Customer for the Pitch Presentation

Typically when someone listens to a performance they are referred to as the audience.  But if you are in the preparation stages of an idea pitch, its good understand the pool of potential audiences at any given moment.  The core foundation of the pitch is knowing your story. Having a clear handle on your own assumptions versus facts so you can easily adapt your script to those before you.  Those potentially making up the audience include judges, mentors, target consumers, would-be employees, competitors, investors and even mystery guests whose role may not be known immediately but emerge.  Here are some insights into what they may be searching for during your presentation and further reading links and references to learn more.

Judge/s - A person who attends the pitch with the intention of using set criteria to evaluate both the style and substance of the presentation.  Each judge usually has an area of expertise (management, marketing, technology, etc.) which may have them view projects from a certain vantage point.  With so many business plan competitions, the pitch plays a critical step in evaluating the teams ability to define their concept and communicate it to others.  Feedback from judges in the form of comments and questions can help teams refine their ideas and improve upon delivery.

Read the Do's and Don't list of an experienced business plan pitch judge :

Ronick, D. (2011, April 27). 10 business plan dos and don'ts Inc., Retrieved from http://www.inc.com/articles/201104/business-plan-dos-and-donts.html/1

Mentor/s - A person who listens to your pitch as a process of improvement.  They may hear both formal and informal versions at different lengths.  They offer a critical eye and help you tweak your messages as you try out different versions incorporating more or less emphasis on a variety of aspects of your story. Mentors can help you to prioritize.  They will ask the questions that may lead you to provide the answers other groups may be seeking.  They try to evoke the best out of you.

Read an example of a Mentor's role as described by SVP - Social Venture Partners'  :

Social Venture Partners Seattle. (2011). For mentors. Retrieved from http://sifp.net/for-mentors

Target Consumer/s - A person who may make up the actual or potential consumer of your product/service.  By pitching your idea, you may show them the benefits of your idea and they can react by showing you if you created demand or not.  Some may want to be your first customers, are you ready for them?  Do you have a real product/service ready for sales?  How long would it take you to fill their orders?

Read a harsh criticism of the sales pitch that states why they fail and see if you can carve out key take-aways :

Matt, J. (2013, June 18). Why most sales pitches/presentations suck. Retrieved from http://whattheythink.com/articles/64078-why-most-sales-pitchespresentations-suck/

Competitor/s - A person representing an alternative solution to the problem your product/service aims to resolve or alleviate.  There are always those lurking to spot potential opportunities.  While you conduct your own research for the pitch you will also gather information about your competitors to better understand what differentiates your proposed solution in comparison to theirs.  However, when you cover the differences in your presentation be careful of word choice and juxtaposition. If a competitor was in the room would you really want to insult or offend them.  While certainly you want to illustrate the differences and highlight the benefits your product/service offers it may be best to use some competitive analysis tools to aid in your discussion.

Read why you have competition even if you think you don't :

Shen, D. (2012, December 30). "I have no competition". Retrieved from http://www.dshen.com/blogs/business/archives/i_have_no_competition.shtml"

Employee/s - A person in the room who has a talent you indicate is needed on your team and who you can connect with immediately or via a follow-up discussion.  When an idea is forming it develops and grows because resources are provided.  Sometimes this is in the form of cash, space and especially people who can devote their time and energy to the current gaps and priorities.  Attracting potential employees or partners can be a by product of a good pitch presentation.  The ability of the presenters to convince and persuade others about their vision and a description of current and future talent needs can help attract the right employees to help implement plans.

Investor/s - A person who has the potential to fund your business idea. The way we look at funders is changed by the rise of crowd funding where almost anyone can be a source of capital and resources.  The criteria they have to judge whether or not they want to invest time and money into your idea varies.  You also need to discriminate of who you want to be your partner as their are always expectations to manage.  Rest assured, you must present something that illustrates your business model, how does your business make money so that investors can see how they can make a return on their investment.

Read what mistakes to avoid in pitching to investors:

Frasch, R. (2013, July 9). 8 mistakes entrepreneurs make when pitching to investors. Forbes, Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/allbusiness/2013/07/09/8-mistakes-entrepreneurs-make-when-pitching-to-investors/

++Read what investors are willing to fund right now:
Simov, I. (2013, October 3). Startups we would like to fund. Retrieved from: http://blog.eleven.bg/2013/10/03/startup-ideas-wed-like-to-fund/

Sim

Mystery Guest/s - A person who you do not recognize in the audience and whose role is unclear.  These members of the audience can go unseen, unnoticed or be a source of your greatest frustration.  Many presenters have to tackle the fear of the unknown whenever they put themselves in the central position in a public speaking situation.  Learning to accept the mystery of who will actually show up and how you can be your best under any conditions will serve you well towards your goal of successful presentations.

