Big Data: Now A Top Management Issue - Forbes

A new study by the Economist Intelligence Unit has just been released that shows how big data is moving from its infancy to “data adolescence,” in which companies are increasingly meeting the challenges of a data-driven world.

The report, called “Big Data Evolution,” details the ways in which companies’ attitudes and activities have changed over the past four years with regards to big data — collecting it, storing it, analyzing it, and using it to make business decisions about strategy.

Data is becoming a corporate asset

The report shows that, since 2011, substantially more companies are treating their data as what it actually is: a strategic corporate asset. The initial excitement about the possibilities presented by big data is morphing into a more strategic approach, defining which data initiatives will have the biggest and most immediate impact.

I refer to this as asking the right questions. Companies are getting a bit savvier, and on the whole, are not asking for more data, but rather the right data to help solve specific problems and address certain issues.

Because of this greater understanding, executives are more likely to report they are making good, fact-based decisions about their data and their business.

In addition, data strategy has been elevated to the C-level, usually centralized with a CIO/CTO or a newly-appointed Chief Data Officer (CDO). Outside that position, executives across the board are more likely to be in charge of their departments’ particular data initiatives and instrumental in putting those resources to use.

Another important finding of the survey points to a strong correlation between good data management practices and financial success.

Companies with a well defined data policy, are much more likely to report that they are financially competitive with their peers and rivals. In addition, they’re more likely to report that their data initiatives are successful and effective at resolving real business problems.

The reason for this could be that data initiatives are moving out of the realm of theoretical possibility and well into reality, demonstrating the ability to focus on real business problems and provide practical solutions.

One final encouraging trend the report finds is that the “bigness” of big data is starting to wear off. Companies are less focused on the quantity of data they can collect and the speed at which they can access it, and more focused on the value the data can provide for their business.

NOTE CREDIT: http://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2015/11/30/big-data-now-a-top-management-issue/

16 Quick Tips About How To Use Twitter For Business if You’re A Local Entrepreneur (Part 1)

Do you know how to use Twitter for business if you’re a local entrepreneur? how to use twitter for business

If you don’t you should and this is a 2 part series on how to use Twitter as a local owner and really gain business from this amazing social network.

There are over 300,000,000 people active on Twitter and in the United States alone over 88 million people visit Twitter each month.

That means almost 40% of the adult population (more than 1 out of every 3 adults) are using Twitter here in the United States alone.

With those kind of numbers, Twitter for business owners locally smells like a lot of opportunity to me.

You see the great part about Twitter, unlike some of the other social platforms, is that you don’t have to have someone following you for you to engage with them (that is huge).

Simply find someone that you’d like to start engaging with and you can message them directly by simply @mentioning them in your Tweet.

Pretty cool, right?

So let’s go over some awesome strategies in the exact order your should follow as a local business owner.

First though if you’re wondering why you should follow these suggestions and does it really work, let me tell you what it did for me as a local service based business owner.

From 2007-2012 our local cleaning company was actively using Twitter. We were doing $20,000 a week in sales and not only attracted new customers regularly from Twitter, but we also lowered our business churn (losing customers) by utilizing Twitter.

Want to know how?

Let’s get started, but make sure to follow this exact order.

1. Twitter Bio

This is mentioned number 1 because your Twitter bio is the first thing a new potential follower is going to look at next to the second tip to follow.

Don’t make your bio boring.

Standout and give someone a reason to want to follow you. You can be humorous, share your company mantra, be personal (my favorite), highlight your accomplishments and many other ideas. Make sure to tell a story and don’t just stuff your Twitter bio with keywords associated to your business.

Lastly a bio does NOT need to have hashtags.

Seriously, you look like a Hash-Hole by sticking them in your bio and it does you absolutely no good. If you’re doing it because you see other people doing it, don’t.

2. Twitter Profile Picture

You’re a local business and your face is part of the community.

People don’t care about that pretty logo that you spent all your time having created.

People like to do business with people they know, like and trust…..so show your beautiful self.

3. Twitter Cover Photo

Your Twitter cover photo should be a great clear picture that either represents your local community or preferably your business.

If you have a team of employees, get them together for a group shot at work. Even better is to take a photo somewhere local that’s popular so everyone looking at your Twitter cover who’s local will connect with you immediately.

One of my favorite tools for making a Twitter cover is Canva.

Canva is free to use and has the exact dimensions set for a Twitter cover to fit perfectly.

Lastly make it easy for people to contact you by including your company contact information in the corner of your cover nicely. If creating graphics isn’t your thing, consider jumping over to Fiverr and having a Twitter cover done for $5. It’s a great site for quick work.

4. Location, Location, Location

Fill out your geographic location in your Twitter profile for 2 reasons.

First though to do this simply go to under your Twitter bio on your profile home page and in the location area fill that out. As you type in your location Twitter will help you by either targeting it to the state or your city (which I recommend).

The reason you want to do this is it’s searchable on Twitter and if you have it blank (which many do) you won’t come up in the search results all the time.

The second reason to do this is that when you have time and you’re on Twitter you can just click your location if Twitter identifies it and you’ll see all tweets going on locally in your geographic area.

This is HUGE and such an amazing opportunity for you as a local business owner to jump in and have a discussion if relevant (don’t be creepy).

For instance if you’re a local restaurant with a happy hour special and see people talking about where to go, jump in and offer them your deal. Any business can do this locally because tons of discussions are going on live in your area all day that can be applicable to your business.

Exciting right?

5. Twitter Pinned Tweet

You should have the 1 tweet you want everyone to look at pinned to the top of your Twitter profile.

When people visit your profile they look at your Twitter bio, your profile picture, your cover photo, location and then they start looking at your Tweets.

You have the power to show them what you want them to see first, so make it something amazing.

You can make it a coupon offer for your service, coupon for your store, eBook offer and so much more.

Be creative and test different pinned tweets regularly.

This will probably be one of your most retweeted tweets and you can change it as often as you like.

To pin a tweet simply look at any of your Tweets you’d like to include and next to where you see how many times you’ve been retweeted or favorited are 3 little dots. Just click on those 3 dots and in the short drop down you’ll see an option to “Pin to your profile page”. That’s it you’re done.

This one Tweet below, pinned last month by us, has had almost 450,000 impressions, over 140 clicks on the link to our free guide and as you can see over 100 retweets at the time of this post.

Each Tweet you make you can view it’s activity by clicking on the 3 bars next to the number of retweets and favorites you see when you’re signed into your own Twitter account. Make sure to look at these numbers regularly as the data will tell you what is resonating with people and what isn’t.

6. Tweet with Images

Tweets with images receive 150% more retweets than Tweets without images according to Buffer.

You want to make sure that your images are sized correctly to get the best impact. So if you’re Tweeting live and not scheduling your Tweets, make sure to hold your camera sideways to get the best sized image when taking the photo and creating a tweet.

If you’re scheduling your Tweets, the perfect image size is 440 x 220 (2:1 ratio) or 1024 x 512 shows great in the newsfeed according to Rebekah Radice.

Here are some ideas of photo’s to take and include in a Tweet:

Recognize & congratulate employee successes with an employee picture and tweet

Customer photo’s either in the field, your store or at events

Behind the scene shots of the day in the life of your local business

Local event shots of school teams, fairs or events that will resonate locally

Personal family shots (remember people like to do business with people they get to know)

Pictures of you creating your product or performing your service

Just make sure to mix the tweets up and have some fun with them.

7. Include Video in your Tweets

Tweets with videos, similar to Tweets with images, can really help you get much more Twitter engagement.

You’ve always been able to include links to a video, but now you have the ability to actually shoot a 30 second video right from inside Twitter.

This is huge and really gives you the opportunity to connect one-on-one with your followers.

Like the suggestions above, consider sharing a video of behind the scenes of what you do, local events or anything that can tie you to the local community.

Another great way to use video is to send a personalized messages to your new followers, customers or even prospects you just met.

NOTE CREDIT: http://www.socialquant.net/how-to-use-twitter-for-business/

This Entrepreneur Shows How to Paint a Picture of Success

Join us at Entrepreneur magazine's Growth Conference, Dec. 15 in Long Beach, Calif. for a day of fresh ideas, business mentoring and networking. Register here for exclusive pricing, available only for a limited time.

When entrepreneurs embark on their journey, they start with a blank canvas: There is no manual for building their dream. Along the way, they’re bound to hit some bumps -- and when they do, it’s important they visualize the picture of success. For Erik Wahl, he takes it one step further and actually paints his success.

As a business strategist and an artist, Wahl combines his two passions to demonstrate the journey for his entrepreneurship endeavor, while also providing motivation to others.

