbanization and public health. (The Hindu and University World News)
Austin is known as an entrepreneurial hub. Michael Klug discusses what it takes for a place to attract and nurture entrepreneurs. He mentions a balance of support, culture, relevant resources, and reasonable costs. What would you add? (ABJ Entrepreneur)
Photo courtesy of Ed Yourdon.
Posted in News & Current Events
INNOVATION + ENTREPRENEURSHIP = JOBS « Dick Stieglitz’s Change Blog
Most people think today’s most urgent challenge is to create millions of new jobs. But we face more threatening challenges: global warming, aging populations, pandemic disease, bankrupt governments, terrorism, and nuclear proliferation to name just a few. During this decade, we must face up to a slew of survival questions. For example: How can we
- Expand without exhausting resources or intensifying global warming?
- Provide enough food and clean water for 10 billion people?
- Afford to deliver quality health care to an aging population?
- Educate our children to thrive in an increasingly competitive world?
- Build an efficient infrastructure that is safe from cyber attack?
At first glance, these seem like social questions – and they are. But look more closely and you’ll also see huge business opportunities that will generate new jobs.
Substantial wealth will accrue to those who apply innovation and entrepreneurship to these challenges. Leading an organization in new directions or starting a new venture is difficult in any recession; but this one is especially hard. Employment dropped more than in past recessions; consumer spending is recovering slowly; and the value of stock and real estate portfolios is way down. The key to surviving is to remember that this recession will eventually end. When recovery takes off, will you be more competitive or less? The successful companies will be those that invest in critical competencies, innovate new products, and deliver superior customer value. Redirect your organization’s creative energy toward these global challenges.
In past recessions, the U.S. lead the global recovery by developing new products and exporting them to the rest of the world. Our ability to innovate softened the impact of losing manufacturing jobs. But can we do it again? Will Yankee ingenuity be enough to save us? The numbers say the world is catching up in terms of innovation. For example, according to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, in 2009 for the first time the number of patent applications submitted by foreigners exceeded those submitted by Americans. Furthermore, the total number of patent applications fell for only the second time. Experts attribute the decline to three factors. First, the recession caused companies to slash R&D budgets to sustain profits. Second, the U.S. which once lead the world with generous R&D tax credits now ranks in the middle of OCED countries relative to favorable R&D tax provisions. And third, India and China are graduating more scientists and engineers than the U.S.; and new immigration policies since 9/11 push foreign students who attend American universities to return home after they graduate.
Government R&D also isn’t the prolific source of ideas it once was. The Internet grew from a military research project; the Global Positioning System (GPS) uses satellites put in orbit to guide missiles; and noise-cancellation headphones use technology that quieted submarines in the cold war. In these cases, technologies developed for the military resulted in products that spawned new companies and new jobs. Unfortunately, today’s Defense research focuses on tactical projects to satisfy needs in Iraq and Afghanistan; and NASA’s budget has been cut substantially. Hopefully, as Defense develops micro-gadgets for soldiers and sailors, those gadgets also can be the source of new products, new companies, and most importantly new jobs! That’s not to say that industry is off-the-hook. The consumer-electronics industry is fully capable of outspending the military in R&D and spreading costs over a large market (e.g., two billion mobile phones). Cutbacks in government and industry R&D may make sense in a recession, but in the long term they are economic suicide.
The financial crisis that caused the recession and the decline in patent applications (i.e., innovation) may seem like separate issues, but they are two symptoms of the same disease. In the years before the 2001 recession, the U.S. economy grew rapidly based on cheap computing power. But the dot-com bubble burst because too much capital was chasing too few opportunities. Soon the housing bubble replaced the dot-com bubble and fueled growth – but again, too much capital chased too few opportunities and the bubble burst. What might we have today if the trillions of dollars that were channeled into real estate derivatives were instead invested in new technologies, products, and business processes?
This recession has left a deep scar on working people. In previous recessions, there weren’t as many layoffs and the rebound came quickly. Largely because of President Obama’s rhetoric, most people blame the recession on big business. Ironically, that blame might be a good thing for the economy – it could encourage a wave of entrepreneurship. If a capital gains tax increase doesn’t smoother small business owners, innovation in new companies could be a major source of new jobs. Big companies also can recover by appealing to entrepreneurial employees. In the “new normal” economy, whatever that looks like, innovation and entrepreneurship will be more important than ever.
