Thursday, November 13, 2014

A Little Lesson/Assignment

This blog is going to go silent for about six weeks, until early January 2015.  I spend about two hours a day doing research and placing my outraged screeds and rough drafted content up and, happily somewhat organized, a happy thing for someone like me with the gift of ADD/ADHD.  These are my most creative and productive two hours, to which I will devote to the draft.

But I have enough rough content to produce my third book, how to grow once you've started up.  You have customers, and now you need more.

For years people have asked for an advanced class, and my response has been the advanced class is to actually execute the info in the intro class.  

The paradox was the improvements in communication and transportation after the "Fall of the Wall" in Berlin 25 years ago atomized businesses to where functions were farmed out (warehousing, accounting, sales) and the headquarters itself could be removed from the port city. Where once you could simply call another importer you knew from down the street about some problem, now you go to the web.  But that web information may rate high in a search, but not be reliable.  My courses have been unique in validity and reliability, according to the participants.

Now there is a new void.  We have lost at least one, probably two, generations to FIRE (Finance, Investment, Real Estate), people who would have once started small businesses have answered the siren call to trade the new false economy.

In my classes I can see patterns of what is missing, and in practice I shake my head at the waste of time and money in the areas of finding new customers, marketing, trade show work, finance, product development.

Another indicator the time is right is there are plenty of people who are writing on the same topic.  This is good, it means the need is being met.  But the fact of the matter is what I have is better content than what I am seeing, for whatever reason, so I am obliged to write mine too.  But I have the others at a disadvantage, I am actually doing what I describe, and have done so for forty years now.

And the next forty years promise to be even more exciting.  The pendulum is swinging back, small is beautiful again, "get big or get out" has failed, and people want new choices in goods and services.

Yes, if you are on any of my lists you'll hear about the book as it gets toward publication, or if not, email me at john at johnspiers dot com and I'll put you on a notification list.

And since you've read this far, here is a wee assignment if you like:

Listen to this lecture, part one and two...




(Incidently, At 2:45 seconds into part two, Simon Sinek asks ... “how do you find the ones who just ‘get it’ Before you are doing business with them, vs the ones who don’t get it”  (pointing to the 16% laggards.)  I've been teaching that for 30 years, I learned it from the people I worked for the first ten years.  The kind of info people used to pass on inside small businesses.)



and then reflect on what you heard as you study this promo piece.

http://www.apple.com/watch/films/#film-design

Feel free to forward this by email to three of your friends.


8 comments:

Anonymous said...

These lectures are truly life changing, I will watch this a few times. Thanks John and enjoy your break.

Jim W.

Jason said...

Best of luck John. Looking forward to the finished project.

Anonymous said...

Most anticipated book this year!!

Anonymous said...

Another interesting video:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9FSnvtcEbg&spfreload=10


And it is entrepreneurs that make all of this innovation and prosperity possible.

Anonymous said...


Another improvement in transportation:

A new freight train travels from China to Spain. Not sure if it's cheaper than ocean shipping though.

"A major advantage of the rail route is speed. The train took just three weeks to complete a journey that takes up to six weeks by sea."

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/dec/10/silk-railway-freight-train-from-china-pulls-into-madrid

Anonymous said...

"The paradox was the improvements in communication and transportation after the "Fall of the Wall" in Berlin 25 years ago atomized businesses to where functions were farmed out (warehousing, accounting, sales) and the headquarters itself could be removed from the port city. Where once you could simply call another importer you knew from down the street about some problem, now you go to the web. But that web information may rate high in a search, but not be reliable. My courses have been unique in validity and reliability, according to the participants."

Yes, hopefully more on this in your new book.

Martin said...

Any news about your book?

When will be officially published?


Thanks John

Anonymous said...

Same here - waiting eagerly for some news :)