September 2014

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 30 sep 2014

Either you are a big global brand, a B2B enterprise or a small business, in today's technology powered business world, an effective digital strategy is required to stay ahead and succeed. Aaron Kahlow, CEO of Online Marketing Institute, provides a list with in-depth analysis of essential digital planning ideas that should be kept in mind for the coming year 2015 - (1) Go Big on One Content Idea (2) Use Big Data in Little Ways (3) Make Time for Technology (4) Get Real: Re-Learn Best Practices (5) Target or Die an Irrelevant Death (6) Advertise More, Hope Less (7) Invest in Yourself, Invest in Your People. Read on...

Business 2 Community: The 7 Essential Digital Planning Ideas for Breakthrough Results in 2015
Author: Aaron Kahlow

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 29 sep 2014

The next-generation of social media analytics is moving beyond static engagements like followers & likes. Both digital marketing and customer care are converging on the social media platforms and the marketing strategy need to be based on accuracy and speed by using advanced real-time analytics tools. Futuristic social analytics should be able to highlight who, what and why of the brand's consumer engagement dynamics. This will provide real value to marketers as they are able to measure the campaign effectiveness based on data and ROI. Pernille Bruun-Jensen, Chief Marketing Officer at Netbase, provide examples of what next-generation of social analytics can do for brands - (1) Boost campaign performance in real-time (2) Discover what influences your customers purchases (3) Get an edge on the competition (4) Fix problems before they escalate (5) Learn about customers' interests outside your brand. Read on...

ADWEEK: Next-Gen Social Analytics Are Transforming Digital Marketing
Author: Pernille Bruun-Jensen

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 27 sep 2014

Market research, empowered by technology, is now within the reach of even small companies and startups as cost has come down considerably. There are numerous tools and services that are considerably within the budget to do essential marketing research to test ideas, collect data & perform analytics. Customer-centric approach helps companies provide better products & services. Use of right information assists to structure business model, shape marketing campaigns, design products and markets, in a way that efficiently serves customers and grows the business. Here are some of the ways in which market research helps businesses - How market research intersects with content & SEO: In the online world, analytics & traditional market research are converging to provide data-driven business decision making; Launching a market research initiative to support your digital marketing campaign: Two main focus (Decoding your audience's most urgent concern. Focusing your content). Important information gathering techniques (Keyword Research. Website analytics. PPC-based research. Auditing existing buyer data. A/B testing); What's the role of competitor research: Understand competition's positioning and unique selling proposition. In SEO, it is about understanding competitor's online presence, content strategy, target keywords, link porfolio, social media presence etc; Market research impacts your product or service mix: Concept testing the product ideas with public before investing in it. Determine purchase intent and market potential; Optimal use of data collection and analysis: Take a lean approach to data collection advocated by Eric Ries in 'The Lean Startup' to perform the right amount of data analytics based on the requirement. Read on...

Forbes: Why Knowing Your Audience Is The Key To Success
Author: Jayson DeMers

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 26 sep 2014

'Design Thinking' is being applied by professors at University of Michigan's Ross School of Management to develop and enhance leadership capabilities of participants in their Executive Education programs. The programs are developed by using design thinking approach to seek and understand perspectives of potential candidates and fulfill their expectations and aligning theory with practice. In today's business world innovation is a critical component of leadership and competitive advantage. According to Professor Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks of Ross School, 'The design thinking approach shrinks innovation to something that doesn't require a massive strategic change in an organization, but can be applied every day; from how might we better communicate within a team to how might we increase our ability to identify new market potentials and trends.' Professor D. Scott DeRue, associate dean of executive education at Ross, explains that, 'We had a program in place, and it was doing well, but we weren't sure it was the best we could offer. We went out and immersed ourselves to understand the needs of high potentials in today's world.' Read on...

Talent Management: Use Design Thinking to Develop Better Leaders
Author: Kate Everson

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 26 sep 2014

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture & Construction defines 'Minimalist Architecture' as, "Architecture that follows the doctrine that the use of all decorative elements, including ornamentation and color, should be held to an absolute minimum. This tenet considers all such architectural features to be nonessential and of negative aesthetic value, thus promoting the concept attributed to Ludwig Mies van der Rohe that 'less is more'." According to Wikipedia, minimalist architecture became popular in the late 1980s in London and New York, where fashion designers worked together in the boutiques to achieve simplicity, using white elements, cold lighting, large space with minimum objects and furniture. Moreover it is also considered to be highly inspired from the Japanese traditional design and the concept of Zen philosophy. View the homes designed by architects utilizing architectural minimalism in their work, ranging from sleek facade to perfect blending with the natural environment. Read on...

