Creativity And Innovation Driving Business - Innovation Index

Apple Creates History with New iBooks Textbooks

2012-01-24T08:18:00.001-08:00

"Apple announced iBooks 2 for iPad, featuring iBooks textbooks, an entirely new kind of textbook that’s dynamic, engaging, and truly interactive. iBooks textbooks offer iPad users gorgeous, full-screen textbooks with interactive animations, diagrams, photos, videos, and unrivaled navigation. Leading education services companies including Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw-Hill, and Pearson will deliver educational titles on the iBookstore, with most priced at $14.99 or less. And with the new iBooks Author, anyone with a Mac can create iBooks textbooks and publish them to Apple’s iBookstore. Starting today, iBooks 2 is available free from the App Store and iBooks Author is available free from the Mac App Store"

Textbooks they won’t want to put down."A Multi-Touch textbook on iPad is a gorgeous, full-screen experience full of interactive diagrams, photos, and videos. No longer limited to static pictures to illustrate the text, now students can dive into an image with interactive captions, rotate a 3D object, or have the answer spring to life in a chapter review. They can flip through a book by simply sliding a finger along the bottom of the screen. Highlighting text, taking notes, searching for content, and finding definitions in the glossary are just as easy. And with all their books on a single iPad, students will have no problem carrying them wherever they go."

Bottomline:
The new iBooks Textbooks is an amazing innovation! I downloaded a couple of samples from the iBooks store, and also the awesome "Life on Earth". My kids and I were totally blown away by the quality of the textbooks, the interactivity and the overall experience! (about the only glitch was iBooks 2 hanging up when you launch the new textbook! But this problem seems to be intermittent.) Last year, when my son and I were driving to Los Angeles, I remember having a conversation with him in the car about how the next generation of eBooks should be interactive... when my son was in middle school, he was aspiring to be a writer (now he loves Physics). So, I was telling him that he should design eBooks that spring out from a reader, as if the story within becomes alive and real! For instance, while you are reading a paragraph, you can tap to make the whole story come to life! Wouldn't that be amazing! With the introduction of iBooks Textbooks, we are getting a whole lot closer!! These iBooks are interactive, intelligent and immersing! Would students learn more from these new iBooks? Would students gain more knowledge in a faster time? Would students with learning disability benefit further from these textbooks? Would teachers enjoy teaching through this new medium? Would iBooks textbooks fundamentally change how education is disseminated and consumed? Lots of intriguing questions will need to be answered in the coming year. Apple has the support of major education publishers. Apple iBooks Textbooks could become the new learning standard, and as history may note, usher in a new era of innovative education!

Reference

How Business Defines Innovation?

2012-01-23T18:07:00.000-08:00

Which two aspects below most closely correspond to your personal definition ofinnovation?

The implementation of new processes, products, organizational changes or marketing changes
An environment/culture that embraces positive change, creativity and continuous improvement
Research and development, new intellectual property (IP), and inventions
Staying ahead in the market and being a market leader
Solutions that benefit society and societal outcomes (including environmental outcomes)
None of the aspects above is close to my personal definition of innovation

Selected references:

Leading eBook on Creativity and Innovation in Business

Creativity and Innovation Best Practices

Creativity and Innovation Case Studies

GE Innovation Barometer Survey Methodology
Conducted by StrategyOne, an independent research and consulting firm, between Oct 15 and Nov 15, 2011 in 22 markets
• Telephone survey of 2,800 senior business executives
• All respondents SVP-level or above, 30% c-suite level
• All respondents directly involved in the innovation strategy or process within their company
• Average company size is 1,500 employees, 20% of respondents belong to companies of more than 5,000 employees
• Average interview length: 16 minutes

Why Most Innovations Fail?

2012-01-19T22:19:00.000-08:00

"Few businesses are any good at innovation. For all their brainstorming exercises and "open innovation" programs, they mostly just come up with reformulations of existing products, new pricing plans and basic updates--the same old things just a little cheaper, faster or better.

Businesses ask their "strategic customers" where to innovate and get little advice. Those customers are usually strategic only in that they are large, not because they have any particular market insight. They too just want more, better and cheaper, which are hardly recommendations for true innovation.

Why is failure the norm? Defending and extending the business is what we've trained our business leaders and managers to be good at. They know how to remain close to "core" by staying "focused." They work on improving "operational excellence" and seek the "low cost position" while striving for "customer intimacy" with the biggest customers." - Adam Hartung

"While it's probably impossible to compute the exact percentage of business initiatives that fail, it is widely acknowledged that most do. After years of research and observation, it is clear that the same reasons for any change initiative failure tend to be the same culprits that make innovation initiatives fail. Here are the top ten reasons for innovation failure:

1. Not creating a culture that supports innovation
2. Not getting buy-in and ownership from business unit managers
3. Not having a widely understood, system-wide process
4. Not allocating resources to the process
5. Not tying projects to company strategy
6. Not spending enough time and energy on the fuzzy front-end
7. Not building sufficient diversity into the process
8. Not developing criteria and metrics in advance
9. Not training and coaching innovation teams
10. Not having an idea management system" - Joyce Wycoff

"We believe that innovations fail in the marketplace based on one or more of four key issues:
a. Ideas don't solve an important problem for a customer
b. Ideas take too long to get to market/Shifts in needs
c. Ideas underfunded or poorly launched
d. Ideas require too much work to adopt" - Jeffrey Phillips

"On the other hand, FAILURE is not an easy concept to accept. Failure conjures up sweaty palms, racing heartbeats, and above all, the human condition of disappointment. Knowing that we, as human beings, have a distinct aversion to failure, how can product teams capitalize on early failures to ensure new product success? In this paper, we investigate three common causes of innovation failure and offer suggestions to enhance the probability of success for the development effort.

1. Lack of Strategy,
2. Lack of Risk-Taking, and
3. Company Culture."

"One reason for the lack of successful innovation and growth is the reality of the lifecycle"
"A company’s own historical success can be a major hurdle to new revenue streams" - John Kotter

Bottomline:

Most innovations fail. Most ideas die. Failures can be starting points for new innovations. But an organization needs to avoid the innovation blockers. Many a great innovators forget that successful innovations require great ideas plus execution. And execution involves many go-to-market steps... transforming an idea into an amazing product or service that everyone wants now, getting the marketing and sales team ready to promote and sell the product, creating an external buzz for the new product through launch events and trade shows, getting the customers to buy and adopt the new product, making customers brand ambassadors so that they share products and stories in the marketplace, and winning against the competition. Sometimes great products fail because of inadequate marketing. Sometimes average products win because of successful marketing. When a business combines great innovative products with great marketing (aka Apple), watch out!

Also see: Why Startups Fail?

Startup Failure – Product Looking for Market

2012-01-14T12:42:00.000-08:00

[A] What’s the “product looking for market”?

Well, it’s a product or product idea that is put together backwards. Rather than starting out with the question, “what do people want”, it starts with what the entrepreneur may think what people may want and then just goes about building it. Once he builds it, then he tries to go to the market and looks for people who may be able to use it. That’s putting a cart before the horse. It is even worse when such product idea has no basis or relevance to entrepreneur’s past experience. Then it’s a complete science fiction. Read more

[B] Why such approach to product building is wrong?

There are very few examples like Amazon that started out as a business plan and were executed like a business plan. Most startup ideas started as one thing and ended up as something else. This is mostly because when you work with innovation, by definition, you are working with an unknown. It’s an experiment where you are trying to find out if your hypothesis is true or not. You know some parts and rest is a mystery that you are trying to uncover. You may know many parts but you are trying to find out how they should come together to create something meaningful. Most such hypothesis will fail and so you want to go very methodical about testing such hypothesis. You have your time, resources, cash and reputation at stake and you want to be wise about it. Read more

References:

Why start-ups fail?

Author:

Tarang Shah

Business Social Network

2012-01-08T16:21:00.000-08:00

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Best Software Innovation of 2011 - Vote Now!

2012-01-05T22:50:00.000-08:00

Which software made the biggest difference in 2011? We invite you to vote for the best software innovation of 2011!

Vote for the Best Software Innovation of 2011

Social Media Bootcamp - Orange County

2011-12-30T20:53:00.000-08:00

What? Social Media Marketing Bootcamp workshop for small businesses, entrepreneurs, startups, owners and SMBs. Ogoing will help you become a social media expert, and share tools and best practices that will accelerate your sales. Ogoing, an exclusive small business social network, helps small businesses efficiently expand their local customer contacts through an easy to use social networking platform.

"I got solid answers to many of my social media questions and concerns. He truly is a master in his field. It was the best education I have ever received." - Christina Vendley, Affiliate Manager, Free Blog Factory

Why? While the social media market is exploding with dozens of websites, Ogoing remains focused on utilizing key tools that small businesses need in order to grow their social media presence. Business owners, entrepreneurs and startups do not always have the time, knowledge, resources and money to boost their brand and obtain new leads using social media. This is where Ogoing helps! Think of Ogoing as the business matchmaker.

Key Benefits why YOU should attend this boot camp:

Learn the importance of social media today in building your social presence
Create leverage to promote your brand, products and services, news and events
Connect with many relevant businesses on Ogoing, and expand your social network
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Manage, defend and grow your social media reputation to your advantage
Boost your social presence on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, blogs & more

Learn more and register!

* Ogoing CEO has presented at many business associations including Asian Business Association, SABAN, Irvine Chamber of Commerce, Indian-American Business Federation, UC Irvine, Rotary Club, Indian Medical Association, and many businesses.

Best Product Innovation of 2011 - Vote now!

2011-12-29T18:45:00.000-08:00

What was the most innovative product of 2011? Which product made the most difference in our daily lives in 2011? We invite you to vote for the best product innovation of 2011!

