Should you put your name on your product?
There’s a popular myth that the flush toilet was invented by a a Mr. Thomas Crapper. Supposedly he called his device “Crapper’s Valveless Water Waste Preventer,” sold it far and wide and has gone down in history as the man behind “Crap.”
It’s half fiction of course. The guy really did sell toilets, but the word “Crap” was around years and years beforehand.
Still, it gets you thinking. What if you invented some device and put your name on it? I can only imagine what a “Haddad” could be.
“I’ve got to Haddad like you wouldn’t believe.”
It makes me shudder. Shudder I say.
0 Comments Money can’t buy you success, it can only buy you opportunity.
As a marketing wonk I spend a lot of time trying to get people to buy things. My whole job is to wrest cash away from clenched up hands and to make big ballsy promises about what great stuff a product can do for you.
But here’s a little shameful secret that pokes holes in so much of what’s being sold out there today.
Money can’t buy you success.
Money can only buy you opportunity.
So if you think buying some hot book, going to some hot event or hiring some super hot consultant is going to instantly turn your business on its head . . .well, it could. But only if you hold up your end of the bargain.
So before you buy, think “Am I willing to follow through on what’s popping up in front of me here, or am I just hoping that the act of commerce is going to solve all my problems.”
And then open up your wallet anyway. It’s the American thing to do.
Think you had it bad?
I was scanning through the PI today (I know, it’s a bad paper, but I was waiting for food) and came across an article about worst-jobs.com.
Like you’d think, it’s a whole site dedicated to bloody awful forms of employment. So slack off for a bit, check it out and and gloat madly over how good you’ve got it as an indie pro.
1 CommentBiznik Indie Business Podcast Episode 8: The Canterbury Tales
in this, the 8th episode of the Biznik Independent Business Podcast, Word of Mouth marketing Guru Dominic Canterbury spews forth with the good stuff, filling the Biznik masses in on the most important marketing lesson you need to learn to be successful in small business today.
What does your website do?
Good websites do something. Bad websites sit there and preen themselves like beauty pageant wannabees.
Biznik.com, for instance does a lot.
It builds community.
It connects people.
It teaches all about business.
And it looks damned sexy at the same time.
But what does your website do?
And more importantly, what do you want it to do?
Do you want it to drive sales and encourage people to come knocking down your door like Zombies after BRAINNNNNNS?
Do you want it to provide all sorts of super-helpful information that fills a visitor’s heart with you-loving glee?
Or do you want it to, um, sort of sit there because, well, you have to have a website, right?
Right?
In my business, I run into way too many folks who put up a site “just because,” don’t do the planning and forethought to figure out how to use the web to promote their business and then sit back on their hands in dismay when all the money and effort they throw at that there interweb results in nothing at all.
So, Bizniks, do me (and you) a favor.
Go to your site.
Read through it.
Look at all the pages.
And one by one, ask yourself, what does this page DO?
If it doesn’t do anything, well, maybe you should trim the fat, cut out the excess pages and have something a bit leaner.
And if your site doesn’t do what you want it to, well, maybe it’s time to go back to the drawing board.
Aaron Silverberg: I work with clients to find their ENOUGH and live it bravely
Aaron Silverberg is a Seattle life coach who makes a living helping people create happy, fulfilled lives. He’s also Biznik’s most recent event host, with an event coming up on November 1st, “How to increase compassion in your life.” I interviewed Aaron recently to find out more about his services and his approach to life coaching.
Q: Your profile says that you “help people create a happy, fulfilled life across the board.” That’s a pretty broad statement! How exactly do you do that?
A person lives a 24 hour day each day, composed mainly of a mix of sleeping, eating, sexing, working, playing, washing, defacating/urinating, cleaning, cooking, shopping, exercising, entertainment, socializing, computering and responding to voice mail. Everyone is challenged by this modern lifestyle to accomplish a ton of tasks and still find time to kick back and heave a sigh of contentment. The best approximation of “happiness” is a client reaching full acceptance of their CHOSEN mix of these. Our mind is usually in acquisition or protection mode, we nerver have enough _____ (fill in the blanks) or are completely safe/secure. I work with my clients to find their ENOUGH and live it bravely.