Huffington Post: Architectural Minimalism: 7 Stunning Homes
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 24 sep 2014

To be a better business leader, either of a small company or a big corporation, it is essential to have a positive influence, effectively manage human relationships and get the work done through exemplary behavior. Business leaders have to be clear about who they are and want to be, what they stand for and how they emotionally connect with people. They have to develop their 'personal brand' by using the right tools and methods. According to branding expert, Glen Campbell of Brandheart, 'Personal branding is not about the external manifestation, what you wear and your style and manner. Well before that it's about the internal drivers that increase self-awareness and self-control; that enable a leader to consistently respond as their best self.' The methods that he uses to build personal brand for clients is through asking the five basic questions and finding answers to discover their best self - (1) Who is your current real self? (2) Who is your ideal self? (3) Why do you need to change? (4) How do I become my best self? (5) Who can help? Read on...

Huffington Post: The Basics Of Personal Branding - Five Simple Questions Before You Start
Author: Brian Horn

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 23 sep 2014

Professor Brian Wansink of Cornell University, has been conducting research on eating habits and behaviors of consumers through his Food and Brand Lab, which he founded in 1997 while being at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His new book 'Slim by Design: Mindless Eating Solutions for Everyday Life' is just published and focuses on understanding surrounding and environment at five places - home, favorite restaurants, favorite grocery store, work-place, children's school - that influences eating behaviors and find solutions by designing them in such a way that encourages healthier eating habits. According to him, 'It's easier to become slim by design than slim by willpower.' Here are nine recommendations from him while doing a kitchen makeover - (1) Move healthier foods to visible spots (2) Make tempting foods invisible and inconvenient (3) Declutter your kitchen (4) Make your kitchen less friendly for lounging (5) Think twice before buying big packages of food (6) Use smaller serving bowls and spoons (7) Use smaller, narrower drinking glasses (8) Serve food from the counter or the stove (9) Avoid doing other activities while eating. Read on...

USA TODAY: 9 ways to lose weight by rearranging your kitchen
Author: Nanci Hellmich

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 23 sep 2014

Technology's potential to transform healthcare is accepted by all the stakeholders of the healthcare ecosystem. Stanford MedX is one of the conference where thought leaders, physicians, academics and entrepreneurs participate to discuss this technology facilitated transformation and the related issues and challenges. Dr. Robert Pearl, the CEO of The Permanente Medical Group & a Stanford University professor, shares his views on slow adoption of some healthcare technologies in American healthcare system - (1) Many New Technologies Don't Address The Real Problem: Entrepreneurs & innovators should focus on goals of the end-users; Few of the currently available wearable devices & apps have demonstrated that they solve major health problems (2) No One Wants To Pay For New Technologies: Financial difficulties are inherent in the currently used fee-for-service payment model. Doctors & hospitals will resist the adoption of technologies that lowers costs or reduce patient visits as they are rewarded for volume & cost of provided services; Pay-for-value model would be more conducive for faster technology adoption (3) Physicians Are Reluctant to Show Patients Their Medical Information: In past most doctors believed that sharing information with patients could be harmful. But this is changing with EHR (Electronic Health Records) and information technology. But most exam-rooms still don't have user-friendly computers to easily share information with patients; The solution could be tablet computers with fast data entry & mobility alongwith providing easy access to sharing data with patients (4) Technology Slows Down Many Physicians: Data entry in structured format of EHR is helpful in the long run as it prevents medical errors but at present it is adding to physician's time; Effective approach would be to reduce physician's data entry time by creating software applications that include macros & smart lists and medical errors can by reduced through apps with alerts (5) Many Physicians See Technology As Impersonal: Baby boomer physicians still consider 'human-touch' & 'personalized-care' as synonymous; Personalized-care' from a patient's perspective is about being able to decide how, when and where they obtain information and treatment and today's busy and working people seek healthcare through technology enabled alternatives that saves both time & money. Read on...

Forbes: 5 Things Preventing Technology Adoption In Health Care
Author: Robert Pearl

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 22 sep 2014

The recent study by Pitchbook Data, based on the funding data between 2009 to July 2014, number of startups and analysis of educational backgrounds of over 13000 founders globally, observed that IIT's (Indian Institute of Technology) are among the top 10 of world's most entrepreneurial universities, with 264 entrepreneurs, who have founded 205 companies and cumulatively raised US$3.15 billion. On the basis of total capital raised, at the top is Stanford University (US$ 3.51 billion) and at the 2nd spot is taken by Harvard University (US$ 3.23 billion). According to Sangeet Paul Choudary of Platform Thinking Labs, 'Less than 2 percent of the applicants get selected, and less than 0.1 percent make it to a top rated branch like computer science or electrical engineering, which is where most of tech-related entrepreneurship and VC activity takes place.' The study by Kauffman Foundation found that 33.2% of all companies founded by immigrants in the US had an Indian co-founder. But a different point that should also be mentioned here is that IIT's are not able to make a higher global mark on the academic basis with most of them being ranked between 351-400, according to The Times Higher Education World University Rankings for 2013-14. Read on...

