1-800-AWESOME---exquisitely awesome, as the title suggests

Custom Toll Free is a DBA of Rugly Holdings Inc. launched by Chris Rugh 1997, eventually becoming the leading provider of toll-free vanity telephone numbers for companies, given by the format “1-800-TOLL FREE” directing callers to a specific department operator within a corporation. With that in his pocket, Chris Rugh eventually became a motivator, directing potential entrepreneurs and businessmen through the publication of his book “1-800-AWESOME” which outlines tactics as to how can be successful, with reference to the sub-title “Tactics~Making $ 10,000 an Hour”. His blog provides an motivational insight of how we can be successful doing what we do for a living and containing recommendations for the book “1-800-AWESOME” which is a motivational guidebook to success.

In my opinion, I actually find what this man does very interesting in every aspect. Being an experienced entrepreneur himself, which reflected into successes in his personal life, Chris Hugh then went on to motivate other so that they can be in the optimum position in life and in the office. That being said, in a way he can also be considered a social entrepreneur in which he shares the benefits of long term strategy in order to achieve success. I strongly believe that the existence of his blog and book may motivate and help more people in the future.

Anyways, his blog can be found here.

The Website of the Book can be found here.

A Positive Environment---Freakish ?

A few days ago, I was talking to my father on Skype, we discussed about where I would want to work in future. I briefly replied him that I do not know yet as of now, but I told him that I wanted to find an office where I can be happy with little pressure and having the utmost fun in what I do for a living. After a brief laughter at my statement, my father simply replied that I should be really careful in making such conditions as my motivation or reasons to be unproductive by procrastination. Later on, inspired by Alex’s post on this topic, I decided to voice my opinion about the new and evolved workplace environment.

Zappos.com is one of the example of  a company that provides a fun, low-stress and euphoric office environment for its employees. In my opinion, a positive and fun work environment is indeed, a surplus in increasing employee motivation. However, the availability of these conditions burdens heavily on the employees themselves in balancing the fun and getting their work done, when a balance is achieved in these two factors, an employee’s work will reach its maximum quality, quantity and maximum motivation.

Don’t know what Zappos.com is ? open this.

Save the Orangutan Campaign Promotion

Today’s civilization and economic infrastructure were achieved through a period of exponential and continuous economic growth which improves human civilization. Sadly, these conditions disturbed more and more part of the ecology as society continues to grow, part of this disturbance is the decreasing land for Orangutans in Borneo, Indonesia. In response to this, avid scientist Willie Smiths, now a social entrepreneur, established the “Save the Orangutan” non-profitable organization dedicated towards the conservation of Orangutan in 1991. “Save the Orangutan” functions a protector of the Orangutan through conservation programs from the loss of habitat in deforestation and illegal logging and the organization also aims to restore the Orangutan’s natural habitat and raise public awareness of these endangered animals.

Although I agree with what Timothy said about how social entrepreneurship should benefit society as it focus through his example of the social entrepreneur Jamie Oliver, I feel that social entrepreneurship should not only benefit human society, but also other components of the world such as ecology. Despite the fact that social entrepreneurship is already good in nature, I sincerely believe that the more you can give back to the world, the more that you’ll receive in return to your own welfare.

Anyways, I recommend that for those of you interested in the cause of Saving the Orangutans open this website.

One good example of a company that fulfills the criteria of being an “entrepreneur” is the California-based technological innovation company Apple inc. Known for its innovative approach to everyday technology which could make our lives more convenient which gave birth to popular gadgets such as the iPad and the iPhone. Another famous aspect of this company is its late ex-CEO Steve Jobs which contributed greatly to making what Apple is today through innovation and entrepreneurship. After his return to Apple inc. in 1998, Jobs began to turn Apple practically around in his stead from a supposedly failing company into what is today, an approximately 160 Billion dollar company through mainly innovation and unique approach to the technology market.

Steve Jobs Died at 56

The Criteria for an Entrepreneurship could be found here

The Apple website is here

In an article in the Harvard Business Review, Anthony J. Bradley and Mark P. McDonald gives a visualized comparison of Knowledge Management and Social Media. The article compares the definition of Knowledge Management as a set of determined guidelines in which we can refer to in order to prioritize the hierarchy of our knowledge which in turn, defines how significant they are in doing our jobs or everyday lives. Social Media, on the other hand is  a opinionated set of guidance morals in which other people or your peers show you what is important according to past experiences and still allow us, as an individual to pass on judgement into the use of our own knowledge and expertise(s).

The interesting thing about this article is that it for me, shows a description of  “forecast vs experience” in which it shows the difference in implication of morals and knowledge based on a forecast made from deep logical analysis or an account produced from the experience of the result of a particular decision making. This concept shows both employers and employees to consider the implications of both internal and external factors in using expertise(s) or making decisions.

