TheStraddlersDiary

POST: Is it possible to be entrepreneural within an existing company?

I have recently come in contact with a company which happens to be the leader in our industry.  This company is currently launching a new range of products which according to them are going to create sales opportunities in the mass channel which currently do not exist.  Furthermore, they are willing (or so they say) for this product to be spun out of or incubated to be spun off from the parent company.

All this sounds really interesting to me.  It is appealing to have the resources ($$$) of a large and healthy organization, while enjoying the autonomy and ability to build a culture and organization that is separate and distinct from the mother ship.

RAVE: Sam Zell to reinvent the Tribune?

The turnaround of the Tribune will be an interesting business reinvention story, I predict!  Sam Zell the well known billionaire purchased the Tribune Company last year and has recently assumed the CEO post.  In the video below, you will see that business is not that difficult if you simply strip away everything that doesn't add value, hire great people, let them do their jobs and then trust them.
Sam Zell's Talk at the Chicago Tribune

POST: What is your vision?

I have been watching a phenomenal video series on business and spiritual vision called "The Vision of the Leader" by Bruce Wilkinson.  The production quality is first rate, and Bruce is an engaging speaker, but these facts alone are not why I write about this video series.

In "The Vision of the Leader", Bruce raises the question, what if God deposits something so deep in you that your efforts combined with God's vision and burden are multiplied exponentially beyond what is humanly possible?

It's in this framing that Bruce takes the audience through the journey of how God births, nurtures, releases and launches a vision.  Whether you have a burden to do something secular or sacred, the information presented applies. 

It's with this thought that I am personally struck.  Is there a difference between sacred and secular? 

I believe that God doesn't see a difference.  As several high profile, very successful businessmen are interviewed in this video series, the stories are remarkable of how God birthed dreams to bring honor and glory to the Lord through doing business in a fully Christlike manner.   So whether your  burden is to do something 100% sacred, or 100% secular, if your heart is in line with the Lord's I believe you will change the world.

So what is your vision?

On-line marketing FAQ: Building your lists

One of the most frequently asked questions for online marketers, is how to build a list?  Since the key to on-line riches is to create your very own media outlet which you can promote to over and over that consists of highly targeted people who will buy your products on the grounds of trust and the quality of your previous offerings.  Building a list becomes one of the single most important things you must do for your on-line business to prosper.

Once your list stretches over the five thousand mark, you should have at least one product for sale, with the majority of contacts on your list coming from the promotion of that initial product.  Avoid any program or plan that asks you for cash to add subscribers to your list because without a track record of success, compared to what you can achieve through joint ventures and other means, the quality of the list will suffer.   

On-line Marketing FAQ - How do I get hits to my site?

"How do I get hits?" must be the number one question asked by online marketers. After all, without getting visits to your site you can't sell anything. The problem is not only do most people go about this the wrong way, but when this question is approached they are given incorrect answers which will consist of buying some sort of service or ad that will solve all of your traffic problems.

Although this may seem like the way to go at first glance it's actually counter productive to your efforts. One thing I want to point out is that your initial aim isn't to get hits to your site at all. Understand that you only need to pull ten or twenty thousand hits in total, ever, to your sites to make them successful.