QUARTZ: Why India's best tech schools produce more entrepreneurs than the Ivy League
Author: Nelson Vinod Moses

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 20 sep 2014

Entrepreneurship requires diverse sets of inherent talents and acquired skills in individuals to successfully navigate through a journey of developing ideas & concepts into practical and workable solutions for the betterment of society. And sometimes entrepreneurs fail in their uncharted endeavors for myriad of reasons that might or might not be in their control. These failures often become their learning experiences that finally better equip them to pursue another idea and launch another startup. But entrepreneurs can also hedge their risks by knowing and understanding what others in the field have been through. They can interact with founders, VCs and CEOs, if they have a chance and access to them. But if not, then there are a number of books written by these experts that new or even experienced entrepreneurs can read to better navigate their entrepreneurial voyage - (1) Business Adventures (John Brooks) (2) Business Model Generation (Alexander Osterwalder & Yves Pigneur) (3) The Start-Up of You (Reid Hoffman & Ben Casnocha) (4) Outliers (Malcolm Gladwell) (5) The Four Steps To The Epiphany (Steven Gary Blank) (6) #GIRLBOSS (Sophia Amoruso) (7) From Resource Allocation To Strategy (Joseph L. Bower & Clark G. Gilbert) (8) Rework (Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson) (9) My Years With General Motors (Alfred P. Sloan) (10) The Practice Of Management (Peter F. Drucker) (11) Losing My Virginity: How I Survived, Had Fun, And Made A Fortune Doing Business My Way (Richard Branson) (12) Founders At Work (Jessica Livingston) (13) How To Win Friends & Influence People (Dale Carnegie) (14) The Zigzag Principle (Rich Christiansen) (15) Predictably Irrational (Dan Ariely) (16) Good To Great (Jim Collins) (17) How To Win At The Sport Of Business (Mark Cuban) (18) Stress Test: Reflections on Financial Crises (Timothy F. Geithner) (19) The Smartest Guys In The Room: The Amazing Rise And Scandalous Fall Of Enron (Bethany McLean & Peter Elkind) (20) The Startup Game (William H. Draper) (21) Playing to Win (Alan G. Lafley & Roger Martin) (22) Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Peter F. Drucker) (23) The Ascent Of Money: A Financial History Of The World (Niall Ferguson) (24) The Lean Startup (Eric Ries) (25) The Signal And The Noise (Nate Silver) (26) So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love (Cal Newport) (27) All Marketers Are Liars (Seth Godin) (28) The 48 Laws of Power (Robert Greene) (29) The Innovator's Dilemma (Clayton Christensen) (30) Delivering Happiness (Tony Hsieh) (31) Steal Like an Artist (Austin Kleon) (32) Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (Robert Pirsig) (33) Start With Why (Simon Sinek). Read on...

Business Insider: 33 Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read
Authors: Aimee Groth, Emmie Martin, Max Nisen

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 19 sep 2014

According to a report from the International Panel on Climate Change, climatic factors like heatwaves, drought, and unpredictable rainfall patterns are already adversely affecting the yields of staples like wheat and maize. Moreover World Bank's Dr. Jim Yong Kim predicts that food shortages could lead to 'food wars' within the next 5 to 10 years. But jackfruit, native to India and grown extensively in South & South-East Asia, may come to the rescue and provide a solution to the depleting food supply in future. Biotechnology researcher, Dr. Shyamala Reddy, from University of Agricultural Sciences in Banglore, India says, ' It can provide so many nutrients and calories - everything. If you just eat 10 or 12 bulbs of this fruit, you don't need food for another half a day. It is rich in potassium, calcium, and iron, making it more nutritious than current starchy staples.' According to Danielle Nierenberg of Food Tank, which works on sustainable agriculture, 'It is easy to grow. It survives pests and diseases and high temperatures. It is drought-resistant. It achieves what farmers need in food production when facing a lot of challenges under climate change.' While Nyree Zerega, a researcher of plant biology at Chicago Botanic Garden, points out that, 'The down-market reputation of jackfruit is unwarranted. In addition to its high nutritional value, the fruit is very versatile. The seeds, young fruit, and mature varieties are all edible.' Read on...