Taking the stage at Entrepreneur’s 2014 Growth Conference in New Orleans, he left the crowd captivated painting iconic pieces like the Statue of Liberty and Einstein in a matter of minutes.  Wahl not only takes people on his journey, while his paint strokes create a vibrant image but also inspires businesspeople to think about innovation, taking success to the next level and living the dream.

Here are a few of the takeaways:

Don’t follow the breadcrumbs of others. Sometimes it pays to take a risk and take ownership of an action. “Look for ways to de-familiarize the ordinary,” says Wahl.

Wahl encompasses this belief with his own personal tale. Seven years ago, Wahl decided to go against the grain and get creative in marketing his artwork: He stopped displaying his work at galleries and selling his items. Instead, in an effort to raise demand and money, he focused on charity events and corporate conferences. It paid off. Last year, singer Pink ended up paying $10,000 for one of his Marilyn Monroe paintings, leading the media to take notice.

Focus, commit and most importantly adapt.  While being focused and committed helps a business stay afloat in the day-to-day activities, the ability to adapt in a creative manner can take a business to the next level.

Wahl recalls a famous quote by iconic entrepreneur Einstein, “Imagination is even more important than knowledge.” And when it comes to long-term vision, Wahl believes this statement can help entrepreneurs stay in front of their competitors.

But often founders don’t believe they have that “outside-of-the-box” mindset. Not the case, Wahl explains. Innovation, differentiation and creativity has been wrongly diagnosed as being a genetic trait: That we are either born with or without,” he says. “It is practice, a discipline skill that everyone has access to tap into.”

By ditching a paint-by-number mentality and instead thinking of your endeavor as one that is a blank canvas, unlimited possibilities will arise.

Fear kills performance. Wahl explains that we were raised and trained to be logical: taught to always think of one answer, have one response.  This mentality transcends to leadership positions, causing stagnation for innovation. Instead of jumping at the change to be creative, leaders freeze with fear and revert back to what they have always been done, always been taught.

This kind of mindset is no longer sufficient, as the global competitive landscape is rapidly changing, says Wahl. Entrepreneurs need to “unthink” this mentality. They need creativity, not rigidness.  Founders can do this by building an emotional connection to the audience.

Amplify to scale: To grow your company, humanize your brand and get the audience engaged by making them an active participant. By building a tribe of loyal followers, you gain the best and most affordable source of marketing, Wahl says.

For instance, at the Entrepreneur Growth Conference, Wahl is not selling or auctioning off any of the paintings he created during the presentation. Instead, he has created a gamification strategy, one that has a virility and social component. Wahl decided to hide all the pictures in the New Orleans area and had geo-tagging, allowing conference participants to go on a sort of treasure hunt searching for these art pieces while also providing a word-of-mouth strategy.

NOTE CREDIT: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/231014

Meet Neha Misra, The Person Empowering Women In Africa Using Simple Solar Lights

The first time Neha Misra visited the Sundarbans, a beautiful island of mangrove forests, her life was forever changed. It was 2005, and she was working for a large sustainability think tank in India, researching the economics of rural electrification. On the trip, she spoke to women about their first experiences with solar light and how it changed their lives.

One woman told a story of how much safer she felt at night. This was a tropical area with a lot of snakes, and if she ever got up in the dark, she was afraid she would be bitten. With a simple solar light, that risk was almost entirely gone.

“That was really profound because I had not seen electricity in that context,” Misra said. “That stayed with me.”

Misra, the co-founder of Solar Sister, which empowers African women to become entrepreneurs and sell solar lights and chargers in their communities, grew up in the urban area of Delhi, India. She had access to power most of the time, but as India’s population and economy grew, she experienced power cuts, reading by candlelight, and not being able to study while she was younger. As she got older, her life became “increasingly more electrified,” she said.

Her father is a mechanical engineer and her mother a doctor, so Misra was interested in science and technology from a young age. But from the time she was in high school, Misra also had a growing passion for economics. She split her studies between physics and economics for some time, but decided to pursue science through college.

Then, she switched back to business and earned her master’s in business economics from the University of Delhi. That’s where she really started to appreciate the business side of technology and science — how economies change with evolving tech, and vice versa. While doing her master’s, Misra got an internship with one of the biggest advertising firms in Delhi, doing consumer behavior research. A large part of her job was to find out what drove people to purchase Pizza Hut pizzas. After a while, the luster of that coveted internship wore off.

NOTE CREDIT: http://www.forbes.com/sites/lyndseygilpin/2015/11/18/meet-neha-misra-the-avon-lady-of-solar-power/

The Startup Buzzword Almost Everyone Uses Incorrectly

Harvard professor and author Clayton Christensen wants to set the record straight on the real meaning of the term he coined back in the '90s.
 
You probably use the verb disrupt to describe something surprising or innovative--whether it's your business model, your product itself, or even a feature of one of your products.

And you're probably using the word incorrectly. It's not entirely your fault. Ever since Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen first proposed his theory of disruptive innovation in 1995, the term has been widely co-opted and misappropriated by the business community. The result is what often happens when words get misused by the masses: The word assumes the misused meaning. Aggravate used to mean "worsen." Now it also means "annoy."

Likewise, disrupt, in entrepreneurial parlance, now commonly means "innovate in a new or surprising way." But this week, in the Harvard Business Review, Christensen himself added clarity to the term, along with co-authors Michael E. Raynor (a director at Deloitte Consulting) and Rory MacDonald (a professor at HBS). Too many people, they write, "use the term loosely to invoke the concept of innovation in support of whatever it is they wish to do."

Here are five takeaways from their clarification:

1. "Disruptive innovation" does not necessarily apply to every industry in which newcomers make the incumbents stumble.

In other words, just because your startup has won customers with a high-tech breakthrough, that doesn't mean--by the book--that you've "disrupted" the old guard.

2. "Disruption" specifically refers to what happens when the incumbents are so focused on pleasing their most profitable customers that they neglect or misjudge the needs of their other segments.

If your startup comes along and wins over those overlooked segments--with better pricing or functionality--then your innovation is potentially disruptive. But the reason is not necessarily because what you're doing is so novel or high tech. It's because the titans--hyperfocused on the high-profit segments--have not adequately responded to your entry.

3. The disruption happens when the newcomer--having already conquered the customers the incumbents are neglecting--begins to conquer the high-margin customers, too.

The key for the newcomers is delivering the performance that incumbents' customers require, while preserving the advantages that drove their early success.

4. Strictly speaking, Uber is not disrupting the taxi business.

For two reasons. The first is that, according to Christensen's theory, disruptive innovations originate in low-end or new-market footholds. He and his co-authors assert that Uber did not originate in either:

It is difficult to claim that the company found a low-end opportunity: That would have meant taxi service providers had overshot the needs of a material number of customers by making cabs too plentiful, too easy to use, and too clean. Neither did Uber primarily target nonconsumers--people who found the existing alternatives so expensive or inconvenient that they took public transit or drove themselves instead: Uber was launched in San Francisco (a well-served taxi market), and Uber's customers were generally people already in the habit of hiring rides.

None of that takes away from what Uber has accomplished. Nor does it signal, from Christensen and his co-authors, a disrespect for Uber's impact. "Uber has quite arguably been increasing total demand--that's what happens when you develop a better, less-expensive solution to a widespread customer need," they write.

"But disrupters start by appealing to low-end or unserved consumers and then migrate to the mainstream market," they continue. "Uber has gone in exactly the opposite direction: building a position in the mainstream market first and subsequently appealing to historically overlooked segments."

5. Disruption is a process, not a single moment or an isolated product introduction. 

The process can take decades. Nor does it necessarily result in a wipeout of the incumbent. "More than 50 years after the first discount department store was opened, mainstream retail companies still operate their traditional department-store formats," note the authors.

Netflix is one example of a gradual disrupter who did conquer the incumbent (Blockbuster). "If Netflix (like Uber) had begun by launching a service targeted at a larger competitor's core market, Blockbuster's response would very likely have been a vigorous and perhaps successful counterattack," they write. Instead, Netflix began at the fringe. "The service appealed to only a few customer groups--movie buffs who didn't care about new releases, early adopters of DVD players, and online shoppers," they add.

Toward the end of the essay, the authors address why the proper definition of disruption still matters--especially when it comes to Uber. "The company has certainly thrown the taxi industry into disarray: Isn't that 'disruptive' enough?" they ask.

Their answer is a firm no. And the reason is for your own benefit. Of all the small competitors poaching your low-end customers, how do you know which ones to ignore and which ones to pay attention to? Likewise, if you yourself are the newcomer, how can you sneak up on a giant (as Netflix did), without luring too much of its attention?

Twenty years after its introduction, Christensen's theory of disruptive innovation can still help you answer those questions.

NOTE CREDIT: http://www.inc.com/ilan-mochari/clayton-christensen-disruptive-innovation-cheatsheet.html

Un Uber para casi todo: ¿es imparable el fenómeno de la "uberización" de la economía?

