by theEmother | Oct 7, 2010 | entrepreneur trends (past & present!), political offerings
ICA Overview:
Professor Ken O’Neill is one of the world’s pre-eminent authorities on small and medium policies. In a keynote address to the International Small Business Congress, Professor O’Neill has declared that government policies and programmes for SMEs globally over the last 25 years have produced no results and are a complete waste of money. He called for urgent review and reform. Below is an edited profile of Professor O’Neill and an edited version of his speech.
This talk will suggest that much of what we variously (and imprecisely) describe as enterprise entrepreneurship and small business policy probably doesn’t work—with great waste of money as a result.
We say it doesn’t work because overall rates of entrepreneurship or business growth are not rising or, where they are, it is difficult to attribute them to specific policy interventions of the sort which are universally applied… read on
by theEmother | Sep 27, 2010 | entrepreneurial mothers, events, so you think you're in business
…please! 3 days to go…
Winning an award such as the Business Mums Network Blog Awards will help to bring the wonderful and inspiring stories of all entrepreneurial mothers, especially the primary breadwinners, out of the shadows. Given there are so many of us, and growing, what’s wrong with world domination!
All you have to do is click here and vote for this blog in particular. How simple is that!
Thank you in advance…
by theEmother | Sep 22, 2010 | business ideas & thinking, entrepreneurial mothers, events, inspiring women, so you think you're in business
…please!
Winning an award such as the Business Mums Network Blog Awards will help to bring the wonderful and inspiring stories of all entrepreneurial mothers, especially the primary breadwinners, out of the shadows. Given there are so many of us, and growing, what’s wrong with world domination!
All you have to do is click here and vote for this blog in particular. How simple is that!
Thank you in advance…
by theEmother | Sep 18, 2010 | entrepreneurial mothers, MEinc
Passed on by an exceptional woman and friend, Sally Rylatt…
thank you
When things in your life seem. Almost too much to handle. When 24 Hours in a day is not enough. Remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 glasses of wine.
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students, if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open Areas between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full.
They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded
With an unanimous ‘yes.’
The professor then produced two glasses of wine from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively
filling the Empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.
‘Now,’ said the professor, As the laughter subsided,
‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things – family, children, health, God, Friends, and Favorite passions – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car.
The sand is everything else – the small stuff.
‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.
If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
So…
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play With your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.
There will always be time
To clean the house and fix the disposal.
‘Take care of the golf balls first – the things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.’
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine represented.
The professor smiled.
‘I’m glad you asked’.
It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of glasses of wine with a friend.’
touche! what a great way to explain to our children too…
by theEmother | Aug 25, 2010 | entrepreneurial mothers
It is something I have chosen…definitely. Entrepreneurial thinking cannot be fostered in the current mainstream school environment as it is at the moment, so I’ve opted for a different path. Daughter is in year 6 now, and all is going very well…
Which leads me to “Legacy” time…
At her school, the grade 6 children decide what they would like to leave for the school community once they are on their way to bigger and better adventures in secondary school (hard to believe it’s happening already, where did that time go!)
Well… following on from this theme, a couple of parents and I have decided we too would like to contribute a Legacy of sorts…
And for it to take the form of a book of tales and tips, containing thoughts, stories and insights from far and wide, about the education we entered into… being that of an alternative variety.
We’ve decided also to open it up to reach a much wider audience than just our community. The reason for that is so we can bring together all that is the good, the bad and the ugly about what we’ve done, and/or what we’re about to do. We will be including current and past pupils, parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles and the budgie if need be! Anyone really who has been touched by this journey, from all walks of life, all ages, all connections…
So… here’s you can help…
Make yourself a cuppa (or anything else that takes your fancy) and sit in front of the computer, in front of this blog post.
Then click on (or copy and paste into your browser) this link
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3ZM38WM
and approx 15 minutes later, all will be done!
Then I ask you please, to forward this information to all you know who have been touched by the choice of alternative education.
Please invite them to do the same.
The result will be that you, and those near and dear to you, have contributed to what we hope will be the “Legacy” piece that remains long after we’ve gone. And will over time become a resource that others following will be able to use to guide their way….
Any questions, comments, suggested names even!…
all graciously received.
The survey will be available electronically for 4 weeks, with the option to extend should we need/want to. If paper copies are required, feel free to print out the survey and once completed, pop in an envelope and email me at info@theentrepreneurialmother.com for address details.
We look forward to your contribution already…
Thanks in advance!