Q: How’d you become a life coach?
I think I always was a Rennaisance man of sorts, from majoring in philosophy to playing flute, dancing, master level chess player, professional tennis, writing poetry, adventuring in the wilderness, acting in improvisational theatre and stage, reading voraciously, yoga, aikido to the study and living of Dharma (Buddhism).
I never had a mentor in my formative years (early 20’s) to help me INTEGRATE my interests so that I understood how each of the areas of my life (work, play, relationships,etc.) contributed to my overall goal of life (for me: to love and be loved)
Practically I attended the Academy for Coach Training in 1999-2000 and honed my already considerable counseling skills to another level and received a Professional Life Coach certification. I have been in practice since 2000.
Q: Do you have a specific focus within life coaching? (business success, personal development, etc)
Yes and no. Most coaches choose a niche to be successful because coaching is not as widely known and utilized as therapy. There are two sides to that coin, one you have more expertise in that field/niche and can provide your clients more concentrated consulting but it also prevents you from coming into contact with clients that you might connect with deeply and co-create the greatest learning/progress.
The areas I’m obviously most expert in are: IT, artistic expression (writing, music, dance, theatre and photography), living green and healthy, holistic bodymind practices (meditation, yoga, tai-chi), outdoor adventuring, Buddhism and being a successful divorced dad.
Q: You’re teaching a Biznik event on 11/01 titled “How to increase compassion in your life.” I’m suppose we could all use a bit more compassion in our lives, but what’s on most of our minds is how to increase our business success. Are those two things related?
I am teaching self-directed compassion. And yes they are intimately related because to the degree to which an independent business person is freed up mentally/physically/emotionally to succeed in their business means the degree to which they are not distracted by issues. I.e. if I spend 2 hours exasperatedly pounding on an inoperable printer I’m counter-productive. If I quickly forgive that breakdown stay cool and work around it then I will keep my prosperity flowing.
Q: What will members who attend your event walk away with?
Some very useful techniques to unstick themselves from issues/distractions. These techniques are thoroughly refreshing, invigorating, get the energy/chi flowing and conducive to optimal concentration, focus and clear thinking, which in turn will help them create win-win situations in their business endeavors.
Aaron’s website is www.offthemap.net
His blog is at Diamonds Only Water Can Wear
Come to Photographic Center Northwest on Saturday to celebrate the publication of Michelle Bates new photo book, “Toying with Creativity”
Last time I blogged about Michelle Bates, she was in the thick of editing a photography book, “Toying with Creativity.” Michelle has made a name for herself in the photography world by doing what we recommend just about every indie business person do - by finding a niche. Her professional niche is taking pictures with toy cameras. Amazing, book-worthy pictures. I got my hands on a copy of her book recently, and it’s not only full of amazing art, but it’s also a compendium of toy camera history, and a hands-on guide to making beautiful pictures of your own with cute, cheap, plastic cameras. Michelle’s going to be celebrating the publication of her book this Saturday at Photographic Center Northwest, and would like to invite you to join her.
Q: You’re a published author! How did it feel to get your hands on the first copy of your book?
Very exciting!!! I had a copy of just the cover for a week, and that was fun to show off. But when I actually got the book, it was so cute, and so real, after being a virtual project for so long, that I couldn’t really breathe for a few hours. I tucked the book in a bag, held it tight against my chest, and went to walk to a friend’s place. Just around the corner from my house, a man was walking towards me with his baby on his chest, holding it just the same way. My baby was born that day, and I’m a proud mama.
Q: Are you happy with how the editors treated your manuscript?
The publisher only supplied a copy editor, so I brought in my own editor, Mary Ann Lynch, who is also a contributing photographer in the book. We did a lot of revising of the original manuscript and layout, and in the end, I had complete and total control over the content. It was a lot of work, but also a great gift. The designer and compositor did a fantastic job. I just love the way it looks and feels.