La economía facilita el viraje a una economía de recursos compartidos y mejor uso de lo disponible, pero también enfrenta desafíos por su impacto en la sociedad

Para muchos clientes es más práctico y barato. Si querés viajar de un punto a otro de la ciudad, abrís la aplicación de Uber en tu teléfono inteligente e indicás el sitio en el que te encontrás y tu destino. En la pantalla podés ver el precio del viaje y los autos privados que circulan cerca. Escogés el que quieras (el más próximo o el que tiene mejor rating) y en pocos minutos llega el vehículo.


Al final del trayecto no necesitás pagar en efectivo, porque la aplicación ya está vinculada a tu tarjeta de débito o crédito. Y si querés dividir la cuenta entre varias personas, lo podés hacer sin problema. A fin de cuentas, te has evitado la espera de que pasara un taxi por allí o tener que llamar a una compañía de transporte. Además, el precio está claro de antemano y no tenés que llevar billetes en tu bolsillo.

"La gente usa Uber porque es más barato y directo, y lo entiendo", le comenta a BBC Mundo un taxista de Miami, Estados Unidos, que lleva a pasajeros al aeropuerto. "Pero lo que no saben los clientes es que esos autos no están asegurados como los nuestros, así que si ocurre un accidente pueden estar en problemas. Y los conductores de Uber no ganan mucho; yo lo hice un tiempo y tuve que dejarlo".


A pesar de la críticas, Dale, un conductor que trabaja con Uber en Londres, Reino Unido, tiene claro que los usuarios quieren una forma más directa y barata de obtener servicios. "Para mí, este tipo de aplicaciones facilita la vida a la gente y por eso son tan populares", le dice a BBC Mundo.

Gracias a la tecnología

Ése es precisamente el espíritu de una tendencia que avanza a pasos agigantados a nivel global: la de los servicios que acercan a proveedores/vendedores con clientes, evitando intermediarios, simplificando procesos y reduciendo costos.


La tecnología es clave para esta relación negocio-consumidor sea más inmediata: basta una aplicación o un sitio de Internet para vincular a las partes. Y desde luego, también el "oro del siglo XXI": los datos en tiempo real.

"La infraestructura digital y la inmensa cantidad de información han acentuado el cambio hacia una economía cada vez más orientada al cliente, al estilo Uber", le explica a BBC Mundo Andy Neely, investigador especializado en servicios de la Universidad de Cambridge, en Reino Unido.

"Ya no alcanza con sólo suministrar un producto o un servicio al consumidor. La gratificación del cliente, en forma de comodidad y eficiencia, se ha convertido en un elemento clave". Algunos denominan a este nuevo fenómeno "economía compartida". Otros "economía geek". Y otros, "uberización" de la economía o simplemente "uber-economía".

Uber enfrentó en todo el mundo marchas de taxistas que la consideran competencia desleal
Uber enfrentó en todo el mundo marchas de taxistas que la consideran competencia desleal.Foto:Archivo
El crecimiento de Uber es, de por sí, indicador del abrumador avance de esta tendencia. La aplicación fue lanzada en mayo de 2010 en San Francisco y hoy, apenas cinco años después, funciona en unas 350 ciudades de más de 60 países. En 2014 hizo posibles 140 millones de viajes en todo el mundo.

Y los mercados están sumamente entusiasmados con este tipo de empresas: Uber ha sido valuada en la friolera de US$ 50.000 millones, lo que la convierte en la start-up de tecnología más cotizada de EE.UU.

Como contracara, los taxistas tradicionales han protestado contra la aplicación en varios países -incluso en América Latina- por considerarla competencia desleal. Y en Alemania la prohibieron.

Apartamentos, restaurantes, aviones...

Otro sistema de "economía compartida" como Uber es el cada vez más popular Airbnb: los individuos colocan sus propiedades en una lista en internet para que otros las alquien de forma temporal, sin intermediarios. En este caso, los que se han sentido perjudicados y han protestado son los hoteleros.

Pero la "uberización" no se detiene en este sector de la economía. En Canadá, por ejemplo, ya hay una aplicación para pagar cuentas de restaurantes que, siguiendo el modelo de desembolsos de Uber, permite dividir el importe entre varios usando celulares. Y en Francia se está popularizando una aplicación que reúne a comensales con chefs privados, un servicio que también tiene adeptos en la Argentina.

Quienes viven en Australia ahora cuentan con un servicio de limpieza doméstica que, por medio de la geolocalización, permite encontrar a trabajadores disponibles en la zona del usuario. Y en EE.UU. está creciendo una app para reservar vuelos en jets privados con un dispositivo móvil.

Airbnb es un servicio que permite a personas alquilar en forma particular un departamento o una habitación a turistas
Airbnb es un servicio que permite a personas alquilar en forma particular un departamento o una habitación a turistas.Foto:Gentileza AirBnB
Aprovechar recursos desaprovechados

Hasta la medicina muestra síntomas de este giro hacia los servicios "bajo demanda" (on demand). Por ejemplo, un sitio web llamado Pager permite solicitar la visita de un médico a domicilio y concretarla en un plazo de dos horas, sin tener que desplazarse a un centro de salud.

El doctor Abraham Rahm, que se ha unido a la nueva compañía estadounidense, le explica a la BBC que el sistema aprovecha el tiempo libre que les queda a los médicos en medio de la lista de citas que tienen pautadas en hospitales o consultorios.

"Los economistas han hablado durante décadas de la idea de redistribuir los recursos no utilizados en la economía y ahora está ocurriendo, y a una escala masiva", asegura el experto en negocios Nick Waddell, autor del blog tecnológico Cantech Letter.

¿Una nueva era con límites?

Los expertos creen que, potencialmente, la "uberización" puede causar disrupción en todas y cada una de las industrias existentes. Y sostienen que es la siguiente etapa en una transformación que ya ocurre desde hace décadas, la llamada "servitización": el paso de una economía industrial a una mayoritariamente de servicios.

"El sector de las prestaciones ya predomina en muchos países occidentales", le dice a BBC Mundo Andy Neely, de la Universidad de Cambridge. "Pero la nueva fase consiste en repensar todo para aprovechar mejor los recursos, compartirlos y lograr una experiencia más confortable y placentera para los consumidores".

Está claro que Uber y otros negocios similares son muy convenientes para muchos en todo el mundo, salvo para los sectores tradicionales que se han visto amenazados por su popularidad.

Muchos servicios apuestan por dar servicios profesionales en forma casera: por ejemplo, un restaurante
Muchos servicios apuestan por dar servicios profesionales en forma casera: por ejemplo, un restaurante.Foto:Archivo
Sueldos y protección laboral

Con todo, expertos advierten que la "uberización" de la economía plantea una serie de interrogantes que, de no resolverse, podrían frenar su avance aparentemente imparable. Para empezar, los trabajadores. ¿Les alcanza lo que ganan para vivir? ¿Cuentan con suficiente protección en su empleo temporario o a destajo?

Uber asegura que sus conductores ganan en promedio US$ 19,04 la hora, después de haber pagado la comisión correspondiente a la compañía. Esto puede ser mucho o poco, dependiendo de la frecuencia con la que se realicen viajes y el costo de vida de país donde uno resida.

De hecho, varios sondeos en distintas partes del mundo sugieren que los trabajadores de Uber utilizan la aplicación como una forma de generar ingresos mientras encuentran un empleo estable o como manera de complementar otras actividades.

La protección de los empleados es otra cuestión irresuelta. Algunas compañías de seguros limitan el alcance de su cobertura cuando se trata de vehículos que trabajan para Uber. Y esto es algo que no sólo afecta a conductor, sino también al pasajero: es probable que al viajar en esos autos uno no esté asegurado al nivel que lo estaría, por ejemplo, en un taxi.

Eric Brousseau, profesor de economía de la Universidad París-Dauphine, afirma que la "economía compartida" aún está en pañales y poco regulada. Y cree que, a la larga, será alcanzada por las regulaciones, lo que restará flexibilidad en términos laborales. Esto puede ser bueno o malo, según quien lo mire, el empleado o el cliente.

Datos y... ¿burbuja financiera?

Y otro asunto sensible es el de los datos. La combinación de información personal, localización en tiempo real y pagos móviles ha sido crucial para la "uber-economía", pero también entraña muchos riesgos.

"El tema más espinoso es de la propiedad de los datos personales y el acceso a ellos", advierte Andy Neely, de la Universidad de Cambridge. "Cada vez hay más redes y dispositivos interconectados y nuestra información fluye entre ellos. La compañía de celulares sabe dónde estoy; las apps y las páginas web tienen los datos de mi perfil y de mi tarjeta de crédito, que fluyen de un punto a otro", le dice a BBC Mundo.

