Have you made New Year’s resolutions?  How about starting your own business?

Tough economic times like these are a paradise for entrepreneurs as opportunities are arising aplenty. All you need is to have the courage and capability to exploit them.

“This is often easier said than done, “says Massey University’s ecentre CEO Steve Corbett.  “Everyone has an idea. The difference between an idea and a business is that an individual had the determination and capability to do something with an idea. “

“But you don’t have to do it all by yourself”, adds Corbett who is also the Chair of IncubatorsNZ. “There are support systems in place; incubators such as the ecentre are a great first point of contact. Incubators help entrepreneurs to develop their capabilities, fast track their business and overall de-risk the process, especially, if you are not quite sure whether your idea is worth pursuing. To make this decision easier, you need to figure out whether someone is willing to pay for your offer. We call this process market validation. “

There is really no point in having a good idea, with no market. “The concept of solving a real market problem is simple, but is often overlooked,” says Corbett. “Entrepreneurs will often, mistakenly, spend months or even years developing a product without having proven whether they are solving an actual problem for which there are paying customers.”

The ecentre specialises on taking ideas from garage to global and offers various programmes and workshops to support entrepreneurs.

ecentre’s 12-week practical Sprint programme helps entrepreneurs determine a market opportunity- saving time, effort and money.  ecentreSprint can be taken on a part-time or full-time basis and entrepreneurs learn to develop and validate their business idea and create a successful business model.

Alexei Dunayev, CEO of TranscribeMe who recently returned from a trip to the US states “The philosophy that Eric Ries (an authority in market validation and lean start up) teaches is instilled in ecentreSprint… ecentre and the sprint programme are at the leading edge of entrepreneurship research. The help the ecentre and Sprint has given us, has taught us to focus on the customer. The feedback we are getting from customers makes our path is a lot clearer compared to before,” Dunayev adds.

Sprinters receive market feedback, get to market quicker, gain access to mentors and investors with different points of view, pitch to investors and receive encouragement with other entrepreneurs going through similar challenges.

“We see a lot of entrepreneurs who have an idea but simply can’t afford to quit their day job to figure out whether their business will take off”, says Sabrina Nagel programme manager for ecentreSprint. “This programme is perfect for those people as it de-risks the process for them in two ways, not only can they still keep their job but they also de-risk investing in something that doesn’t address a market need, as well as losing time and potentially missing the window of opportunity. They can test all their assumptions first before launching into the market.”

“And it is a good way of testing whether one can be an entrepreneur,” Nagel adds. “It’s not easy working full time and validating a business idea but neither is being an entrepreneur.”

The ecentre will be running free Business Idea Workshops around Auckland in the first week of February, check their website for locations and times. The first of these is on February 8^th at the ecentre on the North Shore. ecentre is currently interviewing for the next ecentreSprint Programme which will start at the end of February.

For more information visit www.ecentre.org.nz

BUY NOW!

With a chain of eponymous Annah Stretton stores in every New Zealand town, a monthly magazine, a mentoring programme, export markets, frequent public speaking engagements and high recognisability, fashion designer Annah Stretton is living proof of the statement, “If you want something done, ask a busy woman.” Dynamic, charismatic, driven, focussed, and unceasingly entrepreneurial, she has created a business empire from her Waikato base that is the envy of many. But it hasn’t all been easy and in this candid, engaging book she shares the strategies and tools that have got her to the top and that keep her there. The book is structured around Annah’s 10 tips for success. It includes lots of anecdotes from her own life and business experience to illustrate her points and to show how after she’d made the same mistake a few times she realized it was time to not make that mistake again. Wise Heart explains the values that lie behind her drive for success: if you run a business with passion, drive and heart, you will achieve your goals. Her book is a sure-fire guide for all budding entrepreneurs and business owners. It’s like having your own personal mentoring session with Annah.