Vote for the Best Product Innovation of 2011

You Voted! We had the voting open for 15 days! And the winner with 32% of the vote is:

Apple iPad 2

Apple iPhone 4S was in 2nd place with 24% of the vote, and Amazon Kindle Fire rounded out the 3rd place with 11% of the vote!

Why start-ups fail?

2011-12-25T11:51:00.001-08:00

Tarang Shah has created an amazing first-hand resource book for technology entrepreneurs that addresses three critical questions:
1. Why do most start-ups fail, and what you can learn from these failures?
2. Why do few start-ups succeed, and what is their secret sauce?
3. What do start-ups need to get funded, and what are VCs looking from start-ups?

Rather than present anecdotal study or sharing grapevine stories, Tarang went straight to the source: interviewing best venture capitalists that evaluate, fund and mentor these start-ups (many of whom have been entrepreneurs themselves), and founders of today's hot technology start-ups who are leading in a highly competitive marketplace. This is what sets this book apart. It is real information presented in an easy to comprehend question - answer interview format.

I recommend this book for every technology entrepreneur or investor looking to build or fund a successful start-up. It is a must read for entrepreneurs and small business owners.

Some answers from Venture Capitalists and Entrepreneurs on why most start-ups fail:
Mike Maples of Floodgate Fund: "The most obvious answer is they run out of money! But I think it’s a little deeper than that. I have a little bit of a different view on start-ups. I basically believe most start-ups are not meant to be successful and the hightech business is a business of “exceptionalism” and winner-take-all. What happens is, there are very disruptive technology shifts that occur from time to time and a small number of companies ride the wave created by these shifts. And through a combination of luck and skill and timing, produce huge outcomes that were just meant to be."

George Zachary of Charles River Ventures: "I would say if there is one main answer, it is the real failure on the part of the founders to find the right product-market fit. And there is usually missing a relentless, robust process to find it. It is as much a science as it is an art.While getting to product-market fit is really important, I think something that is more important from a personality perspective is that if you are not relentless as an entrepreneur, you are probably going to fail. You are exposing yourself way more to luck. The relentless drive of founders is what allows them to get opportunities and not just be subject to luck."

Sean Dalton of Highland Capital Partners: "In my experience, there are two ways in which start-ups fail. The first one is when the board, despite very clear evidence to the contrary, continues to fund a losing proposition. This is really a variant of the definition of insanity—doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results. There is a second, less common but I think more honorable way that a startup company fails. That is when the VC and the CEO or management team sits down and basically says, “Look, we got into business to do X. It is not working. We have tried to make other things work and they too are just not working, so let’s call a spade a spade and figure out how to gracefully exit from this. Then we can find the next great opportunity to work on together.”"

Howard Morgan of Idealab: "two reasons why they fail … people do not buy their product, that’s number one. Number two is being undercapitalized. They do not have enough money to sell it after they have it built. I think much more rarely they cannot build it. In today’s world, that is less common, mainly because we usually do not see the product until they have built a pretty good prototype. Certainly in the software side of the world that is true. In the hardware side, it is a little tougher. Then of course, [there are] people issues."

Tim Draper of Draper, Fisher, Jurvetson: "The first one is that they run out of money and run out of energy. The great entrepreneurs, they go and go and go and run on fumes, and keep their company alive. So it really has to do with runway. The company has to be able to be in business long enough for people to start to notice them. So how you would fail, it would be that runway ends either sharply or too soon. The runway can end sharply like when a bank calls the loan, or an entrepreneur just gives up and quits, or a number of other ways. People don’t get along and don’t believe anymore. Those kinds of things can happen."

Michael Birch of Bebo:"It generally always comes down to execution. Most companies are not executing the business or product. I think the hardest thing to do is build great products. If you build great products, you generally do quite well."

Gus Tai of Trinity Ventures: "I believe the number-one reason start-ups fail is that the management team doesn’t take enough time to truly understand the customer. I will put this under “cherishing the customer. The number-two reason they fail is that they don’t put together the right team to do the right things. I will put this under “creating the right team to tackle the right problems.””

Ann Winblad of Hummer Winblad Venture Partners: "To me, most start-ups that get off track are usually due to leadership. You are looking at people with families and people that you may have worked with forever. You are saying to the CEO, “You are not it.” You have to be very strict to do this. Adherence to the strict success metrics is really one of the big reasons for success. You have to be very tough about following key metrics."

Roger Lee of Battery Ventures: "There are three different axes against which you evaluate a start-up in the rear view mirror. One is the team, two is the market, and three is timing. You really need all three of those things to come together in order for a company to succeed."

Mike Hodges of ATA Ventures: "Start-ups fail for the following key reasons: 1) poor product specifications, 2) poor project management, 3) a product no one wants—and hence poor gross margins, and 4) general chaos caused by an undisciplined CEO."

What you will learn from this book:
1. Many more reasons why startups fail
2. Common entrepreneurial mistakes you can avoid
3. How to build an “A” team and a culture of success
4. Successful relationship dynamics between entrepreneur and investors
5. When to slow down, ramp up, and scale companies
6. Knowing when to sell a business, keep growing, or shut it down
7. How venture capitalists identify promising markets, entrepreneurs, and companies
8. What venture capitalists are looking for in entrepreneurs and business plans

Most helpful customer review (from Amazon.com):
Invaluable look at technology entrepreneurship and venture capital
By ASG

Tarang Shah has provided an insightful and expansive look at technology venture investing. Drawing upon his tenure at global venture firm SoftBank Capital and world-class network of entrepreneurs and investors, Shah presents 35 in-depth interviews with well-known investors such as Roelof Botha at Sequoia Capital, Mike Maples at Floodgate Fund and George Zachary at Charles River Ventures.

When reading Shah's book, it feels as if you're in the same room with Shah and his interviewees. While Shah rightly asks identical questions of each investor, the answers are fascinatingly diverse and thoughtful.

If you're a new or experienced entrepreneur, the advice and insights in Shah's book are priceless.

References:

Venture Capitalists at Work: How VCs Identify and Build Billion-Dollar Successes

By Tarang Shah, Sheetal Shah

Is Social Media a Giant Bubble?

2011-12-13T22:00:00.000-08:00

What happened to Friendster, Myspace and Orkut? These social networks dominated their original markets for years, and were undisputed leaders. Until Facebook came along, and disrupted their leadership roles. Now, Facebook is the leader.

Are social media users fickle, and always looking for a better place to network and connect? Would they *switch* to a better social network in the future? Would users belong to multiple social networks? Or would there be one gateway that connects users to multiple social networks? What would that social gateway look like? Who will challenge Facebook?

People today have accounts on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Foursquare, Yelp, Picasa, Flickr, Tumblr, Instagram, YouTube, etc. Would these users continue to use all of these social, community and professional networks in the future? Or would they consolidate?

Either social media will become so ingrained in our personal, community and work lives that it will become second nature; Or, newer modalities and innovations in social connectivity will emerge that will change the way we consume social media.

According to Liz Gannes of All Things D: "Where in the past, tech industry watchers derided new start-ups for launching “yet another social network,” ever more users seem to be constructing multiple online presences that utilize the strengths of various platforms and networks.And this splintered approach is only going to increase." Do you agree with Liz?

Currently, social media is predominantly centered around people sharing with people, professionals sharing with professionals, and communities sharing within communities. Newer trends in social networking are forming, wherein people are sharing with business, professionals are sharing with business, businesses are sharing with businesses, and businesses are sharing with communities. It is interesting that people don't take the time to say hello to their neighbors; however, they enjoy using social media to share. In the future, social networks could become event, news or activities driven; segmented around industries, interests or markets; localized around neighborhoods, communities and causes; connected around geographies, regions or ethnicity; privatized around schools, colleges or workplaces. Everything could be inter-connected using social networks on computers, mobile phones, tablets, televisions and new devices.

No one social network can appeal to all the user and behavior segments. Large social networks will try to add features and functionality to appeal to a majority of segments... however, networks that try to build everything for everybody will become generalists and complex, and will get disrupted by new specialists. Which social networks will be around in five years, and which ones will emerge? Only time will tell. However, if history is a judge, some of the well known social networks of today will not be around tomorrow, or get consolidated.

One social network that is emerging, specialized and exclusive for the small business community is Ogoing. If you are a small business or entrepreneur that wants a great business profile, a place to promote deals and products, attract new customers, make local connections, and boost social brand, take a look at Ogoing. Ogoing is the leading social network for small business. Sign up on Ogoing for free, and turbo charge your business social media. Go here to get started on Ogoing!

Social Networking for Business

2011-12-08T22:00:00.000-08:00

If you own, manage or promote your business, have you joined a social network or two? What results have you seen from joining a social network for your business? Simply put, has it been worth your while? We are talking about social networks which are external for your business.

There are many social networks to consider today! What network works best for your company? What criteria would you use, as you evaluate social networking that helps you boost your business?

Here are the top three reasons why you should get started on a social network or two for your organization:

1. Get more prospects and customers - Ask yourself, why your business does any marketing at all? What is the primary reason for having a company website? Where do you find your prospects? How do you convert your prospects into real customers? A social network must ultimately result in driving more leads for your business. Although the lead funnel may not happen overnight, it must happen within weeks to months. There is a common misconception that when a business has more followers or fans, it will drive more sales. The quality of contacts matter the most! Your business may have thousands of followers, but very few may be interested in buying anything. How would you drive quality leads? Social Networking is not a get rich quick game. Rather, it takes time and patience to build a real following (unless you are an established brand or celebrity such as Coke or Lady Gaga). Be real on a social network! Share expert information and insights. Provide free stuff, discounts, coupons or loyalty points. Keep your readers intrigued with quality information. The more you stay true, the more prospects and customers you will garner, eventually!