"El peligro de que la información privada sea mal usada se multiplica, lo que obliga a repensar cómo se regulan y protegen los datos en la nueva economía".

Finalmente, el riesgo financiero de la "uber-economía". Como empresa Uber aún deben demostrar, con su modelo de negocios, si realmente vale la millonada que los mercados le pusieron como precio. Por ahora Uber genera ganancias anuales calculadas en "apenas" unos US$200 millones.

Algunos analistas financieros se preguntan si estamos ante una nueva burbuja financiera que, en caso de estallar, podría arrastrar no sólo a la aplicación de transporte de pasajeros, sino también a sus numerosos imitadores en todo el planeta.

Y recuerdan el caso de Groupon, la compañía estadounidense especializada en la oferta de vales de descuento en línea. En 2010 la firma que prometía mucho -según los mercados- fue valuada en US$ 1350 millones. Pero en los años subsiguientes no dio más que pérdidas.

La "uberización" tiene riesgos que podría frenarla, sí. Pero por ahora su viaje parece imparable.

NOTE CREDIT: http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1849108-un-uber-para-casi-todo-es-imparable-el-fenomeno-de-la-uberizacion-de-la-economia

Top 10 Website Builder And Hosting Solutions For Entrepreneurs

Back in the early days of the Internet, when AOL still mattered and Hotmail was actually hot, setting up a website was a traumatic experience. Unless you happened to be a hardcore nerd with few social skills and fewer friends, you would end up overwhelmed and confused as you tried to figure out exactly what went where.

If you really wanted a website, you could pay an exorbitant amount of money to a computer geek named Chad, who would then build you a site from scratch. Any time you wanted to make a change to the site, you had to pay said geek more money. It was kind of like the Mafia, minus the guns and the killing and the copious amounts of cocaine.

Thankfully those days are gone. AOL is no longer top dog, GMail rules the email world, and many companies are making it simple to set up a website.

Here is a look at my top picks – 10 solutions for setting up your own website:

Shopify

Shopify—a website builder, blogging platform and hosting service (all wrapped into one)—is the ideal option for someone wanting to sell their products on the Internet. With hundreds of themes to choose from and drag and drop design, creating an elegant ecommerce store is a snap. They also make it possible to sell on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. With prices starting at $9 per month, this is an affordable solution for everyone.

WordPress

Over 75 million sites are hosted using WordPress, making it one of the most popular options on the Internet. WordPress, a free and open-source content management system (CMS), offers two primary options: Create a site on WordPress.com or Install WordPress on another host. The first option is the simplest, by far. Simply sign up, name your site, pick a theme, and get started. You can literally start a website in ten minutes with a .wordpress extension in the domain name of your site. Another option is to use WordPress files (available for download and installation) on other web hosts. Once the files are installed, your site can be modified with plugins or templates.

LCN

LCN is a UK-based domain registration and web hosting company. They offer simple one-click installation of WordPress or Joomla (another free and open-source content management system (CMS) for publishing). With free web-design software, around the clock support, and prices starting at $4 per month, LCN is a great option for anyone wanting to build a WordPress site. They also make it simple to purchase your own domain name.

Wix

Wix is a cloud-based web development platform that allows user to create a website without any knowledge of coding or web design. Offering modern templates and drag and drop design, Wix is great option for someone just getting started in launching a website. The basic service is free, but they also offer paid upgrades if you want more functionality.

Weebly

Like Wix, Weebly offers simple website design with no knowledge of coding required. They offer drag and drop design, e-commerce functionality, blogging, and a host of other options. Like Wix, the basic service is free with paid upgrades also available.

Squarespace

With a focus on beautiful design and ultra simple editing, Squarespace is like a more elegant web publishing platform in comparison to Weebly or Wix. While not quite as robust as BigCommerce or Lemonstand, Squarespace also offers an easy-to-use ecommerce function. The variety of templates are perfect for bloggers, businesses, restaurants, musicians, or just about anyone else looking for an elegant website.

Website Builder

Website Builder offers a free custom domain name, thousands of drag-and-drop templates, e-commerce functionality, free images for your site, and web analytics. They also give users SEO tools and a free business email. While not ideal for larger businesses, Website Builder is a viable option for someone who needs a small starter site.

Bigcommerce

Like Shopify, BigCommerce (an all-in-one ecommerce platform) makes creating an ecommerce store a snap. Offering fully customizable themes, flexible product management, built in SEO, online promotion tools, and a host of other options, Bigcommerce is an excellent option for anyone building an ecommerce store. Pricing starts at $29 per month and goes up from there.

LemonStand

LemonStand provides a flexible platform for growing eCommerce businesses. It is geared more toward larger brands and web agencies. They offer easily customizable ecommerce sites, advanced analytics, inventory management, advanced workflows, and a host of other options. With pricing starting at $49 per month, they are a more expensive ecommerce option.

GoDaddy

Like LCN, GoDaddy is a web hosting company who offers domain registration, online marketing, email services, and website hosting. They have one-click installation of WordPress, DIY website building software, and ecommerce functionality. At as low as $1 per month, GoDaddy is a high value option.



Starting a website isn’t the massive headache it used to be. With a little bit of time, minimal tech knowledge, and little to zero cost, you can create a site that puts the early days of the Internet to shame. Eat your heart out AOL.

NOTE CREDIT: http://yfsmagazine.com/2015/11/06/top-10-website-builder-and-hosting-solutions%E2%80%A8%E2%80%A8-for-entrepreneurs/?utm_source=ReviveOldPost&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ReviveOldPost

Are You Ready to Be an Entrepreneur? Ask These 5 Questions

You might be fixated on the idea of entrepreneurship, but are you ready to take on the challenge? These five questions will tell you.

Entrepreneurship is an appealing idea to many, but few go through with starting their own companies, and even fewer end up being success. Why is this? The challenges of entrepreneurship are tough, multifaceted, and daunting--and not everybody's cut out for the work. You don't need a degree to be an entrepreneur, nor are certain people "born" to be entrepreneurs; in fact, you can get everything you need to start and manage a good business from free resources, networking, and hard work.

Still, some people try to become entrepreneurs before they're ready, resulting in disaster. So how can you know if you're ready?

Ask yourself these five questions: 

1. Can you handle the financial risk? Most startups require a bit of startup capital from their founders, but the financial risk is more than that--you might go years before receiving a reliable paycheck for your business. Are your personal finances in a position to handle that?

2. Do you know what entrepreneurship entails? It's more than just thinking up an idea and sitting back. As an entrepreneur, you'll wear a lot of hats during your business's creation, and it's going to take everything you have to make your business a success.

3. Do you know where you're going to start? Do you know the key entrepreneurship resources in your area (including possible mentors or investors)? If not, start the research now.

4. Do you have the personal experience? Experience isn't a requirement to be an entrepreneur, but it is helpful. Where you get the experience doesn't matter. You need to be able to manage people, manage your time, make important decisions, adapt to new circumstances, and of course, experience working in your industry of choice doesn't hurt either.

5. What do you really want out of entrepreneurship? If the answer is money or fame, chances are, you aren't going to get far as an entrepreneur. The money is nice, and a motivation for many, but you have to be passionate about your ideas and your personal growth if you truly want to be successful.

Can you answer all of these questions honestly and affirmatively? If so, you're personally and logistically ready to take the next steps in building your business. For all its challenges and hardships, entrepreneurship is uniquely rewarding--so prepare yourself, and take the next steps when you can.

Bio:

Jose Vasquez is a serial entrepreneur and tech enthusiast dedicated to helping startup technology companies get the direction and momentum they need to succeed. As the founder of Build. Brand. Blast., Jose has established a collective resource for tech entrepreneurs to consult when brainstorming, creating, launching, or expanding a new business. Jose is also the founder and CEO of Quez Media Marketing, a marketing firm that combines technology and creativity to help new and growing companies get the results they need.

NOTE CREDIT: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jose-vasquez/are-you-ready-to-be-an-en_b_8574828.html

An entrepreneur's guide to social media branding

Do you ever wonder if you can make yourself into a brand through social media? You think you aren’t anybody special, but you have a unique offering that you want the world to see.



The simple answer is, anybody that has something of value can make themselves into a brand on social media, but you need to know what you are doing. It all starts with building your personal brand on social media.

It is very important to define your brand position and objective. You need to clearly define yourself as a thought leader and make sure you stand out from the rest. Ask yourself why should people follow, friend or like you? Work at delivering the content that they want to see. What do you want people to see when they search your brand name? If you are a growing entrepreneur, what people see about your personal brand online has a lot to do with determining if your brand is successful.