About the Author

Annah Stretton is one of New Zealand’s best known and most successful businesswomen, She runs her own chain of clothing stores, exports overseas, and also heads a publishing business, the flagship of which is Her magazine. She is a mentor of other women through the Her Business networks, a philanthropist and an engaging public speaker. She lives and mostly works in Morrinsville, Waikato, with her husband.

Communities can be a hive of activity, a throng of people engaging, supporting and contributing a common cause. The value a community can create is immense. But they don’t happen on their own and people won’t engage if there is no purpose or value for them.

Lets say your business has a Twitter account, a Facebook Fan page, a blog or a regular event for VIP members of your retail store. Anyone of these offers a unique opportunity to create a thriving community around your business, brand or product.

But whats the point?

An engaged community lets you listen to what your customers are saying, get instant feedback on a promotional idea, or discuss an important issue. Customers who feel apart of your brand are more likely to be loyal, refer more friends, share more of your content online and spend more money with you.

Instead of your customers just buying your product or service and disappearing you have the opportunity to nurture a rewarding, enduring relationship with them. They become ambassadors, evangelists, cheerleaders; it’s the ultimate word of mouth.

Crowd-sourced business development.

Mr. Vintage uses their Facebook Fan site to post up T-Shirt designs or ask customers whether they prefer V-neck or Crew cut shirts. They can capture in a short time their customer’s opinion. After all there’s no point offering something your customers ain’t going to buy.

In an offline example a Gym opened up in central Auckland about 10 months ago among several large apartment buildings. One resident walked in one morning to check out the new gym and noticed the place was empty. He suggested that given some 2500 people were living in the vicinity a flier drop could be a great way to promote a special offer to locals.

However the reaction from this business owner was more than frosty. “I don’t need some scruffy looking guy to walk in to my business and tell me how to run the show”.

Well as it happened that “Scruffy looking guy” was right on the money. If the Gym had been more open to ideas and opinions perhaps they would be in business today rather than packing down their equipment and moving out after 9 months.

Most people like to be apart of or feel they have contributed to something successful. Opening up your business can build trust, confidence and transparency your competition lacks.

It’s not just for Social Media.

You don’t need a Facebook page or Twitter account to make your customers feel apart of what you’re doing. Traditional loyalty programs like VIP cards, members only specials or events, SMS campaigns (like George Fm) or even email newsletters can achieve great results.

It’s likely that you will already have a good idea who your most frequent, loyal customers are. Tap them on the shoulder when they’re in store next or contact them and invite them all to a function where they will hear about the latest trends, technology or developments going on in your business. Have your staff work the floor seeking comment, suggestions or feedback, this could be a simple hot-or-not activity but the effort will instantly help you tailor and refine your offering.

As with any community be yourself, have a personality and have fun. You don’t have to give away the business secrets, just share and talk to people who are interested in your business, ask them questions and listen to what they have to say. It could be the most valuable marketing you will do this year, its cheap, sexy and your customers will love you for it.

Written By: Justin Flitter

Justin Flitter is the Community Guy for Zendesk.com, blogs at JustinFlitter.com and helps run Hustlefest.co.nz

We all know how important teamwork is for a thriving organisation. Without some degree of cooperation between your staff, literally nothing would ever get done. You might think that right now your team is working pretty effectively together and that they understand the concept of ‘teamwork’ – however, improving on and refining the way your staff work together can have massive implications for your bottom line.

The thing is, in society today, often winning, being the best and coming first place are given the most emphasis, so it’s unlikely that members of your team were raised in a setting where true teamwork (the whole is greater than the sum of its parts) was what was rewarded with praise/attention.
Hence, it’s commonly the case that employers need to ‘teach’ their team, teamwork – in the truest sense of the term. When you demonstrate to your employees that your business is an environment where planning, thinking, decision making and the resulting actions are all best undertaken as a cooperative, rather than an individual, they will begin to recognise and assimilate the concept of teamwork in their daily tasks.