Read more about grace under pressure and managing your own public speaking performance :

Furnham, A. (2013, November 17). On your head: Pace, pitch, pause. The Sunday Times. Retrieved from http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/public/Appointments/article1340796.ece

#10 - The Prototype Challenge

If you have vision and manifest a model, scaled down or scaled up that helps you physically demonstrate how it might work or be useful it can help you sell your idea.  Taking the dream to reality right before your target audience of potential employees, investors and customers, the prototype can show you are on the right track and ready to take the steps towards the versions to come.  If you have ever watched an episode of the reality show Shark Tank then you know that the pitch with prototypes or better yet real sales are the ones that get the sharks in a frenzy.

To help you understand better the process, here is an excellent example that walks through a prototype case of Pawfect Suds, a natural dog soap shaped as a paw.

The process from concept art, computer-aided design, model using 3d printing, making the mold in silicon and then filling the mold with product and removing with variations adding color and scent.  To make your own prototypes you can make a sample of the product or even dramatize the service or experience so that it is clear not on what the steps are but that it can be executed as planned.

#9 - Empty Spaces Near Student Places

All these images have a few things in common: I took them on the same day in May as I walked down the street from the JJ Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Economics campus.  A parade of empty storefronts that leave the imagination to decide what they were and what they could be.  From Cafe Bars, Bakeries, Casual Clothing Stores, Entertainment and Copy Shops to perhaps these student savvy concepts from College towns across the world:

1. Car pool service to help students share rides
2. Social media consultant for small businesses
3. Starting a franchise
4. All kinds of repair and resale shops
5. Tutoring classes and group learning
6. Roadtrips for getting discounts on group travel and entertainment
7. Party Promotion and planning services
8. Start a hostel with style

If you can think of some others, there might be an opportunity waiting for you.

#8 - Ehow - Learn how something works - New to You

One way to stay fresh is to keep learning new things.  I love the depository of new things to learn that is Ehow.com.  While they monetize the site and some sponsored links appear you can still find useful tips from real contributors who share their step by step guides on how to do just about anything.

Today, I wander on to learn "How to make a coffee table book".  I need this information as I have just pitched such a book to a local publisher.  We will start the call this month and collect images for the book over the next 2 months and I needed to compare what my expectations were of taking on such a project with what others may see as the logical flow.  This easy research can help me avoid skipping steps or underestimating any details.  My research has shown that many partners are interested in the project and I have someone to curate the submissions so those elements are on target. I have a theme I know well, trusted partners, a graphic designer who has the same vision as I do and a timeline that is realistic.  I just have to make sure the publisher I have chosen can help with proofreading the final texts, sales and promotion of the book and I hope to have all greenlights to go ahead at the end of the month.  There are also many resources to get estimates of how much such an undertaking would cost to DIY (do-it-yourself) as alternatives also need investigating.

#7 - Disrupting industries

The often quoted Creative Destruction essay by Joseph Schumpeter illustrates "...the same process of industrial mutation–if I may use that biological term–that incessantly revolutionizes the economic structure from within, incessantly destroying the old one, incessantly creating a new one. This process of Creative Destruction is the essential fact about capitalism." the notion of cycles of disruption which bring forth shifts in the way business is conducted.  Being able to spot a disruption in progress can help companies adapt to the changes faster and better to increase their chances of surviving and thriving in the new economies that emerge.

This idea challenge was for students to check out historical or present day trends that are predicted to disrupt industries in the future.  Accordingly, it can be seen that social enterprises those with blended missions are to me disruptive.  They are forcing government to adapt to their new models of doing business and social good intertwined.  As a case in point, Greyston Bakery started doing business in 1982 with their own focus on social employment, partnership and profit and the legal form of B corporation  (Benefit Corporation) that they have come to symbolize was only publicly recognized in New York State in 2012. Therefore it took 20 years for them to get formally recognized for their true mission, activities and achievements in the eyes of the law.

Greyston Bakery has given employment opportunities to many groups that normally get excluded because of their lack of work experience such as men and women who were previously homeless, in jail, and otherwise left out.  They provide shelter, training and medical assistance to their employees to give the an opportunity to change their circumstances.  The company has also been in partnership with Ben&Jerry's ice cream brand by preparing baked goods for their range of products.  With the profit the bakery continues to fuel new and improved outreach programs.  This is disruptive as it makes policy makers and those out for profit only rethink their business models for a sustainable future.

