BLOG HAS MOVED

This e2eForum Blog has moved to LearningEntrepreneurship.com. 

If you are NOT immediately redirected, then CLICK HERE. 

Canadians at Wimbledon

A great weekend for Canadians at Wimbledon.

Eugenie Bouchard is runner-up in the final, 

Milos Raonic loses to Roger Federer in the semi-final and Vasek Pospisil wins in men's doubles.

Impressive results getting the attention of media, fans and opponents.  All three are young contenders that can only get better and do better. 

That is a theme that also works for entrepreneurs. Learn from your losses, then get back into the fray with new tactics, skills and energy. 

The winning will come soon - for these young tennis stars and for you.   

An exercise in futility?

There has to be a business lesson in this photo.

Something about banging your ahead against the wall? This determined woodpecker seems to be working on it's own condo entrance against all logic.

It will still be too small inside. Particle board is much harder than a rotten tree trunk and has no nutritional value at all. With no insects to reward the head-pounding effort. Some days at the office seem just like this.

If you find yourself in this situation, I suggest it's time to get your head up from the task at hand and ask yourself if there is a better way.

What is the goal here?
Surely there is no entertainment value or other justification.

Stress relief? Maybe, but even that has its limits.  

Lessons from the Winter Olympics 2014

The Winter Olympics 2014 at Sochi provide inspiring examples of what the human spirit can accomplish and some interesting concepts that can apply to your business.

Consider these approaches that are important to Olympic performance and may be applicable to your business. (Updated from my article on the Summer Olympics of 2008)

The four year planning horizon
Update your current Business Plan by looking back four years, then planning ahead for the next four. Review the results for 2010 and define your new Olympic performance objectives for 2014 to 2018 with specific milestones for each year.
Focus on your strengths
Choose to compete in the areas where you are most likely to succeed. If aerial skiing manoeuvres are not your specialty, then focus on speed events. Style is not important, just first to the finish line.   (Actually, maybe style is important, check: It isn't figure skating but .... )
Commit to your plan
You have to be committed to the effort required over a long period of time to achieve world class performance.  Make the choices necessary to either give it your best effort over a long period of time or quit now and find a new path to succeed in meeting your business goals.
Push your limits
Test your capabilities and endurance to the maximum. "Tear and Repair" is the way to build strength and endurance in muscle tissue; maybe in your organization too.
Learn from the leaders
What do the top competitors do that you can also do? Look at their preparation and training techniques; the little things that add up to a big difference.
Learn from your losses
Study your own performance and learn what makes the difference between your best results and your second best.
It's not for the money
You have to love it enough to do what it takes to be a winner. The money will follow if you have the passion and persistence to excel.
There is only one gold medal
You may have to settle for being the fourth, or sixteenth, best in the world at what you do.  That may be sufficient to meet your needs for accomplishment and success in life.  Even number one doesn't stay there for long. Accept your position and move on.
Prepare for upsets
The best competitors know how to deliver for the big events and usually avoid disappointment. In spite of that, you could still be the upset winner when the opportunity arises, if you are equally prepared and committed to maximum performance when it's required.

Have a world class support team
Coaching makes a difference. Check that your consultants, advisers and support staff are up to the Olympic standard.
Don't cheat
The short-term glory of victory will eventually be replaced by the long-term disgrace of breaking the rules.
Don't quit too soon
One of the Olympic ski jumpers was still contenting in the final jumps twenty years after winning his fist Olympic medal.

These concepts from the Olympics may be applicable to aspects of your business. Perhaps getting you to world class performance too.

Try it on Mom

Richard Branson seems to agree with my approach to keep Mom in mind. When you are at the stage of testing your business ideas for viability, he suggests "try it on Mum". *http://lnkd.in/dCPS9GS

Richard Branson on Turning an Idea Into a Business 

entrepreneur.com

Regardless of how new you are to the process of starting a business, it can be a daunting prospect. The Virgin CEO shares how to do it, step by step.

I wonder if he still does that himself?  

Don't forget my recommended preamble before you get anyone's input, "Please don't take it personally if I choose to ignore your advice." Because a crucial test for every entrepreneur is, "not easily discouraged".  Call it stubborn maybe, but I prefer to think of it as determined, confident and dedicated to getting the results. 

All good concepts to keep in mind at the start up phase.  

* Did you notice that the British say MUM, and Canadians (Americans?) say MOM? 

