New Media

Just a quick update for my family, friends and colleagues about what I’ve been up to professionally. I know, I run too many blogs. Well, if you’d just start using Google Reader, you could keep up-to-date instantly. That’s assuming you care.

You do care, right? Here goes:

• Time For Writers To Take A Stand
• Someone Needs To Fire Their Media Liaison
• How To Write A Bio For Your Website

By the way, my website copywriting company also just got accredited with the Better Business Bureau of the Lower Mainland. Take that, San Fransisco!

Need someone to write all the content on your new website, or hook you up with some dynamite newsletters or press releases? Look no further. I’m with BBB, baby! Check out all my nifty web copywriting services

I was one of the social media nerds hanging out at Netsquared Camp in Vancouver over the weekend. The un-conference was targeted at non-profit people looking to learn more about how to promote social change with Web 2.0 (and some old-skool) tools. I must say, I felt like I was in my element. And I was more than pleased to see old friends and make new ones at the event. So many smart, enterprising nerds (and a few prospective nerds).

Here’s an excerpt from my writeup at my communications strategy and copywriting blog: Continue Reading »

Ever thought about starting up a business and selling it two years later for $20 million? Here’s how you might get started.

From an article I wrote for SFU Business on BC entrepreneurs who presented their big ideas at a New Ventures BC seminar series:

One key theme of this year’s seminars was planning to succeed. When you put together your business plan, according to seminar presenters, don’t be skimpy with the details.

“Many companies can describe where they want to be in five years, but less can describe what they’re going to do to achieve this in the next year and a half,” says Rocketbuilders’ Thomas. “To plan well before you go to market, you have to have good market research.”

So what do you focus on? First, “how big is the marketplace?” Thomas says. “Is it growing? What are the trends? How do you divide it into segments?”

Understanding the customer pain that your product will solve is also key. And get a handle on how people normally buy your kind of product.

What about capital? How do you get investors to show you the money?

First of all, maybe you don’t need pesky investors getting their hooks into you after all. “Bootstrap,” says Vancouver-based angel investor Dr. Basil Peters. Dr. Peters was an Adjunct Professor of Engineering Sciences at SFU from 1985 to 2000. “The most spectacular start-up business models started with no capital. Most companies today really don’t need very much capital.”

“Plenty of Fish got started in an apartment,” he points out. “MetroLyrics (the online lyrics database founded by SFU Business EMBA graduate Alan Juristovski and undergraduate Milun Tesovic) started with no capital and is probably worth tens of millions of dollars. The world has changed. You’ve got resources even if you’ve got no money.”

Finally.

Now, how do I get paid?

And beats up a reporter.

Oh, wait. He didn’t actually beat anyone up. He really just said “fuck”? When he didn’t realize the recorder was still working? That’s it? That’s all?

With all due respect to my friend Mike Klassen, this may — may — be a human resources issue. It ain’t a political one. Or at least, it ought not to be. But then, what do I know? As Mike noted:

Hundreds of views of the video already, plus CKNW ran the story at top of their 10am newscast, the Vancouver Sun is running the story at the top of their web page.

So there is a story here. Maybe I’m just a bit immunized to harsh language to see it after hanging out at the Ivanhoe Pub the other night. You might say I just don’t give a fuck.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.

Great. Now I’ll never get elected in this town.

UPDATE: In retrospect, the real reason this thing seems to be blowing up is the combination of arrogance and ignorance displayed by the Mayor. As Michael Smyth puts it:

Does he really think anyone who takes a serious interest in how their communities grow and change are just “f—ing hacks”? It’s not only an incredibly insulting comment; it also reveals the mayor’s ignorance of how concerned people are about his agenda…

Ironically, one of the people he lumped in with the expletive-deleted “NPA hacks” was Randy Helton, a key leader of the West End Neighbours group so concerned about the mayor’s rental-housing agenda. Helton is a member of Vision Vancouver and worked to get Robertson elected!

Now, that is an issue.

See What All The Fuss Was About