Develop a personal brand communication style to stand out

Establish a communication style early on and  commit to it, and ultimately, perfect it. That style should showcase what you are great at while driving influence and making people take action. Choosing your communication style in relation to online personal brand development is critical to making yourself into a leading brand. This will also be essential for making your personal brand stand out in today’s competitive marketplace.

You need to claim your name. You can use a tool such as Knowem to see if your desired username is available on all social media platforms and if not you may need to create a slightly altered name. Consistency is key and every social media profile you create should have the same look and feel that reflect you as a brand.

Define your personal brand image

Your brand image  should clearly define your brand culture and adapt as need be to fit what your target market is looking for. Your smile, tone of voice and writing style all need to be an accurate description of your new brand. You should have a positive brand image, that is authentic to who your new brand is.


For instance, Justin Bieber is often called the first YouTube superstar, and there is a good reason for that. The teen dream got his start by posting videos and Bieber built himself into a famous brand in no time at all and he’s not alone. Plenty of people have used social media to carve out niches for themselves just on the strength of their social media.


Kelly Oxford was a housewife in Calgary, Alberta, whose Twitter account gained attention from stars like Roger Ebert and Jimmy Fallon, and now she’s sold several pilots, authored a book and moved to L.A. Without social media and Twitter she’d probably still be in Canada. Amy Jo Martin is a great example of self-made entrepreneur who turned herself into a brand by using social media.


As a social media marketer, you spend a lot of time getting more shares, followers and traffic for your business. The same rules apply when the brand you’re promoting is yourself. You also should be actively participating within your communities in order to make your personal brand stand out. Your target market LinkedIn and Facebook Groups, Google+ communities and Twitter hashtag conversations are all great places to start. Your personal brand gets more exposure by being active and helps you position yourself as an authority in your niche and that should be your ultimate goal!

NOTE CREDIT: http://www.virgin.com/entrepreneur/an-entrepreneurs-guide-to-social-media-branding

Resisting biases, and focusing on the real challenges

Frustrated at the extent to which unconscious and not-so-unconscious biases have taken over people’s minds in the wake of last Friday’s brutal attacks in Paris.

The tendency to pass judgement on entire populations, based on the actions of a radical few is a huge problem. Social media is abuzz with the angry comments of those who are trying to blame the global Muslim community for the deadly events of Paris. Others have been stoking fears that the wave of refugees trying to escape the horrors of war and oppression in Syria is really just a Trojan horse for the passage of travelling jihadists. New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie went on television saying he wouldn’t even let a five-year-old orphan into the state.

These positions fuel a collective paranoia that tends to be more interested in confirming existing biases rather than the truth. Islam is a global religion practised peacefully by almost a quarter of the world’s population. We wouldn’t blame all Americans for the past actions of the Ku-Klux Klan. But it seems some people have no problem judging every woman riding the tube in a hijab to be a terrorist. It’s high time we resist these biases and fears and start focusing on the real challenges.

When it comes to ISIS, the gang of murderous thugs pretending to act in the name of faith, I am supportive of every effort to suppress them. But we have to ask ourselves what really drives the brutal extremism shaking the world these days. It may be worth looking at previous outbreaks of violent movements. More often than not, weak governance, corruption, poor economic conditions came long before things turned bad. Extremism became an outlet, not a source.

Yet in all of the week’s frustrating and saddening news, there are encouraging glimmers of hope. After the misguided announcement by more than half of US governors to resist the settlement of Syrian refugees in their states, I was heartened to read of the open letter by 18 mayors, including Bill de Blasio of New York and Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles, who pledged to welcome these very same refugees with open arms. 

Addressing President Obama, the mayors recognised the “myriad ways in which immigrants and refugees make our communities stronger economically, socially and culturally.” The world needs more of this sensible humanity right now. 

NOTE CREDIT: http://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/resisting-biases-and-focusing-on-the-real-challenges

Empresas unicornio: ¿Qué son y cuáles se conocen?

Si estás inmerso en el ecosistema emprendedor, seguramente has escuchado hablar de las llamadas empresas “unicornio”, si este no es el caso te lo explicamos.

En noviembre de 2013 Aileen Lee, fundadora de Cowboy Ventures, fue la primera en introducir el término. Se refería a una compañía tecnológica que alcanza un valor de mil millones de dólares en alguna de las etapas de su proceso de levantamiento de capital. Según Aileen, estos “unicornios” solían ser un mito o una fantasía. Pero ahora parecen ser real.

En 2013, Aileen nos hablaba del Club de los 39 unicornios –que representan el 0,07% de las B2C (Business to Consumer), B2B (Business to business) y startups de software–. Sin embargo, al día de hoy, la revista Fortune cuenta más de 80 compañías que han sido valuadas arriba de mil millones de dólares.

Las empresas unicornio que encabezan la lista son:

1.Facebook ($122 billones)
2.Xiaomi ($46 billones)
3.Uber ($41.2 billones)
4.Linkedin ($25 billones)
5.Palantir ($15 billones)
6.Airbnb ($13 billones)
7.Workday ($12 billones)
8.Flipkart ($10.6 billones)
9.Dropbox ($10.4)
10.Snapchat ($10 billones)
11.Twitter ($9 billones)

A continuación te traemos unos datos importantes de las empresas unicornio:

*Surgieron en la era de las redes sociales, y supieron aprovechar su auge para consolidarse y crecer.
*Son B2C, es decir, desarrollan una estrategia comercial para llegar directamente al cliente o consumidor final.
*En promedio, en la década pasada nacieron cuatro empresas unicornio por año. Facebook fue la “superunicornio” estrella, valuada en más de 100 mil millones de dólares.
*La edad promedio de los emprendedores que las fundan es 34 años.
*Sus equipos están conformados por tres emprendedores en promedio.
*El 90% de las compañías tiene fundadores que ya se conocían antes, en la escuela o el trabajo.

NOTE CREDIT: http://www.elemprendedor.ec/empresas-unicornio-que-son-y-cuales-se-conocen/

The Thinkers 50 Ranking 2015

The Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers is published every two years and is the essential guide to which thinkers and which ideas matter now.

Top ranked thinker 2015: Michael Porter

World-renowned expert on competiveness and originator of the Five Forces Framework. Harvard professor.

#2: Clayton Christensen
Originator of the theory of disruptive innovation and the author of The Innovator’s Dilemma. Harvard professor.

#3: W. Chan Kim & Renée Mauborgne
Creators of Blue Ocean Strategy and best-selling book of the same name. Insead professors.

#4: Don Tapscott
Authority on the social and economic impact of technology, and originator of global business solutions concept. Adjunct professor at Rotman School of Management.

#5: Marshall Goldsmith
Corporate America’s leading executive coach and best-selling author of Triggers. Adjunct professor at Tuck Business School, Dartmouth College.

#6: Linda Hill
Internationally recognised leadership expert and author of Collective Genius. Harvard professor.

#7: Roger Martin
World authority on competiveness and strategy. Former dean and now Institute Director at the Martin Prosperity Institute at Rotman School of Management.

• 8 Herminia Ibarra (9)
• 9 Rita G McGrath (6)
• 10 Dan Pink (13)
• 11 Richard A D’Aveni (17)
• 12 Eric Ries (-)
• 13 Vijay Govindarajan (5)
• 14 Richard Florida (25)
• 15 Alex Osterwalder & Yves Pigneur (-)
• 16 Amy C Edmondson (15)
• 17 Jeffrey Pfeffer (24)
• 18 Martin Lindstrom (-)
• 19 Pankaj Ghemawat (11)
• 20 Steve Blank (-)
• 21 Teresa Amabile (22)
• 22 Daniel Goleman (36)
• 23 Seth Godin (-)
• 24 Henry Chesbrough (37)
• 25 Adam Grant (-)
• 26 Erik Brynjolfsson & Andrew McAfee (-)
• 27 Dave Ulrich (30)
• 28 Jim Collins (12)
• 29 Stew Friedman (27)
• 30 Gary Hamel (19)
• 31 Lynda Gratton (14)
• 32 Sylvia Ann Hewlett (16)
• 33 Fons Trompenaars (41)
• 34 Morten T Hansen (28)
• 35 Tammy Erickson (29)
• 36 Jennifer Aaker (-)
• 37 John P Kotter (32)
• 38 Zhang Ruimin (-)
• 39 Subir Chowdhury (40)
• 40 Nirmalya Kumar (20)
• 41 Sydney Finkelstein (43)
• 42 Julian Birkinshaw (39)
• 43 Liz Wiseman (48)
• 44 Doug Ready (49)
• 45 Umair Haque (35)
• 46 Hal Gregersen (-)
• 47 Anil K Gupta (44)
• 48 Nilofer Merchant (-)
• 49 Whitney Johnson (-)
• 50 Amy Cuddy (-)

NOTE CREDIT: http://thinkers50.com/t50-ranking/2015-2/

A new funding source for social innovation: The ‘crowd’

In the journey from a revolutionary idea, to a start-up business, to an expanding business, it’s difficult for entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized enterprises to access the finance they need through the traditional channels of private capital markets. A new way to address this gap is crowdfunding—an innovative tool that enables entrepreneurs or enterprises in the early stages of the business development cycle to tap the financial resources of the online community.