Does your Mother Know?

As my mother once said "Don't do anything you wouldn't do if I was there."

Now that was a great way to keep me on the straight and narrow while I was looking for trouble as a teenager.

I've often thought of repeating the question as I encounter bad drivers flying by on the highway. "Does your mother know you drive like an idiot?"

Mothers are also an important influence to guide our ethical conduct in business. That was apparently understand by the jeweller in Cranbrook BC who had a conspicuous sign posted by the cash stating "We give instant credit to all our customers ... if they are over 90 and accompanied by their mother." Good credit guideline!

Most entrepreneurs and executives probably don't often think of their mothers on the job, unless she's the boss like Ma Boyle (pictured) at Columbia Sportswear. Maybe they should. We would probably have fewer issues of corporate misconduct if their mothers knew what was going on.

Perhaps instead of all those current management courses on ethics and corporate responsibility we only need to remind decision makers to ask themselves "Would my mother be proud of me, if she knew what I was doing?"

Sometimes mother knows best.

A New Start for 2014

Time for more "Random Ramblings from Uncle Ralph".

Dreadfully neglected, it is time to reactivate my online presence as Uncle Ralph.  I do want to raise my visibility so somebody notices when my new books are out.

Yes, my first book, the widely (well, maybe it was narrowly) acclaimed "Complete Do-It-Yourself Guide to Business Plans" is being redone and will be published soon in a Second Edition by AuthorHouse.  The first edition is still available at www.DIYBusinessPlan.com.  Only $9.95 in e-book .pdf. 

The Second Edition will be expanded with new material, more access to Online Tools and Templates and will be available from a variety of traditional and online bookstores in hard cover, paperback and e-book versions.

You should see it before March this year.

Then I will be able to make progress on Uncle Ralph's more comprehensive book of advice for Entrepreneurs, "Don't Do It the Hard Way", based on the simple principle that a wise man learns from the mistakes of others, only a fool insists on making his own.

Meanwhile, back to Blogging.  Excuse me if I cheat a little and re-cycle some of my old favourites.  Think of it as a warm-up exercise to start the creative juices flowing.

Come back soon and I'll try to make it worth a visit.

And Happy New Year in 2014!
 

Other Blogs to Follow, since I'm so negligent here

In order to give you some value in return for your visit here, since my own Blog has been neglected (for very good reasons that I may explain here another day), I recommend that you follow my favourite Canadian commentator, analyst and writer on Entrepreneurship, Rick Spence.

Rick Spence: Blogspot

You can also find him in Financial Post and PROFIT Magazine.

Until later,
Del

Can you succeed as an entrepreneur?

You may agree with the suggestion that anyone can be an entrepreneur, but remember that not everyone should be, and not everyone wants to be.  

The important question is what is right for you? 

Why would anyone want to be an entrepreneur, when we all know that:

1. You will not really work for yourself, but instead for all the people that depend on you and have demands of you. These include employees, customers, the bank and the government. 
2. The world really doesn't care about you or your business. They have to be made aware of you and then be persuaded that you have a solution that they need. Effective marketing will be required.  
3. Most new businesses fail. Within two years it is likely to be over - having lost a lot of your time and money. And it will be your fault; for bad management, losing to the competition or not reacting to changing market conditions.  

The first test of a successful entrepreneur is that you will still proceed with enthusiasm, in spite of all that discouraging information. (Just don't be stubbornly stupid about a bad idea. That is not a plan for success.)   

In the opinion of many experienced investors and entrepreneurs, the key to success is a determined  passion for your plan, in spite of the known obstacles. Those entrepreneurs will find a way to succeed    regardless of the challenges along the way.

Completing a formal business plan is always a good start.  It is the best way to test your assumptions and different scenarios in the market as well as alternative business models to meet your objectives. But the plan is less important than the passion for achieving your goals. 

Be determined and confident, but be aware of the cruel world around you and realistic about what you can achieve. 

Important perspectives to keep in mind.

Impressive Billionaires or Not?

News flash: "Australian tycoon is world's richest woman worth $29Billion" 

But "heiress to an iron-ore empire" suddenly sounds less impressive, even if it was up by $19Billion last year. And then we read that the woman she pushed back to #2 spot was Wal-Mart heiress Christy Walton.  So are these successful entrepreneurs we can learn from?