Q: What was the biggest challenge in writing the book?
Staying focused and time management were a challenge. Researching and collecting the images, while very fun, was a huge amount of work, and I didn’t give as much time to the writing as I should have. But luckily, I was able to make that up in the editing process. I found that writing in a natural and flowing voice is difficult to do when under pressure. But all in all, it wasn’t as hard as I feared it would be.
Q: What was the most fun?
The highlight moment was when I spread out the hundreds of little thumbnail prints of the images I had collected and started picking and choosing what to put where. Seeing all that incredible art, and knowing that I would get to make it part of my book, and put it out in the world, was a great thrill.
Q: I hear you’re having a party to celebrate the book this weekend. When, where, and who’s invited?
The Seattle book release party is Saturday, October 21st, from 6-9, at the Photographic Center Northwest (which is on 12th & Marion, just south of Madison). There will be some things to eat and drink, a fabulous bunch of folks to meet, books to buy, and I’ll be there to sign ‘em. Everyone is invited!
If you’re an islander or like an adventure, we’ll be celebrating on Vashon Island on Friday night, Oct 20th, from 7-9pm at the Blue Heron Arts Center.
Photo center link is http://www.pcnw.org
Blue Heron is http://www.vashonalliedarts.org
Book at amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0240808401/ref=nosim/?tag=wwwmichelleba-20
Focal Press: http://www.focalpress.com
Biznik holga michelle bates photography Seattle toy cameraMarketing and Educating are the Same Thing
Hey folks,
A few days ago I shot out the 21st issue of my newsletter, HardWorking Words. For those of you not on the list, check it out. It’s good for your brain.
Biznik Podcast Episode 7 - Shirley You’re Joking
In the 7th episode of the Biznik Podcast, 9 Joys Creator Joe Shirley teaches us a few easy steps every Biznik can take to get your personal life out of the way of your business, and Dan McComb and I make hot, passionate word love right there on the air.
Err.
Or maybe we talk about what’s going on in Biznik and what hip events you just don’t want to miss.
LISTEN NOW! YOU HAVE BEEN ORDERED!!
I’m a Success! I’m a Success! Sometimes…
I’ve always been fascinated by the things that we don’t talk about. I seem to see the elephant in the room and wanna look under the trunk, stick my fingers in its ears, and then paint it florescent colors so everyone notices it.
So the same holds true when I think about what it means to be an Indie Professional and making it on your own. We love to talk about the successes. We sometimes even love to fib about successes; but I think the real values are in the failures.
I mean success is great, don’t get me wrong but how many of us really are hitting it big right out the door? Or even a couple years later? How many of us are struggling, making mistakes but can’t figure out why? And how many of us have a dream and keep fighting to keep it alive, no matter the cost, emotional or financial?
Now my friends would say “What the hell are you doing a post on this type of subject? It’s the kiss of death for your business! People will associate you with failure.” Well, maybe so, but I would much rather be authentic and straight forward about my business and life then perpetuate a myth. I have really good months financially and I have really bad months financially. I have days were I get sad because my business isn’t doing as well as I’d like. So I take advantage of working my own hours and hide under the covers for the day, eat crappy food and empathize with Oprah’s guests (even though I’m not really a fan). I also have days were I’m so jazzed about what I am doing and the potential I see for my business that I stay up all night working and that’s all I can think about.
The failures and the down times show me I need improvement and to be constantly working on my business. The successes remind me why I am an entrepreneur. I don’t want to take over the world of real estate; I just want to make a good living, work with fun people, and help them make a good change in their lives.
Are we all surviving? What mistakes are we making; are they massive blunders or little “oops?” Is there a moment you need to just talk it out and say “what the hell?”
I want us to support each other through those difficult times and find out what we can learn. Because the mistakes you make will teach me lessons I can’t get anywhere else. To me, the community that I want to be a part of is one were we can talk about all this stuff, no matter how fat that elephant is and still hold our dignity strong.
business networking entrepreneur failure successBiznik Success Stories
I’ve got this one T-shirt I love. It says “Achiever” right across the front in nice blocky white letters and looks particularly fetching if I put my fingers up in Nixon-like victory signs and smile nice and big.
