Response to: Business Presentations: “Inspire (Rather than Tire)” & Why are presentation skills so important”
I came across two blog posts that coincided with my view on the importance of presentation skills. Sam mentioned a good point that I totally agree with: practicing but not memorizing leads to better delivery in a presentation. In preparing for my presentation, I realized that not only was it ineffective to not write up a speech and attempt to recite it word-for-word, but it also increases the chance of stumbling for words on presentation day. Instead, I listed main ideas that I wanted to get across, and practiced what order I would present them in. I find that this works best because not only does it reduce the chance of forgetting the speech, but it also prevents the dreaded monotone voice.
Gordie’s post happens to say exactly why I think presentation skills are important:
“All of one’s research, creative ideas, and suggestions mean absolutely nothing if they cannot be effectively communicated to a target audience.”
Exactly. What good are brilliant ideas be if one cannot capture others’ attention, and deliver the idea across, and make an impact in the audiences’ mind. Especially when only given the opportunity of a brief presentation.
The reason Sam Ng’s blog post caught my attention is because it reminded me of a Mcdonalds coupon booklet I saw the other day. Instead of a cover page featuring golden fries and a thick juicy burger, this one had in bold letters: “FRESHLY GROUND FOR EVERY CUP”. This made me piece all the changes I’ve noticed recently:
-free coffee promos
-coupons do not feature meal deals, but instead “buy one, get one free [on] hot McCafe specialty beverages”
-renovation to McCafes
-new products on the menu
Its all so clear. McDonalds has finally responded to the rising demand for coffee, and market shift towards more health oriented food. By doing the above, McD’s is attempting to change their image of a fast-paced, cheap, simply furnished burger joint to a more upscale, quality, a “place-where-I-can-relax” image.
They have virtually dropped the name “McDonalds” in the new cafes as they want to be recognized as “McCafe” instead.
The key components of McDonalds were captured in this SWOT, however this analysis seems dated. It focuses on the situation of McDonalds a couple years ago when they introduced salads and premium burgers, and failed to mention the opportunities in the change in demand, or the establishment of the subsidiary McCafe.
When Janice presented her company–Energy Aware’s product, The PowerTab, it reminded me of a similar device at home.
A majority of homes are now built with this monitor, they control/monitor a variety of things around the house:
- alarm
- heating
- lighting
- sprinklers
- security cameras etc.
My first thought was, what keeps electricity usage meters to be built into these monitors?
The answer: nothing. That’s why I’m concerned for the future of The PowerTab.
In addition, BC Hydro will install new “Smart Meters”, replacing current power meters.
The concept of displaying power consumption in these built in monitors is already on its way (See 1:03)
I don’t know too much about The PowerTab and products alike, but if they engineered the device to be compatible with traditional meters, then would the implement of Smart Meters make their products obsolete?! How difficult would it be to redesign?
Its great that Energy Aware has a market in other countries, meaning the Smart Meter would not impact them too significantly. But what if other countries also innovate in technology? Would the company be able to adapt?
No doubt The PowerTab has an appealing design and a purposeful function, but with new technology in power meters and growing competition, the future of The PowerTab is a blur.
Coca-Cola recently established the Arctic Home campaign in association with the World Wildlife Fund. The campaign aims to donate $3 million dollars to protect the habitat of polar bears. I think the team at Coca Cola have something great going here: a display of corporate social responsibility, limited edition cans, in holiday spirit, traditional polar bear theme, and most importantly: potential increase in sales.
In our discussion in tutorial on what the underlying aim here is (if there is one), I suggested that if they really wanted to increase sales, they’d take the McDonald’s approach (10-cents from every Happy Meal goes to charity); but instead Coca Cola will donate $2 million regardless of sales -and another $1 million to match public donations ($1 donations via text).
Muhtar Kent, CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, says “We want to help the polar bear — a beloved Coca-Cola icon since 1922 — by helping conserve its Arctic habitat,”
Whether this campaign is purely a marketing ploy looking to boost sales, or an attempt to gain positive PR, or even if it is purely for a good cause, this campaign will most likely benefit both the company and the environment.
Can’t wait to get my hands on a white Coke can!
