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		<title>877.4662360</title>
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		<title>Revenge of the Right Brain</title>
		<link>http://4entrepreneur.wordpress.com/2008/04/22/revenge-of-the-right-brain-2/</link>
		<comments>http://4entrepreneur.wordpress.com/2008/04/22/revenge-of-the-right-brain-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:53:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jay</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Daniel Pink]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Revenge of the Right Brain]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://4entrepreneur.wordpress.com/?p=57</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Logical and precise, left-brain thinking gave us the Information Age. Now comes the Conceptual Age &#8211; ruled by artistry, empathy, and emotion.
By Daniel Pink (as appeared on WIRED, Issue 13.02 &#8211; Feb 2005 )
When I was a kid &#8211; growing up in a middle-class family, in the middle of America, in the middle of the [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=4entrepreneur.wordpress.com&blog=1656677&post=57&subd=4entrepreneur&ref=&feed=1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='snap_preview'><br /><p><strong>Logical and precise, left-brain thinking gave us the Information Age. Now comes the Conceptual Age &#8211; ruled by artistry, empathy, and emotion.</strong></p>
<p>By Daniel Pink (as appeared on WIRED, Issue 13.02 &#8211; Feb 2005 )</p>
<p>When I was a kid &#8211; growing up in a middle-class family, in the middle of America, in the middle of the 1970s &#8211; parents dished out a familiar plate of advice to their children: Get good grades, go to college, and pursue a profession that offers a decent standard of living and perhaps a dollop of prestige. If you were good at math and science, become a doctor. If you were better at English and history, become a lawyer. If blood grossed you out and your verbal skills needed work, become an accountant. Later, as computers appeared on desktops and CEOs on magazine covers, the youngsters who were really good at math and science chose high tech, while others flocked to business school, thinking that success was spelled MBA.</p>
<p>Tax attorneys. Radiologists. Financial analysts. Software engineers. Management guru Peter Drucker gave this cadre of professionals an enduring, if somewhat wonky, name: knowledge workers. These are, he wrote, &#8220;people who get paid for putting to work what one learns in school rather than for their physical strength or manual skill.&#8221; What distinguished members of this group and enabled them to reap society&#8217;s greatest rewards, was their &#8220;ability to acquire and to apply theoretical and analytic knowledge.&#8221; And any of us could join their ranks. All we had to do was study hard and play by the rules of the meritocratic regime. That was the path to professional success and personal fulfillment.</p>
<p>But a funny thing happened while we were pressing our noses to the grindstone: The world changed. The future no longer belongs to people who can reason with computer-like logic, speed, and precision. It belongs to a different kind of person with a different kind of mind. Today &#8211; amid the uncertainties of an economy that has gone from boom to bust to blah &#8211; there&#8217;s a metaphor that explains what&#8217;s going on. And it&#8217;s right inside our heads.</p>
<p>Scientists have long known that a neurological Mason-Dixon line cleaves our brains into two regions &#8211; the left and right hemispheres. But in the last 10 years, thanks in part to advances in functional magnetic resonance imaging, researchers have begun to identify more precisely how the two sides divide responsibilities. The left hemisphere handles sequence, literalness, and analysis. The right hemisphere, meanwhile, takes care of context, emotional expression, and synthesis. Of course, the human brain, with its 100 billion cells forging 1 quadrillion connections, is breathtakingly complex. The two hemispheres work in concert, and we enlist both sides for nearly everything we do. But the structure of our brains can help explain the contours of our times.</p>
<p>Until recently, the abilities that led to success in school, work, and business were characteristic of the left hemisphere. They were the sorts of linear, logical, analytical talents measured by SATs and deployed by CPAs. Today, those capabilities are still necessary. But they&#8217;re no longer sufficient. In a world upended by outsourcing, deluged with data, and choked with choices, the abilities that matter most are now closer in spirit to the specialties of the right hemisphere &#8211; artistry, empathy, seeing the big picture, and pursuing the transcendent.</p>
<p>Beneath the nervous clatter of our half-completed decade stirs a slow but seismic shift. The Information Age we all prepared for is ending. Rising in its place is what I call the Conceptual Age, an era in which mastery of abilities that we&#8217;ve often overlooked and undervalued marks the fault line between who gets ahead and who falls behind. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.02/brain.html?pg=1&amp;topic=brain&amp;topic_set=">Read the full story</a></p>
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			<media:title type="html">Jay</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>Revenge of the Right Brain</title>
		<link>http://4entrepreneur.wordpress.com/2008/04/22/revenge-of-the-right-brain/</link>
		<comments>http://4entrepreneur.wordpress.com/2008/04/22/revenge-of-the-right-brain/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 22 Apr 2008 09:50:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jay</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Conceptual age]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Daniel Pink]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Revenge of the Right Brain]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://4entrepreneur.wordpress.com/?p=56</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Logical and precise, left-brain thinking gave us the Information Age. Now comes the Conceptual Age &#8211; ruled by artistry, empathy, and emotion.