Crowdfunding platforms provide a virtual space to connect entrepreneurs to potential funders in the “crowd” – the virtual community of people and resources that are connected through the Internet and digital technologies. Through these platforms, entrepreneurs can create campaigns to raise money for product development, operational expansion, or the launch of a new enterprise. Different platforms offer different crowdfunding models; contributions can be donations, or tied to specific rewards or products, or loans with interest rates and maturities, or represent an ownership stake in a private company (equity).

Crowdfunding democratizes financial opportunities and can lower the barriers to accessing finance for businesses that typically face more challenges in starting up and growing: businesses headed by youth and women, and “social” enterprises that seek both profit and solutions to social problems. In crowdfunding, resource allocation decisions are made by a critical mass of individuals and there are low barriers to entry; anyone can contribute or create a fundraising campaign with a bank account and Internet access.

While the market is just beginning to show signs of its potential in Latin America and the Caribbean, the global crowdfunding market has mushroomed to an estimated $35 billion for 2015 (Massolution 2015 report), from $1.5 billion in 2011. In an effort to establish a solid base for this funding model in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) conducted pioneering studies about crowdfunding in Mexico (2014) and in Chile (2015), which provided in-depth analyses of the crowdfunding market in each country, and identified the elements essential to accelerating the crowdfunding “ecosystem” in the region.

Mexico

The Mexico study was the first of its kind to provide research on a national crowdfunding ecosystem in an emerging market. According to the report, the major factors in this type of ecosystem are the local entrepreneurship culture, the size and potential of the market, technological advances and access to technology, a dynamic group of crowdfunding platforms, and the sophistication of potential investors. Advocacy organizations and the public sector also play a big role.

Chile

The Chile study assesses the potential for crowdfunding in Chile, and proposes a legal framework and clear regulations governing crowdfunding in that country. In addition, the report identifies next steps for developing Chile’s ecosystem: establishing securities-based crowdfunding, building regulatory capacity, and raising investor awareness through education and training.

Algramo

Chile’s nascent crowdfunding market is already helping to finance the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises. One of the first to obtain financing through crowdfunding is Algramo, a social enterprise that establishes wholesale relationships with manufacturers of common consumer products—such as detergents, rice, and oil—so that it can buy the products in bulk and save significantly on packaging costs, without lowering the quality of the products. Bulk suppliers then distribute the products in large quantities to stores, which also reduces logistics costs. This business model allows Algramo to sell the products at a lower cost to retail consumers. Algramo completed a successful equity crowdfunding campaign on the Chilean crowdfunding platform Broota in September 2014, raising approximately $130,000 from 55 investors.

On Broota, investors contribute to a campaign in return for shares in the company. Investors register an account with Broota and are able to browse through hundreds of fundraising campaigns posted by entrepreneurs. Equity investors contribute for a variety of reasons—to support a local business, friend, or family member; to obtain a stake in a potentially profitable enterprise that will post returns; and to contribute to a model offering a social good or impact—and the reasons are not mutually exclusive.

We hope that Algramo will be joined by a significant number of other social enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises that access funds through the crowd, tapping non-traditional investors who want to support new ventures in Latin America and the Caribbean. With the key stakeholders, structures, and conditions now identified through the work of the MIF and others, the next steps are to implement policies and educate both business owners and potential investors about this innovative funding mechanism, in order to grow the crowdfunding ecosystem and as a result, the small business sector in Latin America and the Caribbean.

NOTE CREDIT: http://www.fomin.org/en-us/Home/FOMINblog/Blogs/DetailsBlog/ArtMID/13858/ArticleID/3250/A-new-funding-source-for-social-innovation-The-%E2%80%98crowd%E2%80%99.aspx

Beware The Hype Machine: Lessons From Theranos

Unless you’ve been living under a rock lately, you’ve most likely heard about the ongoing saga of Theranos. For those who aren’t familiar, Theranos is a medical startup that claims to have developed a highly disruptive and revolutionary new means of conducting blood tests. These claims, however, have been called into question due to an investigative article in The Wall Street Journal this month by John Carreyrou.  Normally, a story about a startup potentially exaggerating their abilities would not be newsworthy. However, Theranos is not your typical startup.

Theranos and its 31-year old founder, Elizabeth Holmes, have been awarded nearly every accolade imaginable. The company has raised over $400 million at a staggering $9-billion-dollar valuation and received commendations from TIME Magazine and the White House.

VIDEO: http://www.forbes.com/video/4559957762001/

Most entrepreneurs dream of that type of hype. Unfortunately, hype is a double-edged sword. People are quick to raise you up and equally quick to knock you down. Hype can quickly and subtly affect an individual’s perception of reality, often creating a strong temptation to believe what’s being said more than what’s being done. A balance can be struck, however, between hearing the hype and resisting it’s allure.

We all face the temptation to exaggerate

The temptation to present one’s business in a different, potentially better light can be strong.  After all, creating something from nothing can be a herculean effort and most entrepreneurs will do whatever it takes to help that process along, even if it means stretching the truth from time to time.

Early on at BodeTree, I used to joke about how often we encountered “truthiness” in the marketplace. “Truthiness” referred to making statements that were accurate in spirit, if not in fact. Often, we’d hear people squirm when describing the number of customers they have, or what their technology could do. I struggled with the temptation to overstate technical ability during the first few years.  Our development team was moving so quickly that sometimes it was easy to describe features that were in process as being already available. The trouble was that whenever I ended up overcommitting on the product development front, I ended up creating unnecessary stress and anxiety as we rushed to live up to what was promised.  At the end of the day, any near-term benefits I gained from presenting my product as something it wasn’t ended up being outmatched by the stress that always accompanies “truthiness.”

NOTE CREDIT: http://www.forbes.com/sites/chrismyers/2015/11/02/beware-the-hype-machine-lessons-from-theranos/?utm_campaign=Forbes&utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=social&utm_channel=Investing&linkId=18834649

Elon Musk Just Hinted That Tesla Is Beefing Up to Take on Uber and Google

The celebrated entrepreneur tweeted that he is looking for engineers to join the electric car maker's Autopilot software team.

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk said Thursday night the electric automaker is beefing up its self-driving car software.

The urgency of Musk's offer, and the fact that he chose to tweet it to the public, could signal that the company is preparing to launch a self-driving mobility service akin to the one being built by Uber, the $51 billion ride-hailing service.


Tesla declined to comment on Thursday night about how many engineers it hopes to hire and its future plans for them.

"We're going to let the tweets speak for themselves," a Tesla spokeswoman told The Huffington Post in an email.

Tesla launched its Autopilot feature last month. The current software enables restricted self-driving functions that allow the cars to steer themselves on highways and even to drive themselves on private property wherever an owner summons them.

But the current software is limited. Soon after it became available, drivers began posting daring, if at times reckless, videos to YouTube that demonstrated the cars' inability to detect some badly worn lane markers, resulting in near-collisions with other vehicles. All along, Musk, the company's chief executive, has insisted that drivers must remain attentive to the road and ready to grip the wheel at any time.

Tesla's autonomy efforts at first glance may appear to be in keeping with the auto industry zeitgeist. 

There's currently a race in the auto and tech industries to perfect the self-driving vehicle. Google -- with its fleet of bug-like prototype vehicles puttering around Mountain View, California -- has probably garnered the most attention for its autonomous car program. 

In July, the University of Michigan opened a testing facility, designed to look like a town, where a consortium of traditional automakers and tech firms can test the software for their vehicles.

In March, Mercedes debuted a sleek, futuristic self-driving concept car around San Francisco. Two months later, its parent company, Daimler, unveiled an autonomous 18-wheeler. Then last month, General Motors announced "aggressive" plans of its own for self-driving vehicles. 

But despite these advances, Tesla's main competitor in the self-driving space may be Uber.

Earlier this year, the transportation company poached nearly "everybody" in the robotics department at Carnegie Mellon University, including the director, for its self-driving program. Adam Jonas, a revered analyst at Morgan Stanley who covers the auto industry,predicted that self-driving technology would radically upend traditional car companies. Fewer people will own cars, he said, and will instead rely on fleets of self-driving vehicles that come on demand, like Uber or Lyft drivers do now.

In August, Jonas wrote a memo to clients predicting that Tesla would launch a self-driving competitor service to Uber by 2018. After pressing an uncharacteristically tight-lipped Musk during an analyst call, Jonas doubled down on his prediction, forecasting that Tesla would announce a mobility app within the next two years. 