Anyways, the main article could be found here

Pink Blackberries---Fashionable

Announced by TELUS phone company and QEII Foundation, the ‘pink’ campaign now gives the prospect of bringing new and innovative Breast Cancer equipment to Nova Scotia. The campaign, which last from May 6th until October 31st 2011, will donate CAD 25 for every pink Blackberry Pearl 9100 or Blackberry Curve 8350 sold to QEII foundation in contribution towards “Fighting Breast Cancer” campaign. This campaign, also known as “Go Pink” campaign is empowered by TELUS Mobile and the money will be donated towards many medical institute across Canada in improving Breast Cancer cure technology. One such example of medical facility is the BC Women’s Hospital & Health Care Foundation.

The article provides an information on one out of the countless CSR initiative conducted by corporate companies working with NGOs, foundations and care groups. I personally find it necessary for corporations to be actively involved in benefiting the social community as it will both benefit the company itself and the people. After all, human are social creatures, therefore we do not have enough self-sufficiency to survive alone.

The Source could be found here

The Harvard Business Review, October 4th 2011

Judith Hurwitz

The year was 1990, the author of this article attended a HP meeting for industry analyst and saw that HP was declaring that it would become a software company. Software has been known as a major drive in the IT industry compared to hardware whereas it has the potential of generating more revenue for companies that has software as a mainstream factor in competition in the IT industry. The author raised her hand and asked Lew Platt, the current president of Hewlett Packard at that time of how much more revenue that HP will generate in the next five years with this transition that could supposedly sustain HP’s growth at the time. The man answered “10 percent by the end of the decade” whereas now, software had only accounted 3 percent of HP’s total annual revenue.

The article addresses several concerns and comments regarding Hewlett Packard changing its company structure through acquisition, marketing strategy and other strategies and tactics of reassuring investors of the company’s viability. The article mainly suggests that when a business tries to see a drastic strategic change as a way to save the company, usually the change would not occur effectively and efficiently as the change’s emergency nature tend to fail itself.

Anyways, the main article could be found here

The Economist, October 6th 2011

After the departure of Steve Jobs, American Vice President Joe Biden praised the late Apple ex-CEO on his revolutionary cutting edge technological innovations known as what Apple inc. is today as “democratizing technology, done in very specific ways”.  The comment refers to how the late Mr. Jobs was able to innovate the computer and gadget technology to a point where it has the ability to significantly make our lives easier. The author had described Apple’s innovation to a point where their products are so technologically advanced that it technically could make our lives easier with the mandatory requirement for consumers to intently rely on manuals to use them. One example is how people, in general can use Apple products such as iPod, iPad and iPhone with such ease due to the Operating system’s easy-to-use and clear interface.

In my opinion, I would have to agree 100% with the author of this article as I have also experienced the use of some Apple products such as Mac Laptops and iPods in which I had no absolute trouble using them despite the fact that those are my first time using Apple gadgets. Although, the main cause of my ability to easily use these gadgets are probably due to my productivity which allowed me to learn new things fast, but the program interface would still be very usable for any people of all ages.

The Interesting original source could be found here.

The Globe and Mail, Sunday 09 October 2011

The European Economic and Financial Crisis is starting to take its toll on banks and other financial entities within Europe. With regards to the crisis, this article had also highlighted the weakness of the European banking system over the first weekend of October. The Greek-based crisis caused some of EU leaders to inject financial assistance to damaged European banks in order to recapitalize their survival into the European market and preventing further financial collapse in other EU countries. The plan was pioneered by French president Nicholas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Markel to inject capital funds into the Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg) bank Dexia SA who became the first victim of the late-summer Greek-EU financial crisis which caused severe deficit in the European economy, affecting banks, governments and the working class.

In detail and at a first glance, the article provides a good insight into the current Greek-based European Economic Crisis in which it gave a factual example of Dexia’s collapse as an case example to this case and it gives people, such as myself about the severe impacts of the crisis and it also demonstrates the “Domino Effect” as to how one occurrence has the profound ability to cause another.

The original article can be found here.

Who doesn’t know Steve Jobs? The mastermind behind Apple’s modern and cutting edge technological advances. The iPhone that you carry in your pocket everyday, the iPad that you use to play Angry Birds and the Mac laptops that you bring to class everyday. After his return to Apple inc. in 1996, as a CEO, Jobs was able to orchestrate exponential company growth for Apple and made the company what it is today, one of the world’s biggest manufacturer of cutting edge and innovative operating system, gadgets and computers, becoming a force to be reckoned with in the last decade.

In an article within the Harvard Business Review ,taken from the part of HBR’s Insight Center Growing The Top Line , Nilofer Merchant, a corporate director and speaker on igniting cultures of innovation, she stated how by analyzing Steve Jobs, his innovation and his career as the Apple CEO, has taught her some of the most vital and innovative approach to letting your company grow through the impact of decision making, sometimes particularly doing things that are unnatural in the corporate and business world.

Personally, I have found the article to be very interesting, as the writer has viewed Steve Jobs as more than a man whose career have brought upon the Apple’s innovative concepts. She also viewed Jobs as someone who possesses the ability to take unnatural, innovative decisions in the corporate and business world. In the end, I also learned a lot of things from this article as it displayed a whole new perspective of decision making and projection of growth.

For those of you interested, the whole article can be found here