By Daniel Pink (as appeared on WIRED, Issue 13.02 &#8211; Feb 2005 )
When I was a kid &#8211; growing up in a middle-class family, in the middle of America, in the middle of the [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=4entrepreneur.wordpress.com&blog=1656677&post=56&subd=4entrepreneur&ref=&feed=1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='snap_preview'><br /><p><strong>Logical and precise, left-brain thinking gave us the Information Age. Now comes the Conceptual Age &#8211; ruled by artistry, empathy, and emotion.</strong></p>
<p>By Daniel Pink (as appeared on WIRED, Issue 13.02 &#8211; Feb 2005 )</p>
<p>When I was a kid &#8211; growing up in a middle-class family, in the middle of America, in the middle of the 1970s &#8211; parents dished out a familiar plate of advice to their children: Get good grades, go to college, and pursue a profession that offers a decent standard of living and perhaps a dollop of prestige. If you were good at math and science, become a doctor. If you were better at English and history, become a lawyer. If blood grossed you out and your verbal skills needed work, become an accountant. Later, as computers appeared on desktops and CEOs on magazine covers, the youngsters who were really good at math and science chose high tech, while others flocked to business school, thinking that success was spelled MBA.</p>
<p>Tax attorneys. Radiologists. Financial analysts. Software engineers. Management guru Peter Drucker gave this cadre of professionals an enduring, if somewhat wonky, name: knowledge workers. These are, he wrote, &#8220;people who get paid for putting to work what one learns in school rather than for their physical strength or manual skill.&#8221; What distinguished members of this group and enabled them to reap society&#8217;s greatest rewards, was their &#8220;ability to acquire and to apply theoretical and analytic knowledge.&#8221; And any of us could join their ranks. All we had to do was study hard and play by the rules of the meritocratic regime. That was the path to professional success and personal fulfillment.</p>
<p>But a funny thing happened while we were pressing our noses to the grindstone: The world changed. The future no longer belongs to people who can reason with computer-like logic, speed, and precision. It belongs to a different kind of person with a different kind of mind. Today &#8211; amid the uncertainties of an economy that has gone from boom to bust to blah &#8211; there&#8217;s a metaphor that explains what&#8217;s going on. And it&#8217;s right inside our heads.</p>
<p>Scientists have long known that a neurological Mason-Dixon line cleaves our brains into two regions &#8211; the left and right hemispheres. But in the last 10 years, thanks in part to advances in functional magnetic resonance imaging, researchers have begun to identify more precisely how the two sides divide responsibilities. The left hemisphere handles sequence, literalness, and analysis. The right hemisphere, meanwhile, takes care of context, emotional expression, and synthesis. Of course, the human brain, with its 100 billion cells forging 1 quadrillion connections, is breathtakingly complex. The two hemispheres work in concert, and we enlist both sides for nearly everything we do. But the structure of our brains can help explain the contours of our times.</p>
<p>Until recently, the abilities that led to success in school, work, and business were characteristic of the left hemisphere. They were the sorts of linear, logical, analytical talents measured by SATs and deployed by CPAs. Today, those capabilities are still necessary. But they&#8217;re no longer sufficient. In a world upended by outsourcing, deluged with data, and choked with choices, the abilities that matter most are now closer in spirit to the specialties of the right hemisphere &#8211; artistry, empathy, seeing the big picture, and pursuing the transcendent.</p>
<p>Beneath the nervous clatter of our half-completed decade stirs a slow but seismic shift. The Information Age we all prepared for is ending. Rising in its place is what I call the Conceptual Age, an era in which mastery of abilities that we&#8217;ve often overlooked and undervalued marks the fault line between who gets ahead and who falls behind. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.02/brain.html?pg=1&amp;topic=brain&amp;topic_set=">Read the full story</a></p>
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			<media:title type="html">Jay</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>New address for the 4entrepreneur blog</title>
		<link>http://4entrepreneur.wordpress.com/2007/12/13/new-address-for-the-4entrepreneur-blog/</link>
		<comments>http://4entrepreneur.wordpress.com/2007/12/13/new-address-for-the-4entrepreneur-blog/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:34:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jay</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://4entrepreneur.wordpress.com/2007/12/13/new-address-for-the-4entrepreneur-blog/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Thanks to all of you for visiting this blog in the last few months. We have just moved this blog to a separate location &#8211; 4entrepreneur.net. This link will still work, but all the new updates will be posted at the new site. Hope to see you there!!