2. Increase customer loyalty - This by far has been the biggest claim to fame for business social networking. A social network brings you closer to your customers and gets them engaged. In some cases, your customers may get too close! On the one hand, your business can cleverly leverage social networks to provide better customer service, get proactive customer feedback, obtain recommendations, and even get customers to share great ideas. However, if you open yourself for customer service, get ready to hear an earful. Customers won't shy away from sharing their negative experiences over and over again publicly. Hear them out! Be a great listener. Apologize. And follow through by providing excellent customer service. Turn that negative customer experience into a positive one! An irate customer who gets great customer service can become a happy and loyal customer for life. Icing on the cake: Customers see that you care!

Now that your business has opened this new social network channel for providing transparent customer service, stage two will include asking these customers for feedback on everything... for instance, a new marketing campaign and asking them to vote for the one they really like, or a new product feature or enhancement and hearing their thoughts. The loyal customers would be more than happy to share favorable recommendations and testimonials. The unhappy customers will likewise share negative views. Be ready for both! The goal for your business is to get more positive reviews; at least four stars or better. Better the reviews and ratings, better the potential of attracting new prospects. Finally, receptive customers will likely share new ideas about your brand, current products, competition, and trends. Social Networks can act as great vehicles for increasing customer loyalty, and extracting maximum value from your customers.

3. Become The brand - A social network is quite possibly the biggest brand equalizer. It sure is great to have the brand and following of a Nike or Starbucks; but, by the same token, a greater brand means even greater scrutiny. You are always under the microscope of corporate social responsibility, and what you think, say and do is analyzed 24/7 by the press, customers, competition and everyone at large. Say or do one bad thing, and your brand gets a huge hit! And in most cases, an irreparable one. On the other hand, if you are a small, niche brand, the social network can do wonders for your business! You can become the most relevant brand for your market by doing the things that matter most for your customers, partners, suppliers, and the community. How you become The Brand? By doing good business. By delivering quality service. By sharing profits. By helping good causes. By caring for your community. Each good action that you undertake adds to your brand value. These actions will transform your brand into the most powerful brand in the marketplace. It takes time to build that brand, and become the word-of-mouth brand that resonates with Kleenex, FedEx or WebEx. Sharing and Caring go hand in hand with Networking. Brand prominence can't happen without investing into planning, goal setting and executing, and staying the course. Hiccups will happen. However, if you follow the best practices of delighting your customers over and over again, you can establish a strong local brand presence, one that customers will remember and recommend.

What social network can do all of the above for your business? LinkedIn is great for professionals, Twitter works for celebrities and big brands, Facebook is amazing for consumers and friends, Yelp is superb for reviews and retailers, Google Plus is great for getting that jump start, YouTube is tops for business videos and stories, Foursquare is great for checking in, and the list goes on...

If you are a small business that wants it all, a great business profile, a place to promote your deals and products, find new customers, make new connections, and boost your brand, take a look at Ogoing. Ogoing is the leading social network for small business. Check out Ogoing, and turbo charge your social media.

Paris Autolib innovative electric car service unveiled

2011-12-05T19:47:00.001-08:00

Breff driving the Autolib electric car in Paris. - YouTube

Autolib' electric car service will be launched in Paris next Monday. In Paris and Ile de France cities, users will be able to sign up for daily, weekly or annual memberships ranging from 10 euros to 144 euros, with users paying according to the length of time the car is used.

Paris, in its latest bid to be an innovator of the City of Tomorrow, is launching an electric car-sharing program to cut air and noise pollution on the city's medieval cobblestone streets and beyond. 250 vehicles hit the road on Monday, 2,000 are expected by next summer and 3,000 are planned within the next two years. More info

For the last six months, crews with jackhammers have been outfitting sidewalks with some of the 1,200 charging stations and marking off parking spaces that will be reserved exclusively for Autolib' users. Autolib will allow any Parisian or visitor to easily rent an electric car for few hours and drop it off at any of the locations citywide.

Bottomline:
Paris is leading by example, and walking the walk of going green. Paris transformed the biking habits of residents by launching the wildly successful Velib bicycle sharing program back in 2007. Today, the city and its suburbs have 1,800 docking stations holding more than 20,000 bikes. If Autolib' electric car program sees the same level of success, there will be many more cities worldwide who will follow Paris' innovative lead.

Innovative Concept Cars at the Tokyo Japan Motor Show 2011

2011-11-30T08:12:00.001-08:00

Toyota Boshoku Co.'s concept vehicle T-Brain is displayed at the Tokyo Motor Show in Tokyo, Japan, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)

A model poses by Toray's concept Electric Vehicle (EV) "TEEWAVE AR1" at the Tokyo Motor Show in Tokyo, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

A visitor snaps Daihatsu Motor Co., concept car "FC SHO CASE" on displays during the Tokyo Motor Show in Tokyo, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

BMW's i8 Concept car is seen at the 42nd Tokyo Motor Show in Tokyo November 30, 2011. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

Honda Motor Company President Takanobu Ito speaks next to the company's electric Micro Commuter Concept city vehicle during a news conference at the 42nd Tokyo Motor Show in Tokyo November 30, 2011. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda, left, shakes hands with Yamaha Motor Cor. President Hiroyuki Yanagi as they unveil next-generation vehicles, the electric commuter bike EC-Miu, right, and the electrically power assisted bicycle PAS WITH, the two companies are jointly developing during a press event in Tokyo Monday, Nov. 28, 2011. A vehicle seen in the background is Toyota's futuristic concept vehicle Fun-Vii. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

A model sits on Suzuki Motor Corp.,'s concept car "Q-Concept" during the press preview of Tokyo Motor Show in Tokyo, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011. The Tokyo Motor Show opens to the public this weekend. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Nissan Motor Co. President and Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn poses with the company's concept car "PIVO3" during the 42nd Tokyo Motor Show in Tokyo, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)

Bottomline:
These future concept cars are out of this world... Stunning looks, Awesome innovations, and Downright utilitarian.

References: http://in.news.yahoo.com/photos/concept-cars-at-the-japan-auto-show-2011-1322648148-slideshow/model-poses-suzuki-motor-corp-concept-car-q-photo-080619078.html

Social Media Innovations at Facebook

2011-11-28T22:33:00.001-08:00

Facebook already has over 800 million users... Should Facebook focus on execution to get more users, and get ever closer to the 1 billion mark, or rather think about new innovations that will make the experience even more engaging?

For instance, "More than 50% of Facebook active users log on to Facebook in any given day." Can Facebook motivate and inspire users to log on more frequently? Can the percentage of active users who log on go up to 75%? What would Facebook do to make this happen? What is a compelling reason for a user to log on to Facebook? Is it to share an update? Check what his / her friends are saying? Play a game? See notifications on prior updates? What drives users to log back in, and come back for more?

Another Facebook stat, "An Average user has 130 friends." - Some questions come to mind? How long does it take for an average user to get to 130 friends? Who are these friends? Can 130 friends become 260 friends? Is it even feasible? What behaviors are different for users who have over 260 friends versus users who have around 130 friends? Do they view friendship differently? How does the user feel on getting more friends? Is it great to connect to more friends, or less friends? On surface, it appears that the more friends a user connects with, more time the user will spend on Facebook, more engaged he or she will become!

And here's a growing trend that Facebook is seeing:
"More than 350 million active users currently access Facebook through their mobile devices." This one is huge! People are accessing websites, emails and now social networks through their cell phones, tablets and new mobile devices. This means people like to stay in touch and constant contact with their friends, even while they are traveling. How can Facebook capitalize on this trend? Would mobile operators and cell phone makers insert a Facebook button on every phone? Would every mobile application, game and website include a Facebook sharing widget so that the user can share almost anything on the fly on Facebook?

Ultimately, an engaged Facebook user is more likely to invite more of their friends, and get even more connected.

What will Facebook do? What new social media innovations will Facebook create to get even more users hooked on Facebook?

Check out Ogoing Social Network for Small Business. Ogoing integrates with Facebook, and is created exclusively to address the growing social media needs of small business. Learn more and sign up!

What should the Congress do in 2012?

2011-11-28T22:22:00.001-08:00

What should the Congress do in 2012?

1. Stay focused on laws, actions and influences to turnaround the economy. Laws to help businesses hire more and spend more, actions to inspire people around the message "It's getting better", and influences to help local and state agencies provide additional assistance to families in need!

2. Spread Optimism and Celebrate American Ideals. Create an uplifting image and inspire Americans that "Life is good here". Be inclusive in the message: Democrats, Republicans, Independents, all races... We are all Americans.

3. Show and share solutions for making education better, reducing deficit and debt, increasing safety, promoting freedom and innovation, creating energy independence, and above all, shaping America for a better future.

Just my 2 cents...

Sanjay Dalal Speech at ABAOC Breakthrough Awards Gala Night

2011-11-20T15:22:00.000-08:00

Good Evening Friends! Are you having a blast? Are you ready to show your moves?

I mean "dance moves"!

A beautiful girl asked me a question today, "What is ABAOC? Are you going to be the next President of all these people?" That girl is my sweet daughter.

My answer to her: "THIS IS ABAOC!"

What you have experienced today is what Asian Business Association Orange County is all about.

I want to thank my beautiful wife and kids who show a great deal of patience and support when I am out working with my ABAOC brothers and sisters. Thank You!!

Let me have a show of hands: "Who does not use an Apple product today?"... Very few hands! I am going to have to sell you an Apple product soon. I don't work for Apple though.

I want to share with you tonight this amazing quote from Steve Jobs, the greatest entrepreneur and innovator of our times, who created breakthrough products that we enjoy everyday.