I think the ranking should be based on increase in their net worth from the starting point.  And even that might be an indicator of the skills as an investor (or the skills of their management people) more than their success as entrepreneurs.  So let's agree that for model entrepreneurs we need to look at what they built starting from zero.  That works, even if they started with lots of their own money.

So then we still can be comfortable with our role models, like Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, etc. .... 

Rich heiresses, not so much.  

Are you the Entrepreneurial Type?

It's a question that I suggest entrepreneurs ask themselves before they commit to their business venture.  Am I really the entrepreneurial type?  Do I have the characteristics of a successful entrepreneur?  Am I likely to succeed in a business venture or should I make a new plan?

I usually advise that anyone can be an entrepreneur and start, build and grow a successful business if they are determined and persistent, talented and hard working; and they have a viable business concept. But it is still important to consider that you may actually be better suited to another option.  You will certainly be more satisfied and likely to achieve your potential if you spend your working hours in a career that is better matched to your personality, your individual preferences and where you are motivated by what appeals to you, rather than what is expected of you.

So I have developed a theory (very unscientific and certainly not as a professional psychologist) based on my observations of people who are happy and successful in their chosen careers. 

There are three basic personality types that fit certain careers best:

1. Creative spirit (entrepreneurial)

• Characteristics: determinedly independent, confident, constantly curious, questions conventional wisdom, always seeking a better way, balances vision (the dream) with practicality, action and results oriented.
• Occupations: entrepreneurs, artists, writers, research scientists, political activists, architects, designers, some managers and engineers.

2. Contributor

• Characteristics: loves to add talent to the team, thrives on collaboration, needs or provides leadership and a plan, seeks recognition by peers.
• Occupations: some managers and engineers, staff positions, civil servants.

3. Builder

• Characteristics: thirst for knowledge, proving their expertise, pursuing usefulness, providing valued service.
• Occupations: some scientists and engineers, tradesmen, doctors and nurses, social workers, teachers.

Recognizing your own personality type and preferences will help you to decide on your career plan and what situations to avoid.  Yes, there are more combinations and permutations of the three types I have described.  But if you recognize your own needs and what will motivate and satisfy you, you are much more likely to make the right choices for a long and satisfying career.

You do not need to be a psychologist to know that.

8 Core Beliefs of Extraordinary Bosses

The best managers have a fundamentally different understanding of workplace, company,

With thanks to Geoffrey James at "Sales Source" , this is worth repeating.

---

A few years back, I interviewed some of the most successful CEOs in the world in order to discover their management secrets. I learned that the "best of the best" tend to share the following eight core beliefs.

1. Business is an ecosystem, not a battlefield.

Average bosses see business as a conflict between companies, departments and groups. They build huge armies of "troops" to order about, demonize competitors as "enemies," and treat customers as "territory" to be conquered.

Extraordinary bosses see business as a symbiosis where the most diverse firm is most likely to survive and thrive. They naturally create teams that adapt easily to new markets and can quickly form partnerships with other companies, customers ... and even competitors.

2. A company is a community, not a machine.

Average bosses consider their company to be a machine with employees as cogs. They create rigid structures with rigid rules and then try to maintain control by "pulling levers" and "steering the ship."

Extraordinary bosses see their company as a collection of individual hopes and dreams, all connected to a higher purpose. They inspire employees to dedicate themselves to the success of their peers and therefore to the community–and company–at large.

3. Management is service, not control.

Average bosses want employees to do exactly what they're told. They're hyper-aware of anything that smacks of insubordination and create environments where individual initiative is squelched by the "wait and see what the boss says" mentality.

Extraordinary bosses set a general direction and then commit themselves to obtaining the resources that their employees need to get the job done. They push decision making downward, allowing teams form their own rules and intervening only in emergencies.

4. My employees are my peers, not my children.

Average bosses see employees as inferior, immature beings who simply can't be trusted if not overseen by a patriarchal management. Employees take their cues from this attitude, expend energy on looking busy and covering their behinds.

Extraordinary bosses treat every employee as if he or she were the most important person in the firm. Excellence is expected everywhere, from the loading dock to the boardroom. As a result, employees at all levels take charge of their own destinies.

5. Motivation comes from vision, not from fear.

Average bosses see fear--of getting fired, of ridicule, of loss of privilege--as a crucial way to motivate people. As a result, employees and managers alike become paralyzed and unable to make risky decisions.

Extraordinary bosses inspire people to see a better future and how they'll be a part of it. As a result, employees work harder because they believe in the organization's goals, truly enjoy what they're doing and (of course) know they'll share in the rewards.

