This is an old joke, but I have always loved the way it summarizes the entrepreneur's challenge - by focusing the small business strategy on the simple question of outcompeting.
Two hunters were out in the woods one day when they heard the snarl of a grizzly bear. One hunter began to run, while the second stopped to put on his running shoes. "What's the point of that?" asked the first hunter. "Do you really think you can outrun a grizzly?"
"No," said the second hunter, straightening up. "I only have to outrun you."
On that optimistic note, please accept my best wishes for Christmas and the holidays.
Look for (much) more activity on this blog in the New Year!
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Friday, December 08, 2006
Who will be The Canadian Entrepreneur of 2006?
The end-of-the-year countdown has begun, and I would like YOU to help me choose the first-ever “Canadian Entrepreneur of 2006” Award.
Let me know who you think has been this year’s most inspiring, successful or impactful Canadian entrepreneur. (“Canadian” being broadly defined as any Canadian-born entrepreneur, any Canadian-resident entrepreneur, or any entrepreneur operating mainly in Canada.)
You can submit as many nominations as you'd like. You can submit just their name(s), or you can tell us in your own words why you think this person should be recognized by this blog. To submit, leave a Comment below, or e-mail me at rick (at) rickspence.ca.
The prize? We’ll salute all the nominees, and then choose a winner who will be profiled in this blog and perhaps in a portion of the mainstream media where I have some influence. (That influence is growing, too – watch for an announcement soon!).
Criteria? Winners will be chosen based on their initiative, success, obstacles overcome, and overall impact. Since this blog has readers from sea to sea, I hope we will receive submissions from across the country.
A few examples to get you going: Why not Balsillie and Laziridis of RiM, for their vision, persistence and success in the Blackberry department? Or Kevin O’Leary, the former tech entrepreneur turned angel investor/prince of darkness who made a huge impact this year on TV’s Dragons’ Den?
How about Teresa Cascioli of Lakeport Brewing, for crashing the exclusive beer club with her buck-a-beer brands? Or John Sleeman, who sold the family brewery that he revived single-handedly for big bucks this year?
These are all Ontario examples of the top of my head. I’m hoping outraged readers will send in their own nominations from across this land.
Entry deadline: Dec. 23.
(All nominees will be entered into a draw for a brand new Canadian Entrepreneur mug. It’s a priceless prize, so don't forget to check back after Christmas to see if you've won!)
Let me know who you think has been this year’s most inspiring, successful or impactful Canadian entrepreneur. (“Canadian” being broadly defined as any Canadian-born entrepreneur, any Canadian-resident entrepreneur, or any entrepreneur operating mainly in Canada.)
You can submit as many nominations as you'd like. You can submit just their name(s), or you can tell us in your own words why you think this person should be recognized by this blog. To submit, leave a Comment below, or e-mail me at rick (at) rickspence.ca.
The prize? We’ll salute all the nominees, and then choose a winner who will be profiled in this blog and perhaps in a portion of the mainstream media where I have some influence. (That influence is growing, too – watch for an announcement soon!).
Criteria? Winners will be chosen based on their initiative, success, obstacles overcome, and overall impact. Since this blog has readers from sea to sea, I hope we will receive submissions from across the country.
A few examples to get you going: Why not Balsillie and Laziridis of RiM, for their vision, persistence and success in the Blackberry department? Or Kevin O’Leary, the former tech entrepreneur turned angel investor/prince of darkness who made a huge impact this year on TV’s Dragons’ Den?
How about Teresa Cascioli of Lakeport Brewing, for crashing the exclusive beer club with her buck-a-beer brands? Or John Sleeman, who sold the family brewery that he revived single-handedly for big bucks this year?
These are all Ontario examples of the top of my head. I’m hoping outraged readers will send in their own nominations from across this land.
Entry deadline: Dec. 23.
(All nominees will be entered into a draw for a brand new Canadian Entrepreneur mug. It’s a priceless prize, so don't forget to check back after Christmas to see if you've won!)
