Update: When New Blog Posts Will Resume…

On May 26, new content will appear on this blog.
This break will allow for completion of the
Finding Your Niche book  revision for 2016.

This decision was reached yesterday after tech support
admitted that they too were in the midst of a tech glitch
and could not step in to troubleshoot until their tools were back online.

And now after a lovely 7-hour remote tech session yesterday, all factory settings
must be reset because of a trackpad glitch…which will wipe out everything since March 2016.And although there’s a backup, it means that a lot of work that cannot be backed up must once again be replaced manually.

You know, there are billionaire entrepreneurs  who avoid using
computers in their work and I see the wisdom in that strategy.




Updates: Computer Quiz Post, Book Revision, And File Conversion Misery

=work-station-straight-on-view

 

  1. Three new paragraphs have been added to the end of the post link  below…y.

2. March-April: Converting files proved challenging due to compatibilit issues after an upgrade. One final tech sessionthis week  should resolve the problem.. So the new target date for completion of Finding Your Nicherevisions  2016 is this coming month. New upgrade

Quick Computer Quiz: Tech-Savvy Tips for Biz Beginners




The Business of Animal Behavior: 3 Amazing Cases

Business Startup Activity Uncovered in the Wild Kingdom?

white, small, fluffy dog with black button nose and black horned rim glasses

Secretive creatures engage in activities many humans know little about, say animal behavior experts (PBS).

In the real world, a gorilla can communicate with humans, according to the Gorilla Foundation and Project Koko, the only interspecies communication study to date. And Border Collie pups as young as four weeks old can work as herders.

So it was only a matter of time…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48lvlMUrB74?feature=oembed&w=1200&h=900]

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC51WMprbu4?feature=oembed&w=1200&h=675]

Scientists would discover evidence that certain animals have been starting niche ventures and have been doing so behind the scenes for some time.

At the recent International Zoology Business conference in Davos, Switzerland, some conference members compared

notes and reached an astonishing conclusion…

Consider:

St. Bernard pups in a monastery in Geneva, Switzerland, operate a company that brews an energy chocolate elixir based on a century-old recipe handed down by monks. The pups ship the drinks in tiny barrels to college students all over the globe.

Meanwhile, in the US, Vermont state police have been flooded with persistent calls from residents who have reported sightings of grazing cows dressed in what callers described as

                 “Hip and colorful winter woolens.”

There is a strong suspicion that the stunning colorful designs result from a collaboration of a nearby butterfly kaleidoscope. The design firm reportedly staffed entirely by butterflies landed a six-figure contract to produce scarves for wedding guests at upscale resort hotels.

But perhaps the most incredible account takes place in Namibia, where hippopotami, a bale of turtles, and a herd of giraffes have set aside their differences and formed a partnership, successfully operating a five-star safari hotel. The turtles wait tables as the giraffes practice their culinary expertise in an incredibly tall kitchen. Meanwhile, the hippopotami ferry guests on wild river rafting trips.  

Disbelief rippled among many conference attendees until a park ranger from Australia stepped forward with a strange tale that provided an important clue and corroborated these fantastic accounts of animal entrepreneurship.

Four years earlier, the ranger had come across a mob of roos hopping across the preserve one night. He grabbed his night vision binoculars to get a closer look, but the animals had scattered before he could swing back around in his jeep. And he had blinked hard because he could have sworn that several of the does were carrying a small stack of books.

He thought nothing more about the incident, attributing his hallucination to a eucalyptus leaves overdose. But then a year passed, and an article in the Melbourne Business Journal caught his attention…

A feature about a mysterious up-and-coming startup specializing in children’s first-aid products made from harvested Rainforest herbs: herbs are found only in the same part of the country where the preserve is located.

According to the article, UPS would come to the edge of the preserve each week, and hundreds of small packages were piled neatly for outgoing delivery. But no one was there, only written instructions and a check.

The ranger’s story provided an essential clue because animals were spotted with their nose or snout near an unidentified book in each of the cases uncovered.

Some of nature’s finest are reading entrepreneurial books, thinking critically, and taking an active role in business development. And one pre-startup guide is being shared by enterprising animals, notes a highly placed source at the IZB.

But one mystery remains unsolved: what guide did the animals read for inspiration? How did they learn how to pick a unique niche? Plans are underway to identify the title ASAP.

Question

What kind of business would you be inspired to start if you were your favorite animal?

Save

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[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48lvlMUrB74?feature=oembed&w=1200&h=900]




MusicBiz Notes: Quiz

4 Questions About the Music Business

concert-316464_640

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkGf1GHAxhE?feature=oembed&w=1200&h=675]

Back in 2009, I took a course from Foothill College called
Music Business and one of the assignments involved listening to a song I’d never heard before. The link had no pictures. I did know who the musician featured was and groaned…

In general, my favorite category of music is pop and if you search through my CD collection Simply Red, Celine Dion, Michael or Janet Jackson could be found among my favorites.

I hit the link and listened. I didn’t like the song…I loved it!
I couldn’t stop grinning. What a delight. Music of a bygone era but Les Paul Paul..timeless
An awesome musician and entrepreneur…

I found a Youtube that best matches what I heard six years ago.
How High the Moon… 3 Minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOzB7I2y7Ic

Note: Music Business 50 at Foothill has been updated since 2009 and deaf students can take the class.  And the music tech department offers a wide array of classes. For example, composing for video games, entertainment law, Pro tools certification, mastering marketing and managing your music (60c).