We need creative legislation to renew American competitiveness, but our political system at best seems only capable of incremental change. We need policies that spur innovation and incentives that entice people to launch new businesses, rather than extended unemployment and temporary highway jobs. More companies create more jobs; and new, fast-growing companies create the most jobs. During the dot-com era, the U.S. economy created nearly 100,000 small businesses each month. A legion of entrepreneurs, particularly in the computer and finance fields, became frustrated with rigid corporations, accepted the risks of entrepreneurship, and launched a wave of innovation. Many of the new companies failed, of course, but some grew rapidly.
We also need the optimism, energy, and sense of adventure that entrepreneurship fosters. Silicon Valley’s greatest contribution to the economy was more than just new technologies. It also created a new entrepreneurial spirit: a culture of risk-taking not only by business owners and investors, but by employees who tied their success to their company’s success. That entrepreneurial spirit built companies where everyone felt they could get rich by creating superior products and services. Leaders in those companies fueled the fever pitch by building a culture that rewarded results, injected fun into the workplace, and allowed innovative ideas to flow freely. It’s hard for laid-off union workers in the Rust Belt to see that innovation and entrepreneurship are the cure to expiring unemployment. The U.S. economy wouldn’t be in the toilet bowl it’s in today if it followed Silicon Valley’s leadership rather than Wall Street’s financial vaporware.
What kind of leadership will get us out of this mess? Largely, it’s the same traits that have succeeded in the past (e.g., clear vision, positive energy, building a great team, and effective execution), except more courage and risk-taking are needed. Part of the challenge is the business-bashing that’s happening today. Leaders are reluctant to push future possibilities when so many people are unemployed or worried about keeping their jobs. Too many of today’s managers are do-do machines who run around trying to survive by reducing costs, slashing staff, and squeezing productivity. If you are leading a team, a company, or an agency, get past that survival mentality – get your people to help you invent a future where everyone thrives instead of just survives. There’s no doubt this recession will change the future of your organization and your career. Whether you come out of it weaker or stronger than your competitors depends on how you respond. Are you up the innovation and entrepreneurship challenge?
Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
Service-Learning Funding Opportunities
New Funding Opportunity for Federal Work-Study Community Service from the Department of Education
Office of Postsecondary Education; Overview Information; Off-Campus Community Service Program; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2010Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.116H.Dates: Applications Available: July 9, 2010.Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 9, 2010.The Department of Education is seeking applications to provide grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs) participating in the Federal Work-Study to recruit and compensate students (including compensation for time spent in training and for travel) for part-time, off-campus employment directly related to community service. The funds granted to an IHE under this program may only be used to make payments to students participating in work-study programs.There are two competitive priorities for this funding:Competitive Preference Priority 1: The Secretary-gives priority to applications that propose projects that support postsecondary students assisting with early childhood education activities.Competitive Preference Priority 2: The Secretary gives priority to applications that propose projects that support students assisting with activities in preparation for emergencies and natural disasters.For the complete information regarding this NOFA, please visit the Department of Education website at:
posted by Megan @ 9:38 AM
Vision Shared Focuses on New Four-Goal Mission - WOWK-TV
The nonprofit group announced its plans during a Aug. 3 teleconference.
By Mike Ruben
Email | Other Stories by Mike RubenCopyright 2010 West Virginia Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Resistance Forms Against Hollywood’s 3-D Push
The fans of flat film have a motto. But do they have a movement?
While Hollywood rushes dozens of 3-D movies to the screen — nearly 60 are planned in the next two years, including “Saw 3D” and “Mars Needs Moms!” — a rebellion among some filmmakers and viewers has been complicating the industry’s jump into the third dimension.
It’s hard to measure the audience resistance — online complaints don’t mean much when crowds are paying the premium 3-D prices. But filmmakers are another matter, and their attitudes may tell whether Hollywood’s 3-D leap is about to hit a wall.
Several influential directors took surprisingly public potshots at the 3-D boom during the recent Comic-Con International pop culture convention in San Diego.
“When you put the glasses on, everything gets dim,” said J. J. Abrams, whose two-dimensional “Star Trek” earned $385 million at the worldwide box office for Paramount Pictures last year.
Joss Whedon, who was onstage with Mr. Abrams, said that as a viewer, “I’m totally into it. I love it.” But Mr. Whedon then said he flatly opposed a plan by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to convert “The Cabin in the Woods,” a horror film he produced but that has not yet been released, into 3-D. “What we’re hoping to do,” Mr. Whedon said, “is to be the only horror movie coming out that is not in 3-D.”