# 6 - Ted.Com Video Review - DIY vs. Luxury Economy

Speaker: Robert Neuwirth
Date: June 2012
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland

His point is that the informal economy plays a key role in global development. While he empasized the do-it-yourself economy of floating markets, street markets, grey economy and even flea markets and proposed that they benefit communities by being cooperative in nature, encourage and support self-reliance and provide alternative exchanges through barter not all that viewed the video agreed.  With over 390,000 views, the video has influenced the debate on the merits of business under the radar.  Mr. Neuwirth wants to acknowledge its role in the developing world.  While other remarked that the chaos of streetwise businesses causes chaos, crime and destroys the public rule.

I think that the unregulated environment of exchanges on the street are not that different from the emerging online platforms use to exchange goods like Facebook.  Commercial activity is not as regulated in online platforms as well.  In Croatia, laws have changed to the point where even the green market stands have taxes to pay and receipts to keep.  This layer of bureacracy can be seen as to safeguard consumers but it also brings barriers to enter even microbusiness like the street stands.  With impediments at the lower levels, it could also make it harder to grow and scale smaller to larger firms.

#5 - Customer First - The Special Needs Mom

When starting this exercise of customer first.  You need to imagine a single customer to represent a target audience.  In this case, I chose a special needs mom.  As it so happens, there is a woman who offers herself up as an advocate for other like her and she is based in Arizona, USA.  Its not always that when you find an image of your customer but you also learn about them from their own description but since the web allows so much information to be shared it is now possible to include customer voice in this exercise.  I chose this type of customer as my sister, Lainie, classifies herself as an "extra needs" mom.  They are a group of women who mother children of their own or through adoption who have a diagnosed or undiagnosed medical or physical condition which may need more care and attention to do tasks that others consider common and everyday. With a blend of how this woman describes herself and my knowledge of my own sister's lifestyle, I can create a profile which in the end should inspire ideas of products/services and experiences that may find her being a customer.

Name: Suzanne
Place: Arizona, USA
Family Status: Married, 2 children

She is a devoted mother and wife.  She left behind career opportunities to serve family and community.  She is a leader and activist who helps others in similar situations.  She devotes time to being an active educator on special needs issues and does volunteer work.  She writes a blog and maintains a facebook page so she is active on social media and is aware of local and national issues with regards to children's issues.  Since she is an advocate she is also an influencer in her social circles.

Products she might like to use are:

Apps that enable learning and skill development for kids with special needs like those found at http://blog.momswithapps.com/apps-for-special-needs/ like those that improve fine motor skills, enhance speech, motivate, offer visual communication tools and interaction.

Also, products invented by other parents with special needs like these unique mobility devices, drool proof clothing, safer sleeping aids and look-alike dolls.

Services she might favor:

Accessibilty travel planning services to advise where and how to travel to destinations which cater to those with special needs.

Animal-assisted therapy sessions which are proven beneficial to stimulating growth and development of children with special needs.

Experiences she might like to enjoy:

Taking an online course at FND University which offers courses for parents to train and prepare for the special needs gifts and challenges.

Planning her own vacation that is adapted to their family by discovering all the camps that are open and inviting.


This exercise gets you to think like a customer who while you might not know personally you can relate to  through associations you have with people of a similar profile.  

# 4 - A Tisket a Tasket, Inspired by a Basket (Product Inspiration)

Wicker baskets have so many applications and uses.  I think the humble wicker basket is due for the innovation treatment.  Although Wicker dates back to 4000 b.c. and is noted numerous societies the name is said to be of Scandanavian origin.  Wicker is not a material but actually a style of woven furnishings.

I recently purchased some Croatian made wicker baskets for storage and for picnicking with my friends and family.  The store had a catalog that illustrated some models that they manufactured.  While the quality of their products seem very solid, their designs seemed classic so I wondered what trends could offer them new innovations and opportunities to grow.  There are many small to medium firms that need to find ways to be competitive through product innovation and with raw materials sourced along the rivers Mura and Drava, I think this is the ideal profile of company that could benefit from some new perspectives.

Wicker furnishings can run through a full range of products that have both style and function for use at home and at work.  @Home its common to see wicker summer furniture, casual storage to hold books, shoes, and even planters.  @Work baskets can be used as filing systems to organize, to hold products for display and even in waiting rooms to hold magazines or flower arranges and certainly as the basis to hold corporate gifts. If these uses come to mind so easily then I wanted to research other more customized uses of wicker items.

My research let me to these variations...

1. Wicker inserts for upscale kitchens

2. Wicker as a fashion element

3. Wicker as sustainable architecture, an edgy playroom at a Thai Resort

Certainly with the abundance of materials around all of Croatia's fresh water sources, wicker has more potential beyond what is currently being done in this market.  