Create Your Own Culture of Teamwork

• Firstly you must clearly articulate your expectations that teamwork is an intrinsic part of your culture. For example, you can explain that just because a staff member is solely responsible for one process or area, doesn’t mean that they refuse to be open to ideas and input for the rest of the team. To grow, everyone must recognise they are not a solo operator, but part of a group.

• From the top down, teamwork must be demonstrated – even during tough times. Managers should model teamwork in their behaviour with each other and with the staff they supervise, at all times.

• Reward and recognise. Teams, rather than individuals should be rewarded and recognized for their contribution to the company’s bottom line. While there will be times when a person might need to be singled out for a truly exceptional level or production or contribution, make it clear with the majority of your rewards that group effort is valued most highly.

• Write it down. Commit to paper the values of your own culture of teamwork.  When you make it formal and share it with your team, they’ll see it as a symbol of your commitment to creating a stronger team.

• Form teams to solve problems or issues that arise.

• Hold departmental meetings. This allows you to obtain broad input and coordinate between sub teams the work processes. This also helps you to identify where and why people aren’t getting along and take steps to resolve this.

• Have fun together! Make sure group, rapport building exercises/days are scheduled in regularly. Perhaps go to a sporting event together, or take a day together at an amusement park, have a group lunch once a week – there’s nothing to beat a bond built in an outside of work environment. When your staff are ‘friends’ as opposed to ‘colleagues’ they’ll be more likely to want to collaborate and help one another out in a work setting.

Top 5 Networking Not-to’s

1) If you make an excuse to leave a conversation, don’t lie. If you say ‘I’m just going to refill my glass’ go do it! If you say ‘It’s been great talking with you, but I’ve spotted Jack who I haven’t seen for ages so must say hello’ then please walk straight to Jack and say hello. You’ll be watched, spotted and found out as a fraud if you lie. A pretty quick way to ruin credibility.

2) Don’t open a conversation with a sales pitch. You are not there to sell. You are there to build relationships and get to know people and have them trust you because you share stories and information that is interesting and helpful. They do not want to hear your pitch – well they might, but only give it if they ask.

3)Don’t ignore the signals. If someone is pulling at their clothes, rubbing the stem of their wine glass, sighing, moving from foot to foot, chances are you’ve bored the pants off them so stop talking and start listening. Change the subject, invite someone else in to the conversation or wrap it up, write it off and walk away with a smile.

4) Don’t be gross. For goodness sake don’t get drunk. The wine might be free but that’s not an excuse to drink the bottle. Make sure you’re presentable and not smelly and eat a mint before you arrive. Obvious but honestly, trying to maintain interest in someone who is talking at you with clouds of halitosis washing into your nostrils is mighty tricky. And don’t gossip – you just don’t know who they know (which is, after all, the whole point of going in the first place but can be your downfall if you say the wrong thing…)

5) Don’t go unprepared. Know who will be there, what they might be interested in so conversation can flow easily. Take your business cards, prepare some opening lines. Have your pitch ready in a concise and interesting format just in case you’re asked to give it. Being prepared shows you are committed, being unprepared puts everyone there at the bottom of your priority list which doesn’t make them feel too happy.

Top 5 Networking how-tos

1) Remember the purpose:  connect others: A great networker is not someone who schmoozes every night, who turns up at every New Zealand Trade & Enterprise breakfast and who hands out cards like they’re lollies to small children…a good networker is someone who connects OTHER people. The more people you connect, the better your reputation and the more people want to connect with you. And then the more people you have in your network to be connected so the more connections you can make…

Trap for unwary players: the connections have to be meaningful and useful for the connectees. And that’s the skill!

2) Choose the right events to go to:  I have been out and about at events quite a lot in the past month, as part of generating profile for the new business. A great networker connects people, and you can really boost your number of possible connectees and connectors by going to an event.