Friday, December 01, 2006
Days of Whines and Roses
What makes a successful entrepreneur? Money, perseverance, vision?
How about: whining?
Mark Cuban, the thoughtful founder of Broadcast.com and owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, blogged recently about his tendency to whine. In high school, he whined about not being able to take business classes that were only available to seniors. At university he complained that his classes were too easy, so he snuck into the MBA classes. When he got a job selling software, he whined about having to sweep the floor and asked the owner if he could go out and close sales. “That led to me getting fired, which in turn led to me starting MicroSolutions.”
At MicroSolutions, Cuban whined that there were no companies to hook personal computers together, “so we became one of the first integrators for Novell Share Data Systems, which in turn became the core for our business that grew and grew until I sold it in 1990.”
Identifying problems and turning them into opportunities became the theme of his life. After whining about how he couldn't listen to Indiana basketball games in Dallas, he and a friend started AudioNet, which became Broadcast.com. At a Mavericks game in 1999 he whined that there was no energy in the building, no fun – so he ended up buying the Mavs.
Cuban claims he can’t understand why people think whining is a negative thing. “Whining is the first step towards change. It’s the moment when you realize something is very wrong, and that you have to take the initiative to do something about it.”
Cuban doesn't seem to realize that most people never take that step toward change; they whine, then shrug, then go back to whatever it is they were doing. It’s the rare, focused, passionate type that turns a complaint into an opportunity - or a fortune.
The takeaway for marketers: Many entrepreneurs were never told by their parents to shut up and stop complaining. They learned early on to be impatient and have high expectations.
If you’re selling to entrepreneurs, you may have already encountered those high expectations. Businesses that don't provide quality products and services have trouble keeping entrepreneurial customers; they're never satisfied.
For successful selling, make sure your product or service has exceptional features that make them superior to the competition. And never, ever compromise that edge. Business owners will be your biggest fans, but they will turn on you in a minute if they think they're no longer getting the value they're paying for.
Entrepreneurs are change agents. And they expect no less of partners such as you.
To read Mark Cuban’s original post, click here.
How about: whining?
Mark Cuban, the thoughtful founder of Broadcast.com and owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, blogged recently about his tendency to whine. In high school, he whined about not being able to take business classes that were only available to seniors. At university he complained that his classes were too easy, so he snuck into the MBA classes. When he got a job selling software, he whined about having to sweep the floor and asked the owner if he could go out and close sales. “That led to me getting fired, which in turn led to me starting MicroSolutions.”
At MicroSolutions, Cuban whined that there were no companies to hook personal computers together, “so we became one of the first integrators for Novell Share Data Systems, which in turn became the core for our business that grew and grew until I sold it in 1990.”
Identifying problems and turning them into opportunities became the theme of his life. After whining about how he couldn't listen to Indiana basketball games in Dallas, he and a friend started AudioNet, which became Broadcast.com. At a Mavericks game in 1999 he whined that there was no energy in the building, no fun – so he ended up buying the Mavs.
Cuban claims he can’t understand why people think whining is a negative thing. “Whining is the first step towards change. It’s the moment when you realize something is very wrong, and that you have to take the initiative to do something about it.”
Cuban doesn't seem to realize that most people never take that step toward change; they whine, then shrug, then go back to whatever it is they were doing. It’s the rare, focused, passionate type that turns a complaint into an opportunity - or a fortune.
The takeaway for marketers: Many entrepreneurs were never told by their parents to shut up and stop complaining. They learned early on to be impatient and have high expectations.
If you’re selling to entrepreneurs, you may have already encountered those high expectations. Businesses that don't provide quality products and services have trouble keeping entrepreneurial customers; they're never satisfied.
For successful selling, make sure your product or service has exceptional features that make them superior to the competition. And never, ever compromise that edge. Business owners will be your biggest fans, but they will turn on you in a minute if they think they're no longer getting the value they're paying for.
Entrepreneurs are change agents. And they expect no less of partners such as you.
To read Mark Cuban’s original post, click here.
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