The music technology program is considered one of the finest at the junior college level
with students from around the country.
http://www.foothill.edu/musictechnology/

4 Sample Questions  from
MusicBiz Notes

1. Where’s the Money?
What professional should a musician consult when there is a dispute over money that may be owned for music sales?

A. Forensic Accountant
B. Private Detective
C. Entertainment Lawyer

 2.  Prince shook up the industry when he took control of his music and began marketing his music online. Can you name other artists who have used proactive or grassroots marketing methods?

3. The Weavers and Peter, Paul and Mary combined social activism with their music during the civil rights era and beyond. Can you name two other artists who have used their celebrity for socio-political causes in the 21st century?

4. T or F?  Many aspiring musicians ignore the business side of the industry in the mistaken belief that they need an MBA to protect themselves in the industry.




Tech & Internet Trends 2014 and 2017

Tech & Internet Trend 2014 and 2017

Venture Capitalist Insight…
Internet Trends 2014, Code Conference,
by Mary Meeker,
 May 28.
Meeker, a venture capitalist and the BFF of
Bill Gates, according to an industry insider,
offers an annual graphic report of the rapidly
changing landscape and the impact on daily life.

Jam-packed with colorful graphs and photos,
it’s a fast-paced visual read covering an array
of subjects from social media to social media
TV viewing, health, money, education  cyber
security, immigration, public companies,
Smartphones, laptops and more.

Key Internet Trends
Selected Highlights

  • Education/Online education, pgs. 24-28
  • Re-Imaging Apps: Some are disappearing, pg 39
  • Re-Imaging Content, pg.45
  • Re-Imaging daily activities, pg 46
  • Challenging Non Cloud Business models, pg. 76
    &
    Immigration in America: The Shortage of High skilled Workers
    Note: A 190-pg pdf by Meeker’s company
    http://www.kpcb.com/insights/immigration-in-america-the-growing-shortage-of-high-skilled-workers
     For 2017
    Internet Trends and Stats
    vpnmentor.com
    https://www.vpnmentor.com/blog/vital-internet-trends/

    Takeaway lesson

    Although a recent critique of the report on Harvard Business Review.org contained countless valid points, it should be noted that no one report should ever be used as the sole source of information when researching an industry.

References
KPBC.Com
Internet Trends 2014, Code Conference, by Mary Meeker, pg. 163.
http://tinyurl.com/kgyv2yb

Harvard Business Review.org
Summary: It’ time to re-imagine Meeker’s report
http://tinyurl.com/lqesh35




Finding Your Niche Book Bonus

New Kindle Format 2 Books in One
Available fall 2014
Update:
Software and formatting issues have delayed Kindle upload until fall.

  • Finding Your Niche: Discover…  Newly revised and available free through the Kindle lending library, 241 pages, ISBN 978-0-9831539-3-1  will include
  • Lawyers Who Become Entrepreneurs

9780615197067  




Midwest Book Review: Praise for Finding Your Niche

Wooden blocks with the word book and colorful books

 

Fing Your Niche Personalized Journal

The Midwest Book Review is a respected industry
source for small press publications writes publishing
pioneer Marilyn Ross.Reviews from the organization
are posted with Cengage Learning, Gale interactive
CD-ROM series for academic
corporate and public library systems.

The Review
Small Press BookWatch: October 2011
The Business Shelf

Finding Your Niche: Discover a Profitable Idea for a Business
at Home
Or Elsewhere lives up to its title with practical advice
for starting up one’s own business.  From assessing one’s own skills
and finding profitable ideas suitable for business, to marketing tips
for startups, warnings against common pitfalls, learning to devise a
business plan, and more.

Finding Your Niche is a solid and invaluable resource
for any would-be entrepreneur, especially since it’s wisdom i
s couched in plain terms accessible to readers of all backgrounds.

“People won’t buy what they don’t understand.  Develop your
explanations beforehand and test them out on students, family
or friends to measure comprehension before trying to sell your ideas.”

Highly recommended, especially in today’s tough economic times
when more and more people need to look into self-employment
as a career path!

Sources

Book Excerpt

Book Excerpt

Midwest Book Review
http://www.midwestbookreview.com/sbw/index.htm




Finding Your Niche eBook

Versus Other Entrepreneurial Books
Finding Your Niche is designed solely to help you uncover the right venture. Small business books and classes are geared to help you start-up an enterprise when you already have an idea in mind.

If you are considering self-employment, but don’t know what business to start, then this eBook will help you target the correct path and avoid costly mistakes.

Bonus

 




Book Excerpt

Free Finding Your Niche chapter samples
Save time, effort, and expense with this resource guide of tips on how to avoid the pitfalls of choosing an idea

FYN Cover TOC Intro Game Plan 2011-03-01
Table of contents & two sample chapters.
Click on the link to view or download,  628 KB PDF.




Download Finding Your Niche Book Index

View or Print Finding Your Niche index.

FYN Extract Index 2011-02-24  128 KB