the guardian: Jackfruit heralded as 'miracle' food crop
Author: Suzanne Goldenberg

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 18 sep 2014

Public relations (PR) is an effective marketing tool that creates and manages perception and reputation of companies, organizations, governments and individuals through the use of various media. Over the years PR has evolved as a result of technological advancements and other socio-economic drivers. So it becomes imperative for both startups and established companies to understand and effectively face & manage this ever changing PR landscape. Rebekah Iliff, Chief Strategy Officer of AirPR, identifies 7 important shifts that have transfromed PR and continue to impact PR industry - (1) Every aspect of PR is driven by data: Big data to craft a compelling narrative (2) The evolution of pitching: No more mass emailing pitches (3) The numbers rule: Measurement & analytics driven PR (4) The definition of "influence": Use of digital influencers & well-trusted & connected people on social media (5) PR's trans-functional role: Publicity is only one aspect of PR (6) Reading remains fundamentally important: Reading & research for intelligent & informed recommendations (7) Strategic content targeting is mandatory: Understand the significance of great writing and visually compelling & engaging content alongwith right placement. Read on...

Entrepreneur: 7 Big Changes in the PR Landscape Every Business Should Know About
Author: Rebekah Iliff

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 16 sep 2014

Majority of the emails that users receive in their inbox are spam emails. Service providers use technologies to filter and restrict these unwanted and annoying emails and internet security is still struggling to effectively tackle the menace of spam. Professor Andrew B. Whinston of University of Texas at Austin, pioneer in the field of ecommerce and consumer behaviors, and his team has been tracking from where spam originates since 2011 and reporting the results on their spam-shaming website SpamRankings.net. According to Professor Whinston, 'Most spam is sent from computers compromised by botnets or phishing. The same security problems that let those problems in could be used for worse things, ranging from denial of service attacks to identity theft to blackmail to alteration of financial records.' The approach that SpamRanking.net applies is that of putting reputational pressure on those companies that are source of spam and affect their economic activities because most customers don't want to do business with spammers. This forces these organizations to enhance their internet security technologies and practices. Read on...

The University of Texas at Austin: He Fights Spam So You Don't Have To
Author: Chad Schneider

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 15 sep 2014

In the constantly changing, technology connected and globally competitive business environment, it is imperative for businesses and organizations to create an environment of open communication and transparency, and acquire and effectively manage a knowledgeable and empowered talent pool. Organizations have to incorporate a continuous learning and skill updating mechanism to enhance their competitiveness and profitability. Learning through social networking is one such mechanism that can be utilized to harness more organizational knowledge, nurture and facilitate collaborative communities and finally improve employee performance leading to increased business value. Social network technologies have evolved from 1990s corporate intranets and extranets to now public-facing online networks like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn and many more. Enterprise social networks are currently build on similar technologies in the form of private internal software platforms to engage employees for better collaboration, communication, knowledge sharing and informal learning. According to IDC, the worldwide enterprise social software applications markets' revenue was valued at US$ 1 billion in 2012, and the market revenue is expected to grow to US$ 2.7 billion by 2017. Some of the basic functions of ESN (Enterprise Social Networks) include activity streams, discussion forums, user groups, private messaging, subject matter expert identification, searchable knowledge base, file-sharing, tagging and bookmarking. Organizations can develop ESN platforms in-house or can obtain them from software vendors according to their specific needs and requirements. The benefits of implementing ESN platforms include cost reductions, employee engagement, open collaboration, increased innovation, bridging the gap between formal and informal learning, increased business performance and enhanced competitive advantage. Valerie Goodwin-Adams of Abaxis Inc, a medical device manufacturer, points out, 'In addition to knowledge-sharing, some of the key drivers for implementing ESN technology are also reduced travel expenses and increased sales revenues. The greatest challenge to overcome when implementing an enterprise social networking platform is adoption, then it's training and measurement. I believe that if you cannot measure it in terms of sales, then it's not relevant.' Read on...