       <img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=4entrepreneur.wordpress.com&blog=1656677&post=53&subd=4entrepreneur&ref=&feed=1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='snap_preview'><br /><p>Thanks to all of you for visiting this blog in the last few months. We have just moved this blog to a <a href="http://4entrepreneur.net">separate location</a> &#8211; <a href="http://4entrepreneur.net">4entrepreneur.net</a>. This link will still work, but all the new updates will be posted at <a href="http://4entrepreneur.net">the new site</a>. Hope to see you there!!</p>
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			<media:title type="html">Jay</media:title>
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	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Cool stuffs on the web</title>
		<link>http://4entrepreneur.wordpress.com/2007/12/07/cool-stuffs-on-the-web/</link>
		<comments>http://4entrepreneur.wordpress.com/2007/12/07/cool-stuffs-on-the-web/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Dec 2007 09:33:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jay</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[google]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kayak]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mark Frauenfelder]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Retailmenot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rule the web]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wrongdiagnosis]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://4entrepreneur.wordpress.com/2007/12/07/cool-stuffs-on-the-web/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[By Jay Maharjan
Ever second-guess your doctor’s diagnosis or just curious to see if you can learn more on your own? Now you can! There is a cool website called wrongdiagnosis.com. This site is equipped with more than 8,000 different medical conditions – and more cases are added every day. Mark Frauenfelder has done a great [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=4entrepreneur.wordpress.com&blog=1656677&post=50&subd=4entrepreneur&ref=&feed=1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='snap_preview'><br /><p>By Jay Maharjan</p>
<p>Ever second-guess your doctor’s diagnosis or just curious to see if you can learn more on your own? Now you can! There is a cool website called <a href="http://wrongdiagnosis.com">wrongdiagnosis.com</a>. This site is equipped with more than 8,000 different medical conditions – and more cases are added every day. Mark Frauenfelder has done a great job compiling some of the cool sites like this one in his book &#8211; <a href="http://ruletheweb.com">Rule the Web</a>. </p>
<p>With the barriers to entry for web presence going down, there are several cool sites emerging every day.<a href="http://kayak.com"> Kayak.com</a> has been around for a while, but it is my favorite for finding the best flight deals. Instead of visiting independent travel sites like Expedia and Travelocity, Kayak does all the searching for you and generates the best results.</p>
<p>If you are an online shopper, you will like this one! eComemrce sites always ask if you have a coupon right before checking out and the chances are you never do. Now, you can visit <a href="http://retailmenot.com">Retailmenot.com</a> and get a temporary coupon code that you can use instantly.</p>
<p><a href="http://google.com">google</a> is your best friend when it comes to finding information. What you may not know is that google has come a long ways and developed some really cool features – like finding out the real time status of the flight with the live picture of the flight path when you type in a flight number in the search bar.</p>
<p>Some of the new web ideas fascinate me. I will start writing about some of the cool web sites that I come across. </p>
<p>Note: We have just moved to a new location. <a href="http://4entrepreneur.net/?p=43">Click here</a> for updated posts</p>
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			<media:title type="html">Jay</media:title>
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		<title>Sales tips for entrepreneurs</title>
		<link>http://4entrepreneur.wordpress.com/2007/12/03/sales-tips-for-entrepreneurs/</link>
		<comments>http://4entrepreneur.wordpress.com/2007/12/03/sales-tips-for-entrepreneurs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 Dec 2007 09:37:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jay</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[sales consultants]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sales strategy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sales tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brand yourself]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Branding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[creating a brand]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[How to become a good salesperson?]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sales expert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sales tips for entrepreneurs]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Brand Yourself as an Expert
The Pro: Erica Feidner The Company: Steinway &#38; Sons in New York City Key Stat: Has been company&#8217;s top salesperson for eight years straight.
Inc. Magazine
Erica Feidner insists that she&#8217;s not &#8220;in sales&#8221;&#8211;never mind that she expects to move roughly $3.5 million worth of pianos in 2004. Feidner prefers to think of [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=4entrepreneur.wordpress.com&blog=1656677&post=48&subd=4entrepreneur&ref=&feed=1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='snap_preview'><br /><p>Brand Yourself as an Expert</p>
<p>The Pro: Erica Feidner The Company: <a href="http://www.steinway.com/">Steinway &amp; Sons</a> in New York City Key Stat: Has been company&#8217;s top salesperson for eight years straight.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.inc.com/magazine/20040601/sales_tip2.html">Inc. Magazine</a></p>