#3/10 - Social Enterprise - Start with Heart and add Head and Hands...

One of the goals of the course in Entrepreneurship is the expand the view of entrepreneurs/hip that students have at the start and truly explore the wide range of applications of entrepreneurship.  One of my favorite forms is social entrepreneurship as it combines doing well by doing good.  We start with identifying issues that students care about...access to education, social inclusion, child welfare, environment, corruption, and others and we identify skill sets they may have that can combine for unique social enterprise opportunities.

Example:  Heart - I care about children's issues as I have done many volunteer actions to aid youth since I was a teen myself.  Head and Hands - I have skills in resource management, teaching and organization.

For this idea assignment I can generate ideas that combine these two what I care about plus what I am good at to come up with some possible business opportunities or research existing ideas with that same combination in mind.

1. KOTO - A vietnamese social enterprise that connects disadvantaged youth with culinary training.  KOTO stands for "Know One, Teach One" (Australia-Vietnam)

2. Teach Twice - A social enterprise founded by college students which creates and sells books written by citizens of communities in need around the globe.  Then parents buy these books to read to their children and then in doing so funds schools and education in the communities of the books origin.  Read more about the founders and the project here. (USA)

3. Excite-ed - Teaches technology to youth and engages them in learning and creating apps so that both the process and the products benefit 7-18 year old members of the apps clubs and the prepares them with skills needed in the future. (UK)

Maybe one of these stories will inspire students to turn their own expertise in to a giving and gaining opportunitity for themselves and their communities in the double or triple bottom line fashion of a social venture.

Idea Journal 2/10 for Fall 2013 - The Potatoe Peeler - Ordinary to Extraordinary

This idea challenge I pose to my students was simple....find something ordinary and find an alternative version that is extraordinary.  As applied to a person, place or thing, there are endless possibilities that can start with one's own imagination or draw from real examples that others have created. Simple devices like a potatoe peeler like this can be ordinary:

or extraordinary....the Rotato...



Elevating simple devices such as the potatoe peeler and other household gadgets or even just testing them out becomes a hobby for some and for our students and exercise in design thinking.

Idea journals/1/10Assignment 3 of a kind - My examples of dog shelters

For my current students: I will be doing assignments alongside them to illustrate examples for their own idea journals.  They have 10 entries to do similar to the ones my summer school students did in July and the parallel posts I did (see archives).

1/10 BUSINESS MODELS/DOG SHELTERS
3 Similar Business Concepts to understand Business Models.  For my illustration of this I will choose dog shelters.  I have selected 1 example in Croatia, 1 example in the USA and then this exciting take on dog shelters in Costa Rica that I found via Upworthy.

In Croatia, the main dog shelters are run by the cities and there are nonprofits who are also working to aid homeless pets.  The Animal Friends Croatia organization notes that the city dog shelter outside of Zagreb in Dumovec has been opened since 2001.  It houses over 500 dogs per year but also cares for other pets and coordinates adoptions.  With economic downturn and summer holidays, there is a rise in pet abandoment here.



In the USA, I grew up with dogs from our local SPCA. The SPCA stands for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. We used to go and visit "the pound" as we called it.  Today however, visiting their site you can see they take a more proactive marketing approach where they organize adoption events at malls, schools, pet stores and even the race track.  So pets don't have to wait for owners to come to the shelters....the shelters and pets go where adoptive families might be.

Upworthy's Adam Albright-Hanna posted this comment "Sometimes all it takes is a little creative packaging to get people to understand how great something can be." remarking on how Costa Rica is shifting perspective on the formerly unwanted mixed breed dogs and playing on their unique combination of features.  Its a must see video...

Caso: Territorio de Zaguates from GARNIER BBDO on Vimeo.

Motivating Youth Towards Entrepreneurship with Music

In class, I usually ask students to think about mixing 2 things in order to achieve entrepreneurial and life success.  Mix what you love and what you are good at and you will have the drive needed to see you through the process, and the skills to apply once you arrive.  So its normal for me to begin by trying to get students to share openly what they feel confident about and perhaps demonstrate a hobby or a talent in a "flash" showcase.  In the fall 2012, I announced that I wanted to find talents in the room that might surprise everyone.  One young student came forward that he was a rapper.  I simply asked for him to come up to the front and freestyle something on the spot.  He did and the class went wild with enthusiasm.