Steve Jobs Quote:
"My model for business is The Beatles. They were four guys who kept each other's kind of negative tendencies in check. They balanced each other and the total was greater than the sum of the parts. That's how I see business: great things in business are never done by one person, they're done by a team of people." -- Steve Jobs

This quote really sums up the essence of our ABAOC team. Our ABAOC motto is: "Rich in Diversity, Strong in Unity"

We are a diverse team of professionals, from different cultures, united in our vision to create economic opportunities for small businesses in Orange County. This is what makes our organization great!

Did you know that all ABAOC board members are 100% volunteers? We all work tirelessly to help and support the small businesses in Orange County. Some of our board members have been volunteering for more than 15 years. Give our ABAOC board members a HUGE round of applause...

I am proud to accept the President-Elect nomination, and am looking forward to advance our noble cause next year and beyond!

Thank you everyone for attending our Breakthrough Gala Night!

Now let's get grooving and dancing!!

The above speech was delivered by Sanjay Dalal, ABAOC President-Elect 2012, at the ABAOC Breakthrough Awards Gala Night Event at Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, CA on Nov 19 evening.

About Sanjay Dalal
Serial entrepreneur on a quest to create the next social network for business, Ogoing! Passionate about innovation, education, mentoring, community & my family. Learn more

About ABAOC
Asian Business Association of Orange County, established in 1992, provides Asian Americans the opportunity for economic advancement through multiple touchpoints. Learn more

Where Would You Fish For Your Customers?

2011-11-18T14:18:00.001-08:00

Where would you fish for your customers?Better bring a really wide net if you are planning to fish in the huge ocean of social media!

Or Better Yet ... Stick To Your Guns ... andGet Your Business Going on OGOING!

Ogoing is the Local Small Business Social Network.
Where you can fish locally, and find the BIG FISH!

Get Started on Ogoing Today!
Join Now

Ogoing, Twitter and Facebook Social Networks

2011-11-14T21:04:00.001-08:00

Ogoing deeply integrates with Twitter and Facebook. As a matter of fact, many Ogoing businesses use Twitter, Facebook and Ogoing together. Whereas Twitter and Facebook cater to consumers, celebrities, brands, politicians and big organizations, Ogoing is created for the small business! A small business can share and receive updates from both Twitter and Facebook on Ogoing. If you want to boost your social media presence virally, Ogoing is the solution! Get started with Ogoing today!

Ogoing is the leading social network for small business.

Is Imitation Better than Innovation?

2011-11-12T22:25:00.000-08:00

"Imitation's value may be even more prominent during a down economy such as today's", Oded Shenkar, Ohio State University Professor and Ford Motor Co. chair of global business management.

"You might argue you have to be more careful how you spend a dollar on the return you are getting," he said. The imitator can find a larger market "because, as we suggested, imitation saves some costs. You can price the product cheaper. ... Look at the proliferation of store brands. You look at Heinz ketchup, and Kroger comes out with its own version. The price is cheaper. You can argue in today's environment people are more likely to take a more serious look at Kroger product."

"When everybody is talking about innovation, and by the way I'm not saying that innovation is not important, I'm trying to remind people that imitation is as important as innovation. It provides a better return on your investment," he said.

He cites McDonald's as an example of immovation. The company's imitation of the White Castle hamburger chain led the Golden Arches to golden rewards. Likewise, Visa and MasterCard easily surpassed the first credit card, Diner's Club.

"You can look at Pan Am and TWA as pioneers of aviation, but where are they now? This is often the case when you look at different sectors," he said.

"The major players are really not the innovators."

Bottomline:

What do you think? Do you agree with Professor Shenkar? Look at Apple! It did not invent the MP3 player, Smartphone nor the Tablet. Yet, it has created blockbuster hits including the iPod music player, iPhone smartphone and the iPad tablet. Did Apple make original innovations better? I am not saying that Apple is imitating, but Apple did have the knowledge and insight from products made before, and used this as a starting point. Apple figured out the essential customer need and created products that customers simply can't buy enough of. What about the new Amazon Kindle Fire tablet? Amazon had the time to see all the tablets before, and design one that will appeal to their customers at a cost-effective price. Would Amazon Fire disrupt the Apple iPad with a lower price point? Visa did not invent the credit card; it made the credit card services better. And better it did! Visa is the household name for credit cards now.

References:
http://www.marionstar.com/article/20111112/NEWS01/111120301

Cheap and Easy Innovation : Is it Better Though?

2011-11-12T21:49:00.000-08:00

A successful innovator is good at associational thinking. That is, good innovators make connections between seemingly unconnected inputs.

Successful innovators follow four time-tested approaches to gather stimuli so they can make these connections:

-- Questioning: asking probing questions that impose or remove constraints (e.g., what if we were legally prohibited from selling to our current customer?)

-- Networking: interacting with people from different backgrounds and who provide access to new ways of thinking

-- Observing: watching the world around your self for surprising stimuli

-- Experimenting: consciously complicating your life by trying new things or going to new places

What do you think? Do you think entrepreneurs can bring better innovations quickly, which are easy and cheap? Today, new websites can be launched and marketed for less than ten thousand dollars. New product prototypes can be manufactured and tested for less than hundred thousand dollars. The cost of producing has indeed shrunk manifolds. Savvy entrepreneurs can experiment with many product designs and business models at lowered costs before commercializing their products. Do savings in costs equate to savings in time though? And do cheap and easy equate to rapid user adoption?

For instance, can an established company such as McDonald's test out a new breakfast sandwich at a relatively low cost in specific markets? What about a startup such as Groupon that recently went public? On the success of their Daily Deals product, they recently introduced Deals Now at a presumably cheap investment. Would it have the same level of adoption?

References:http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/11/making-innovation-cheap-and-easy/248718/

Asian American Businesses Succeeding In The New Economy

2011-11-09T16:30:00.000-08:00

The Asian Business Association of Orange County (ABAOC) is proud to announce their “Annual Recognition Awards Gala.” The theme for this year is Breakthrough! Asian American Businesses – Overcoming, Achieving, Succeeding in the New Economy.

California State Controller John Chiang will be the keynote speaker for the event. John Chiang has been California State Controller since January 8, 2007. He previously served as Chair of the California Board of Equalization and represented the Fourth District, primarily serving southern Los Angeles County. “Especially during these tough economic times, ABAOC’s efforts in promoting business opportunities in Orange County are even more important,” said Controller John Chiang. “I am honored to help celebrate this 20-year milestone of collaboration with business partners and ABAOC members.”

The gala will be sponsored by The Disneyland Resort. “We congratulate the ABAOC on 20 years of service in the business community. It is an honor to sponsor this year’s gala recognizing the top Asian-owned businesses in Orange County,” said Carrie Nocella, Director of Government Relations and Minority Business Development for Disneyland Resort.

This is the 20th year Celebration of ABAOC and the 16th year recognition awards and Induction of the 2011-2012 Officers and Board Members. This year’s Gala is dedicated to Asian American Entrepreneurs and Small Businesses who achieved breakthrough in their specific industries, and continue to strive despite the new economy we are in. The highlight of this Gala is the awarding of the Corporate Advisory Board for appreciation of all the monetary and in kind support that they have extended to ABAOC through the years.

Since 1992, ABAOC has continued to provide its members with comprehensive business development programs. The Board of Directors, general membership, corporate partners, sponsors, and volunteers have a proven record of excellent community service and leadership in Orange County and its surrounding communities. ABAOC recognizes that even in these challenging economic times, there is a need to be vigilant in the determination for the growth and stability of business, and ABAOC is committed to working cooperatively with the US, Asian, and worldwide business allies.

ABAOC will recognize their outgoing and incoming Board of Directors, corporate partners, and supporters for their consistent support over the years. ABAOC will donate grants to non-profit organizations and deserving college bound students for their exceptional community service and scholastic achievements. For the first time, ABAOC will award the top Asian owned businesses in Orange County for their economic contributions locally and/or nationwide and their commitment to community service with the “2011 ABAOC Orange County Top Business Award”.

The evening program includes entertainment, formal dinner and dance!

Awards to be presented:
Corporate Eagle Award
Outstanding Top Three Asian Business of the Year Awards
Corporate Advisory Board Appreciation Awards (Sponsors)
President’s Award
Outstanding Member of the Year Award
Student Scholarships on behalf of the Asian Community Development, a 501(C) 3 organization

Congratulations to the 2012 Board of Directors and Officers!
2012 Officers:
Ms. Gloria Rull - President
Mr. Sanjay Dalal, President-Elect
Ms. Cheryl Tsang, Secretary
Mr. Maurice Nguyen, Treasurer
Mr. Kerry Osaki, Legal Counsel

Learn More and Register for the Breakthrough ABAOC Gala Night!

Steve Jobs Amazing Quotes

2011-10-23T09:47:00.001-07:00

Steve Jobs was the greatest innovator and entrepreneur of our times, who created game-changing innovations including the Apple II, Macintosh, NeXT, iMac, iBook, iPod, MacBook, OS X, iPhone and the iPad, and made Apple the most valuable company in the world. Steve Jobs was the co-founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Apple Inc.

Steve Jobs Amazing Quotes is a collection of over 250 quotes assimilated from various sources including Apple press releases, published interviews and public information. In honor of Steve Jobs who inspired us with his great vision, amazing products, infinite drive, incredible passion and never-say-die attitude!

Steve Jobs – In his own words! Colorful, insightful, witty, direct, no-nonsense, mocking, uplifting and enthusiastic – Steve Jobs quotes are all of these and then some! Enjoy them and get to know him better through his words.

“Stay hungry, stay foolish!” – Steve Jobs

Select Amazing Quotes by Steve Jobs :

"Picasso had a saying: 'Good artists copy, great artists steal.' We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas...I think part of what made the Macintosh great was that the people working on it were musicians, poets, artists, zoologists and historians who also happened to be the best computer scientists in the world." -- 1994

"[Y]ou can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something -- your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life." - Stanford University commencement address, June 2005.

"Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything -- all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. ... Stay hungry. Stay foolish."-- Stanford University commencement address, June 2005.

"I read a study that measured the efficiency of locomotion for various species on the planet. The condor used the least energy to move a kilometer. Humans came in with a rather unimpressive showing about a third of the way down the list....That didn't look so good, but then someone at Scientific American had the insight to test the efficiency of lomotion for a man on a bicycle and a man on a bicycle blew the condor away.
That's what a computer is to me: the computer is the most remarkable tool that we've ever come up with. It's the equivalent of a bicycle for our minds." -- Interview for the documentary "Memory and Imagination," 1990

"We've never worried about numbers. In the market place, Apple is trying to focus the spotlight on products, because products really make a difference. [...] Ad campaigns are necessary for competition; IBM's ads are everywhere. But good PR educates people; that's all it is. You can't con people in this business. The products speak for themselves."-- Playboy interview, 1985

"My model for business is The Beatles. They were four guys who kept each other's kind of negative tendencies in check. They balanced each other and the total was greater than the sum of the parts. That's how I see business: great things in business are never done by one person, they're done by a team of people." -- Interview with 60 Minutes, 2003

“There's an old Wayne Gretzky quote that I love. 'I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.' And we've always tried to do that at Apple. Since the very very beginning. And we always will.” January 2007, Macworld Conference and Expo

“I'm convinced that about half of what separates the successful entrepreneurs from the non-successful ones is pure perseverance.” Interview, 1995

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.” - The Wall Street Journal, May 25, 1993

Download your copy of Steve Jobs Amazing Quotes today:

In honor and memory of Steve Jobs 1955-2011

Check out Apple's Innovation Strategy and learn how to innovate like Steve Jobs and Apple

Social Media Boot Camp - Social Networking Workshop

2011-10-13T10:35:00.000-07:00

Ogoing invites you to attend Social Media Marketing workshop for small businesses, entrepreneurs, startups, owners and SMBs. Ogoing will help you become a social media expert, and share tools and best practices that will help accelerate your sales and boost your business. Ogoing is an exclusive small business social network that helps small businesses efficiently expand their local customer contacts through an easy to use social networking platform.

"I definitely learned a lot and it got me motivated to have a larger presence online and oGoing!" - Paul Imhoff, Director, Newmark Knight Frank

Did you know: People spend the most time online on social networks and blogs according to the latest Nielsen research!

Activity	Percent of Internet time
Social Networks & blogs	22.5%
Online Games	9.8%
E-mails	7.6%
Portals	4.5%
Videos/movies	4.4%
Search	4%
Instant messaging	3.3%
Software manufacturer	3.2%
Classifieds/auctions	2.9%
Current events & global news	2.6%
Other (including Porn)	35.1%

Learn more and Register for the Social Media Boot Camp! Hurry, we have limited seating available!

References:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/64651329/Nielsen-Social-Media-Report

Steve Jobs, The American Innovator

2011-10-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

"Steve Jobs, The American Innovator" will provide innovators and entrepreneurs an open forum to connect, share and shape ground-breaking ideas, and engage in conversations on innovation. In memory and honor of Steve Jobs, innovator, co-founder and CEO of Apple 1955 - 2011. He inspired us all by his great vision, amazing products, infinite drive, incredible passion and never-say-die attitude! He made us happy with his innovations, and engaging presentations.

We will miss you Steve! You have inspired us to innovate and work hard for our dreams! You embodied real American entrepreneurship! Thank You!!

Go here to join the conversation on Facebook.

Steve Jobs 1955-2011

2011-10-06T09:27:00.000-07:00

Honoring Steve Jobs, innovator, co-founder & ex-CEO of Apple. He inspired us all by his amazing products, infinite drive, incredible passion and never-say-die attitude! He made us happy with his innovations!

We will miss you Steve! You have inspired me to innovate and work hard for my dreams! You embodied real American entrepreneurship! Thank You!!

Sanjay Dalal
CEO / Founder Ogoing
Connect

Apple iPhone 5 - New Design Innovations

2011-10-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

Apple is announcing the all new iPhone 5 on Tue, Oct 4. The press is buzzing with rumors on what the new iPhone 5 will look like, what innovative features and functionality it will provide, and how soon consumers can get their hands on this latest smartphone. What will the new iPhone 5 have?

Here is my conjecture of the sexy new features that the new iPhone 5 may provide:

1. Audio commands - for everything, from sending a text message, to calling a friend, from searching online, to making a reservation at your favorite restaurant, from buying tickets for a movie or concert to sending RSVP for an event, and much more! Your iPhone 5 becomes your audio concierge! Texting is about to become ole fashioned :) (think Star Trek!)

2. 3D iPhone - Apple may introduce a version of 3D on their latest innovation. Either taking 3D photos or shooting 3D videos, or watching 3D television or 3D movies. Apple just might offer something 3D on the latest iPhone 5.

3. Full HD Recording and Digital camera with at least 8 MP resolution - this is a no brainer! Apple may up the ante on shooting high picture quality photos and video recordings. And in order to accommodate the extra size, Apple will increase the base capacity to 32 GB (from the current 16 GB base).

4. Immersive Social Media Experience - Expect deep level of integration with the big social networks including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flickr and perhaps newer ones such as Tumblr, Four Square and Yelp. Consumers will be completely connected on their new iPhone 5 with their social network of choosing.

5. 4G connectivity and performance - Apple iPhone 5 will include the latest processor, faster downloads and blazing fast performance. Users will be amazed by the speed and response of their new smartphone. The iCloud will provide further performance gains by providing a one stop place to store all the phone data.

6. Incredible display - The latest iPhone 5 will increase the display area to 4 inches, provide superior depth, resolution and clarity, and make movies, games and show appear as real as they can be! The iPhone 4 already has a great display; however, the iPhone 5 will improve the retina display manifolds, and provide greater brightness and color.

These are just some of the new features that the latest iPhone 5 may provide... What do you think?

How does Apple, the #1 innovative company in the world, innovate and create game-changing innovations such as the iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iPad and more? What is Apple's secret recipe for innovation success?
Download Apple's Innovation Strategy, and learn how Apple became the #1 innovator through:
• Creativity and Innovation
• Innovation in Products
• Innovation in Business Model
• Innovation in Customer Experience
• Innovation and Leadership
• Steve Jobs Visionary Leadership
Revised in 2011! Steve Jobs interview
Learn more...

Can Google Plus disrupt Facebook and Twitter?

2011-09-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

Google Plus has already become the fastest growing social network, with over 50 million registered users in 88 days! It took Myspace 1,046 days to reach these many users, Twitter 1,096 days, Facebook 1,325 days and LinkedIn 2,354 days... Google Plus benefits from the fact that everyone knows what a social network is at this point, and the reach of Google.com

What will it take for Google Plus to disrupt Facebook and Twitter? Here are five things that could make Google Plus the social network of the future:

1. Repeat Users - How many users are going back to Google Plus and using the social network, over and over again! This is the most crucial metric! Over here, Facebook excels, and also Twitter.

2. Engagement - Amount of good time spent on Google Plus! Are users spending time? How much time? The more time users spend on Google Plus, the more engaged the social network will become...

3. Invitations - Are users inviting their friends to join? Are their friends joining? More sent invitations, more new joins, more new sent invitations from new users... this is how social networks go viral!

4. Everywhere - Can Google Plus plant their flag everywhere as Facebook has done? Google Plus on websites, email signatures, search, major media sites, company sites and more...

5. X factor - The unknown variable that will make users everywhere want to join Google Plus and try it out... and check it out... and come back for more... what is that "I Love IT" X Factor?

Update:

Larry Page, Google CEO, talked about Google+ growth on the Earnings Call on Jan 19, 2012:

"Looking back on 2011, I am most excited by the fact that we significantly improved our velocity and execution, my priority when I became CEO in April. With Google+, we shipped on average a new feature every day since we launched in June. That's more than 200 updates in total. And those things include a bunch of new Hangout features. In fact, David Beckham just did a great Hangout with his fans here this morning. We launched circles in Gmail and + Pages for businesses and many, many other things.

I'm also pleased to announce that there are over 90 million Google+ users, well over double what I announced just a quarter ago on our earnings call. Engagement on + is also growing tremendously. I have some amazing data to share there for the first time. + users are very engaged with our products. Over 60% of them engage daily and over 80% weekly.

As I said last quarter, Google+ is much more than the individual features themselves. It's also about building a meaningful relationship with users so that we can dramatically improve the services we offer. Understanding who people are, what they care about and the other people that matter to them is crucial if we are to give users what they need, when they need it.

Take last week's Search announcement, which I'm really excited about. We've now included personal results in Search. So you can easily find information like photos and + posts that are super relevant to you, as well as the people you care about or are interested in. You can even restrict all personal results or easily view Google in the world mode just as you would have before. I really like it, and I encourage all of you to try it out, too." (from www.seekingalpha.com)

Google Plus : Can it disrupt the mother of all social networks and social media? Is it safe to say that it is a two horse race now between Facebook and Google+? The growth trajectory of Google+ above must have everyone on the right worried...for now!

Check out one of the latest social networking for business innovation. Ogoing is an exclusive Social Network for Small Business... Ogoing provides amazing social media features to boost your business, brand, products and services. Learn more about Ogoing: http://www.ogoing.com/

Social Media Marketing Boot Camp - Oct 20, 2011

2011-09-27T15:40:00.000-07:00

What? Third Social Media Marketing Boot camp for small businesses, entrepreneurs, startups, owners and SMBs. Ogoing will help you become a social media expert, and share tools and best practices that will help accelerate your sales. Ogoing is an exclusive small business social network that helps small businesses efficiently expand their local customer contacts through an easy to use online networking platform. There is no cost to attend the boot camp.