Which is a really, really. tangential way to ask you a question:
What has Biznik meant to you and your business? How has this loving group of ours positively (or negatively. I guess that’s possible) impacted your business, your outlook on life, your sex life or just the way you walk down the street bobbing your head to that Biznik beat?
Pipe up, folks. We’ll make you internet famous.
Vagina Monlogues producer Beverly Rose is about to become a certified laugh leader
I’m always scanning the “newest members” directory for eye-catching profiles, so when Beverly Rose joined Biznik and created a profile recently, I noticed her right away. Among her many achievements is producing The Vagina Monologues, and she’s currently pursuing a new title: “certified laugh leader.” Turns out she also teaches marketing classes, and she’s hosting a marketing class for Real Estate professionals on Oct. 28 on Whidbey Island. But you’re probably wondering, just what the heck is a certified laugh leader? Let’s find out…
Q: So, who is Beverly Rose? Tell me a bit about where your from, and how you come to be doing what you’re doing now.
I’m originally from Chicago; moved to California after my daughters entered college, lived there for 20 years and moved to Whidbey 2 years ago. Who am I? my gosh, that’s an overwhelming question…since I am always changing…yet always the same. How I came to be doing what I do? I follow my instincts and when the voice inside says “do it”…I do, just because I can.
Q: What’s the idea behind themarketingreader.com?
The idea behind themarketingreader is twofold..(1).I love to research on the internet, so it’s my “excuse” for researching materials for the site and (2) it’s one of my marketing tools for my promotional products business. If you go to themarketingreader.com, you will see that visitors can go directly to a place where they can shop for promotional products which they would purchase from me. Marketing folks are my target audience.
Q: You also produce the Vagina Monologues. Tell me about your involvement with VDAY and The Vagina Monologues. Is that currently an ongoing production? Where?
The Vagina Monologues…now there’s a long story in and of itself. Once a year Eve Ensler, who wrote and performed the play, donates the script for a one-time-only event worldwide which raises funds to stop violence against women and girls. I produced the event for 3 years in Ojai,Ca where I lived until moving to Whidbey Island. In 2007 I am going to direct the performance as well as produce it here on Whidbey. In 8 years, VDAY has raised $30 million toward the end to violence and Eve’s monologues are as a direct result of interviews with women in violent situations. The 2007 theme is “Reclaiming Peace” and the money will go towards organizations for women in conflict zones. Locally the money will go to CADA, a WI organization called Citizens Against Domestic Abuse.
If you really want to know more, go to www.vday.org.
Q: What type of business is Beverly Rose Promotional Products? And what other services do you currently offer?
Promotional products were formerly known as advertising specialties…putting your advertisement on things like pens, shirts, magnets, caps, and a few thousand other items…and then giving them away. That’s why I call myself the Giveaway Grandma. My own business card is a pen that has all my contact information on it. I love the business because it’s a happy, useful business. I don’t deal with people’s health or money challenges…just their marketing challenges.
Again, if you go to themarketingreader.com and click on the Store, you’ll have a chance to “go shopping” yourself. As an addendum to what else I offer…I love delivering workshops, so I created Marketing@Lo/No Cost for Small Businesses, Consultants and Real Estate Professionals. And, finally, I’m a really insightful marketing consultant.
Q: OK, (all the other questions were really just leading up to this one): you are about to become a Certified Laugh Leader! What is that, and the World Laughter Tour?
I’ll know more after I complete the training. Meanwhile, here are the objectives of the training I’ll be in next week in Arizona:
Participants will be able to:
- Discuss the history of therapeutic laughter and various therapeutic models and programs.
- Describe the physiology of laughter.
- Define the terminology, fundamental concepts, and principles of therapeutic laughter.
- Differentiate laughter versus humor.
- Discuss each part of a laughter club session.
- Demonstrate components of a laughter club session.
- Identify the populations who may benefit from therapeutic laughter.