<p>Erica Feidner insists that she&#8217;s not &#8220;in sales&#8221;&#8211;never mind that she expects to move roughly $3.5 million worth of pianos in 2004. Feidner prefers to think of herself as a piano matchmaker. Add to her interesting mindset the fact that she takes clients by referral only. And add the fact that she recently filed for a patent to further establish herself as a music expert. And finally, add to that the amazing press that she&#8217;s received as a result of her unusual approach to selling pianos. What you end up with is a salesperson who transcends the label. Having been branded an expert, Feidner finds it&#8217;s much easier to close deals.</p>
<p>Stroll through Steinway&#8217;s lavish show room with Feidner, and you&#8217;re apt to feel like you&#8217;re spending time with a psychologist. The former concert pianist, who also has an M.B.A., tries to learn as much as she can about you before picking out a piano to show you. If you think you&#8217;re tone-deaf, she teaches you to hear the differences between each instrument. If you can&#8217;t decide, she gives you some alone time. If the right piano isn&#8217;t available, she encourages you to wait to buy.</p>
<p>This unique approach led, in 2001, to The New Yorker publishing a profile of Feidner, describing her uncanny ability to match people with pianos. The article also delves into her personal life, from her bohemian upbringing in a house full of pianos to her stint as Miss Vermont in 1985 to her struggle with player&#8217;s block, which resulted in a falling-out with her father.</p>
<p>After the article came out, Feidner realized that her customers were at least as interested in her as they were in Steinway. Typical of her clientele today is Erica Huang, a landscape painter from Huntington Beach, Calif., who sought out Feidner after reading the article. &#8220;There was something about her story and the courage she showed as a person,&#8221; Huang says. &#8220;In my own life, there are parallels.&#8221; Less than an hour after stepping into Steinway this past March, Huang put a deposit on a $43,100 Steinway model M that, according to Feidner, has an &#8220;inner fire,&#8221; just like Huang.</p>
<p>In addition to drawing new business, the article is a killer calling card. Feidner e-mails it to top prospects like Andrew Mitchell, an accountant from Upper Montclair, N.J., who found it in his in box after he called Steinway to express an interest in trading in his old Boston model for something better suited to his 16-year-old son&#8217;s musical talents. A few weeks and many phone calls, tune-ups, and test runs later, Mitchell plunked down $51,900 for a slightly used Steinway model B with a black satin finish. &#8220;After going through that process, I have a very good appreciation for Erica&#8217;s discrete skill,&#8221; he says.</p>
<p>To enhance her already impressive credentials, Feidner, a perky 39-year-old, is now attempting to patent her method of teaching people to read music in one lesson. She figures that protected intellectual property will, like a magazine article, separate her from the pack. Feidner first filed the application back in April 2002, with the help of attorney Charles Miller, whom she met, naturally, when she sold him a Steinway grand. She spent about 20 hours total teaching the lesson to Miller&#8217;s assistant, revising the method, and approving drawings. The whole process cost about $5,000. Feidner also has plans to establish herself on the corporate speaker circuit. She will position her one-lesson music instruction as a team-building exercise. When the corporate types she trains decide they want a piano, they&#8217;ll naturally come to her.</p>
<p>Besides making sales easier, there are other perks to the woman at the center of the burgeoning Erica Feidner brand. Customers sincerely appreciate her. Recently, for example, Feidner arrived home to find a lovely fruit basket on her doorstep. It was a thank-you from Mitchell. His son&#8217;s piano had just arrived.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.inc.com/magazine/20040601/sales_tip2.html">Read more</a></p>
<p>Note: We have just moved our blog to a new location. <a href="http://4entrepreneur.net/?p=42">click here</a> for updated posts</p>
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		<title>Principles of Sun Tzu and The Art of Business</title>
		<link>http://4entrepreneur.wordpress.com/2007/12/01/principles-of-sun-tzu-and-the-art-of-business/</link>
		<comments>http://4entrepreneur.wordpress.com/2007/12/01/principles-of-sun-tzu-and-the-art-of-business/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 01 Dec 2007 07:27:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jay</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Business strategy]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Sun Tzu]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Art of Business]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[November 30, 2007 at 5:04 pm 
   1. Win all without fighting
      Capturing your market without destroying it
   2. Avoid Strength/Attack Weakness
      Striking where they least expect it
   3. Deception and foreknowledge
      Maximizing the [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=4entrepreneur.wordpress.com&blog=1656677&post=44&subd=4entrepreneur&ref=&feed=1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='snap_preview'><br /><p>November 30, 2007 at 5:04 pm </p>
<p>   1. Win all without fighting<br />
      Capturing your market without destroying it<br />
   2. Avoid Strength/Attack Weakness<br />
      Striking where they least expect it<br />
   3. Deception and foreknowledge<br />
      Maximizing the power of market information<br />
   4. Speed and preparation<br />
      Moving swiftly to overcome your competitors<br />
   5. Shape your opponent<br />
      Employing strategy to master the competition<br />
   6. Character-based leadership<br />
      Providing effective leadership in turbulent time</p>
<p> …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………</p>
<p>1. Win all without fighting<br />
Capturing your market without destroying it</p>
<p>    * Prioritize markets and determine competitor focus<br />
    * To win all without fighting you must first decide which markets you want to win and whom you must defeat in those markets to do so. Therefore, in this step, you must first prioritize your markets and then select a competitor in those markets on whom to focus your efforts.</p>
<p>2. Avoid Strength/Attack Weakness<br />
Striking where they least expect it</p>
<p>i.e: WWI and II, Germans avoiding French Armies</p>