At the CIO Conference on Tuesday last week I was flagging though and I learnt a valuable lesson. I’m not as young as I was. Well that’s true, but its not the valuable lesson. I was offered the chance to be introduced there and then to someone who could potentially be a great source of overflow work for my company. But I turned it down. I wasn’t on top form socially (tired!), my business proposition is still being refined and this was too big an opportunity to blow. So I turned it down. And now I get the chance to take it up when its the right time and I can make a great connection.

Trap for unwary players – only do this if you’re confident the person offering you the connection is happy to do it again. Be honest about the reasons you’re declining and make sure they’re aware how appreciative you are and that you’ll be following up soon. Follow up soon.

3) Listen and listen some more: When you’re at an event, its not about what you say, its about how you listen.  There’s two benefits to this approach to networking.  1) it means you don’t have to come up with Shakespearean wit and charm each time you open your mouth so relax and enjoy!  and 2) it means that introverts aren’t off the hook – if you’re an introvert, remember you are the perfect audience for extroverts. Nod with interest, chime in occasionally with flavouring phrases – people wind up thinking you’re a fascinating person because in your presence they hear themselves saying fascinating things.  Simple.

4) Find the lynchpins:  In every community there are a few people who are connected across all industries, professions, demographics etc. The sort of people who pop up all over the place and seem to know everyone else. Email them. Introduce yourself. Join whatever committee they sit on, work on a project together (even virtually) and get to know them well. They’ll keep you in the loop and you’ll be top of mind if something comes up in their network.  At events, spot the people who seem to be most at home, who appear to be waving at other people the whole time.  Introduce yourself:  “You seem to know a lot of people, what’s your secret?” and hook your star to theirs.

5) Act like it’s your event: My number one how-to tip for finding the confidence to speak to people when you walk through the door of a networking event.  On your own.  At the end of a  long day:   Pretend you’re the host.  Pretend that you have the most right to be there, the most right to go up to the drinks table and get a wine, the most right to eyeball people directly, the most right to muscle in on conversations.  It’s your event.  If you can pull off that confidence trick you’re home and hosed.  In fact it’s not a trick.  You do have the most right to be there – you RSVPd, right?  And if you’re a sponsor this is even easier – you’ve paid for the privilege!  So forget you’re a guest and be a host, even down to taking responsibility for introducing people to others.  Heaven forbid they should be on their own at a networking event…

Written By: Marie-Claire from Vault Consulting in Wellington.

Survive & Thrive is a rare opportunity for artists, producers, businesses, organisations, makers and doers from the creative sector. Network, connect and see what you can make happen as well as hone your creative business skills. Our theme is ‘fuelling the business of creativity’ by connecting with creative producers and entrepreneurial people from across the region, learning from and being inspired by home-grown success stories and arming people with practical tips and tools to make their creative projects and businesses fly.

At Survive and Thrive you can:

• Hear New Zealander of the Year Ray Avery speak about his entrepreneurship and his rise to success
• Network with your peers and fellow professionals, chew the fat or do some deals
• Book yourself in for one or all of 10 high value & snappy 35 minute workshops
• Wander the Expo to network with the sector organisations
• Participate in Survive & Thrive’s speed networking activity
• Promote your work and brand
• Enjoy a coffee, a good lunch and a drink at happy hour.
• Hang out and absorb the stimulating atmosphere of your creative peers.

For further information, check out: www.thebigidea.co.nz/survive-thrive

1. An accountant: Not only do you need to keep a track of your bill payments, service and product invoicing, tax and GST returns, but you also have to remember that when you are out on your own completely, there is no holiday pay or sick days. Make sure you factor these things in when working out costs and self-payment, and make sure you keep up-to-date with your accounts.

2.    a) A sponge: You need to soak up every little piece of information to do with your industry. For Ever. If there is a new development, you need to know about it, and be prepared to factor it into your game plan.

b) Just like a sponge, from time to time you will be completely wrung out. You have to be prepared to start soaking everything back up again at some point though, or otherwise: You Will Fail.