- Explain the contraindications for laughter club participation.
- Differentiate healthy laughter versus that associated with pathology.
- Describe the concepts of “sensible living”.
- Answer frequently asked questions about therapeutic laughter and laughter clubs.
- Describe the roles & responsibilities of a Laughter Leader.
- Explain 5 ways that the therapeutic activity of Laughter Clubs differs from humor therapy and other laughter-filled activities.
- Describe five aims of World Laughter Tour.
Beverly’s website is www.themarketingreader.com
Master Word-of-Mouth Marketing at Dominic Canterbury’s second Marketing University in Seattle
Talented consultants like Dominic Canterbury can really help take your business to the next level. But the biggest barrier that many indie business people face when considering whether to hire a consultant is price - you simply can’t afford the steep hourly rate that every consultant worth his or her salt is going to charge. To overcome that barrier and make his services accessible to just about business in the Seattle area, marketing consultant Dominic Canterbury created Marketing University. The first University was held last month, and it was such a success, that he’s added a second opportunity to take his classes in Seattle later this month. Word of mouth, Dominic believes, is the most powerful form of marketing for small businesses. And his Marketing University is designed to help indies learn how to become “word of mouth marketing machines” in just 30 days, over 4 classes. I asked Dominic a few questions about Marketing University to learn more about it.
Q: How did the first Marketing University go?
It was great. Marketing University is a pretty ambitious idea. I wanted to
do more than just tell people what to do to generate word-of-mouth. I
wanted to actually get them to the point where they understood it and could
do it for themselves. Even though I had worked through the lesson plan in
minute detail, I was still a little nervous about whether it would go as
planned. Surprisingly, it went better than I had imagined.
Q: You’re offering to waive tuition for a randomly selected first-year
indie. What’s the story behind that decision?
I just thought it would be a nice thing to do because I wish I had that kind
of guidance when I started. A person’s first year in self-employment can be
one of the most terrifying life events. But it doesn’t have to be. There’s
absolutely no reason that a first-year business needs to struggle. For a
business to be successful, all they really need is Relevance, Credibility
and Value (we go over the finer details of that in class). The only thing a
new business necessarily lacks is credibility, and there are countless ways
to quickly build that.
Q: I see you’ve already added the next Marketing University event in the Biznik
calendar, and people are already signing up. Are you going to be making any
changes or improvements to how you approach this one?
Marketing, and business in general, is about constant and relentless
improvement. So, yes, the next one will be even better. From the first one I
came up with some great ways to make the ideas easier to understand, and
techniques easier to implement.
I also created a Marketing University Forum on my website so that graduates
can easily exchange ideas or ask me questions about their own plans. And I’m
designing follow-up services to help graduates through the process of
becoming word-of-mouth masters.
Q: What will people who attend this event be able to walk away with?
Simply put, I want graduates to walk away with a clear vision of exactly
where they want to go, how to get there, and what to do today. And by
“today”, I mean TODAY. In the final session we create a simple
Get-Clients-Now plan designed to boost their business right now.
Q: Have you thought about teaching this event in other cities like, say,
Portland?
Definitely. It’s all part of my long-term plan. After perfecting the model
here it should be pretty easy to take it to cities throughout the country.
The potential for this is limitless. The indie world is exploding and most
of them do not yet understand the full power of this kind of marketing. If
I have my way, they will.
Learn more and sign up for Marketing University at http://biznik.com/events.html?id=170
business class marketing Seattle startup trainingJustin Harris on socially responsible investing
Financial advisor Justin Harris is hosting a Biznik event on October 7, called Financial Health 101. If you’re thinking about attending, and would like to know a little more about his style in advance, you’re in luck! Not only is he interviewed in the current episode of the Biznik Podcast, but I also interviewed him to learn more about his socially responsible approach to investing. (See? We know how to take care of our event hosts!)
Q: I’m really interested in learning more about what you call “socially responsible investing.” What do you mean by that?
