Archive for the 'Blog' Category



Playtime!

Just a heads up nefore things ramp up with the book I am taking a few weeks holiday.

So I won’t be blogging till the 7th of September, sad I know, but hey it gets better.

Time off, a break, some playtime from your normal activity helps spiral creativity, review & reflection.  So look forward to some great posts once I’m back.

In the meantime, if you haven’t visited the blog in a while, check it out, there is a slightly new layout  – with popular and related posts shifted to the sidebar.

Also check out this short video from TED on Creativity and Play.

August 19th, 2009

How I am tipping the book model

TheBestIdeasareFree.com is now live – so as a bit of an update I wanted to fill my readers in on how it got to this point, where it’s going, and if you want to help how you can.

Background
Last year, mid november, I started putting together the 63 best ideas from the blog.  Through the next 7 months or so I went through 11 or so revisions, finally wrapping up in June.  Now it’s finally ready.

Tipping the traditional book model upside down
It hasn’t been the usual process – I have tipped a few things.

1) Firstly I wrote my book based off the blog, this allowed me to find the ideas that resonated with you guys the most but also forced me to take my conversational style into book form.

2) The book contains 63 easily digestible ideas to chew on, you can open it up on any page and give it a read.  You can pick up an idea within 30 seconds and run with it.

3) I don’t pander to the reader.  Instead of compromising and explaining every little detail I respect your intelligence if you don’t understand something you can look it up. (Not that it is overly technical, non tech/web savvy people enjoy it just as much).

4) Business Books typically contain a few ideas, or at the other extreme 100, instead I have 63 – why? It’s my lucky number.  (You will also note there were 63 limited signed pre-orders).

5) Even further, I have made the book free, you can read the book online for free right now. (Absolutely no region restrictions, anyone, anywhere can read it).

Clearly of course, my hope is that you enjoy it and will want to pick up a copy.  If you can’t do that, spreading the word is a great way to help.

6) There are also a series of videos (authors typically hide from the camera), detailing more information about the book, the themes, the journey and more…

So head along check it out TheBestIdeasareFree.com.

Already read it?
If you have already read the book, it would awesome if you could:

  • Share a review on Amazon (help others get to know about it)
  • Write a blog post or tweet about it
  • Retweet this post (or thebestideasarefree.com)
  • Tell your friends! Ideas are better shared.

Or simply email me with your feedback.

Thanks guys, I really cannot ever express my gratitude for the support shown by many of you. – Ben

August 17th, 2009

Competition for Talent

Realigning your business at the moment for the next five years, there needs to focus around getting talent.

Get the best, the up and coming, those that outperform others.  (The best are also much cheaper now than they were 24 months ago.)

Remember at the end of the day it is people that run your business and if you don’t have the best people when it comes time to ramp up – you’ll miss out (to those that do).

August 16th, 2009

Think Long Term

Think Long Term.

I like business people that think for the long term, there is more responsibility, focus on sustainability, mutual benefit, desire for meaningful business relationships.

It just makes sense.

Short term scares people, it’s also where impatient people can get swindled, not always the best option.

Just a thought, do you approach your customers with the view of a long relationship? How about your competitors? Would you say Microsoft and Apple do?…..

August 13th, 2009

Constant Preparation

If you know me, you know I spend a lot of my time preparing, researching, asking questions, reviewing.

What I am doing is preparing for an eventuality, I know this will happen, not sure when, but when the opportunity pops up I want to be ready for it.

Then sure enough when the opportunity comes along I can leap.  Should we all be in a constant state of preparation?

Thoughts?

August 12th, 2009

Going out on your own: Pursuing the Passion 8, 9 & 10

#8 Exercise
Develop a weekly exercise plan, I suggest running (any other simple exercise good), the idea being to not only keep yourself fit but to give you time to detox away from the family, work, clients pressure.

#9 Health is now a top concern
Eat healthy. Huh you ask? Well when you run your own business it is all about you, you need to be physically healthy to do your job well, as when your not well you don’t earn.