It could be that Musk, burning through investors' cash as he is, is just making sure Tesla remains a leader in the self-driving sphere. But -- perhaps if his tweeted job offer yields the right candidates -- Tesla could be moving beyond electric luxury cars and storage batteriesfairly soon.

NOTE CREDIT: http://www.inc.com/huffington-post/tesla-may-be-gearing-up-to-make-self-driving-cars.html?cid=sf01001&sr_share=twitter

The 20 Highest Paying Startup Unicorns

It makes sense for unicorns, or startups valued at more than $1 billion, to use those means to attract top talent with more generous pay, but which of this magical herd pays employees the most?

We pulled together all 153 unicorns currently listed on the Crunchbase Unicorn Leaderboard and then matched them up with data provided by Glassdoor to give you, our readers, the top 20 highest paying startup unicorns.Uber would be a good guess for top dollar salaries. But, you might be surprised to find Cloudera, a software company providing Apache Hadoop-based software and support to businesses, pays best, with an employee median salary coming in at more than $142,000.

Despite its large coffers, Uber does not make it in the top 10 for best-paying unicorns. The ridesharing giant comes in at number 15 with a median salary of $101,600, right above Eventbrite.

*Note salaries listed are the annual median for all employees. Glassdoor works on a voluntary basis for salary info so you’d have to search through individual job titles to get a good sense of the salary for each type of job.

Cloudera – $142,240

As mentioned, this is a big data company built on the Hadoop platform. The startup offers a free open source version and a paid version for businesses. The company has more than a billion dollars in funding including $740 million last March from Intel Capital and they have a valuation in the $4 billion range.

Jawbone – $130,000

A wearable health and fitness company in the crowded armband activity tracker space. The Jawbone Up product tracks steps, sleep and other metrics for the body. The startup has more than $819 million in the bank and a valuation at $3 billion.

Medallia – $121,920

This is a customer service management platform providing Saas to hospitality, retail, and financial services businesses with $255 million in funding and a valuation of $1.25 billion.

Pinterest – $118,420

It’s a little bit of everything from discovering cool products and DIY projects to a new shopping portal for retailers to sell beauty and fashion items. SV Angel led the latest round in May, giving the startup a more than $11 billion valuation and putting the total funding at $1.32 billion to date.

Dropbox – $116,840

The cloud storage startup is rumored to be seeking an initial public offering soon, but it’s still a startup unicorn for now, with a valuation of $10.35 billion and $1.11 billion from Index, Blackrock Ventures and a number of other prominent investors (with half a billion of that investment in debt financing from JP Morgan).

Airbnb – $116,840

The worldwide vacation rental marketplace has caused much consternation among San Francisco voters, but it might be a nice place to collect a paycheck. The startup is valued at more than $25 billion, with $2.3 billion in funding to date.

Kabam – $116,840

This online game maker grew really fast over the past five years. A LinkedIn search puts the startup at a little more than 2,000 employees. Kabam has raised close to $245 million, with a $1.02 billion valuation.

App Dynamics – $114,218

An app performance analysis startup worth $1 billion at present, with $290 million in the bank.

Credit Karma

Offering free credit reports seems to be good business. This startup is a recent addition to the herd and was thought to be undervalued until a $175 million round this summer topped it at a $3.5 billion valuation (up 250% from previous value). We recently did a Cribs episode there for those curious about work life.

Okta – $110,000

Secure identity management startups are hot in this unprotected world of ours. Okta is one with a high value, too, at $1.2 billion on paper. The startup has raised a total of $230 million thus far.

MongoDB – $109,728

Popular for its NoSQL database, the big data startup has raised $311 million so far, with a valuation of $1.35 billion, but keep in mind that’s a slight downgrade from the previous round.

Palantir – $105,000

the big data company used by the U.S. government has been well-funded since its launch in 2004. Headquarters are in Palo Alto so that might be a bad commute for those living in the 7×7, but with a valuation of $20 billion and $1.67 billion in VC funding, it looks like a good place to negotiate for top pay.

Twilio – $105,000

This platform for developer communications (“API’s for texting”) enables startups and companies alike to create an interface for call centers, customer service and any other type of phone service. The seven-year-old startup is now also in unicorn land with a valuation just over the $1 billion mark and $234 million in its coffers.

AppNexus – $104,550

The indie leader of programmatic online advertising has grown up quite a bit (and likely ready to IPO). We’ll let you know if we hear more on that. The startup has raised $288 million, with a $1.19 billion valuation.

Uber – $101,600

Speaking of IPO’s, Uber CEO Travis Kalanick repeatedly shuts down any such notion of doing just that. Instead, the worldwide rideshare phenom seems intent on winning China. It’s also the crown regent of all magical, mythical startup creatures, with a giant $51 billion valuation and $8.21 billion in the bank.

Eventbrite – $101,600

The global live events platform is no doubt a fun place to work for those who like going out and doing things. The six-figure median salary also looks quite attractive…until you realize headquarters are in San Francisco and that’s just a tick above the average when you consider taxes and rent. Still, with $200 million in the bank and a valuation of $1.02 billion, that’s not too shabby for the company.

Zuora – $96,736

This is one of those lesser-known unicorns, but it powers the subscription sales of a lot of businesses like Dell, Box, and Qualcomm. Zuora is another b2b tech company rumored to be getting ready for an IPO, and with nearly $243 million in the bank and a valuation of $1.12, the subscription economy could take it there soon.

Gilt Group – $95,000

The swank online shopping site hit a rough patch recently, cutting 45 jobs in hopes of hitting profit goals. This one’s just barely over the unicorn bar at $1.1. billion, with $286 million in the bank. It’ll be out of the races if it drops in value.

DocuSign – $85,000

Brokers and real estate agents regularly use this $3 billion dollar electronic signature startup to get documents signed on the spot. CEO Keith Krach helped the startup raise nearly $400 million of it’s $508 million in funding, but recently announced he’d be stepping down from his position.

MediaMath – $80,264

This digital advertising startup is not as well-known as some of the other magical horses on our list, but the numbers add up to a unicorn valuation of just over one billion dollars, with $208 million in the bank (with more than half of that, $105 million, as debt).

NOTE CREDIT: http://techcrunch.com/gallery/the-20-highest-paying-startup-unicorns/slide/21/

This Cute, Baby-Temperature-Sensing Toy Is An Example Of Wearable Tech Done Right

"Ambient" gadgets like The Hoko free you from useless distraction that so many other gadgets cause.

 Technology tends to get in our way at least as much as it helps us. Music streaming, for instance, lets us listen to any music we want, but on the other hand we never had to re-log-in to our Walkmans while on vacation, only to find that all our downloaded music had been deleted.

The best tech, then, is often the simplest, and that’s the thinking behind Hoko, a little cuddly toy that tells you when your baby is too hot or too cold. It’s so simple and cute that the baby won’t even notice it, other than to try to grab it with its weak little fingers, and parents won’t even need to give it a second glance.

The Hoko works like this: Its plush body is connected to a sensor by a ribbon, and dangles inside Junior’s jacket. It measures temperature and humidity, and using this data it knows if your well-wrapped baby is too hot, too cold, or too steamy, and sweaty. The clever part is how it tells you what’s up. LEDs inside Hoko’s body glow with color-coded signals. Red means too hot, blue too cold. Yellow is for too much humidity, green means the battery is dying (it uses a button cell that lasts for around 80 hours), and white means everything is okay.

And that’s it: If Hoko isn’t showing a color, baby is happy. It’s hard to think of a more intuitive interface, which stands in contrast to most new baby gadgets, which connect to your smartphone.

"The decision to use an LED light came from a commitment to keeping things a simple and slick as possible," HimiHoko’s Nicolas Plourde told Co.Exist.

"Ambient" gadgets like Hoko don’t just free you from useless distraction. Plourde and his team believe that they can free you to enjoy the world a little better. Plourde notes that urban Americans spend 90% of their time indoors.

"We created Hoko to address a precise issue; uncomfortable babies," says Plourde. "And we did so in order to allow families to ease up the process of planning an outdoor outing. We think this is the first step towards our wider objective: to encourage positive interactions with nature for generations to come."

When you think about technology, you think about gadgets, phones, things with buttons and dials. But we use plenty of other tech that we don’t even notice. Like Hoko, these devices are designed to achieve a specific goal. We don’t think about using the clock on the wall, for instance. We just glance at it, and almost subconsciously pick up on its information. Light switches, volume knobs, pencils, even the little flags on suburban mailboxes—all of these count as ambient technology. And yet wearable tech today—smart watches for example—has more in common with the smartphone or computer. It demands our attention, distracting us from the task at hand.