"I definitely learned a lot and it got me motivated to have a larger presence online and oGoing!" - Paul Imhoff, Director, Newmark Knight Frank

Who? CEO and Founder of Ogoing, Sanjay Dalal will speak about the importance of social media today in local marketing, business networking, and customer feedback, and share insights on how social media can drive more business. Ogoing is Sanjay's 7th small business startup since he moved to California in 1997. Sanjay is an accomplished social media entrepreneur, innovation author, speaker, innovator, and community leader.

Why? While the social media market is exploding with such sites as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare, YouTube, Yelp, Tumblr, Reddit, Blogger, Wordpress and dozens more, Ogoing vies to remain focused on utilizing key tools that small businesses need in order to grow their social media presence. Emerging businesses and startups do not always have the time and money to get their brand out there; however, Ogoing creates relationships between businesses in an affordable manner. Think of Ogoing as the social and business matchmaker.

* Ogoing has presented at many business associations including Asian Business Association, SABAN, Irvine Chamber of Commerce, Indian-American Business Federation, UC Irvine, Rotary Club, and many businesses.

Key Benefits why YOU should attend this boot camp:

•Learn the importance of social media today in building your social presence
•Create leverage to promote your brand, products and services, news and events
•Connect with many relevant businesses on Ogoing, and expand your social network
•Jumpstart your sales using the latest social media tools and best practices
•Manage, defend and grow your social media reputation to your advantage

When and Where? October 20, 2011 from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm at the Irvine Incubation Center in Irvine, CA

REGISTER NOW!

About Ogoing:
Ogoing is an exclusive business social network. Using Ogoing, small businesses instantly promote their products, share their latest deals and services, post their news and events, and make new connections. Ogoing helps businesses find new customers and jump start sales using the latest social media platform. Ogoing is the business social network to explode your social media brand and engage with your prospects and customers. If you are a small business that wants immediate results using social networking and social media marketing, Ogoing is the solution. It takes less than five minutes to get started, and once you are connected, you will come back for more! Join Ogoing and Boost your Business! Join Now: http://ogoing.com/joinogoing

Four Innovation Styles

2011-09-25T20:35:00.000-07:00

Innovation Styles provides a great summary of four innovation thought processes for your business:

Visioning: To envision the ideal future
Modifying: To refine and optimize what has come before
Exploring: To discover new and novel possibilities
Experimenting: To combine and test many unique combinations

There are two dimensions that form the four Innovation Styles:
What stimulates and inspires this style’s innovativeness?
Facts, details and analysis
OR
Intuition, insights and images

How does this style approach the innovation process?
Focused, well-planned and outcome oriented
OR
Broad, perceptive and learning oriented

Social Media Boot Camp - Attract New Customers

2011-09-18T16:07:00.001-07:00

What? Ogoing launches Social Media Marketing Boot camp for small businesses, entrepreneurs, startups, owners and SMBs. Ogoing will help you become a social media expert, and share tools and best practices that will help accelerate your sales. Ogoing is an exclusive small business social network that helps small businesses efficiently expand their local customer contacts through an easy to use social networking platform. There is no cost to attend the boot camp.

Who? CEO and Founder of Ogoing, Sanjay Dalal will speak about the importance of social media today in local marketing, business networking, and customer feedback, and share insights on how social media can drive more business. Ogoing is Sanjay's 7th small business startup since he moved to California in 1997. Sanjay is an accomplished social media entrepreneur, innovation author, speaker, innovator, and community leader.

Why? While the social media market is exploding with such sites as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare, YouTube, Yelp, Reddit, Blogger, Wordpress and dozens more, Ogoing vies to remain focused on utilizing key tools that small businesses need in order to grow their social media presence. Emerging businesses and startups do not always have the time and money to get their brand out there; however, Ogoing creates relationships between businesses in an affordable manner. Think of Ogoing as the business matchmaker.

* Ogoing has presented at many business associations including Asian Business Association, SABAN, Irvine Chamber of Commerce, Indian-American Business Federation, UC Irvine, Rotary Club, and many businesses.

Key Benefits why YOU should attend this boot camp:

•Learn the importance of social media today in building your social presence
•Create leverage to promote your brand, products and services, news and events
•Connect with many relevant businesses on Ogoing, and expand your social network
•Jumpstart your sales using the latest social media tools and best practices
•Manage, defend and grow your social media reputation to your advantage

When and Where? The Social Media Boot Camp is offered third Thursday every month at 2:30 pm Pacific time.
Place: Irvine, Orange County, CA

REGISTER NOW!

About Ogoing:
Ogoing is an exclusive business social network. Using Ogoing, small businesses instantly promote their products, share their latest deals and services, post their news and events, and make new connections. Ogoing helps businesses find new customers and jump start sales using the latest social media platform. Ogoing is the business social network to explode your social media brand and engage with your customers. If you are a small business that wants immediate results using social networking and social media marketing, Ogoing is the solution. It takes less than five minutes to get started, and once you are connected, you will come back for more! Join Ogoing and Grow your Business! Join Now: http://ogoing.com

Social Media Bootcamp - Boost Your Business

2011-09-12T20:48:00.000-07:00

What? Social Media Marketing Boot camp for small businesses, entrepreneurs, startups, owners and SMBs. Ogoing will help you become a social media expert, and share tools and best practices that will accelerate your sales. Ogoing, an exclusive small business social network, helps small businesses efficiently expand their local customer contacts through an easy to use social networking platform.

Why? While the social media market is exploding with such sites as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare, YouTube, Yelp, Reddit, Blogger, Wordpress, Flickr and dozens more, Ogoing vies to remain focused on utilizing key tools that small businesses need in order to grow their social media presence. Emerging businesses and startups do not always have the time and money to get their brand out there; however, Ogoing creates relationships between businesses in an affordable manner. Think of Ogoing as the business matchmaker.

* Ogoing has presented at many business associations including Asian Business Association, SABAN, Irvine Chamber of Commerce, Indian-American Business Federation, UC Irvine, Rotary Club, and many businesses.

Key Benefits why YOU should attend this bootcamp

Learn the importance of social media today in building your social presence
Create leverage to promote your brand, products and services, news and events
Connect with many relevant businesses on Ogoing, and expand your social network
Jumpstart your sales using the latest social media tools and best practices
Manage, defend and grow your social media reputation to your advantage

Learn more and register!

Social Media Marketing Boot Camp

2011-08-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

What? Ogoing launches Social Media Marketing Boot camp for small businesses, entrepreneurs, startups, owners and SMBs. Ogoing will help you become a social media expert, and share tools and best practices that will help accelerate your sales. Ogoing is an exclusive small business social network that helps small businesses efficiently expand their local customer contacts through an easy to use online networking platform. There is no cost to attend the boot camp.

Who? CEO and Founder of Ogoing, Sanjay Dalal will speak about the importance of social media today in local marketing, business networking, and customer feedback, and share insights on how social media can drive more business. Ogoing is Sanjay's 7th small business startup since he moved to California in 1997. Sanjay is an accomplished social media entrepreneur, innovation author, speaker, innovator, and community leader.

Why? While the social media market is exploding with such sites as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare, YouTube, Yelp, Reddit, Blogger, Wordpress and dozens more, Ogoing vies to remain focused on utilizing key tools that small businesses need in order to grow their social media presence. Emerging businesses and startups do not always have the time and money to get their brand out there; however, Ogoing creates relationships between businesses in an affordable manner. Think of Ogoing as the business matchmaker.

* Ogoing has presented at many business associations including Asian Business Association, SABAN, Irvine Chamber of Commerce, Indian-American Business Federation, UC Irvine, Rotary Club, and many businesses.

Key Benefits why YOU should attend this boot camp:

•Learn the importance of social media today in building your social presence
•Create leverage to promote your brand, products and services, news and events
•Connect with many relevant businesses on Ogoing, and expand your social network
•Jumpstart your sales using the latest social media tools and best practices
•Manage, defend and grow your social media reputation to your advantage

When? Every third Thursday of the month, from 2:30 pm to 5 pm in Irvine, Orange County

REGISTER NOW!

About Ogoing:
Ogoing is an exclusive business social network. Using Ogoing, small businesses instantly promote their products, share their latest deals and services, post their news and events, and make new connections. Ogoing helps businesses find new customers and jump start sales using the latest social media platform. Ogoing is the business social network to explode your social media brand and engage with your customers. If you are a small business that wants immediate results using social networking and social media marketing, Ogoing is the solution. It takes less than five minutes to get started, and once you are connected, you will come back for more! Join Ogoing and Grow your Small Business! Join Now: http://ogoing.com/joinogoing

Steve Jobs, The Innovator, Resigns As Apple CEO

2011-08-24T17:08:00.000-07:00

PRESS RELEASE: Letter from Steve Jobs

August 24, 2011 — To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:

“I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.”

Bottomline:

Steve Jobs made the right decision to resign at the best time, when Apple is at the top, Apple became the most valuable company, Apple business is firing on all cylinders, and Apple is armed with the most innovative product portfolio. It takes a bigger man to go out when you are at the top! Bravo Steve Jobs for a great decision... You will be forever missed as the Apple CEO.

Source: Apple

Introducing Irvine Business Community - Deals News and Events

2011-08-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

Irvine Business Community is live on Ogoing Small Business Social Network.

Get the latest deals, offers, products, services, news and events from greater Irvine are small businesses, entrepreneurs, startups, SMBs and retailers.

Irvine Business Community provides one-stop place for all business activities in and around Irvine, California.

Just go here to connect and get the latest deals from Irvine Business Community. You need to create your new business profile on Ogoing to sign up and get the latest deals.

If you just want to browse the latest Irvine area deals, news and events, just go here instead!

Irvine Business Community - Latest deals and offers from Irvine area businesses and merchants!

