From the category archives:

Strategic Thinking

Blogging as a relationship builder for entrepreneurs

by Steve Livingston on August 31, 2010

I’ve long been a fan of Fred Wilson’s blog (‘A VC’) – if you’re a start-up entrepreneur or business owner you really should subscribe too.

The above video is a great snap-shot of the benefits of blogging in business. The gist of Fred’s words:

“blogging allows for the opportunity for VCs to enter into a dialogue with entrepreneurs over a period of time…to get to know one another…well before an investment decision needs to be made”

It is only fairly recently that such tools have become widely available and this has sooo much potential for every business owner and adviser.

We all now have the opportunity to demonstrate our approach to business thinking and to get to know one other (virtually) over a period of time before potentially entering into a (real-world) business relationship or project in the future.

Its all a bit like online (business) dating – but perhaps far more likely to find the right match over the longer term than traditional – yet speculative – business networking and marketing!

What are your thoughts on business blogging?

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Crowd sourcing for cost saving ideas – HM Treasury

by Steve Livingston on August 18, 2010

Its interesting to see HM Treasury being sufficiently forward thinking to ‘crowd source’ for cost saving ideas. This Spending Challenge initiative enters its second stage today in which the general public are invited to vote upon the 44,000 ideas submitted.

If HM Treasury can tap into this wisdom of the crowds, could your business be doing more to listen, learn and shape new ideas?

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Be a Better Business or a Different Business – You decide

August 6, 2010
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When starting a business or reviewing your existing business strategy, you have the choice of two overarching strategic options open to you: Be better than the competition OR Be different from the competition Which option you choose is key. The future survival of your business depends upon it. Most entrepreneurs or business owners choose option 1. They [...]

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Why Business Leaders need Vision

August 4, 2010
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“Start with the end in mind” says Stephen Covey, in his landmark 7 Habits of Highly Successful People. Meanwhile, Fast Company co-founder Alan Webber advocates that entrepreneurs should: “Answer the final question first” Two highly successful visionary guys with a consistent key message – but what does this mean for you as an entrepreneur aiming [...]

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Business lessons from the BP catastrophe

June 9, 2010

With rumours swirling of a potential BP bankruptcy (seriously!), businesses should take heed from the following lessons: The ONE business certainty is uncertainty. Plan, test, review, adapt. Quickly. Repeat. Do good. Build a sustainable business. Do great work. Make a difference. Invest for the future. Engage mad raving fans – they might then support you [...]

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10 Tips for Today’s Successful Business

May 14, 2010

Plan for the next 48 hours (rather than 48 months). Be clear on your vision. Your reason for being. How your business will add value – then share this with the world. Opportunities exist in problems. Don’t run away. Seek them out – today there are many BIG (profitable) problems to solve. Source new ideas [...]

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Serendipity with Malcolm Gladwell in Manchester

May 12, 2010

Malcolm Gladwell – author famed for The Tipping Point, Blink, The Outliers and more recently What the Dog Saw – visited the Lowry in Manchester last night to give an insightful talk on his latest thinking. I must confess to being a little nervous about giving my views after he kicked off last night’s talk by reading aloud a stinging [...]

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19 Thoughts on Effective Strategy

April 23, 2010

Be crystal clear on your Vision. Your Mission. Your reason for Being. Solve a problem. Ideally a BIG problem. Be prepared to say ‘No’ or pass up on opportunities that don’t match your strategy (you WILL be tested). Never put price at the centre of your strategic advantage. When you are solving BIG problems in NEW ways, [...]

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Fresh Water creates a Fresh Challenge for Business

March 31, 2010
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A further significant challenge facing businesses wishing to do business in the 21st Century is emerging with news that access to fresh water is declining more quickly than originally feared. A report by Globescan and SustainAbility notes that a combination of population growth, urban development, farm production and climate change is increasing competition for fresh [...]

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5 Killer Questions for Every Entrepreneur Starting a Business

March 29, 2010

What problem or need will your product or service fulfill and how is this better than what’s currently on offer? How big is the potential market? What’s the potential “open goal”? Do you have the right team? Is it well balanced with a decent mix of experience and raw enthusiasm? How will you dominate your market? [...]

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