Related Posts

• The Trillion Dollar Opp - It's Bigger than That

  TechCrunch has a great article on the growth of enterprise software featuring a 3 trillion dollar opportunity, but it's bigger than that and there's so much room for small business and start ups. In short, mobile collaboration for your workforce with direct integration to product partners and stakeholders is the only model to develop for, anything else would be a disservice to your client.

  Just five years ago, we wouldn’t have imagined that a farmer or construction worker could be an information worker. But with products like Farmlogs, Planet Labs and Airware in farming and agriculture, and PlanGrid or Skycatch in construction, all new demographics of the workforce are being supported by information technology. And this is just the beginning. As every employee on the planet is enabled by a smartphone, the addressable market for enterprise software grows from about half a billion people to the billions of workers leveraging mobile devices to do their jobs.

  Every job is software-enabled, every industry is digitized. Read more at TechCrunch.com

• MadMen - New Age of Advertising

  Spoiler Alert - If you haven't seen the final episode of MadMen, read no more. MadMen was weekly TV series that ran on AMC and just came to a brilliant concluding episode. I found the show intriguing on multiple levels. First as a period piece into the advertising industry roots of the 50's to 70's. The characters were well formed and wisely engineered into an almost historic account of advertising growth as it was woven into American culture. The final episode tied it together with a twist I didn't see coming until the classic Coke ad brought it home.

  Don Draper's smile while chanting as the new dawn arose could have been that he finally found peace, or was it that he just got the idea for one of the best ad campaigns in history. The next scene was the 1971 "I'd like to buy the world a Coke" commercial. Brilliantly written, directed and executed. (standing ovation). Through the course of the series the ad firm grows into a multi-million dollar empire. What's ironic now is that there is a new dawn in advertising again. The ad firms and TV stations that got rich during the MadMen period a now seeing a seismic shift in the platform, welcome the internet. The dawn is over but the sun hasn't full risen. The day hasn't even begun to warm yet. It'll be interesting to see how history and culture remember this segment of our development, who'll be the next Don Draper's and just how technology will evolve.

  Opportunities are everywhere. Internet growth and online advertising are set to explode. Where will your business be?

• StartupNation.com Sporting a New Look

  StartupNation.com is one of my favorite reads and one of the regular sites that I frequent for news and ideas when it comes to helping small and emerging businesses, like my own.  They are sporting a new look that makes it easier to read and keep up with the latest topics on my iPad.

  Sections I enjoy are Getting More Sales, Leverage Business Technology and the general spirit of entrepreneurship that StartupNation.com promotes.   You'll never get rich working for someone else, so start and build your business around something you love to do and take the advice of other business owners that have traveled the same roads.

  A little insight might just make the difference between being successful or making a costly mistake.

• Quality Domain Names Are Drying Up

  Quality domain names are drying up, get the best domain names while you still can.

  Domain names are the real estate of the internet, and they are becoming scarcer every day. With over 4.5 billion internet users and countless businesses vying for online attention, the demand for premium domain names has never been higher. If you are considering investing in a domain name, now is the time to act before they are gone.

  A domain name is an essential part of any online business or brand, and it can have a significant impact on your online success. A strong domain name is memorable, brandable, and easy to find, which can help drive traffic and establish your online presence. It can also help you stand out from your competitors, build trust with your customers, and establish your brand as an authority in your industry.

  However, as more and more businesses and individuals recognize the importance of domain names, the supply is dwindling. Many of the most valuable domain names have already been registered, and the ones that are still available are being snapped up quickly. Once a domain name is registered, it is not available for anyone else to use, meaning that if you don't act quickly, you could miss out on your ideal domain name.

  Investing in a domain name is also a smart financial decision. Premium domain names have been known to sell for millions of dollars, and even less valuable domain names can appreciate in value over time. By investing in a domain name now, you could be setting yourself up for a significant return on investment in the future.

  If you are interested in buying a domain name, it is important to act quickly. Do your research to find a domain name that aligns with your goals and brand. With the right domain, you can establish a strong online presence, build your brand, and set yourself up for long-term success. Don't wait, buy those domain names today before they are gone.

• TED - Insight From Experts

  
  
  
  If you haven't already discovered TED.com it's a must read website and I would put it at the top of the rotation of the sites you frequent.  TED is a nonpartisan nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks.  TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics from science to business to global issues, and in more than 110 languages.
  
  The foundation was established by publishing entrepreneur Chris Anderson and provides a platform for thinkers, visionaries and teachers, so that people around the globe can gain a better understanding of the biggest issues faced by the world creating a better future.  TED's core goal is a belief that there is no greater force for changing the world than a powerful idea.  Be a part of that mission or just learn from the world's best.
  
  I was introduced to TED by a business partner years ago and have benefited from the talks and key insights contributed from many of the unique presenters.  Sites like TED.com are what make the internet great (cat videos aside) TED is the one site where your post graduate education is nourished and you gain from the experience of many great minds.  Without further adieu, check out TED.com.

• Healthy Economic Outlook Ahead

  Time to get back to business. Hope everyone had a great holiday and is ready to work. The two times a year that I take a deeper look at business trends and economic forecasts are at the end of the year and at the end of 2nd quarter. End of the year is more a reflective time for some reason, like after the game. End of 2nd quarter is like taking inventory during half time while there's still time to change the results before year end, mid game.

  No one that runs their own business, or is directly responsible for one, can ever really take their mid off the game. Sure you might go on vacation and spend time with your family, but you just can't help thinking about what you have going on. Sometimes it helps to get disconnected, a fresh perspective, see from a different angle and get some rest, but successful people rarely take their eye off the ball if ever. You love what you do and you know your competition is constantly grinding. So while relaxing, I try to take a closer look at what my competition is doing right and measure what's working for me.

  One of the things I do at these two points is look at the big picture. Reading through economic forecasts for different industries and countries can give you great insight to why your efforts aren't measuring up to predictions or worse, the numbers are climbing up and you have no idea why. According to The World Economic Forum, Forbes and The Balance to name a few, the economic outlook for the US is strong and set for steady growth.

  No matter what business you're in, investing in yourself is never a bad choice. Educate yourself, educate your people and increase the advertising budget. Hope you are off to a great year, game on.