<p>    * Attacking psychological weaknesses<br />
          o The supreme excellence in war is to attack the enemy’s plans<br />
          o Next best is to disrupt his alliances<br />
          o The next best is to attack his army<br />
          o The worst policy is to attack cities<br />
          o Anger his general and confuse him<br />
          o Keep him under strain and wear him down<br />
    * Develop attacks against competitor’s weakness<br />
    * Once you’ve selected a competitor to focus on, you must determine that firm’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as understanding your own. Prioritize your competitor’s weaknesses by elevating in importance those weaknesses that, if attacked successfully, would severely unbalance your competitor. Take the 4 most critical weaknesses and develop 2 to 3 potential attacks against each that could be used successfully.</p>
<p>3. Deception and foreknowledge<br />
Maximizing the power of market information</p>
<p>    * Foreknowledge<br />
    * Know your competition<br />
    * Know yourself<br />
    * Utilizing Information Technology<br />
    * Knowing your market<br />
    * Deception<br />
          o It is not enough to know yourself, the business terrain, and your competitor. The other side of the equation is ensuring that your competition is unable to know you. This is where deception comes in.</p>
<p>i.e: Trojan horse</p>
<p>    * If the competitors do not know where you will attack next, they will be confused and unable to respond effectively. They waste resources by allocating them incorrectly and it creates spots to attack by making its management unsure of your intentions.<br />
    * Wargame and plan for surprise<br />
      Now use your knowledge of your competitor to wargame each attack, playing out the moves and countermoves that could occur. It is especially important to forecast how your competitor might leverage its strengths in a counterattack. As you wargame your attacks, think through how you might achieve surprise against your competitor by disguising the attacks with deceptive moves.</p>
<p>4. Speed and preparation<br />
Moving swiftly to overcome your competitors</p>
<p>“Invincibility lies in the defense; the possibility of victory in the attack”</p>
<p>    * Speed surprises and shocks the competition<br />
    * Reducing Cycle time<br />
    * Scenario planning and wargaming<br />
    * Ready your attacks and release them<br />
    * Determine what preparations are required for successfully executing your integrated set of attacks, your strategy. Then, execute your attacks with speed and shckpower.</p>
<p>i.e: Napoleon, WWII</p>
<p>5. Shape your opponent<br />
Employing strategy to master the competition</p>
<p>    * First put together all you have learned so far. You must know the situation<br />
    * Then you must be able to deceive your competitor as to your plans. And do so with<br />
    * blinding speed.<br />
    * Using bait to shape your competitor<br />
    * Holding strategic positions<br />
    * Leaving a way out<br />
    * Avoid being shaped<br />
    * Integrate best attacks to unbalance your competition<br />
    * This is the point to select the one or 2 key weaknesses of your competitor that you will exploit. The results of your wargaming will provide the insight to do so and will also assist you in deciding which set of attacks to utilize and how they can be integrated for maximum impact on your competitor. This becomes your strategy.<br />
    * Alliances<br />
          o prevent your competitors from combining to oppose you<br />
          o if powerful alliances exist, avoid attacking them<br />
          o if you must attack, first separate your competitor from his allies<br />
          o make skillful use of your own allies<br />
          o do not choose the wrong allies<br />
          o know how to maintain an alliance and when to end one</p>
<p>6. Character-based leadership<br />
Providing effective leadership in turbulent time</p>
<p>    * build your character, not just your image<br />
    * lead with actions, not just words<br />
    * share employee’s trials, not just their triumphs<br />
    * motivate emotionally, not just materially<br />
    * assign clearly defined missions to all, avoiding mission overlap and confusion<br />
    * make your strategy drive your organization, not the reverse<br />
    * Reinforce success, starve failure<br />
    * Support your strategy with prompt action, determining quickly which attacks are succeeding and which are not. Ruthlessly reinforce success and starve failure.</p>
<p>……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….</p>
<p>Based on the book Sun Tzu and The Art of Business written by Mark McNeilly</p>
<p><strong>Note</strong>: We have just moved our blog to a new location.<a href="http://4entrepreneur.net/?p=41"> click here</a> for updated posts</p>
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		<title>7 Key Qualities of a Successful Entrepreneur</title>
		<link>http://4entrepreneur.wordpress.com/2007/11/30/42/</link>
		<comments>http://4entrepreneur.wordpress.com/2007/11/30/42/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Nov 2007 20:40:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jay</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Entrepreneurial leadership]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[entrepreneur]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[a successful entrepreneur]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[key qualities of an entrepreneur]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Qualities of a successful entrepreneur]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[Woopidoo article
Being an entrepreneur is about more than just starting a business or two, it is about having attitude and the drive to succeed in business. All successful Entrepreneurs have a similar way of thinking and posses several key personal qualities that make them so successful in business. Successful entrepreneurs like the ambitious Richard Branson [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=4entrepreneur.wordpress.com&blog=1656677&post=42&subd=4entrepreneur&ref=&feed=1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='snap_preview'><br /><p><a href="http://www.woopidoo.com/articles/geimure/entrepreneur-article.htm">Woopidoo article</a></p>
