The roadmap from start to growth and prosperity

PICTURE: Helge V. Keitel, KK-Net, Sotkamo (22.1.2013)

I sketched an easy to use roadmap and business plan for anyone dreaming about becoming an entrepreneur, innovator or a business person.

1. innovation
2. business idea
3. start-up
4. financing
5. organization
6. facilities
7. building the bridge over the valley of death (the distance can be measured in “months” and /or “years”)
8. how to finance and execute growth
9. international operations (penetration – dedication – saturation)
10. the challenges of competition, cost efficiency, productivity and continuous innovation

This picture is a great metaphor of the early stage of any entrepreneur. Make sure you’ve someone willing to help you, to give you advice and take you over the bridge of troubled waters. The “business angel” is also visualized. There’re new dangers waiting around the corner when your business starts growing.

New intelligent business possibilities in the mining industry

We’re living in Sotkamo since August 1, 2010 after years and years almost all over the globe and looking for new opportunities in the field of mining, energy and environmental business operations.

The idea is to use the benefits of social media, open data, social engineering, 5T / 5D, microjobs, biotechnology, intelligent sensors, process automation, open collaboration, group sourcing and collaborative intelligence to find new global business opportunities.

This is a small world and with intelligent use of specialized network operations we’ve the possibility to reach out and build bout business intelligence and customer relationships all over the globe with low cost and great accuracy. We can also support B2B operations of specialized task forces looking for F2F negotiations.

• We can work it out with both mobile and desktop tools. 
• My brother lives in Sydney, Australia and he is familiar with the global mining industry.
• The open data community has new ideas and methods for open biz developments.

Net tools for SME's - CRM and project management

SME companies can produce tools for the Internet users. There is still plenty of room for improvement in the field of CRM, project management and integration of information. We've 25 million companies in Europe alone and globally, I don't have a clue, but let's suppose 100 million companies.

Most of them are SME's with need to manage their business better in a networked economy. The Enterprise 2.0 idea is in a very early stage of development. Virtual Organization is a great idea but very few understand, what they are all about.

Here we have business opportunties. Tools to make the entrepreneurial life easier and global operations more manageable. There are very few companies like Nokia. Most are small! How to make the little man / organization more productive.

Tools can be sold like screwdrivers or black and deckers. Microsoft has been selling their tools. The Google model is different, but there is still space for traditional business models. Or am I completely wrong?

Business blogger from Ireland

"As I mentioned previously, the bloggers in the Irish Business Blog category are collaborating in creating a special report about business blogging in Ireland where we will share tips and best practice from our own experience of authoring a business blog." Writes Krishna De. Learn more about here: listen to the business blog podcast.

• To promote your business
• Low-cost blogging platform
• Keeping customers easily updated
• Clients can give their comments
• Easiest of platforms for the use of SME's
• The advantages of a blog compared with a static web site
• We can start conversations with people in the business
• It can assist you in product development
  
• How to build a personal brand online
• We need to be found online today
  
• Not dependent on anybody else
• Publishing in a flexible way
• No need for a big budget
• How many postings?
  
• How about time?
  
• Easy to use
  

BIZ GROWTH LIVE CATEGORIES

1. Create a compelling vision
2. Focus your market
3. Build a distinctive brand
4. Develop solutions
5. Implement a marketing programme
6. Deliver customer service
7. Inspire and develop a team
8. Leverage your network

It's possible to get lost in the blogosphere and use a lot of working time to search for new information. Examples of time and platforms

• A few posts a week
• Some use 10 hours a week
• What are the platforms used?
• Using own hosting platform
  
• LiveJournal
  
• WordPress (open source software)
  
• TypePad
  
• Blogger

What are the business benefits

• ROI?
• Not always clear
• It's helping, it's a slow process
  
• Building the reputation online
  
• Building a brand and a profile
• It's very powerful in connection with conferences
• You can post comments and blog the conference live
• You can continue the discussion after the conference
• How about the business benefits?
• Incoming calls from clients
• Helping to brand online
• Search engine ranking
  
• They look you online
  
• Business presence
• Positioning me
  
• On Google

Young CEO Corporate Blogger from Finland

Helge: My next corporate target is Teemu Arina, CEO and young entrepreneur. I try to analyze what patterns are typical for corporate bloggers. Teemu is by far much younger.

Teemu Arina Writes in his blog: “The structures of our society are shaking under increased communication and complexity. I’m a good example having spent 1/3 of my life as an entrepreneur before the age of 25, teaching my first semester when I was 17 years old, building two large Open Source projects and now working as an advisor to many companies, universities and non-profit organizations on the impact of social technologies on their operations. I’m well connected with leading thinkers and I perceive my network as my second brain where most of my learning occurs.”

