anant - micro enterprise - the future, today
TRANSCRIPT
MicroenterpriseBuilding the Future, Today
Washington, D.C. : Talk for ChangeFeb 17, 2010
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Introduction
• Goals of This Presentation– Define Microenterprise– Explain Microenterprises– The Case against Big
Business– Role of The Internet
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The Internet : Disruptive Technology
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Microenterprises
• “a microenterprise is usually defined as a business with five or fewer employees”
• “small enough to require initial capital of $35,000 or less”
• “more than 23 million microenterprises in the U.S., representing 18% of all private U.S. employment and 87% of all businesses.”
• (http://www.microenterpriseworks.org/)
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Microenterprises : The Power of Few
• What can 1-5 People Do?– Clean Houses– Fix Cars– Laundry Pickup and Delivery
– Executive Coaching
– Small Business Legal Work– Small Business Accounting
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Microenterprises : The Power of Few
• What can 1-5 People Do?– Help People Start Companies– Build Internet Sites– Build the Next.com– Teach and Train People– Grant Writing Services– Entertain or Speak
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Big Business : The reasons for it.
•Consistency of customer benefits.•Consistency of employee benefits.•Uniform delivery of goods or services.•Good Health Care options.•Tickets to sporting events.•Reliability, Scalability, Quality.
•See your company on TV.
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Big Business : The reasons against it.
•Lack of creativity.•Employees are less happy.•Constrained career paths.•A number not a team member.•Must be part of the “culture”.
•Must follow a certain schedule.•Focus on shareholder profits.
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So what? How do you replace Big Business?
• MACRO ENTERPRISE DOES THIS– ORGANIZE People, ORGANIZE Information , ORGANIZE Process
• MICRO ENTERPRISE CAN DO THIS– Replace PEOPLE with Local Service Providers (also PEOPLE)– Organize and Manage INFORMATION with Service Providers– Make a Local IMPACT and Become the LEADER in a Region– Scale your Service by Delivering the PROCESS over the Internet
• THE RESULT WILL BE– People what they do best for everyone else.– Opportunity for employees to learn and do the same. – If it works, the solution can be given back community.
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The Internet : Standardized Services : Free / Cheap
• All these Standardized Services are Free?– EMAIL & OFFICE – Google Apps, Zoho Apps– ACCOUNTING – Freshbooks, Harvest– MANAGEMENT – BaseCamp, CentralDesktop– CONTACTS– SalesForce, HighRise, Sugar– WEBSITE – GoDaddy, WordPress– PRODUCTIVITY – Remember The Milk
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The Internet : Mobile Devices : Work Anywhere
• Operate my Company on the iPhone?– Record time spent on project– Invoice a client for billable work.– Mark task or project as done – See which contacts need a follow up– Show clients products and services– Manage your daily and weekly todos
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Summary
•INDIVIDUAL are the fundamental unit of SOCIAL CHANGE.
•SMALL Business SUCCESS is within EVERYONE’s grasp.
•Culture of COOPERATION and not COMPETITION.
•Healthy COMPETITION is present to create the BEST SERVICE, not the largest one.
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The Future of Commerce is Social
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References And Books
•Blog : http://anant.wordpress.com •Amazon : Social Enterprise•Blog : Mashable : Business Lists•Blog : Freelance Switch•Sitepoint Forums•Craigslist •Basecamp•Freshbooks•Wordpress •GoDaddy•PayPal
Thank youWashington, D.C. : Talk for ChangeFeb 17, 2010
Contact Information
Rahul [email protected] Architect
Anant http://www.anant.us202.390.9200