Well, it was hard for me not to cherish that moment.  Its such a joy for me to see people express their talents and be appreciated.  This student was Teo Gudelj.  I thought about Teo and how I could help him to have more moments like that.  After the class had completed, I tried to write an EU project that could feature his talent for the spoken word and song to reach more young people who had not yet found their calling in life.  I sat with a group of colleagues and we came up with a low budget program that would use Youtube to educate through rap song.  I still remember lessons from my elementary and high school that used songs to teach, so why not?  Well, this EU project did not get funded but the idea was still there so we approached Zagrebacka Banka with a new variation of the idea for another entrepreneurship project they had launched, Moj ZABA Start: Moja Prilika...My Chance.

While it took several months to come together, they did accept and we went into production.  We started with our artist, Helena Habdija.  She met with me and  we discussed the competition which would award 300,000 kuna in cash prize money plus an education and development program for the top 3 winners.  After her sketches were done, we passed them over to Teo Gudelj, my promising student with the hip/hop/rapper skills.  He turned the sketches into text and submitted the lyrics.  The lyrics were then screened by ZABA and with only minor edits were returned.  We assembled a team to scout locations and a recording studio to produce the song.  The song was produced by 19 year old Mateo Dido in his studio on the island of Ciovo. The collaboration between Teo and Mateo was excellent and some impromptu studio footage was edited into the final music video.  The project was all low budget and the goal was to stimulate more buzz about the competition which was announced in June and accepts applications through September 15, 2013.  The biggest hurdle was the summer weather as most of Croatia focuses on either working hard or playing hard to support the tourism sector.

The resulting video is a homemade, old school feel and it emphasizes the partners and the process of taking a chance on your own ideas.  We also made a subtitled and closed-caption version with a graduate of Slava Raskaj school.  Martina Falica is a talented dancer who also happens to be hearing-impaired so she quickly learned the song and came out to the location of ZABA on Maksimirska 86 in Zagreb. This branch of the bank welcomed us to tape some cameo performances by some of their branch office bank tellers and personal bankers.  Martina provides some closed caption sequences in the alternative version that can be viewed below.

Hot Type

Word play is essential in the creativity exercises I play in class with my students. While on vacation, I am still on a quest to find ways to make students embrace these techniques as a way of thinking rather than just for a grade. On these summer days, the indulgence in magazine reading gave me the opportunity to spot a couple hot text trends. Word play is alive and well in magazine design. Take a look at some examples from the August 2013 edition of Company magazine, a Hearst publication.  

1. Handwritten fonts

2. Highlighted text to emphasize key sentences.

3. Major underlining to make it look like its a work in progress in edit mode

4. Paint effect headlines in black ink with grainy texture

5. Asterisks that are computer generated equivalent of scribble

6. Text over notebook paper background    

7. Typewriter font  (see 1, 3, and 5)

8. Collaged text as if its been cu tfrom a magazine and newspaper and glued down again in contrasting and complimentary interplay with other words and images.

9. Doodles

10.Comic book hero retro text bubbles with sound effect text  

Overall thoughts about the Hot Type trends from this magazine..."the grass is always greener" as there certainly seems to be a yearning to embrace simpler times of handwritten, handcrafted and even typewriter driven text in personal communication of times gone by. 

"Your Best Teacher is Your Last Mistake" - Ralph Nader

Everyday if you visit facebook you will see quotes being shared.  Most often they are moving copy over an image or even simply handwritten snapped with an iphone and then uploaded.  If liked, they are also often shared and passed around.  This movement is great to spread ideas but whose idea was it originally is being lost.  Today, like many mornings I did this very same thing...looking through the newsfeed, I found an image posted and shared by Shale Hrvoje Salkovic, a writer.  He and I must have some common connection but I do not know him outside of Facebook. He does have over 76,000 likes to his Facebook profile.  To this particular post after just 11 hours on July 18, 2013 there were over 3,000 likes and 202 shares.

I moved on to thoughts of my class today where students have to prepare business plans and carefully document their sources.  Then I shifted back to the saying Your best teacher is your last mistake that Mr. Salkovic was inspired to share and then for me to pass on.  In a matter of seconds, I verified my thought that someone must have said it before today.  Yes, indeed it was Ralph Nader, an American consumer advocate and one-time Presidential hopeful.  I tracked back and added a comment with the link to make sure he was name checked in the future.

About 6 hours after I posted my comment, it had received 2 likes.  I was very glad to see that the Shale Hrvoje Salkovic was one of them.  I have around 900 Facebook friends, he has over 84 times as many fans but yet he read and acknowledged the comment relatively quickly so it was validating that the effort was worth while.  Its not always appreciated but from his choice of quote, he is always open to learning.

Now as an example I will use the tool I recommend to students in order to properly document their references, Son of Citation Machine, which generates properly formatted citations with its online generator. There mission is to get users to recognize that "Someday the information someone else wants to use....will be yours" which is featured on their home page.