You know you’ve got natural entrepreneurial characteristics when you can turn trash into cash; which is exactly what Tom Szaky and Jon Beyer. The two Princeton freshmen (2001) entered their innovative idea into an business plan contest which eventually grew into the one-of-a-kind company known as TerraCycle today. The eco-conscious company collects all sorts of unrecyclables–various packaging material, old pens, dead cell phones, potato chip bags–and turns them into items such as school supplies and gardening tools.
TerraCycle defines itself as a business venture through the following qualities:
- innovation: existing products but unique production, a new market–for “upcycled” products–is established
- high risk factor: whether consumers’ were willing to purchase goods made of garbage was undeterminable
- outputs>inputs: combines various inputs at to create a products which have more value than its inputs, generating profits
- substantial wealth: Terracycle is expected to pull $20 million in retail sales in 2010
TerraCycle was named one of the 100 most innovative companies by Red Herring Magazine, one of the 100 Brilliant Ideas by Entrepreneur.com, and received the Environmental Stewardship Award from Home Depot. Its innovative operations divert 3 billion pieces of garbage from landfills and into new consumer products making it a great example of an entrepreneurial venture.
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All the talk about Zappos’ corporate culture in class made me want to find more companies that also have great corporate culture. After a little “Googling” I found out that Google actually has one of the best corporate cultures in the world -no wonder they’re so productive-. The work environment in the “Googleplex” is phenomenal, their employees enjoy perks of all sorts, from free meals to napping stations, and from stress relieving gyms to pajama days.
See why Google employee’s have a hard time leaving the office:
There is undoubtedly a connection between corporate culture and corporate success, but is a company’s culture the cause of its success or merely a result?
As seen in the case of Zappos, the employees appear to be much happier than most call centers. However, the video on Zappos shown in class seemed to suggest that Zappos is successful because of its corporate culture; I agree that it is a major contributing factor in its success, but it is not the most important (as with all other companies). It is crucial to have good culture (shared values and mission, trust and commitment amongst employees etc.) in order to maximize performance but I still believe the business strategy is what makes or breaks a company.
Response to: Gulf News – Buffett’s son defends protesters
Howard Buffet, farmer, philanthropist, and president of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation
In an recent interview, Howard Buffett allegedly blamed the protesters’ anger on abuse by large corporations and the government, “we saw large corporations really screw people”. Another topic brought up was the widening wealth inequity in society, the younger Buffett said “[t]here has never been a larger gap between earnings in this country” –which I believe is a direct result of the abuse–. He also raises a prominent issue, the government’s unfair cuts in welfare programs, which I think really showcases his characteristics as a philanthropist. He said “[t]here has never been a time in [his] lifetime when the government […] cut an incredible amount of programs that support poor people and feed them”. My personal take on this issue is that it was simply untimely for the US to terminate or reduce such programs that supported the most vulnerable families during the recession.
The business article also mentioned Warren Buffett sharing some insight saying, “he is [also] concerned about inequity in the US”. I thought the story was a good read; world’s third richest man and his son, able to sympathize for the “99%” is noteworthy to say the least.
A Response to: Dear Occupy Wall Street: Read Jeffrey Sachs!
John Horgan’s blog starts off by recalling some notable signs seen at Occupy Wall Street, “‘Eat the rich, feed the hungry.’ […] ‘The Beginning Is Near.’ […] ‘I love this goddamn country, and we’re gonna take it back.’ [and] ‘We are the 99%.’” But truth be told, a large portion of the “99%” are there for the wrong reasons, some are misled or lack knowledge of the real situation, while others are simply there to get in on the action. But within these crowds are few select, knowledgeable individuals who are genuinely passionate about their beliefs. Many critique “they aren’t providing any solutions“, but they are pointing out whats wrong and issues that need to be raised; for example, the growing distance between the rich and the poor.
Horgan also insists that these Occupy movements are “inspired by the recent democratic uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and other Arab nations”, which gets me thinking, are these Occupy movements just hopping on the bandwagon — which would fade out in the near future, or are we part of the beginning of something big?
Skylights are very costly, the product itself can be several hundred dollars, and with installation you could be looking in the thousands. Imagine what its like for people in third world countries to have a skylight in order to save on bills and live sustainably. Well, good on MIT students and MyShelter Foundation for promoting sustainability while being socially responsible. Thanks to them, people are able to light up homes at no cost at all.
