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.

Idea Journal #2/10 - Social Worker Inspired

Last week, my friend Brigita Jeric invited me to join her at University of Zagreb, Faculty of Law to speak on the topic of Social Entrepreneurship.  We were participating that day in the Summer School for Social Work and Community Development and hosted by Professor Nino Zganec and the participants who were mainly social workers from across Croatia.  In our 2 hour block, Brigita spoke about her work with Slava Raskaj and the problems with high unemployment (60%) among vocationally trained graduates with a range of special needs that come out of her program.  Slava Raskaj has some excellent international and local collaborations which try at once to provide training and sustainability through social enterprise activities like catering operations.  The together, Brigita and I shared the nonprofit and social enteprise initatives we are trying to support with our friend Vedran Habel.  The last component, I did an encore performance of my Ashoka U 2013 presentation on Creativity as a New Competency for Social Change.  This helped the audience members see a few ways of how social ideas are changing communities through different degrees of innovation.  The series of our conversations were well received and I felt we could make change happen that day.

I asked each participant to write two words, one a social cause and one a business idea, on a piece of a paper with their name on it.  I collected all the words and typed them up in a powerpoint presentation.  When I arrived at my own Summer School class in Entrepreneurship at ZSEM, I paired up students and asked them to do word associations building on the clues the social workers had given.  Each word was then elaborated by word associations from the students.  Example here:

A different set of words were given two 14 other sets of students for 14 other social workers or entrepreneurs.  The following day the students who came up with the word associations had to then transform them into 3 potential social enterprise ideas that the social workers could implement.  From the audience, I connected with Ivana, the social worker who also shared the story that her husband happens to be a paraplegic artist of great talent, Ante Teskera and provided me with a catalog to his impressive artworks.

For this series of idea entries then I also needed to discover how these two words paraplegic and art are combined to generate awareness and revenue.  Paraplegic is a medical condition which is most often associated with trauma to the the spinal cord resulting in reduced mobility of limbs.  Art is used as therapy to release and communicate feelings, emotions and desires like the explanation given at myhandicap.com.

But this creative outlet can go from therapy to hobby to profession.  I found musicians, make-up artists, fine artists, and a wide array of paraplegic and quadraplegic artists.  One in particular, Mariam Pare, even makes videos of her process of creating beautiful oils on canvas by mouth.  

Idea Journal #1/10 - Three of a Kind

This is the first entry of my series of 10 ideas.  I am developing an example of an Idea Journal for my students.  The first assignment was to find 3 businesses in the same category and compare and contrast them.  The students were asked to find businesses in Zagreb and shoot the photos with their smart phones for the simple exercise.  I am doing this from home so I used examples found online. The goal of this exercise is to frame an ordinary business idea around how it can manifest into different business models.

I selected the segment "specialty candles".  Candle making dates back to 5,000 years starting in Egypt according to the National Candle Association.  Today, I have three examples selected for different reasons:

The examples include:

1. The Milkouse Candle Company in the USA
2. Fruit of Care, Social Enterprise in Hungary
3. Cupido Candles in Croatia

The Milkhouse Candle Company is a candle company that features a clean design and concept that offers candles made of soy base and are targeted at those with allergies and environmental sensitivities.  They focus on the customer benefits.

Fruit of Care based in Hungary is a social enterprise that has over 7,000 people with some form of "disability"( I prefer different ability) working in their workshops.  They make a range of high design products including fine scented candles.  They were inspired by Anita Roddick's The Body Shop.  The by-products of their workshops are sold online, as corporate gifts as well in select duty free and other retail outlets.

Cupido Candles is based in Opatija, Croatia.  They have four distinct segments of candles that they manufacture and distribute including a) tombstone lanterns/graves, b)fragrant candles/home or office, c) sea candles/tourists, d) garden candles/outdoors.

This exercise is useful in realizing that each candle business can take up a unique space in the market to define itself and its potential customer segments.