Here are a list of references for this blog entry:

A E Television Networks, LLC. (1996-2013). Ralph Nader biography. Retrieved from http://www.biography.com/people/ralph-nader-9419799

Salkovic, S. H. (2013, July 18)."Your best teacher is your last mistake." [Web log message]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/pages/Shale-Hrvoje-Salkovic/171890232948967

Warlick, D. (2000, October 29). Son of citation machine. Retrieved from http://citationmachine.net

Results of the Idea Journal experiment

The Idea Journal experiment was to give a simple idea starter kit to students.  Substance should be 10 ideas and style could be online or offline.  The results have been beyond my expectations.  There were baloons with QR codes linking to different online sites and commentary.  There were wall coverings neatly compartmentalized with impeccable handwriting, there were Pinterest boards, Smilebox animated scrapbooks and more.  I still have to read through them but over the next couple days I will keep updating this post and show examples of some well thought out and designed idea journals.  Bravo students.

Sampling of Idea Journal Links

• Ramón Aduna Quezada http://raduna.wix.com/ideajournal
• Luis Angel - http://pinterest.com/luisaold/idea-journal/ 
• Bozena Boro http://prezi.com/vw0p8bclz3nz/present/?auth_key=v9ed5yw&follow=ukzjhehzn21z
• Nahema Cissoko http://pinterest.com/nahmac/idea-journal/
• Basak Guven http://anideadaykeepsmindlessbrainsaway.tumblr.com/
• Ivana Paradinović http://cookingupideas.blogspot.com/
• Julio Pastrana http://julioideajournal.blogspot.com/ 
• Bojan Pavlović http://zeen.com/read/Iz66EB/idea-journal-by-bojan-pavlovic
• Maja Roso http://majaideajournal.tumblr.com/
• Ivan Stipančić http://pinterest.com/istipanc/boards/

Idea#10: Repurposing the Mall

One problem that I see is underutilized spaces.  When I spoke at the TedxZagreb event in 2010 this was my platform as the "Huntress of Hidden Potential" I reimagined spaces and the audience was with me but I am not sure what impact it had as I did not move it in any particular direction except to make an awareness building exercise in my entrepreneurship course.  The students regularly have to take pictures of places they think could be something as in take a picture of an vacant building, lot, field, etc and reimagine what it could be.

Luckily, Candy Chang and her powerful Ted video on "Before I die, I want to..." really helped to elevate this issue.  She also has prepared with a team a toolkit where the community can be more involved in transforming their cities and places and connecting citizens.  In our class, we did an experiment during the last session and put on the white board "I wish..." and it was interesting to see the cooperation and resistance of students to share their wishes.

One wish I have is that spaces are fully utilized.  Empty spaces to me represent missed opportunities.  For every square meter of space underutilized...how many people are equally underutilized?  I have selected for my issue of space the large mall complexes that are built and then despite of all the financial investment that goes into them, they quickly turn into vacant "should have beens".  This is not just locally which is illustrated with the beautiful, modern, conveniently located Cascade Mall before/after in Zagreb but many others like
New South China Mall, North Street Arcade in Belfast, and the rise of people who are tracking this urban dilemna like www.deadmalls.com, http://www.urbanghostsmedia.com/ and other stories of the retail wasteland.

We can choose to look it as a problem or see it as an opportunity to reclaim these underutilized properties like the excellent NYT piece on 101 different ideas for unused malls.  Their article featuring (contributors to deadmalls.com) offer examples of reuse for the following purposes:
- Libraries
- Incubators/Accelerators for Small Business Startups
- Educational space, college classrooms and campuses
- Urban clubs and recreational centers
- Non governmental and other civic services organizations
- Mixed use centers for housing, business, religion

Comments from some of the readers of this article include other suggestions like
-  Biospheres and Urban Gardens
-  After-school programs for kids
-  Entertainment complexes (Paintball, Skate parks)
-  Food kitchens and Free clinics
-  Ethnic and Cultural Centers
-  Museums and Exhibition Showcases
-  Senior Centers
-  Health and Wellness Centers
-  Prisons
-  Science Centers and Space Labs

What does it get you thinking about?

Idea#9: Trend Inspiration Unconferences and DIY

As I sought in an earlier post to rethink conference signage, I need to see what other elements are possible to infuse an "Unconference" with DIY techniques without it becoming a distraction.  If it can still keep the right tone of the theme then it has the potential of adding dimension and a personalized atmosphere to the event.