6. Change equals growth, not pain.

Average bosses see change as both complicated and threatening, something to be endured only when a firm is in desperate shape. They subconsciously torpedo change ... until it's too late.

Extraordinary bosses see change as an inevitable part of life. While they don't value change for its own sake, they know that success is only possible if employees and organization embrace new ideas and new ways of doing business.

7. Technology offers empowerment, not automation.

Average bosses adhere to the old IT-centric view that technology is primarily a way to strengthen management control and increase predictability. They install centralized computer systems that dehumanize and antagonize employees.

Extraordinary bosses see technology as a way to free human beings to be creative and to build better relationships. They adapt their back-office systems to the tools, like smartphones and tablets, that people actually want to use.

8. Work should be fun, not mere toil.

Average bosses buy into the notion that work is, at best, a necessary evil. They fully expect employees to resent having to work, and therefore tend to subconsciously define themselves as oppressors and their employees as victims. Everyone then behaves accordingly.

Extraordinary bosses see work as something that should be inherently enjoyable–and believe therefore that the most important job of manager is, as far as possible, to put people in jobs that can and will make them truly happy.

Geoffrey James' "Sales Source" (formerly "Sales Machine" on CBS) is the world's most-visited sales-oriented blog. His best posts, with many extras, are in his new book: How to Say It: Business to Business Selling. @Sales_Source

I'm back

It's been a while since I've updated this Blog, but I'm back at it. 

After a year of living dangerously in the corporate world.  Not any more fun than it was the last time, some 27 years ago.  Great reminder why so many entrepreneurs prefer to be self-employed - less corporate crap and less dependent on somebody else's bad decision making and uninspiring leadership.

So a year older and a little wiser, I will be sharing more insights, ideas and inspiration for entrepreneurs who aer interested in being better in order to do better - for themselves and their families, their companies and their employees.

Stay tuned, I'll be here again soon.

Be well, sell like hell,
Del

The Essence of Entrepreneurship

What makes a successful entrepreneur? 

The question is often asked and there are many different, but acceptable, answers. To add my perception, I think there are certain personal character traits mixed with particular skills, knowledge and experience that add up to the "essence of entrepreneurship" that leads to success.

Here is my list of what I think adds up to be the Essence of  Entrepreneurship:

1. Burning desire to turn an idea into a successful business.
2. Determination and persistence to achieve results.
3. Treating every obstacle as just another challenge to be met.
4. Recognizing the challenge to provide both strategic leadership and operational management.
5. Consistently communicating vision, mission, values.
6. Willingness to change the plan but not the goals or ideals.
7. Strong social awareness and empathy for people.
8. Motivated by more than the money. 
9. Good marketing and sales instincts - knowing what appeals to the target market. 
10. Understanding the industry measures of performance for the business.  
11. Continuously aware of business results relative to planned performance. 
12. Does not waste time - the most precious non-renewable resource. 
13. Knows to decide when it's time to decide, not waiting for all the information to be sure it's right.
14. Mix of strong industry knowledge or technical/professional skills with good instincts
15.  Acceptance that success is a very imprecise objective and that never being satisfied is the way to continue being better and doing better.  

Not a short list and not all essential.  But also probably not yet the complete answer to what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.

Let's keep working on it.

Richard Branson's Five Secrets to Success.

Multi-business billionaire Richard Branson has always been one of my favourite examples of a model entrepreneur (and the most successful practitioner of guerilla marketing.) 

He recently described his short answer to the frequently asked question, "What is the secret of your success?"

Here is the summary and a link to his article. 


After reflecting across 40 years and thinking about what characterises so many of Virgin’s successful ventures, I have come up with five "secrets" to business success.


1 - Enjoy What You Are Doing.

2 - Create Something That Stands Out.

3 - Create Something That Everybody Who Works for You is Really Proud of.

4 - Be a Good Leader.

5 - Be Visible.


Go over to Entrepreneur.com to read his five business tips in full.

Listen to Richard. 
He's about as thoughtful, creative and successful as any entrepreneur on the planet.

Back to School means Back to Business too?

Yes, it's time to get back to business.

End of August means summer holidays are nearly done, kids returning to school, and it's time to re-think your business too.  

Seize this opportunity to assess your current performance and come up with an action plan to improve results and enhance the value of your business.

