Entrepreneurship

Surprising truth about what motivates us

This is a short but very insightful video on what drives and motivates people. Guess what, mostly NOT money. The animation is amazing. This video is by Daniel Pink, based on his book: Drive. See for yourself.

 

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ClickHOST – I liked the name so I bought the company.

[Discount code at the bottom of the post]

ClickHOST is such a catchy name. It says exactly what the company does. You click, we host. End of last year I acquired all the assets of ClickHOST.com. We provide mostly shared web hosting for smaller business, associations, charities, churches and professionals. ClickHOST started in 2000 and has built up a wonderful customer base. We already have great systems and a great team in place to support our existing and future customers.

Some examples include:-

You can follow us on twitter at twitter.com/clickhost. Use promo code CH-TWIT10 for 10% of web hosting and domain names. Post a comment to receive a 20% discount.

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Why You Should Start a Company in Atlanta|FastCompany

Not too long ago, about fifty years, Atlanta was the size of Little Rock, Ark. About a hundred years before that, it was burned to the ground. Atlanta has proven it can grow (adding 1.1 million residents in the last decade alone). Now, it’s building toward a sort of tech hub in the southeast, against a backdrop that includes the busiest international airport in the world; a healthy cluster of corporate giants in Coca-Cola, UPS, Delta and The Home Depot, among others; and a spur of entrepreneurial activity that put Atlanta in the top ten on this year’s Kauffman Entrepreneurial Index, which tracks new business creation.But in a place where half the population isn’t from there, identity is a work-in-progress—theNew York Times called Atlanta “corporate stronghold, a Southern belle and a hip-hop capital”—all at once. Add to that: home to Internet security expertise and a key drug in HIV treatment. Alan Taetle, general partner at venture capital firm Noro-Moseley Partners, spoke with Fast Company about what makes Atlanta’s startup scene unique.Read more here.
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iPad is the new Apple killer device…

It’s official it’s the Apple iPad. See Engadget’s live blogging. Here’s a picture one of this first official pictures:

Apple iPad

Apple iPad

I want one!!!
Apple iPad

Apple iPad

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Do you work in sales? Thank you.

I’ve known Mark Lange for awhile and he writes excellent opinion pieces in the Christian Science Monitor. This one on sales is concise, but to the point — great stuff!

Do you work in sales? Thank you.

By Mark Lange

from the September 9, 2009 editionSAN FRANCISCO – Had enough of the recession? Next time somebody pitches you something – whether or not you open your wallet – at least say thanks.Because economic growth is a story we tell one another. Transactions are its dialogue. And the authors of both are the master storytellers: salespeople.Before you tune out, consider this: Nothing happens until somebody sells someone something. And no matter what the rest of us do all day, our paychecks and prosperity rely on their efforts.At some level, of course, everyone sells. Authors and academics (if they hope to have impact), the yard guy across the street, the young woman shilling for Greenpeace in front of Target, even President Obama. None of us succeeds without applying the art of influence, in the best sense.But front-line, all-day salespeople are the connective tissue between what we have and what we need. Their work demands a rare mix of audacity and humility, hope and realism. They take rejection and abuse that would crush the spirits of most. Yet they bounce back with the resilience of Tigger and the patience of Job.Especially in harder times, selling compels tremendous creativity and a humble heroism. This isn’t to say all salespeople are heroes. Some get a bit too creative, while a (very) few are desperately dishonest. But that’s not sales. It’s fraud.While political campaigns come and go, salespeople practice the politics of hope every day. They live by faith – faith that someone, somewhere needs what they have.Critics accuse politicians of being salespeople. If only that were true: Good salespeople can actually explain what they’re trying to sell.Everyone else in an organization can grumble and grouse, play office politics, soak in a bath of righteous cynicism. Salespeople don’t have time for that. They only get paid when somebody outside the cubicle cocoon is moved to act and demonstrate one of the truest measures of trust – parting with their money.The good ones, along with intellect, have impressive integrity. They focus on your interests, not theirs, because they know that if they’re clear about yours, their own will follow.Rather than spray you with words, they ask you questions, and listen carefully to what you’re really saying. They bring your authentic interests into sharper focus.They really don’t want to waste your time, because they make a living on theirs.Not buying? Try just saying “No thanks – but keep honing that pitch.” Better yet, offer a pointer to raise the level of their game. And if something about their approach annoys you, coach the manager who set both of you up for frustration. That’s a public service.If the world is divided between builders and complainers, there’s no doubt that salespeople build – confidence, companies, and gross domestic product. They make the potential, actual. They move minds. Build trust. And motivate the transactions that keep us all fed.Don’t be too hard on them, especially now.

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Entrepreneurs can change the world

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