Do you want to share your deals and offers on Irvine Business Community? Contact Us to get started!

About Irvine Business Community
Irvine Business Community is brought to you by Ogoing, the leading small business social network. Ogoing provides small businesses, entrepreneurs, startups and SMBs new ways to leverage social media, promote deals and services, share news and events, and attract new customers! Businesses accelerate sales using Ogoing. Learn more about Ogoing here!

President Barack Obama launches fuel-efficiency innovations

2011-07-31T22:40:00.001-07:00

President Barack Obama unveiled history making innovations program to make America's cars more fuel efficient, to reduce USA dependence on foreign oil, cut carbon dioxide pollution, and most importantly, bring down costs for drivers. Stakeholders from auto workers and union representatives to manufacturers and environmental leaders provided inputs, agreed upon this new program, and the new set of MPG standards.

This announcement follows up on an aggressive plan that the administration put in place back in 2009, setting ambitious fuel-efficiency and greenhouse-gas standards for 2012-2016 model cars and trucks. That plan alone is estimated to save 1.8 billion barrels of oil -- and save families up to $3,000 at the pump -- over these vehicles' lifetimes. And this new program, covering model years 2017-2025, takes real, tangible steps to raise the bar even higher, nearly doubling the current fuel efficiency of the average car.

Here's what this program will mean in the short term: Rollout of new electric and hybrid vehicles from manufacturers, and more clean-diesel, efficient SUVs and sedans. Automakers will have new incentives to make smart, innovative cars and trucks -- from the materials they choose down to the design of their engines and transmissions. They'll be turning to start-up companies in the clean-energy sector and in advanced battery manufacturing, helping to create jobs across the country.

What will be the program impact? The numbers are huge:

    -- By model year 2025, the average American car or truck will get 54.5 miles a gallon (the average car currently gets 23.8 mpg).
    -- America would have saved 12 billion barrels of oil and eliminated 6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide pollution.
    -- American family that purchases a new car in 2025 will save $8,200 in fuel costs, compared with what they'd pay for gas for a similar vehicle bought in 2010.
    -- All told, American drivers will save nearly $2 trillion over the life of the program.

This program is a really big deal. Everyone from truck drivers to farmers to teachers to business owners feel the burden of transportation costs -- and will feel the positive effects of these improvements over the next dozen years.

The program and agencies will consider:
* Incentives for electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and fuel cells vehicles;
* Incentives for advanced technology packages for large pickups, such as hybridization and other performance-based strategies;
* Credits for technologies with potential to achieve real-world CO2 reductions and fuel economy improvements that are not captured by the standards test procedures.

Bottomline: The new fuel-efficiency standards will jump start unprecedented design and manufacturing changes in American automobiles, fueling new startup suppliers and manufacturers, and creating countless new opportunities. Call it the Get Fit program for American cars and trucks, Save Money program that ushers in tremendous annual savings for the American family, New Jobs program that results in hiring of auto engineers and designers, or New Startups program that will create new auto entrepreneurs and auto suppliers - this unprecedented fuel-efficiency innovations program is a win-win. Congratulations President Obama and the 54.5 MPG program team!

Small Business Social Network

2011-07-23T08:24:00.000-07:00

Sanjay Dalal, CEO & Founder, Ogoing, introduces the exclusive small business social network Ogoing! Ogoing revolutionizes social media marketing for the small business.

In this video, Sanjay talks about:

1. What is the latest social media buzz?
2. What are the social media challenges for a small business, entrepreneur or startup?
3. What are the key benefits of joining the Small Business Social Network?
4. How Ogoing will help grow your business?

Join Ogoing today for FREE, promote your products, find new customers, jump start sales, and grow your business with social media!

7 reasons to join Ogoing Small Business Social Network:

1. VERY easy to use, and FREE to join!
2. FOR your business! Find and Connect with customers and businesses instantly
3. MARKET your business! Promote your products and services with best social media
4. DO more! Find new referrals for your business, and post your business needs now
5. TALK more! Share real-time updates about your business deals, news and events
6. POWER your brand! Promote your brand on Twitter and Facebook, and cell phones
7. GROW your business! Expand your local contacts, brand and sales

Who should join?
Small businesses, startups, emerging business, entrepreneurs, SMB and businesses doing business with small business

DRIVE your small business forward with Ogoing! Go BIG with Ogoing!

Join Now: http://www.ogoing.com

The Incredible Apple

2011-07-20T17:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Apple did the unthinkable, yet again! Apple blew away the revenue and earnings by a long shot. Apple announced record quarterly sales of over $28.57 billion, and profits of $7.31 billion ( Apple, what are you planning to do with all that cash? Perhaps you can buy out a country or two! )

Apple sold 20.34 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 142 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 9.25 million iPads during the quarter, a 183 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 3.95 million Macs during the quarter, a 14 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 7.54 million iPods, a 20 percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter.

“We’re thrilled to deliver our best quarter ever, with revenue up 82 percent and profits up 125 percent,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Right now, we’re very focused and excited about bringing iOS 5 and iCloud to our users this fall.” (This means, iPhone 5 is coming this Fall as well!)

Apple Destroys Estimates AND the Stock Is Still Cheap! Here's what stood out:
* Apple's Cash on Hand grew by 16% to $76.2 billion. The number works out to roughly $81 per share. Were they so inclined, Apple could write checks for Netflix (NFLX) and Ebay (EBAY) combined and still remain liquid.
* Apple's revenue growth is actually accelerating.
* The company beat EPS estimates by over 30% and revenue forecasts by 15%. These numbers speak ill of the people analyzing Apple but are jaw-dropping nonetheless.
* The stock continues to perform yet somehow gets cheaper; trading at over 18x earnings yesterday and in the vicinity of a 15 P/E today.

Cramer on Wednesday raised his price target on Apple from $400 to $500 a share. Yet at the $500 level, the technology stock will be selling at just 11.5 times his estimates for next fiscal year's earnings, only three quarters of what the average company in the S&P 500 index sells for.
To Cramer, Apple is a great example of why capitalism is worth cheering for. Unfortunately, Apple also puts U.S. leaders to shame because all they can do is bicker. "The United States of Apple?" Cramer said, "Now that's a place Cramericans can call home."

Apple Earnings Call: "We are very excited to be launching Mac OS X Lion tomorrow. The Lion includes more than 250 new features such as a multi-touch gestures, system wide support for full screen apps, Mission Control, which is an innovative view of everything running on your Mac and much more."
"iPhone continues to be adopted as the standard across the enterprise with 91% of the Fortune 500 deployed or testing the device, up from 88% last quarter. We're also seeing great growth in scale worldwide. Today, 57% of Global 500 companies are testing or deploying iPhone, fueled by strong employee demand and opportunities for custom App development. Some examples of Global 500 companies supporting iPhones on their corporate networks, include AXA, Credit Agricole, Nestlé, Dow Chemical, GlaxoSmithKline, SUPERVALU and Comcast."
"We are also seeing strong adoption internationally with 47% of Global 500 companies testing or deploying iPad. In the 15 months since iPad has shipped, we've seen iPads used in the enterprise in ways we could have never imagined. Companies like Boston Scientific, Xerox and Salesforce.com are deploying thousands of iPads and revolutionize in how their sales teams engage their customers. iPad is being used inside the country's top hospitals like HCA and Cedars-Sinai and in retail at Nordstrom and at Esteé Lauder's Clinique counters. General Electric, SAP and Standard Charter have developed internal Apps for training, currency tracking and business process management to help make employees even more productive. And Alaska Airlines and American Airlines are using the iPad in cockpit to replace paper-based navigational and reference information pilots carry with him on every flight."
- Peter Oppenheimer, Apple CFO
"China was very key to our results. As a reminder, we define Greater China as Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Year-over-year, it was up over 6x and the revenue was approximately $3.8 billion during the quarter and that makes the year-to-date numbers through the 3 quarters that we've had thus far around $8.8 billion. And so this has been a substantial opportunity for Apple and I firmly believe that we're just scratching the surface right now. I think there is an incredible opportunity for Apple there." - Timothy Cook, Apple COO

Bottomline:
Apple dropped a huge sales bomb again! Apple's quarterly revenue and earnings explosion is just the beginning! Expect Apple to deliver successive quarters of record sales and earnings in the foreseeable future. About the only thing that can bring Apple down is supplier constraints. But Apple has planned well in this department as well; Apple's inventory is healthy, and current generation products are getting rolled out without any delays. As schools resume in Fall, and as we get closer to the holiday season, Apple revenue machine will accelerate faster! A $40 billion holiday quarter is indeed a possibility... Apple makes more money internationally than in the U.S.; 62% of sales came from international operations in the latest quarter. This means that Apple has become a true global company, and has even less dependency on local market going forward. It also means that the world has more buying power and buys more Apple products than U.S. does. This is both a challenge and opportunity for Apple going forward. Apple now has to design products that cater to international buyers. And assuming that the world is still warming up to Apple, the global demand for future Apple products will be very high. As the U.S. economy improves, Apple will derive even more sales locally, giving its quarterly revenue numbers bigger boost! Apple is a winner no matter what!
When a billion cell phones are sold every year worldwide, if Apple is able to increase its marketshare to 10%, this would translate to 100 million iPhone annual sales. Apple just sold over 20 million iPhones. Expect a 25 million iPhone quarter in the near future. As for the iPad, there are many choice tablets available. However, at $499, iPad 2 offers an amazing mix of features and functionality in one incredible machine. Can Apple sell 15 million iPads next quarter? Quite possibly. Apple just announced the latest MacBook Air at starting price of $999. It's faster, ships with Mac OS X Lion, has Flash storage, backlit keyboard, camera and most everything you need as your entry notebook. This will help accelerate the sales of MacBooks in the coming quarters. Finally, the all important iOS 5 and iCloud are coming this year... along with the launch of iPhone 5. Apple has the whole world in awe with its product wizardry! The Incredible Magic of Apple!