Helge: Open source man. Young and talented entrepreneur, connected to leading thinkers. Great. One pattern emerges. Teemu is also related to Kone Oyj.

Teemu: My name is Teemu Arina. I’m partner and CEO at Dicole Oy, a company focusing on understanding the role of social technologies in knowledge work and networked learning in organizations.

Helge: Sounds familiar, Social Media, knowledge work and learning organizations.

Teemu: We also develop our own Open Source based software called Dicole Knowledge Work Environment. We use it in cases where we can’t find any better/easier/cheaper alternatives. It integrates wikis, blogs, feed readers, forums and files in a unified system that supports multiple separate or interconnected work areas for individuals and groups. Some of our users use it as a PLE (Personal Learning Environment) too, when they connect del.icio.us, Flickr, Youtube etc. with it..

Helge: Open source and Web 2.0, PLE, good…Read more about Visualradio at Kauppalehti Presso

Teemu: I’m a programmer, teacher, consultant, networker, mentor, entrepreneur, self-directed learner and artist who has deep interest in Open Source, networked learning, collaboration, cooperative work, social software, self-organizing systems, complexity, networks and related emerging technologies. I like spicy food, juggling, underground electronica, online gaming, gadgets and thoughtful conversations.

Helge: He is young and talented, many roles, modern, learning, also time for some fun in life.

My blog is a tool for my own personal learning. It’s a place for reflection and sharing of ideas. I write ideas down for later reference and starting point for discussion. It also serves as a portfolio of my work. In the right-side of my blog you will also find my recent del.icio.us bookmarks and Flickr images.

Helge: The blogging objectives and motives are nearly the same.

I will write about a wide variety of topics but the general themes will be things like Open Source, networked learning, software industry, futures, knowledge management, knowledge work, emerging social technologies, personal publishing and creativity.

Helge: Multiple writing styles, I have several blogs, I travel fast from one subject to another on a global scale.

Juha: MY writings on Open Source in education will be posted in FLOSSE Posse, where I’m a co-author.

Helge: I’m not OS but we have one in our company leaning towards Linux. But we all try to implement the Open Source Methodology in our work.

If you like my blog, please leave a comment on any of the entries.

Disclaimer:
Everything I say in this blog is an opinion of my own and is not the official opinion of any companies or customers I work for.

Here is my digital contact information:

• Skype: infe00
• AIM: infe00
• Google talk: teemu.arina AT gmail.com
• ICQ: 220322382
• Email: teemu AT dicole.com
• Phone: +358-50-555 7636

Helge’s Digital Contact information

• Skype: visualradio
• Googletalk: helgekeitel at gmail.com
• Email: helgekeitel at gmail.com
• Phone: + 358 50 309 2021

Corporate Blogger

I will start tracking Finnish and International Corporate bloggers and analyze what they are writing about. I guess that is going to be a thrilling task.

• How personal should or could the blog be?
• It's a way to learn to understand your company
• Corporate blogs for big companies
• The business blog and small business blogs
• Being personal, fresh, transparent and honest
• Creating a personal voice, taking down the PR-barrier
• Show the low of running a business and being an entrepreneur

What's an example? How genuine are the blogs?

• Dell is a good example
• They don't sound like the business talk
• PR people doesn't need to be controlling
• Should you ask the PR department to write
• It's better to sound real and have a genuine voice

Give a window to the inside information

• Robert Scoble changed the attitude towards Microsoft
• Scoble helped to look at the companies differently
• The business blog can help you to move a step ahead of your competitors
• Customers expect to have a conversation with your business in real time

Web 2.0 Conference

Only the Web 2.0 Summit brings the intelligence, innovation, and leadership of the internet industry together in one place at one time. You'll learn what business models are working, what's next on the horizon, and how all of this will affect your own business.

"We've built in plenty of time for catching up with old friends and making new acquaintances, and for connecting with the leaders and technologists redefining the Web's business opportunities. The Web 2.0 Summit is brought to you in partnership with O'Reilly Media, Inc. and CMP Technology and moderated by John Battelle, Program Chair, and O'Reilly CEO and founder, Tim O'Reilly. " Can be found on their web page.

1. Business models
2. Emerging things and thans
3. What's next in the horizon?
4. Connecting with the leaders of technology

In a late morning session today at the Web 2.0 Summit, IBM's Rod Smith painted a compelling picture of this mashup trend combined with the emerging edge of enterprise IT.