<p>Being an entrepreneur is about more than just starting a business or two, it is about having attitude and the drive to succeed in business. All successful Entrepreneurs have a similar way of thinking and posses several key personal qualities that make them so successful in business. Successful entrepreneurs like the ambitious Richard Branson have an inner drive to succeed and grow their business, rather than having a Harvard Business degree or technical knowledge in a particular field.</p>
<p>All successful entrepreneurs have the following qualities:</p>
<p>Inner Drive to Succeed<br />
Entrepreneurs are driven to succeed and expand their business. They see the bigger picture and are often very ambitious. Entrepreneurs set massive goals for themselves and stay committed to achieving them regardless of the obstacles that get in the way.</p>
<p>Strong Belief in themselves<br />
Successful entrepreneurs have a healthy opinion of themselves and often have a strong and assertive personality. They are focused and determined to achieve their goals and believe completely in their ability to achieve them. Their self optimism can often been seen by others as flamboyance or arrogance but entrepreneurs are just too focused to spend too much time thinking about un-constructive criticism.</p>
<p>Search for New Ideas and Innovation<br />
All entrepreneurs have a passionate desire to do things better and to improve their products or service. They are constantly looking for ways to improve. They&#8217;re creative, innovative and resourceful.</p>
<p>Openness to Change<br />
If something is not working for them they simply change. Entrepreneurs know the importance of keeping on top of their industry and the only way to being number one is to evolve and change with the times. They&#8217;re up to date with the latest technology or service techniques and are always ready to change if they see a new opportunity arise.</p>
<p>Competitive by Nature<br />
Successful entrepreneurs thrive on competition. The only way to reach their goals and live up to their self imposed high standards is to compete with other successful businesses.</p>
<p>Highly Motivated and Energetic<br />
Entrepreneurs are always on the move, full of energy and highly motivated. They are driven to succeed and have an abundance of self motivation. The high standards and ambition of many entrepreneurs demand that they have to be motivated!</p>
<p>Accepting of Constructive Criticism and Rejection<br />
Innovative entrepreneurs are often at the forefront of their industry so they hear the words &#8220;it can&#8217;t be done&#8221; quite a bit. They readjust their path if the criticism is constructive and useful to their overall plan, otherwise they will simply disregard the comments as pessimism. Also, the best entrepreneurs know that rejection and obstacles are a part of any leading business and they deal with them appropriately.</p>
<p>True entrepreneurs are resourceful, passionate and driven to succeed and improve. They&#8217;re pioneers and are comfortable fighting on the frontline The great ones are ready to be laughed at and criticized in the beginning because they can see their path ahead and are too busy working towards their dream.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.woopidoo.com/articles/geimure/entrepreneur-article.htm">For more</a></p>
<p><strong>Note</strong>: We have just moved our blog to a new location. <a href="http://4entrepreneur.net/?p=40">click here</a> for updated posts</p>
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		<title>Evolving Creativity: How to Work like an Ad Agency</title>
		<link>http://4entrepreneur.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/thinking-like-an-ad-agency-to-come-up-with-creative-ideas/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Nov 2007 10:21:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jay</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Ad Agency]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Creative Ideas]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[How To Develop A Creative Project Like An Ad Agency Does It
Associated Content
&#8220;Are you a marketing or public relations professional? An artist or writer? A freelance web designer or web promotions specialist? Maybe you are freelancing on your own, self-employed and need to brainstorm ideas on how to proceed with a current project. Or perhaps [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=4entrepreneur.wordpress.com&blog=1656677&post=41&subd=4entrepreneur&ref=&feed=1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='snap_preview'><br /><p>How To Develop A Creative Project Like An Ad Agency Does It</p>
<p><a href="http://www.associatedcontent.com/">Associated Content</a></p>
<p>&#8220;Are you a marketing or public relations professional? An artist or writer? A freelance web designer or web promotions specialist? Maybe you are freelancing on your own, self-employed and need to brainstorm ideas on how to proceed with a current project. Or perhaps you already work for a company, but your team needs a fresh new method of team working and partaking in the creative idea generation process.</p>
<p>If you need to jumpstart your creativity or brainstorm for a project for your job, try doing it the ad agency way. Advertising agencies have a group of creative artists and directors who work together to create fresh, innovative ads with captivating visuals and intelligent, persuasive copy. Do you think these ad agencies come up with their infamous, world-renowned taglines because one creative director sitting at his desk decided on the hit slogan all by himself? Absolutely not. In creative environments, when creativity is crucial to developing a project, theme, or concept, the more input the better. It is not to say that a single creative artist could not come up with a winning advertisement, but the entire essence of the project itself will be better comprehended by everyone involved if a team effort is employed. When seven to twelve creative artists are sitting in one room together, all focusing their creative energy towards the same given result, amazing things can happen. The technique of using a small group of like-minded creative artists to bounce ideas off of each other is one of the main factors that contributes to the success of such famous ad agencies as Arnold Worldwide and Hill Holliday. When the group has open communication in addition to a lack of censorship and a strong creative background, an idea can evolve to no end.</p>