"We believe that wearable technology should be seamless and use the fewest interfaces it can to transmit information," says Plourde, "so the issue only arises when technologies aren’t well integrated to the fabric of our lives."

There are already products that use ambient feedback to guide us, like the Hammerhead, a strip of lights that mounts on a bike’s handlebars to guide you to your destination, without having to stop and check your phone’s map app every few hundred yards.

Gadgets like the Hoko and the Hammerhead are great examples of wrapping up high technology in low-tech, human-friendly designs. "It’s important to us that technology encourage human connection, not discourage it," says Plourde.

NOTE CREDIT: http://www.fastcoexist.com/3053529/this-cute-baby-temperature-sensing-toy-is-an-example-of-wearable-tech-done-right?utm_content=bufferfbbb7&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

How a failed entrepreneur is minting millions with his recycling startup Priti International

Dropbox founder and CEO Drew Huston said, “You only need to be right once.” Hritesh Lohiya suffered through an embarrassing deluge of wrongs before stumbling onto the idea that would eventually make him a multimillionaire. “I started a textile chemical factory and then a stone cutting factory, manufactured and sold washing powder, began a stock market business, et cetera. I lost huge amounts of money in all these ventures,” he rues.

Venturing into garbage recycling was not a business savvy idea; it was literally the only choice left. Hritesh says, “After losing all our money in these bust businesses, we could not afford to invest in anything new. The only legacy of those failures was the string of garbage strewn around our old factory. There were old gunny bags, drums of chemicals, various bits of plastic and so on. We tried to sell some of these for our bread-and-butter, but no one would buy them. Out of desperation we started thinking about how we could generate any kind of revenue from these waste items. Thus, Priti International was born in 2005.”

Hritesh was quite superstitious when christening his umpteenth effort at starting up. “My wife Priti is my rock. She is very lucky for me. I believe that all my earlier startups failed miserably because there was no part of her name in their nomenclature. This time round, I didn’t make that mistake.” Or rather, this time round, he got it right.

The firm designs and manufactures various handmade products out of waste materials. “We make handbags from old gunny bags, cast off military tents, denim pants, etc. We are also into producing furniture from waste tins, drums, old military jeeps, tractor parts, waste machine parts and lamps from old scooter- and bike-lights. These products are then exported to various countries like China, USA, European nations, and Australia. We are now India’s biggest exporter of waste handicraft products, and the only one in India to export to China,” he rattles off.

“At present, our current turnover is around $8million. Our customer base is in 36 countries. Our production facilities are spread over 3 large factories, with around 400 people working for us. Our focus market is China, where there is huge customer potential; the new generation is veryfond of using our products to decorate bars, cafés, pubs, restaurants etc. We are planning to expand our production facility and scale our venture to $20 million by 2016,” Hritesh beams proudly. “We have recently started a retail showroom in Ningbo, China for selling our products in retail.  This is just a test showroom, but the response has been heartwarming. Now we are planning to open 12 more showrooms across China exclusively, for our products.”

While scouring through garbage was once a mode of survival for Hritesh, it is now the most exciting part of his day. “Ours is a purely design-based business. We have to think over each waste product we come across, and design it to make a useful product out of it. It’s a very exciting job! Every day we find new waste products, and brainstorm new ways to turn them into something people would like to own.”

India figures prominently in Priti International’s expansion plans. “In regard to India, the potential for our products, due to the rise of online shopping, is immense. We are in talks with several online retailers, like Pepperfry and Flipkart,about selling our products online here.” Priti International’s popularity shows no signs of plateauing. “We are completely booked with our export orders for the year 2015.  In 2016, we are participating in various international exhibitions, like China’s Canton Fair and International Furniture Fair, Shanghai. Recently our unique products’ success story was filmed by Discovery Channel for their segment titled, ‘The Liquidators.’ Our work comprises an entire episode, and is scheduled to be telecast in 140 countries around the world. This is a big landmark for us,” he exudes.

Priti International is self-funded. “We have taken no loans from banks or any other financial institution.” The core team comprises only two people, Hritesh and his wife Priti. “It is a labour of love for us. It’s just the two of us and we are hands-on with every aspect of the firm,” Hritesh explains.

For Hritesh, the hardest part about being an entrepreneur was the lack of self-confidence that stemmed from being a serial failure. “After failing in several ventures, it becomes very difficult to start from scratch with yet another new idea. We pitched our idea to many investors, but no one took us seriously. In serious need of money, we started selling my wife’s jewellery for the seed fund. We would make samples, take photos and upload them online and then market those pictures to prospective customers around the world. It took us around 2 years to get our first order. Those two years were the hardest part.”

Priti International’s future is aglow with possibilities. Hritesh chirps, “We are growing at the rate of 25% annually.” He has had no mentors and doesn’t believe in the concept. “I only have faith in ‘Aham Bhramasmi” (Sanskrit term meaning ‘The core of my being is the ultimate reality’). Work hard enough long enough and you will spout your own miracles.”

NOTE CREDIT: http://yourstory.com/2015/08/priti-international/

Raising Millions With Equity Crowdfunding Will Cost You, But How Much?

The recently released Regulation A+ is the first section of the JOBS Act that allows a company to raise capital from the general public. By opening up private company investments to the “crowd,” Regulation A+ promises to be a game changer for how emerging companies are funded. It's the first nationally available form of equity crowdfunding to non-accredited investors.

This will not be as easy as a Kickstarter campaign, however. Raising capital with Regulation A+ will involve more than going online, creating a crowdfunding campaign and watching the money flow in. Regulation A+ involves the sale of equity or debt in your company and is governed by securities laws. This means (cue maniacal laughter) attorneys’ fees, accountants’ fees and compliance costs. Raising $50 million under Regulation A+ is going to require your company to invest money in the process.

The question is: Can Regulation A+ be affordably used by startups and small businesses?

The first thing to understand is that there are two “tiers” of Regulation A+. Tier 1 allows a company to raise between $1 million and $20 million, and there are no limits on the amount that an individual non-accredited investor can invest. Tier 2 allows a company to raise between $1 million and $50 million, but non-accredited investors can only invest 10 percent of their income or net worth in each tier 2 offering.


There are different rules and costs associated with each tier. Both tiers will have sizeable costs for SEC compliance and legal fees (damn those lawyers). Tier 1 will have costs for compliance with state securities laws or "blue sky laws." While tier 2 doesn’t require you to comply with the blue sky laws for each state, it will have more onerous accounting, auditing and ongoing SEC reporting requirements.

Both tiers have legal fees and SEC compliance costs, so let’s tackle that ugly subject first. When the law becomes effective on June 19, expect most of the big securities law firms and lawyers to quote ridiculously large bills of more than $100,000 in legal fees and compliance costs.

The reality is, there are competent entrepreneurial-minded lawyers who will charge far less, so shop around, but be sure to check credentials and hire someone who knows the JOBS Act and the Regulation A+ process. Also, as time goes on, expect to see legal fees and compliance costs come down, particularly as innovative companies find ways to automate the compliance process, and as lawyers become more comfortable with the new law.

The two remaining factors are the cost of complying with state blue sky laws (in tier 1) and the cost of two years of audited financial statements (in tier 2).


The tier 1 cost of complying with blue sky laws in all 50 states could run in the tens of thousands of dollars. Some big law firms may even quote six-figure fees. Worse than the cost, the time wasted by having to deal with 50 different state securities regulators could make this process akin to having all of your teeth pulled, one at a time, without Novocain. Because of blue sky compliance, tier 1 only makes sense for a business that is raising money in a contained geographic area and does not need to comply with more than one or two state blue sky laws. Other than that, I believe most companies will use tier 2.

The major expense of tier 2, two years of audited financials records, seems like a deal killer for many small businesses. CPA audit costs of more than $25,000 per year are not uncommon for a revenue producing, young business. One CPA I discussed this with says innovators in the accounting industry will find ways to make these audits work.

“If a startup is new, and does not have significant financial history, there is no reason an audit should be so expensive,” says Craig Denlinger, who left a big six firm to start an accounting business geared towards the JOBS Act market.

Denlinger is right. I have seen quotes from entrepreneurial-minded CPA firms willing to do startup audits for as little as $2,500.

So what will the ultimate cost of Regulation A+ be? As a crowdfunding and JOBS Act attorney who has been fielding Regultaion A+ calls non stop for the past month, I suspect that the minimum a company will need to spend at the onset, with the right lawyer, the right accountant and the right compliance company, will be at least $50,000.

While that seems like a lot for a startup to swallow, how often can a company invest $50,000 into something that will allow them to raise $50 million from the general public? The best news is Regulation A+ allows a company to “test the waters” before spending a ton of money. This means you can approach potential investors and gauge their interest before you spend thousands on putting together all of your filings with the SEC.

NOTE CREDIT: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/246063