3.   A Shellfish, I mean Selfish: with your time, your attention, your everything. Those close to you need to know this, and you need to be aware that you have to give a ridiculous amount of attention to your new business. You need to do this to make it work.

4.   A tree: Very “theatre darling” I know, but maybe 5^th form drama class might come in handy here. Be patient: grow a solid base, make sure your roots are strong. Once you feel able build off this, make a solid trunk to your business. If you are successful enough you might look into growing branches, and if you can afford, add some leaves and flowers, but always look after the roots and trunk of your business. Aim to be the Tane Mahuta of the business forest (cheesy I know!)

5.   A box of dynamite: You need the ability to go off when you need to. Be prepared to talk about your business, exhibiting all your passion and pizzazz at the drop of a hat, even when you feel like 2b.

This is not an exhaustive list. You will need to wear many hats. Make sure you know when you are out of your depth, recognise this and pay someone else to worry about it!

Have you ever been in a conversation with people who are on a higher intellectual level than you? I was involved in such an occasion several months ago; thankfully I said little and listened lots…

The topic of conversation was creativity and perceptions of creativity. I shall attempt to sum it up here, because I found the topic gave me food for thought.

For a very long time creativity has been considered the domain of artists, designers and well, creative types (something we designers are often labelled). This however is a widespread misconception. For too long creativity has been pigeonholed.

According to the learned group, creativity is looking at something, seeing it differently, and thereby acting or thinking differently.

So what does that look like in the ‘real’ world?

Picture a group of accountants and business people, going through the motions of doing their day-to-day banking, monthly financials, and so-on. As they do their work they think “there has to be a better way of doing this”. Harnessing the power of cloud-computing, good business, and good design a new way of business accounting is created (Xero for those who don’t know what I’m talking about). That’s creative.

One of our clients is an engineering firm – an industry often derided for their lack of creativity. I beg to differ though. Some of the projects that I have seen of theirs have required phenomenal creativity to get them completed. Sure the thinking has been analytical, but who’s to say that creativity cannot come from left brain thinking?

Creativity can take place in an office, at home, in hospitals, in fact wherever people do anything!

The point is simple: don’t pigeonhole creativity. Don’t assume that people do not have the capacity for creativity; celebrate it, encourage it and most of all be creative.

OR Your Business’s Core Capabilities

Here is an observation that I have made over the years: small to medium businesses who keep the Main Thing the main thing, thrive and succeed.

What do I mean by that?
Well, each business starts life a core function or capability – their main thing. For example: my own business started life as a brand-focused graphic design company (actually it was just me, but it was still a ‘company’).

Whether a business is a one-person freelance set-up or a company employing multiple people, there is a temptation to try and grow through adding more proverbial arrows to the quiver. That is, businesses attempt to diversify. This can, and does, work if you are a large business with a well established market and you have the capacity to diversify without harming your existing offering. Apple is a prime example, the computer company that now sells phones and music.

However, I believe that a small business potentially sets itself up for problems when they don’t stick to their core offering. My observation is that doing so stretches the already thin resources to the point of breaking – sometimes doing irreparable damage to the business.

Stick to The Main Thing
If a business does something well, and sticks to doing what they do well they have every opportunity to solidify and then grow.

My frame of reference is the design industry and one doesn’t have to look too far to see this point proven time and again. A designer like David Airey has kept his focus on brand identity, and in doing so has built an international client base (and following) and has allowed him to create some stunning work. His focus has also allowed him to create two successful blogs and to write a book on the topic of logo design. He is a specialist – which I believe is a good thing.

My own business has continued to work in the area of brand-focused design, despite the frequent temptations to travel down other design paths. By doing so we have established a solid client base and a great reputation, not-to-mention doing some great work along the way!

Keeping the Main Thing the main thing keeps you focused and enables you or your business to become specialists. A specialist who is truly good at what they do has the capacity to grow their business, because they are focused and can attract clients who need specialists.