<p>Try this:<br />
Get a group of creative individuals together who are all interested in helping you with the given project you have. Sit in a circular formation and designate one person to take notes (or more accurately, “jot down random words”) on a flip chart/easel. Start by stating the goal you wish to achieve or the theme you wish to convey. Let’s say for instance you want to make a tagline for your client’s new company, Pizza Palace. If everyone involved does not know as much as you do regarding the client’s intended image of this company or the culture and mood that he or she wishes the new venue to evoke, it is imperative that you fill them in before the brainstorming process begins. A prepared outline on printed sheets to pass out would be ideal for them to refer to. Now, once everyone is on the same page, begin the creative brainstorming process ad agency style by breaking the ice. Call out a slogan, anything, the first words that come to mind when you think of Pizza Palace. There are no rules to this and if the people you are working with understand this creative process and are creative professionals themselves they will not judge you or laugh, for often times it is the silly suggestions that lead to the award winning ones. Encourage people to start calling out ideas and write them all, no matter how ridiculous, on the flipchart. You will notice that ideas start growing out of each other, for instance someone might say, Pizza Palace, We Are Callous, which obviously is one you will toss out, but that might lead another participant to think of a sentence slightly similar in sound yet not quite rhyming, such as Pizza Palace, Eat our Salads. See, now, this is getting a little closer to the desired theme, even though it is still another toss away.</p>
<p>Just keep the ideas flowing and write every single one down on the flipchart until everyone has exhausted their flow of creativity for the moment. Then, you can choose how many suggestions you want to narrow the list down to, but five is usually a good amount. Keep the five in your brain bank for at least a few days, mulling each idea over, and encourage the others in the group to do the same. Then, meet again a few days later to narrow the list down further and eventually tighten up the remaining results so that each slogan has been tweaked to its full potential. Do this as many times as necessary. No rules. Except that there are no rules. Go, have fun! Guaranteed, if you haven’t tried this method before you’ll love it.&#8221;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/37329/thinking_like_an_ad_agency_to_come.html">Read more</a></p>
<p><strong>Note</strong>: We have just moved our blog to a new location. <a href="http://4entrepreneur.net/?p=39">click here</a> for updated posts</p>
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		<title>Fastest Way to Find New Customers</title>
		<link>http://4entrepreneur.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/fastest-way-to-find-new-customers/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Nov 2007 06:04:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jay</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[11.27.2007
Entrepreneur:
&#8220;If you’re a startup, the fastest way to get the cash registers ringing is a little-used method that involves forming “host-beneficiary” relationships with established businesses that cater to a target audience similar to yours. Then you promote yourself to their database with a special offer presented as a gift from the older business.
The beauty of [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=4entrepreneur.wordpress.com&blog=1656677&post=40&subd=4entrepreneur&ref=&feed=1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='snap_preview'><br /><p>11.27.2007</p>
<p><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21528828/">Entrepreneur:</a></p>
<p>&#8220;If you’re a startup, the fastest way to get the cash registers ringing is a little-used method that involves forming “host-beneficiary” relationships with established businesses that cater to a target audience similar to yours. Then you promote yourself to their database with a special offer presented as a gift from the older business.</p>
<p>The beauty of this arrangement is that the startup (the beneficiary) can instantly reach large numbers of highly qualified prospects with the tacit endorsement of the established business (the host). The host is willing to participate because it’s a way to reward loyal customers without incurring any costs. The rookie gains new customers, while the veteran gains goodwill.</p>
<p>One startup that successfully used this technique was a high-end women’s clothing boutique. The store arranged to give a free silk kimono to every female customer of a local BMW dealership who brought in a letter sent by the dealership offering the gown as a gift for their past patronage. The kimono had to be picked up at the boutique.</p>
<p>More than 600 women responded, picking up $100 kimonos that cost the store just $16 apiece. Those 600 women spent an average of $400 on other merchandise during their initial visit. Do the math, and you’ll see that the startup spent $9,600 to generate some $240,000 in sales–and, not incidentally, to begin building its own clientele.&#8221;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21528828/">Read more.</a></p>
<p><strong>Note</strong>: We have just moved our blog to a new location. <a href="http://4entrepreneur.net/?p=38">click here</a> for updated posts</p>
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		<title>Business Plan Basics II</title>
		<link>http://4entrepreneur.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/business-plan-basics-ii-2/</link>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Nov 2007 05:36:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jay</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[management tools]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[By Jay Maharjan 