People below the poverty line and living without light (no windows or no electricity) are now able to light up their homes with just a bottle. Millions of families still live in the dark, but with support this project could help so many more under privileged communities worldwide. Look at how many lives are changed already:
Charity campaigns already distribute mosquito nets across Africa, so why not do the same. Either the existing “Isang Litrong Liwanag” campaign led by philanthropist Illiac Diaz needs more recognition or more charities need to be established for making and distributing them to places in need. Of course, no daylight no illumination, but we cannot expect too much and just appreciate what it is able to do.
Ever catch yourself thinking, “I wish there was an app for that”? With the mobile app industry on the rise, why not make something of the idea. Whether you are a business owner or a tech-savvy individual, the industry of mobile apps is where you should be looking. You don’t need your own mobile app developing company, your app doesn’t have to compete with Angry Birds, it could be a simple reminder for people to take their pills on time.
Businesses should be trying to expand into the mobile world, giving the competitive advantage that puts the company above others. For example, if TD was the only bank with this point of difference, the new tech-savvy generation is most likely to choose TD so they can do simple banking tasks on the go.
Amateur developers could make a business out of this opportunity as well; if Apple charges $99 per year to register apps to the App Store, and at least a small fraction of the hundred million i-Users will download the app for $0.99, profit will be made.
With 98 billion apps to be downloaded by 2015, why not take a chance and step into the game.
update: check out this app!
http://youtu.be/T8fsvYd2RBY
Canada is number 1 this year in Forbes‘ “The Best Countries For Business”. Canada also ranks top five this for investor protection and how easy it is to start a business. Forbes credits our “reformed tax structure… Harmonized Sales Tax”, as “the goal is to make Canadian businesses more competitive.” The result of the HST Referendum, is to go back to the original PST system. But to me, the plan to reduce HST to 10% by 2014 would have allowed business owners to continue to benefit while reducing the tax paid by consumers. Although not as consumer friendly as the GST/PST system, it would have been a sacrifice people had to make to support our local economy.
A major factor I believe contributes to the success of Canadian business is our unparalleled diversity, which means more target markets. Different people need different things, and different cultures have different product preferences. Take the supermarket TNT for example, it supplies the Asian community with popular imported goods which satisfies the target market’s taste, which is what makes it a striving business. With diversity and a strong market for all types of goods, Canada is bound to be a top country for business.
Google acquired ITA Software earlier this year leading to the release “Google Flight (Search)”. The idea is to provide an innovative and convenient method of planning a trip whether it be for business or pleasure.
A sneak peak at what Flight Search has to offer and how it works:
The $700 million acquisition finalized over a nine month span. The deal was opposed by an alliance of companies including Microsoft, Kayak and Expedia. They feared the acquisition would be anti-competitive and adversely affect the travel industry”. They also suggested that this deal would put Google in the position to control prices, however Google’s blog rallied that there would be no “pay-to-rank” business.
I think Google’s new presence in the market puts competitor sites on their toes, sites like Bing (leading the market for travel search queries) may be feeling a little heat. But overall, was the ITA acquisition a smart move in Google’s pursuit to take over the internet? Can Google expand their database and polish up their new project to change the way we book flights? We’ll just have to wait and see.
blog post inspired by:
Could Google Acquisition of ITA Kill Online Travel Sales Industry
Vancouver is definitely not top of the list for most affordable living right now. A major contributing factor to the real estate bubble is foreign investors.
Tourists viewing house (from Richmond News)
We can see why Vancouver real estate is appealing to foreign investors, but this makes it hard for locals to afford housing in our own city. Why isn’t anyone doing anything about this? The government and real estate agencies may view this as an opportune time for profit and aid in the economy, but is this fair for locals? Is there a way to regulate the housing sales so foreigners are still able to invest but not have locals struggling to compete in this inflated market? Just putting an idea out there, if locals get priority on residential real estate and the properties that don’t sell, then it goes on the international market. This way, we find balance in all this commotion about our beautiful properties and satisfy both parties.
(update)
what if we :
-put a limit to the number of houses foreigners can purchase?
-add a luxury tax to houses over a certain price? (They have this tax for vehicles, why not houses)
-used the additional tax from luxury expenses to increase the benefits we provide for first time house buyers?
For more information:
http://renewscanada.wordpress.com/2011/06/06/vancouver-housing-fueled-by-chinese-buyers/
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