An important proviso…
… is that you still have to keep on the forefront of what you do. Keeping to your core capabilities does not mean resting on your laurels; in fact it should mean quite the opposite. It should mean that you can keep up-to-date, or better yet ahead of the game, of what is happening in your industry sector. It should mean that you are constantly looking for ways to improve the way you deliver you core offering.

So, I believe that if you or your small business sticks to your core strengths and capabilities, you have a better chance of success over those who try to grow through diversifying.

Pursuing the work you love.

When it comes to work and lifestyle we Generation Y have it pretty good. With equal employment opportunity rights, a society that encourages innovation and diversity not to mention the open access to technology and information – career opportunities are endless.

This in mind it’s hard to understand why so many people seem to engage in careers that promises them more money then it does job satisfaction? Perhaps its societies focus on material fortune such as an expensive car or that big family home. Or the desire for increased lifestyle security which has got us wound up in fits of job and financial security.

I would like to write this article to encourage you to find work doing what you love. One of the keys to a happy life is job satisfaction and this comes from doing something you enjoy. As Steve Jobs CEO of Apple Computer says ‘the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it” (Stanford Report, June 14, 2005).

Everyone is good at something; you just have to find it. Here are a few tips to help you find that special talent and how to engage it.

Everyone is born with a natural talent and/or a passion.

Thanks to the intrinsic design of DNA, we all have something special to offer the world. Our unique set of traits determines our strengths and weaknesses thus providing us with a range natural talents and skills. These natural talents may be tangible like fixing things or intangible such as problem solving. It can be something as simple as organizing files to something more complicated such as fixing computers. Either way, they are there and should be used to improve your life and the lives of those around you.

Finding your natural talent

1. One great way to find your talent is by writing down all the things that you enjoy doing. Maybe it was something you loved doing at school or as a child but haven’t done in a while. Or perhaps it’s something you find your self doing whenever you have spare time. Once you a list, circle 2 or 3 that stand out from the rest. You know when you have found something you enjoy when the simple thought if it makes you smile.
2. Another great way is to ask your friends and family what they think you are naturally good at. Commonly people over look their natural talents as they can’t see them for what they are. They have spent so many years doing and comes so naturally to them that it is seen as ‘normal’ or ‘common’. What you are naturally good at may be a hard task for someone else. So ask your friends to list a few things that they think you are good at.

Things that stop people perusing their natural talents and passions:

One of the top reasons for not pursuing something is fear. Some of these include:

• Fear of failure (don’t want to be laughed, embarrassed or shamed)
• Fear that being rich turns you into an arrogant and selfish person (only if you want it to)
• Fear that you aren’t good enough (low self esteem and self confidence)
• Fear that you don’t deserve to be successful (none of my friends and family are so why do I deserve to be)
• That the world is a cold place and you will not find the support you need (you have to believe in yourself first before anyone else will)

Once you have found your talent:

Once you have found something you are good at, you then need to explore your options.

The first thing you may focus on is the list of possible jobs and careers that require those skills. There are plenty of career expos and job agencies that are happy to work with you to find that special job. There might even be that perfect job out there for you that you haven’t didn’t even know existed.

You may wish to strengthen or perfect your natural talent by developing more skills in that particular area. This could include going back to school, completing short courses or any other training available. It is a good idea to search the internet or look over some of the subjects offered at your local university.

Finally, you need to find a way to make a living from using your talent. Your natural talent and/or passion may lead you directly into a profitable line of work or you may have to innovate and create ways of making money doing what you love. Explore and research your area of skills and find out what is the best way to earn from it.

Doing the work you love is about spending time doing something that makes you happy. You need to find the things you love doing and incorporate that love into your working life. Life is about quality and having a job that satisfies you is one of the important factors that add to that quality. So the saying goes ‘Good things take time’. Be patient and don’t give up.

Recommended Reading:

 A Life at Work: The Joy of Discovering What You Were Born to Do