Here are some ideas to inspire you to get back to business and do better than ever.

Check your numbers against the top performers.

You probably already know the key variables to manage profitability in your business - gross margin, sales per square foot, or sales per employee, for example – but have you compared your numbers to the top performers in your industry lately?

How has the current economy affected their growth rates or performance ratios compared to yours? You will have to do some homework to get the answers. Be sure to find the most comparable companies by industry size or type of business and then try to select the top performers. You may get useful comparisons from available data on public companies, from trade journals or from industry data bases. Your banker likely has access to RMA (Risk Management Association) data that is used by the banks to assess your credit worthiness. It is worth knowing what they are looking at and how they assess your performance.

Ask for key stakeholder opinions on your performance.

In addition to the bank’s assessment you should also regularly solicit feedback from your other key stakeholders. Those would be your employees, your customers and your suppliers.

The key questions to ask are:

• How would you describe our company relative to our competitors?

• What do you think we do best?

• Where do you think we need to improve?

• What opportunities do you think we are missing?

Listen and learn from the feedback.

Often business owners are surprised to find that the perceptions of their employees, customers and suppliers are quite consistent, but very different from their own.

You may think your business is best known for low prices and fast service, but others see you as having expertise that is valuable and worth paying the perceived higher price and accepting relatively poor service. Oops!

Now you have something to work on. First, try to ensure that your perceived strategic position in the market is the one that you want; then work on delivering what is expected. And finally, assess the feedback on perceived opportunities that you are missing. You have already established a receptive audience to new initiatives, so follow-up quickly.

Verify your corporate fitness for growth

In order to pursue new opportunities and grow your business it is also timely to verify that you have a solid foundation for growth. The foundation needs to be resilient, flexible, and expandable in all the dimensions related to organisation, facilities, financing, and IT infrastructure.

A fitness test on all these areas is a necessary first step before launching new initiatives.

Focus on maximizing long-term value.

In these processes of performance review there will be some obvious and easy “quick fixes” to generate revenue or cut costs. But as Einstein apparently once said, “For every serious and complex problem, there is an easy and obvious answer, that is wrong.”

For businesses the error is usually to focus on short-term profitability, rather than long-term value. In fact, the accumulation of short-term decisions to control costs or push revenue may actually diminish the long-term value that arises from sustainable and profitable growth. Typical examples are under-qualified staffing, limited capacity software applications, cutbacks in marketing and promotion, chasing big customers with low prices or accepting questionable credit risks.

Identify and select the priority opportunities.

After completing the review and assessing the opportunities, the list of potential action items may be long. A selection of priorities to address in the immediate future is required. And more than three priorities means you have not yet made a selection, only a ranking. Try harder.

Make a new plan.

With a short list of priorities, you can make a realistic and achievable plan to improve performance. Simply list the steps required with names and dates assigned to each step.

Then make it happen.

Take this “back to school” opportunity to rethink your business and make something happen. Remember if nothing changes, nothing happens.

Be better. Do better.

LISTEN TO MOM

As my mother once said "Don't do anything you wouldn't do if I was there." Ouch! Now that was a great way to keep me on the straight and narrow, instead of looking for trouble as a teenager.

I've often thought about that advice since then and generously offer it by thought and gesture to others. Especially those dangerous drivers flying by on the highway - "Does your mother know you drive like an idiot!?"

Mothers are an important influence to guide our ethical conduct in business too. That was apparently understand by the jeweler in Cranbrook BC who had a conspicuous sign posted next to the cash register stating "We give instant credit to all our customers. If they are over 90 and accompanied by their mother." Good credit guideline!

Most entrepreneurs and executives probably don't often think of their mothers on the job, unless she's the boss – like Ma Boyle at Columbia Sportswear. Maybe they should. We would probably have fewer issues of corporate misconduct if their mothers knew what was going on. Perhaps instead of all those current management courses on ethics and corporate responsibility, we only need to remind decision-makers to ask themselves "Would my mother be proud of me if she knew what I was doing?"

My Uncle Ralph persona is partly inspired by my father and his unique character and style of dispensing wise advice, punctuated with easily remembered one-liners (“Always do good work and charge like Hell!”).

But my mother also had a strong influence on my personality and management style, although it was more subtle and less frequently stated than demonstrated. Quiet, hard working, good humoured, responsible and respectful of others; those are the characteristics that immediately come to mind. Things we all learned from her example, simply by being around her. Of course, she was also good at reminding us when we forgot those important principles or our behaviour was not up to her standards. And it's still a pleasure to make her proud.