Socially Responsible Investing (known as ‘SRI’) means that we don’t divorce our values from our investments. Rather than look away from how a corporation is making its profit, the mutual fund or portfolio manager will screen each company to be sure that the company is truly committed to improving the quality of life on this planet. In addition to this screening (which is the ‘feel-good’ portion of SRI) shareholder activism is the real power of SRI. Corporations rarely decide to stop pollution or using Third World child labor out of an act of conscience — it’s almost always a result of pressure from SRI mutual funds and other advocates at shareholder meetings. The third component of SRI is community investing — an alternative to keeping our money at commercial banks is choosing community development banks. They’re just as safe, have competitive interest rates, and actually use your money to help underprivileged and underserved populations.
Q: How did you become interested in socially responsible investing as opposed to that other kind?
Even before I started my practice as a Financial Advisor, I had noticed a gap between my talk (progressive, leftist politics) and how I invested my money. As I grew older I became more uncomfortable with this divergence — I think the catalyst was when I saw a quote by Vince Lombardi: “Character is what we do when no one else is watching.” So I investigated SRI which was then in its infancy. Now as an Advisor, I educate clients and students that we do have a choice of actually making a difference in this world without sacrificing long-term returns. And to be candid, I’m still as egocentric as ever — I experience myself as Special, love strokes, and run from suffering. But even as near-sighted and self-obsessed (i.e. human) as I am, my choices about where to invest still result in changes that are power, positive and sustainable.
Q: People have a lot of issues with money. Insecurities, fears, obsessions. What are some of the most common issues you see, and how do you work with your clients to resolve them?
We all have stories about our relationship to money, most of which are imprinted from our parents — or perspectives on money that ‘prove’ to us that we’re not like our parents! In any case, these stories, this romanticization of money isn’t inherently bad or good, but results in different consequences. Consequences that may not manifest until later in life when we can least afford them. The ‘stories’ are varied. Some people place themselves above money, or below and unworthy of money. Some experience themselves as ‘magical’ where they feel entitled to be financially irresponsible. And all our stories are dramatic or charming. But their appeal tends to wear off the older we get. In a nutshell, I help folks find a balance between obsessing about money and being in denial about their finances. And that ‘balance point’ will be different for each of us.
Q: Tell me about your book, The wealth of an Ordinary Life. When did you write it, why, and who is it for?
I wrote the book — it’s really a financial handbook — last year for my clients and students. I wanted to write a concise primer on all financial matters, including risk management, savings, retirement planning, SRI, and the emotional elements that either support or inhibit financial health. I chose the title in response to seeing all the suffering and financial dilemmas caused by folks trying to be ‘extraordinary’ when it came to their finances. There’s even an E-Trade ad on TV: BE BOLD! BE DARING! BE EXTRAORDINARY! while someone in their pajamas is day trading and making millions. Right… There’s a place to be extraordinary — in our vocations, with our lovers and families. But ‘ordinary’ can work just fine when it comes to our finances. The point — at least my emphasis — isn’t on generating material wealth at any cost. Rather it’s confronting our financial issues, visiting our financial tasks periodically, and then getting on with our lives!
Justin’s website is www.sociallyresponsibleinvesting.org
Looking for good food? Menuism.com is now open
I got this email from a couple of Seattle Biznik members, John and Justin, who built and have been preparing to launch a very cool new restaurant review website, menuism.com. Well, they’ve launched it! I really enjoyed a tour they gave me of the pre-release version, and what they released today is even better. If you like food, you’ll like this site, which is beautiful in its simplicity.
business food menuism restaurant reviews Seattle web 2.0Just wanted to let you know that Menuism is now open to the public!
Thank you for being an early and enthusiastic user - your support and suggestions have helped us tremendously in improving the site. The path to achieving Menuism has only just begun, so please keep sharing your likes and dislikes with us. On top of that, here’s a request:
Spread the word! Invite your friends, your mom, your neighbors, your dentist. Blog about it. Put it on your IM status. Menuism gets better when you and your friends rate what you ate.
We’re super excited about helping everyone find better food, and we look forward to working with you to make Menuism the best way to choose where and what to eat.