The conference we are preparing is for Invest for the Future.  It will have 2 days of full programming and first day and last day for travel to the destination of Struga, Macedonia, a resort area.  What signage is needed is usually a welcome sign in the lobby to signify the conference is being held and currently in progress.  But before they even get to the hotel they will be travelling to the destination some attendees (mostly women entrepreneurs and those in related positions representing government, corporations, ngos and the like) will come in by bus from their points of origin in regional countries or via airport connections from Skopje.  There is then an opportunity to put some type of signage in the bus windows and inside of the bus to signal they are attending the IFTF#Talent: Mine, Yours and Ours unconference.

The DIY touches that could add to the event for women could be:

Pennants with the Invest for the Future logo sewn in.  If we do these on white fabic with the red logo it will not be too complicated and we can source a local ngo to sew based on a pattern by one of our talented contributors, Helena Habdija could make.

We can add diy touches to the onsite catering that personalizes brown bag take-away, the buffets and coffee breaks like:

Take-Aways: Simple Snack Packets - which could be distributed on the bus rides so that everyone has a drink and snack along the way, Gifts could also include a handcrafted business card holder or luggage tags.

Coffee/Tea Time: Tea bag wallets - which could be part of the in room welcome basket, Make the ordinary, extraordinary with happy sugar cubes,

Buffet Decorations - which could make up the style quotient of the dining experiences with custom centerpieces, or some shabby chic touches mixing recycled (but sanitary) items with elegant trimmings.

Networking Enhancements - for the unconference sometimes you want to make sure people with similar or divergent interests find each other and there are a few options like Chalkboard Placemats, Photo Place Cards, Table Name Tags

While all together it may be overboard, the point is that even the little touches of customization and using talents of local ngos could add a hint of feminity and style with a jolt of creativity from them unexpected.  It also lends itself to csr of an event of including an ngo in the value chain instead of just paying for printed materials that are the standard.

Idea#8: From Parade Banner to a DIY Event Banner

In order to realize and idea and investigate more about its opportunity potential, an entrepreneur how to know how to implement.  But if entrepreneurs are really on a journey to explore new and create value then they often will be on a constant path of research, prototyping and refinement.

For my example, I thought of diy (do-it-yourself) event banners. Instead of buying the regular pop up displays that help conference attendees identify the conference facilities and direct them around the venue, we might draw inspiration from sports fans and parade participants.  The more enthusiastic, the more banners, signs and detail they put into slogans and communicating those messages in a form that reflect their passion for their home team, marching band or any other organization they represent. Since we would model after them, to some degree, I needed to find out "How to make a DIY Banner".

After reading what Ehow advises, I summarized that when making a banner the following considerations should be taken into account:
1. Material - Cheap/Expensive, Shortterm/Longterm, Before Care/After Care, etc.
2. Dimensions - Shape, Size, Weight, User-friendly
3. Content - Organizational Restrictions, Design Standards, Elements, Motifs, Lettering, Finishing

Idea#7: Springwise.com (or a substitute) Inspiration

For years it seems I have been recommending visits to springwise.com for unlimited inspiration.  However, it seems that the site itself in now limiting viewers by membership fee.  Monthly and Yearly membership is now emphasized and blocks the visitor who has not committed to recognize the value of an idea clearinghouse to enter beyond today's top picks.  In light of this new blockade, I discovered moreofit.com which finds sites similar to the ones we might like as alternatives.  Here are some of their suggestions to finding entrepreneurial inspirations...

Cool Business Ideas  which upon my first visit features Solar Powered Rental cars, Digital Dog Collars and the zoomable paper map.

Unusual Business Ideas that Work  which featured wireless provider, lice eliminator and crm solutions

Trendwatching.com featuring a newsletter with trends now and what's up next

But I still miss the free version of www.springwise.com for my fix...(I may have to give in and subscribe).

Idea#6: Ted Talk Inspiration

The idea about Entrepreneurs usually centers around the pioneers.  The entrepreneurs who stand out from the crowd and make change happen.  However, Derek Sivers illustrates through this on point video that we should also herald the importance of the first followers.  First followers are the ones that spot the idea and trigger others to join in on the movement whether it be to consume the product, service or simply join in on the experience, they ignite the crowd around the pioneer making it acceptable if not even, fashionable.

Interview Assignment/Entrepreneur Biography Investigations

Students in the course for summer semester have to investigate potential entrepreneurial role models.  They start with a basic shell with the template above and transform it to something more like below, an example of Clara Stones' entrepreneurial duo Anja and Vittorio.

Idea#4/10 - Starting with the Product a vs. perspective and Idea#5/10 - Starting with the Customer/Breastfeeding Moms

Starting with a product first can help focus on the features vs. benefits issues.  A product can possess certain qualities which can be listed as features of the that offering.  However, the benefits of those features need to be clearly communicated to existing and potential customers in order for them to understand the value they are getting or could gain by buying the item in question.  When examining a product in this way it is easier to examine motivations to consume this product and how other solutions could offer innnovative alternatives or how that product could be improved or enhanced.