That's why I recommend you use the test "What would Mom think?" before your actions and decisions in business too.

Thanks Mom. And Happy Mother's Day every day.

On the other hand, “I am not your mother.”

Now I am suggesting that we might have better decision-making if managers asked themselves what their mother would think of their actions. But what about those employees that expect you to act like their mother?

What is the right level of caring and compassion before it becomes more personal than a working relationship should be? Is there a reasonable limit? Is it appropriate to get involved with issues that are strictly personal? Do employees become part of your extended family with all the additional obligations that implies?

Some recent exposure to business owners dealing with their employees' personal issues has caused me to be more cautious about getting involved. Once the managers start lending a sympathetic ear and then a shoulder to cry on, it soon becomes more time consuming on and off the job and creates a relationship that is difficult to steer back to business only. It also becomes a distraction for other employees and creates new concerns about employee favouritism.

My guideline for these situations would be to decide whether you would do what's being requested for every employee in the same situation. Personal advice? Time off? Cash advances? If not, then say no to the first request. Don't start a precedent that you're not prepared to write into the policy manual.

And don't be afraid to clarify the relationship, "I'm your boss, not your mother".

Those are my thoughts on Mom's influence on your business.  Do you agree?  Any comments?

Teaching kids entrepreneurship

Check out this video and tell me if you agree that it actually promotes the most negative stereotype of entrepreneurs as greedy and manipulative - in it for the money and part of the problem in our consumption based economy.
"Let's Raise Kids to be Entrepreneurs ..." http://on.ted.com/8Qs5

The video at the end of this TED presentation is a more positive and inspiring view of entrepreneurship but most of the commentary seems to be focused on his own version.

Thought provoking, but not convincing that this is what we should be teaching kids in school.

Learning Entrepreneurship at School?

I am starting to see more articles and commentary about the "need" to teach entrepreneurship at school. Is that a good idea? I have taught Entrepreneurship courses at Concordia in the Continuing Education program, mostly to young adults seeking relevant knowledge to advance their careers or to manage their own business.

Should Entrepreneurship be taught sooner?  Probably not in elementary school, but high school or college?  I tend to agree with Rick Spence (Financial Post, June 28, 2010), that the emphasis should be on entrepreneurial qualities such as creativity and innovation, problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, persistence and leadership. I would add curiosity, self-confidence and independence.

Entrepreneurship packaged as a course is more appropriate at levels where students are considering career options. But it would help to have some early education on basic economics from savings and investment to financial and economic systems. I fear the bias of many teachers is that big business is evil and that entrepreneurs and the capitalist system create more social problems than solutions.

It would be an improvement to have some balance added to that point of view.  I'm not optimistic.  The media focuses most high profile stories on the disasters and the criminals among us.  It's hard to find the heroes to emulate.  After Donald Trump or Richard Branson (whom not everybody loves), who do we have doing good PR for business and entrepreneurship as a means of having fun and doing good?    

Do you Tweet?

Nope, useless waste of time. 
Wrong!        

Follow me on Twitter

Like the old days when you first built a Web site, the only reason you are now looking at Twitter is because ... "it's cool,
my kids tell me I have to,

customers are asking for it". 

Let me give you some other reasons.  

My Thoughts on
How to Use Twitter for Your Business 

First let's review what it is.  Aside from all the "New Media" hype and the old media fascination, Twitter is essentially a simplified version of the bulk email newsletter or a short form (140 character) Blog entry.  So if you use either if those, you need to check out Twitter.com

It also has elements of the social media sites, like Facebook or LinkedIn, but is simpler, more spontaneous, easy and fun. Not looking for fun?  Then consider that it is also interesting, informative and occasionally entertaining to be a Twitter follower.  You get new personal insights as well as some good tips, tricks, and tactics from the people you already know and respect - from Harvey Mackey or Tom Peters to Bill Cosby or Tony Robbins.  You choose for yourself if you want to follow the gurus or to be a celebrity groupie.

I use Twitter to maintain contact with friends and associates, think out loud, play with words, create new content, add to my Web presence and build a new audience.  Any of those may be important to you and your business.  It's easy and fast to set up and use or you can just visit and browse the content. Try it. 

Or visit my Twitter account and follow me if you're interested.
Follow me on Twitter
See you there.