by theEmother | Dec 31, 2009 | business ideas & thinking, entrepreneur trends (past & present!), entrepreneurial mothers, MEinc, so you think you're in business
Michael Strong for ChangeThis.com
…has a vision of schools which will promote authentic learning for our youth. He has a vision of creating institutions that model positive behavior. He believes that our society doesn’t provide this guidance early enough to help form the futures of children who are starved for meaning and inspiration. In this expansive manifesto, he calls for a diverse educational market in terms that any business person will appreciate… read on
by theEmother | Nov 12, 2009 | entrepreneur trends (past & present!), entrepreneurial mothers, so you think you're in business
What Can You Possibly Learn from Entrepreneurs in Their Twenties? Plenty! says Donna Fenn for ChangeThis.com
We’re smack in the middle of ‘perfect storm’ conditions for young entrepreneurs, which means that if you haven’t already noticed that the CEO down the road may look more comfortable at the local skate park than in a board room, you will soon…
As it turns out, the entrepreneurs of Generation Y (those born between 1977 and the mid-nineties) are really quite extraordinary. So if you are tempted to dismiss business owners in their twenties as self-centered, arrogant dilettantes who approach the start-up process like a teen with a new video game, better think again.
Humor me for a few minutes, and consider that you may even have a thing or two to learn from them. Read on…
by theEmother | Oct 15, 2009 | entrepreneur trends (past & present!), MEinc, so you think you're in business
As the future is uncertain, and the past is, well, the past, instant-gratification seeking consumers are embracing the ‘now’ with more passion than ever before. And despite this trend’s seemingly ephemeral character, it is rich in solid, applicable trend examples.
Well worth taking the time to read this gem.
by theEmother | Sep 7, 2009 | entrepreneur trends (past & present!), MEinc, so you think you're in business
another beauty from trendwatching.com
Think ‘transparency’ is an established, maturing theme? You ain’t seen nothing yet. Sure, we’ve been harping on forever about the many ways consumers can research, compare and review their way to a more powerful position, but every month brings us smart new examples of consumers and brands intent on making opinions, quality standards and prices even more transparent.
So, it’s time for a fresh look at the latest and greatest in the transparency arena*, where savvy consumers (as well as on-trend brands) can score triumph after triumph. We’ll look at how reviews are set for even more spectacular growth, how price comparison is getting much more sophisticated, and how the inner-workings of companies will be exposed in pragmatic new ways. We then end this briefing with a countertrend, OPENLY OPAQUE, that raises the bar even higher.
Read On…
by theEmother | Sep 7, 2009 | entrepreneur trends (past & present!), MEinc, so you think you're in business
how good is this?… instead of the TrendWatching.com team ambushing us with yet another Big New Trend this month, they decided to make life easier for all of us, and send an overview of the trends (PDFs included) covered so far in 2009.
From LUXYOURY to ECO-FRUGAL to GENERATION G.
So here’s another chance to get ready for a no doubt turbulent remainder of 2009. View all trends here
by theEmother | Aug 18, 2009 | business ideas & thinking, entrepreneur trends (past & present!), so you think you're in business
by James Tuckerman for Anthill Magazine… well worth the read.
…It’s no good applying the free models unless you can understand how your consumer will interpret them (whether they will work for or against you).
The psychology of ‘free’ is a powerful force. There is a chasm between cheap and free when a decision hangs in the balance. So, when presented with a free option, are we able to make our decisions freely?
The answer is a definite ‘Yes’, for two reasons.
Firstly, ‘free’ still lacks ‘believability’. Secondly, there are some things we prize more than money (or the monetary value of a free product or service).
For example, why does it still seem that everything is getting more and expensive? The price of fresh fruit and vegetables is soaring. Water feels like it is fast becoming a luxury. And a visit to the petrol bowser now seems to require a second mortgage on the family home.
Yet, when we stop to think about it, we all know the reality.
Modern living is getting cheaper. You can now score a digital watch simply by purchasing a tin of Milo. You can also pick up a new DVD player at the checkout for less than your weekly groceries. At the same time, while starvation was one of our greatest social concerns as little as eighty years ago, we’re now a nation fixated on the perils of obesity.
We belong to a disposable economy, where planned obsolescence is now part of the business training manual. And globalisation is only making it easier to buy and toss…