Bottles vs. Breasts

Features of the Bottle

• Nipples come in Silicone or Latex
• Shape come in straight or wide
• Angled top or vented
• Materials come in glass, plastic or steel

Features of the Breast

• Nipples are genetic match to you and your baby
• Shape shifting design
• All natural design and material

Benefits of the Bottle

• Wide shape made for easy cleaning
• Design can lend to reducing colic in babies
• Mothers have more freedom as others can feed the baby too

Benefits of the Breast

• Convenience - No purchase necessary
• Affordability - No refills necesary
• Economical - Most economical. money saving option
• Connection - Promotes bond between mother and child

(try it yourself, what are the features and benefits of disposable vs. reusable diapers?)

Further Product readings include:

http://www.parents.com/baby/feeding/bottlefeeding/picking-a-baby-bottle/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4002/The-great-breast-bottle-debate.html

Profile of a Breastfeeding Mom

The point of this exercise is to come up with a profile of a particular market segment and to start with your first customer in mind.  If your group that you want to focus on are the "breastfeeding moms" then identify and name someone to represent the group.  This will help you better understand the lifestlye of your customer and where their needs are being filled and where there may be gaps to fill.  Even if you start with assumptions, it will give you the basis of checking those assumptions through real research to refine your brand communication and marketing mix strategy.  Here is the exercise using the image above...

Name: Sarah Templeton

Age: 36

Place: Austin, Texas

Status: Married

Family: Husband Peter, Children: Delilah, 3 years old, Daphne 8 months

Lifestyle: Sarah is a working mother.  She chooses to breastfeed with her second child as she learned how with her first child and now can find the balance between pumping while she is at work and using a combination of breastmilk through bottles during the day and breast at night and mornings.  She also works out 2x per week with stroller jogging in her nearby park.  She is a multi-tasker and feels productive when she can get 2 things done with one activity.

Owns: a hybrid car that runs on electricity and gas.  She has a smart phone to keep herself organized as she is constantly on the go. She has a nanny who came with references as she raised Delilah without a nanny and with 2 children she needs a little extra support as her husband travels for work.  She buys music and smart toys for her kids development and limits tv time.  She enjoys nature and especially likes planning gourmet picnics.

Products/Services/Experiences that she does not own but might be predisposed to purchase if offered:

Annual pass to the children museum

Travel and Leisure Magazine

Multi-tasking Makeup Products 

Gifts for the Working Mom

(Knowing her profile, what would your recommend for Sarah?)

Further Customer readings include

http://www.babycenter.com/0_diet-for-a-healthy-breastfeeding-mom_3565.bc

http://www.protectmifamilies.org/health-info/support-is-key-for-new-breastfeeding-moms/

Idea#3/10: My 2 Words/Unusual + Conference = Unconference

Everyday you need new ideas to help solve problems.  Currently, we are working at the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center @ZSEM to create a meaningful gathering for Female Entrepreneurs to exchange skills, talents, abilities and experiences.  Many times conferences are planned around speakers rather than on the more numerous participants.  I needed to come up with new ideas for an Unusual Conference.  Blending these two words together, I discovered a new trend called the "Unconference".

The Unconference was probably influenced by the Ted Talk format where even the most groundbreaking "ideas worth spreading" must be condensed to less than 20 minutes.  The emphasis has been gravitating to getting to the point and conveying ideas in a condensed format that leaves audiences wanting more not less.  As conference attendees crave interaction and networking opportunities, events that encourage and facilitate connections before, during and after a gathering are highly valued.  A gathering in Halifax called Growing Inclusive Markets in 2008, the TEDxZagreb in 2010 and Ashoka University in 2011 and 2013 really shaped my view that this is the way forward.

The traditional layout of the room is often organized with a distinct head table as opposed to the Unconference which may still have speakers but then offers channels for creating subthemes and breakout sessions that can be carried on further throughout the day.  One style of room setup for the unconference is called the "fishbowl" which features a center and participants radiate out.  There is usually a facilitator in the center who then can have speakers share as well as leave room for audience members interested in coming into the center to join in on the conversation while others watch on but also engage with questions and answers.  

Another feature of the unconference is that it often utilizes principles of the open space technology.  This open space technology has been developed over 30 years but continues as an alternative to the more usual conference setups.  I will continue to study the approach so that we can facilitate our gathering for our upcoming Invest for the Future#Talent: Mine, Yours and Ours in an unconference style.