Thanks,
John & Justin
Who’s Podcast? Your Podcast
Hey folks,
So Dan and I (ok, mostly me) have been slaving away on the Biznik Podcast for a few months now. It’s been a labor of love. Love and tolerance. And sometimes brownies. Mmm brownies.
Anyway, I’ve got a few questions for you:
-Do you listen to the podcast?
-If not, why not?
-What do you like about the show?
-What don’t you like? I know, I know, my voice sounds like a gurgle from a dead ferret. But I’m trying, I swear.
-We’ve been doing half hour episodes every other week so far. Would you rather longer episodes? Shorter? Shorter but more often?
Do me a favor and shoot your comments over to podcast@biznik.com or just reply to good old me. We’re eager to know how we’re doing.
Podcast Episode 6: The Top Thing Every Biznik Needs to Know About Money
In this episode of the Biznik podcast, I sit down with Biznik and Financial Advisor Justin Harris to talk about everyone’s favorite topic: Money.
Justin is a filmmaker turned financial expert and has spent the vast bulk of his career practicing and preaching socially conscious investing. Tune in to this episode to find out what socially conscious investing is, what most small business owners do to sabotage their own financial success and the subtle beauty of an ordinary life.
Do it.
Do it.
Why are you still here? Really, I want to know why. Is my fly down? Is that it? Go for gosh sakes. Ok, I’m done.
Top 10 geek business myths from Ron Garret
Venture capitalist Ron Garret tells it like it is in his blog post yesterday, “Top ten geek business myths.”
Ron writes: “I thought I’d try to summarize some of the mistakes that people — especially smart people — make when they decide to try to turn their bright ideas into money.”
This post is totally worth reading - even if you’re not a geek.
business mistakes venture capitalThe heavy lifting is underway for Biznik 2.0
We had a fantastic first meeting of the team that will be developing Biznik 2.0 last week, and I’d like to share some of our process with you and what we’re working on. First of all, though, let me introduce the team members:
Nadja Haldimann - our favorite Swiss designer in the whole world, Nadja designed the Biznik logo and year ago and is an active member of the Biznik advisory board. Her design experience includes 6 years at Microsoft, where among her many achievements she designed Office 2003. She is currently a partner in the design firm Veraguth-Haldimann.
John Adair - John is one of those rare and priceless people to have on any web development effort - a programmer who understands design intuitively and thinks about presentation (and the “why” of an application) almost as much as he does about how he lays down code. He is joining us as lead developer.
Lara Feltin - Co-founder of Biznik, Lara handles the business side of things and keeps us organized on on task. She’ll be project managing and making sure we do what we say we will.
Dan McComb (me) - Co-founder of Biznik, I developed the current Biznik website, and will be working closely with John Adair to develop Biznik 2.0.
Our goal with this from-the-ground-up rewrite of the website is to make Biznik as relevant to indie business people in Toronto as it is currently to those of us in Seattle. We want to make Biznik a business networking platform that our members will rave about - no matter where they are.
On the technical side of things, the code John Adair will be laying down for us on this project will be developed in Ruby on Rails. Rails is a framework that will allow us to develop very quickly and take advantage of the latest trends in web technology. What that ultimately means is that Biznik 2.0 will feel more like a piece of software than a website. It’s going to be a beautiful blend of form and function, one that we can modify quickly and easily in response to our evolving vision and user feedback.
At our first day-long meeting last Thursday, Nadja walked us through the creation of user profiles. We ended up creating six distinct users, each with different needs, expectations and tasks to perform. We’ll be developing Biznik 2.0 from the perspective of each of those users.
Of course, one of the things most on our mind is what YOU want. We’ve received a ton of fantastic feedback from this forum recently, and we’d like you to keep it coming. If you’ve got a request or idea you’d like to see included in Biznik 2.0, please share it with us by posting a reply here, or by emailing it to me privately.
Finally, we’re aiming to launch this completely new version of the site in February. Between now and then, we’ll continue to release minor improvements to the current site.
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