Chief Learning Officer: Is Social Networking Good for Learning?
Author: Susan Distasio, Donna Lord

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 14 sep 2014

Entrepreneurship is critical for economic progress. At individual human level, it converts ideas into workable innovations. At organizational level, it is an engine of business growth and survival. At societal level, it balances demand and supply, creates job opportunities and provides innovative solutions to real-world problems. The spirit of entrepreneurship is valued even by big corporations. But how to build an entrepreneurial organization? The answer is provided by Dr. Thomas Chamorro-Premuzic, a business psychology professor at University College London, who suggests four essential steps - (1) Hire Entrepreneurial People (naturally more inquisitive & critical of status quo; highly proactive) (2) Learn How To Manage Them (tolerance to erratic, demanding & moody behaviors; provide new and meaningful projects; avoid engaging them in routine, well-defined, tactical projects) (3) Build Entrepreneurial Teams (look for congruent beliefs & values but complementary skills & styles while selecting members; align them towards clear goal or mission with a strong leadership) (4) Create An Entrepreneurial Culture (mutual trust & understanding between leader & team members; provide support & autonomy; individuals should feel incentivized to take risk, make their own decisions & experiment; assure culture that provides exploration, learning & play). Read on...

Fast Company: 4 UNAVOIDABLE STEPS TO BUILDING AN ENTREPRENEURIAL ORGANIZATION
Author: Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 12 sep 2014

For the better development of society, it is important that kids, who are the future, spend time in community service activities. Leigh Ann Errico, founder & CEO of Kidkind Foundation & 'Wear the Capes', points out, 'Volunteering with your kids touches hearts, teaches important life lessons and engraves fond, lifelong memories of family bonding. Understanding and participating in activities to benefit the community is crucial to weaving one's moral fiber.' Based on extensive research, Dr. Philip Brown of Rutgers University & 'Wear the Cape', provide reasons to encourage kids to serve others. According to him, 'As young people get older, they need to stretch their abilities, including their moral sensibilities. Engagement with other kids and adults in meaningful service activities can support healthy development in a variety of ways, providing opportunities for both growth and positive fulfillment.' The 10 reasons suggested by him are - (1) Volunteering helps foster empathy (2) Volunteering helps develop a sense of self-efficacy (3) Volunteers gain experience working with other people (4) Volunteering develops new skills (5) Volunteering provides the opportunity to explore new interests and develop new passions (6) Volunteers learn a lot (7) Volunteers actually make a difference in other people's lives (8) Volunteering encourages civic responsibility (9) Volunteering offers you a chance to give back (10) Volunteering is good for you. Read on...

EIN News: TOP 10 REASONS TO ENCOURAGE YOUR KIDS TO VOLUNTEER
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 08 sep 2014

Donor support is the single most critical component that makes or breaks nonprofits. Most nonprofits spend a substantial part of their efforts to attract and nurture donors. Fear of failure often add to the worry of losing donor support. Main aim of social enterprises is to solve societal and community problems and they can do better if they embrace failure and learn from it. Epaminondas Farmakis, president and CEO of Elpis Philanthropy Advisors, suggests most common fear of failures - (1) Failure to Profit (Social entrepreneurs focus on providing sustainable social solutions to the communities they serve and also balance it with offering attractive returns to their investors. They need to have a right fit between investor values, community requirements & return on investments. Shareholders must understand that the primary goal of a social enterprise is to serve the community. (2) Failure to Measure (Since there are no clear methods of measuring nonprofit's success, there is always some ambiquity. So there has to be an understanding among the stakeholders regarding this. Researching on direct impact of donations for improvement of society can be one of the measure of their success. (3) Failure to Innovate (Social innovations go through a similar process of iterations and experimentations as for-profit innovations. And failure is part of the process. Learning from mistakes should happen all the time). Read on...

Devex Impact: 'Failing up' for social enterprise success
Author: Epaminondas Farmakis

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 06 sep 2014

From Henry Ford, to whom manufacturing efficiency was paramount, to Steve Jobs, who valued the working of a product over its looks, design has always been an important component of the products delivered to consumers. During craftsmen era, individuals both designed & created the products. Industrial revolution focused on multiple specialized processes to finish products in large quantity with little room for errors. Autodesk pioneered computer-aided design (CAD) software, to enhance collaboration among highly skilled teams of designers, engineers etc. But today design is becoming critical for product performance and everybody needs to have a basic understanding of design. Autodesk is now promoting design literacy and participating in its democratization process. The gap between design, production and distribution is narrowing with technologies of sharing & collaboration, 3D printing etc and in future it will totally disappear. In the design economy the firms will have to perform in real time and the design will become the product itself. Autodesk predicts the demand for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) professionals will rise to 8.65 million in 2018. It created 'Design the Future' program to fulfill this demand and provides free software to students and curricula & training to educators. Diego Tamburini of Autodesk says, 'design no longer just applies to physical systems, but has permeated to other non-physical areas such as software, services, and the overall "emotional experience" of using a product that also require designers.' Read on...

Forbes: Why Autodesk Is Investing In The Democratization Of Design
Author: Greg Satell