Starting a business is a major commitment that will consume 24/7 of your life with no end in sight. It is always good to know what you are getting into before you take the plunge. From my experience writing business plans for large and small companies alike for the last 8 years, [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=4entrepreneur.wordpress.com&blog=1656677&post=39&subd=4entrepreneur&ref=&feed=1" />]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class='snap_preview'><br /><p>By Jay Maharjan </p>
<p>Starting a business is a major commitment that will consume 24/7 of your life with no end in sight. It is always good to know what you are getting into before you take the plunge. From my experience writing business plans for large and small companies alike for the last 8 years, there are basically two reasons why you need a business plan &#8211; the first reason is to re-assure yourself that this wild dream that you have in your mind is actually attainable. And, the second reason is to convince a lender or a venture capitalist. More than likely, you are writing for the second reason. Whatever your reason may be, as the legendary management guru Peter Drucker would bluntly put &#8211; always ask yourself what your business is, who your customers are, and what the customer considers value.</p>
<p>In my opinion, here is a list of pointers that will save you headaches later.</p>
<p>a. Be clear about what you are selling.</p>
<p>Spend as much time as you need to define and clarify what you are selling. From the gettgo, come up with a 15 second elevator pitch. This will come handy later on. If you need professional help to come up with a pitch, companies like &#8211; 15secondpitch can help. This is a great resource to help you discover who you are, what your company does, and what others perceive of you and your verbal and written messages.</p>
<p>b. Come up with Mission, Vision, and Objective statements for your venture.</p>
<p>Mission, Vision, and Objectives &#8211; They may all look the same at first glance, but they reflect different rationale.</p>
<p>The mission statement represents the underlying operating philosophy and the values of the company &#8211; ‘The mission at Company ABC is to provide a reliable, yet affordable XYZ technology for residential customers.’</p>
<p>The Vision statement represents a long term plan &#8211; that provides a direction to make significant impact &#8211; ‘Our vision at company ABC is to become a global niche leader in XYZ technology by the year 2009.’</p>
<p>The Objective represent definitive goals for different purposes within the company. Peter Drucker first popularized the term “management by objective” in his 1954 book ‘The Practice of Management’. Objectives can be set in all domains (services, sales, R&amp;D, human resources, finance) &#8211; ‘The main objective of company ABC is to understand the target market, to implement the most optimized form of logistics, to include a series of efficient fulfillment processes and to provide an unmatched form of customer service.’</p>
<p>c. Be honest with your Strengths and Weaknesses.</p>
<p>You can conduct a simple SWOT analysis on your venture. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Create four quadrants and fill up with honest lists of answers. This simple test allows you to assess your compatibility with the venture that you are getting into. This test will also indicate opportunities, threats and barriers to entry that exist in your vertical market.</p>
<p>d. Conduct a thorough research on your vertical market.<br />
Leverage on new Internet research tools to conduct comprehensive studies. At every stage of your research, be open to adopt new directions based on your findings.</p>
<p>e. Make sure there is a real opportunity.<br />
or move on to a different venture.</p>
<p>f. Make sure your product or service addresses pain point (s).</p>
<p>This goes back to the point (a). Understand and address your customer needs.</p>
<p>g. Conduct a thorough research on your competitors.</p>
<p>Create a matrix and conduct a thorough competitive analysis. See what your competitors are offering.</p>
<p>h. Make sure your product or service addresses pain point (s) better than your competitors.<br />
Its all right if your competitors got in the market before you did. But, focus on doing things little bit differently that you address the customer needs, pain points better than them.</p>
<p>i. Be realistic with the revenue projections.</p>
<p>Don’t fall for cliches like &#8211; ‘According to Forrestor’s research, our market will be $ X billion by ___’, ‘We will drop our product in China and we will make billions.’ There is nothing wrong with wanting to become another Google or Microsoft, but make sure you have unique product or services. If you have a patent on your innovation, that helps. If you already have an angel investor on board, that gives you credibility. If you have a veteran management team in place, thats going to help you a lot! Always be ready to explain to lenders and Venture Capitalists how you are going to reach the big numbers &#8211; and never ever use cliched answers.</p>
<p>j. Surround yourself with people smarter than you. Do not be afraid to ask for help.</p>
<p>Always reach out to people smarter than you. Big ideas take right people to bring them to life. You want to do things smartly and not give your idea away, but at the same time you need to be open to sharing with right people. One rule of thumb is &#8211; it is better to team up with people with complimenting skill sets. If you are an engineer, you don’t need another engineer to support your point of view. You need a professional sales partner to sell your product, and a sharp finance guy to keep the numbers in order.</p>
<p>k.. Seize the opportunity to scale up &#8211; quick.</p>
<p>Big deals don’t happen on their own. Big deals happen because of right people, right product, right momentum in the market among many possible variations. If you have everything in order and luck is in your favor, seize the opportunity to scale up &#8211; and do it quick! Otherwise, good entrepreneurs know when to pack up their bags and move on to another opportunity. I advise entrepreneurs to get out of business if the venture doesn’t take off within two years.</p>
<p>More to follow on this topic. I can be reached at jaym@theoc360.com</p>
<p><strong>Note</strong>: We have just moved our blog to a new location. <a href="http://4entrepreneur.net/?p=37">click here</a> for updated posts</p>
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