A spokesman for MGM declined to discuss “The Cabin in the Woods.” But one person who was briefed on the situation — and spoke on the condition of anonymity because the studio was in the middle of a difficult financial restructuring — said conversion remained an option.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Marvel Entertainment said that studio had not decided on two or three dimensions for “Avengers,” a superhero film Mr. Whedon is directing.
With the enormous 3-D success of “Avatar,” directed by James Cameron, followed in short order by “Alice in Wonderland,” by Tim Burton, film marketing and distribution executives have been clamoring for more digitally equipped theaters to keep 3-D movies from crowding one another off the screen.
By year’s end, there will be more than 5,000 digital screens in the United States, or 12.5 percent of the roughly 40,000 total, easing a traffic jam that has caused 3-D hits like “Clash of the Titans,” from Warner Brothers, to bump into “How to Train Your Dragon,” from DreamWorks Animation, to the disadvantage of both.
Tickets for 3-D films carry a $3 to $5 premium, and industry executives roughly estimate that 3-D pictures average an extra 20 percent at the box office. Home sales for 3-D hits like “Avatar” and “Monsters vs. Aliens” have been strong, showing they can more than hold their own when not in 3-D.
A 3-D movie can be somewhat more costly than a 2-D equivalent because it may require more elaborate cameras and shooting techniques or an additional process in the already lengthy postproduction period for effects-heavy films. But the added costs are a blip when weighed against higher ticket sales.
Behind the scenes, however, filmmakers have begun to resist production executives eager for 3-D sales. For reasons both aesthetic and practical, some directors often do not want to convert a film to 3-D or go to the trouble and expense of shooting with 3-D cameras, which are still relatively untested on big movies with complex stunts and locations.
Filmmakers like Mr. Whedon and Mr. Abrams argue that 3-D technology does little to enhance a cinematic story, while adding a lot of bother. “It hasn’t changed anything, except it’s going to make it harder to shoot,” Mr. Whedon said at Comic-Con.
In much the same spirit, Christopher Nolan recently warded off suggestions that his film “Inception,” from Warner — still No. 1 at the box office — might be converted to 3-D.
On the other hand, Michael Bay, who is shooting “Transformers 3,” appears to have agreed that his film will be at least partly in 3-D after insisting for months that the technology was not quite ready for his brand of action.
“We’ve always said it’s all about balance,” said Greg Foster, the president and chairman of Imax Filmed Entertainment, which has long counseled that some films are better in 2-D, even on giant Imax screens. “The world is catching up to that approach.”
A willingness to shoot in 3-D could persuade studio committees to approve an expensive film. But the disdain of some filmmakers for 3-D — at least in connection with their current projects — was on full display in San Diego.
Jon Favreau, speaking at Comic-Con about his coming “Cowboys & Aliens” for DreamWorks and Universal, said the idea of doing the movie in 3-D had come up, but he was not interested. Contemporary 3-D requires a digital camera, and “Westerns should only be shot on film,” Mr. Favreau said. He added: “Use the money you save to see it twice.”
Stacey Snider, the DreamWorks chief executive, said Mr. Favreau and the studios involved had mutually agreed that 3-D was not right for the film. But, she added, a discussion about 3-D was inevitable.
“It’s naïve to think we wouldn’t be having it on any movie that has effects, action or scale,” Ms. Snider said.
Earlier at Comic-Con, Edgar Wright, the director of “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World,” an action-filled comic-book extravaganza from Universal, similarly said that his film would arrive in two dimensions, at regular prices.
(People briefed on Universal’s approach to the film said 3-D had been considered very briefly. It was rejected, however, partly to avoid straining what promises to be a young audience with high ticket prices, partly because the already busy look of the movie might have become overwhelming in 3-D.)
The crowds cheered, as they had in an earlier Comic-Con briefing by Chris Pirrotta and other staff members of the fan site TheOneRing.net, who assured 300 listeners that a pair of planned “Hobbit” films will not be in 3-D, based on the site’s extensive reporting.
“Out of 450 people surveyed, 450 don’t want 3D for ‘The Hobbit,’ ” a later post on the Web site said.
But in Hollywood, an executive briefed on the matter — who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the delicate negotiations surrounding a plan to have Peter Jackson direct the “Hobbit” films — said the dimensional status of the movie remained unresolved.
Asked by phone recently whether die-hard fans would tolerate a 3-D Middle Earth, Mr. Pirrotta said, “I do believe so, as long as there was the standard version as well.”
In his own family, he said, the funny glasses can be a deal-breaker.
“My wife can’t stand 3-D.”