#10 Be flexible
Get used to flexibility, running a business is not strictly 9 – 5, for the first 6 months you are likely to have to work up to 80 hours in a week. Hang in there though, it gets better, once your business grows you can decrease this to your comfort level. Mine is about 20 hours a week.

August 11th, 2009

If you're not online

You don’t exist.

Simple as that.

If I google your name or your business what shows up?

If you don’t appear then you don’t exist.

At the very least, get a webpage with your contact details up.

August 10th, 2009

bwagy Networking Theory

I saw a tweet from a fellow business owner a few months back, they had stopped having coffees and networking as they weren’t building any immediate business out of it……. hmmm

Bit stupid to stop networking if you ask me.  Why? Well…

My theory basically is, no matter what you do, every person you meet at some stage in the next 5 years will either have a need for your service or will hold a conversation with someone who needs your service.  So no meeting is wasted! (as long as you impress them enough).

Yes this is a long term view – but successful business is built over the long term.  So don’t fret that every meeting has to turn over dollars; build relationships, think for the long term and it will pay off.

Don’t stop networking because money doesn’t come in straight away, keep at it, it pays off.

August 9th, 2009

A neverending source of inspiration… quotes

“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win.” – Mahatma Gandhi

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor…..Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

“If a man does his best, what else is there?” – General George Patton Jr

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. – Confucius

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill

What I have is a page filled with some of my favourite quotes, over time I evolve them, add in new ones, keep it growing.  When things are tough I’ll sit down and give it a read.  It really helps… honestly it does.

I have put together a Google Doc to share with you guys, add your own in the comments and I’ll update it.  View the Inspirational Quotes.

August 6th, 2009

What is the true value of time?

What is the true value of time?

I’m not entirely sure to be honest but I think it depends how you measure it (and even then I don’t think it is valued highly enough).

What I do know is, it’s only when you have ‘no time’ that you fully realise your true value of time.

August 5th, 2009

Impatience is costly

Impatience can be hugely costly… especially when achieving a vision.

Slow down, be patient, as the Mainland Cheese ad says “good things take time”.

Exception to the rule? When you are losing money (ie reactive) – then impatience to fix can be profitable.

August 4th, 2009

Going out on your own: Pursuing the Passion 5, 6 & 7

#5 What should you charge?
Whatever you were earning per hour in your fixed job, charge three times that (at least) to maintain the same lifestyle in the long run.  If you are charging less you are doing yourself a disservice.

#6 Avoiding Financial Burdens
Get rid of all high level debts, do not go out on your own with huge credit card debt or car loans, try to clear these.  These will just give you un-needed stresses and pressures.

#7 Confronting your fears aka being courageous
Starting a business is super hard, going out on your own is even harder.  Be ready to get comfortable with confronting your fears.

Whatever you were earning per hour in your fixed job, charge three times that (at least) to maintain the same lifestyle in the long run.  If you are charging less you are doing yourself a disservice.
Get rid of all high level debts, do not go out on your own with huge credit card debt or car loans, try to clear these.  These will just give you un-needed stresses and pressures.
Starting a business is super hard, going out on your own is even harder.  Be ready to get comfortable with confronting your fears.
August 3rd, 2009

What you see is what you have

Great little insight shared to me by Binu Paul a colleague of mine, we were talking about business, how you can get a gauge of it, especially when many industries are going through rapid change and what he says is true.

It doesn’t matter what the forecasts say, what’s happening tomorrow, at this point in time what you see is what you have.

(And you can’t really hide from that fact.)

August 3rd, 2009

Just Ask (for what you want)

You never know you may just get it.

I am the eldest of five kids, so in our household it was very much first in first served, if you wanted something you had to ask for it.

The analogy draws true for business, you are one of many, first in first served, if you don’t ask someone else will.

You’d be surprised at what happens just by asking, hey can I buy you a coffee? I have some neat ideas I’d like to run past you? or blatant I’d like your business what can I do to get it? Worst case you get a ‘no’.  Best case you get what you want.

So remember sometimes all you have to do is ask.

August 2nd, 2009

What are you doing all the way down here? You could:
- View my about page
- Or for first timers the New Here? page
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