Google is innovating and growing big

2011-07-14T15:05:00.000-07:00

Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) shares were sky-rocketing more than 12% in after-hours trading Thursday, after reporting its first round of quarterly earnings with new CEO Larry Page at the helm.

The search giant posted adjusted earnings per share of $8.54 on revenue of $6.92 billion, beating analyst estimates of $7.86 a share on sales of $6.5 billion.

CEO Larry Page kicked off the call by saying Google has signed up over 10 million users for its “Google+” social networking service, and now has over 160 million users of its “Chrome” Web browser.

The company is seeing 550,000 activations per day of smartphones based on its “Android” operating system, hesaid.

Regarding how to make money on all of that, Page remarked, “Now people rightly ask, how will we monetize these businesses?”

“Of course, I understand the need to balance the short-term with the longer-term needs, because our revenues and growth serve as the engine that funds our innovation,” he continued. “But our emerging high usage products can generate huge new businesses for Google in the long run, just like search.”

"Well-run technology businesses with tremendous consumer usage make a lot of money over the long term. Now I think about our products in three separate categories. First, there is search and our ads products, the core driver of revenue for the Company. Next, we have products that are employing high consumer success — YouTube, Android and Chrome. We are investing in these in order to optimize their long-term success. Then we have our new products — Google+ and Commerce and Local. We are investing in them to drive innovation and adoption. Overall, we are focused on long-term, absolute profit and growth, as we have always been."

Bottomline:

Google killed the quarterly earnings. Google's core search business is rock solid for now. Google has great mid-term prospects with Android, YouTube, and Chrome - the worldwide mobile and web marketshare gains owing to these three products are nothing short of phenomenal (Google has multiple wars ahead - in Mobile with Apple, in Videos with Facebook, and Browsers with Microsoft)! Finally, hot innovations such as Google+, Commerce, Offers and Pages are on the rise, and at least one of these has the potential to hit 100M users. Google has shown that it has the staying power with Search, and able to gain marketshare with new products. New CEO Page has done very well, and appears to be turning around the Search Giant.

Google is one of the top 20 innovators of the original Innovation Index.

In April 2011, I had posted this blog: Buy Google when market sells Did you buy?

1,000 New Businesses Joined Ogoing Business Social Network

2011-07-04T20:26:00.000-07:00

1,000 New Businesses Have Joined Ogoing Small Business Social Network during our launch. Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs, Startups, Emerging Businesses and SMBs Are Invited to Join.

Ogoing invites you to get started on the exclusive Small Business Social Network today, and attract new customers. Just go here to get started:

http://www.ogoing.com

Ogoing launched the exclusive small business social network for small businesses, entrepreneurs, startups, emerging businesses, and SMBs in June 2011.

A business is able to instantly set up a powerful social media profile, promote their products, build online visibility, attract new customers and jump start sales on Ogoing.

"Small Businesses do not have time, resources and expertise to build their social media presence. Ogoing Business Social Network provides immediate online boost to a business using the latest social media. Best of all, Ogoing is free to join and very easy to use," Sanjay Dalal, CEO & Founder of Ogoing Inc.

Businesses share their latest deals, product briefs, company news and events, business services, sourcing needs and referrals in real-time, live on the Ogoing Small Business Social Network.

Why should businesses join Ogoing?

1. Ogoing is very easy to use, and free to join. A business can get started on Ogoing with a complete profile in less than five minutes.
2. Ogoing is built for the business. Small Businesses can find and connect with local businesses and customers instantly on Ogoing.
3. Ogoing markets the business. Companies can promote products and services to local markets using innovative social media on Ogoing.
4. Ogoing helps businesses do more. Organizations get new referrals for their business, and are able to post business needs on Ogoing.
5, Ogoing boosts online visibility and search engine rankings. Ogoing enables sharing of real-time updates about business deals, services, news and events.
6. Ogoing helps power the social brand. SMBs can promote their brand on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook, and cell phones using Ogoing.
7. Ogoing helps businesses grow their sales. Using Ogoing, a business is able to expand local contacts, brand and sales.

There are over 25 million small businesses, startups, SMBs and entrepreneurs in the USA alone who need help with their social media presence. Ogoing invites these businesses to get started on the exclusive Small Business Social Network today, and attract new customers. Just go here to get started:

http://www.ogoing.com

Ogoing Inc. is an Irvine Chamber of Commerce member. Ogoing is head quartered in Irvine, California.

Get Your Business Going on Ogoing.

###

Innovation Factory - Business Model, Process and Product Innovation

2011-07-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

Building an Innovation Factory
Product Management, Product Marketing and Product Launch -

Do you have what it takes to create the best innovation process towards consistently producing, launching and marketing game changing products, solutions and services? Are you a one-hit wonder, or a company with sustainable batting average that creates repeatable innovations? What happened to your last product launch? Did it achieve the anticipated success? How do you define business success for new innovations? Where do you generate ideas for new products? Who generates these ideas? How many ideas do you generate? How do you filter these ideas? How do you quickly test the idea? Who follows up on the ideas? Which idea will convert into successful innovation?

How did your customers adapt and adopt your products? Who is your first customer? Sales, Business Development, Partner, Channel or End Customer? What product gaps do all your customers see and perceive? Do you see these same gaps? How do you fill these gaps? Did you achieve real market penetration and market leadership? How did you launch your last product?

Leadership and great teams drive innovation. Do you have institutional memory? Do you preserve institutional memory? Do you avoid innovation blunders, innovation blockers, creativity busters? What systems and processes do you have that block or unblock creativity and innovation? Where is your business positioned on the Innovation Quadrant?

Is your business growing or stalling? What is causing the business growth? Existing products or new products, old markets or new markets, old boundaries or new geographies, old customers or new customers, old partners or new partners, old teams or new teams, old processes or new processes, old business models or new business models? How do you accelerate your business growth?

Our value proposition is simple: We help you build a sustainable Innovation Factory!

We ask you questions - lots of questions - to learn everything about your business, products, markets, customers, competition, partners and more

We establish an innovation baseline, and innovation benchmark

We articulate and propose an innovation strategy and plan

We help you implement the innovation program

Together, we build the sustainable Innovation Factory

We help you create and build Innovation Factory that will:

Establish a company vision and mission about innovation.

Generate ideas using real customer research and creativity.

Identify hot areas of new growth using market patterns.

Evaluate ideas to determine the best course of action.

Take ideas to market with creativity and proven strategies.

Balance and implement innovation portfolios.

Contact InnovationMain.com to get the necessary help toward building your innovation factory.

The mission of Creativity and Innovation Driving Business is to provide uncommon insights, strategy and solutions with proven processes that drive Creativity and Innovation at your business, create real market growth and success for your products and services, and achieve market leadership. We make innovation a sustainable competitive advantage, inspire you to build an innovation factory, effect and manage change, and accelerate your business. We have considerable experience and expertise in working with small, growing and established companies, product and marketing departments, and innovation teams. InnovationMain - Creativity and Innovation Driving Business is an Irvine Chamber of Commerce Member in Orange County, California.

Contact InnovationMain.com to get the necessary help toward building your innovation factory.

Interview with Sanjay Dalal of Ogoing : Young Entrepreneur

2011-06-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

What’s the definition of a serial entrepreneur? If you look it up in the dictionary you might just see a picture of Sanjay Dalal, the subject of today’s interview. Sanjay is the founder and CEO of Ogoing, a social network exclusively for businesses.

Prior to starting his current venture, Sanjay founded the India Business Network, a network dedicated to helping companies in India do business around the world. He also founded Bharat Market, an online shopping network for Indian made goods. On top of all that, Sanjay has a consulting services company, called InnovationMain.com, and he’s authored more than 350 articles on the state of innovation in business as well as an eBook on innovation that has been used by more than 650 corporations and organizations worldwide. Some of the companies that have implemented his recommendations are HP, Pepsi, Hallmark, Best Buy, UC Irvine, Nokia, and more.

With a plate as full as Sanjay’s, we were lucky to catch him long enough to answer a few interview questions, and the interview is below. Enjoy!

Complete Interview

Startup Ideas and Lessons from a Serial Entrepreneur

2011-06-19T22:31:00.000-07:00

Ogoing is my seventh startup since I moved to California in 1997. Ogoing.com is an exclusive social network for small businesses, startups and entrepreneurs. The idea of Ogoing began to form in the midst of the current recession in summer of 2009. I put together the Ogoing business and product plan, and began designing the social network. At that time, I had simultaneously started another startup India Business Network in June 2009, and was actively marketing my Creativity and Innovation eBooks for business, consulting and Innovation boot camp through InnovationMain.com (my fifth startup that I started in 2008).

I am happy to share that over 1,000 small businesses, startups and entrepreneurs have joined the Ogoing Small Business Social Network. India Business Network has grown to over 3,500 member global businesses. And InnovationMain.com has provided innovation resources, eBooks and inspiration to over 1,500 businesses, including many startups.

I had launched another startup, an investment company Innovation Index Group or IIG in 2007, that I closed in 2009. IIG was a great failure; I learned that it is very difficult to launch and grow a company outside your domain of expertise. IIG was focused in the investment market place; when the stock markets crashed and the nation went through a deep recession, it spelled the end of IIG. However, the failure of IIG helped me re-discover my passion for building Internet software products. And the idea and seeds for Ogoing began forming.

I have three pieces of advice for young entrepreneurs interested in starting their first business, i.e. their first startup:

1. Have an unlimited drive. Be very passionate about your product or service that you are building. You have to believe in what you are doing, and not lose sight of the big picture - why you started doing this in the first place! As you grow the business, begin forming a team that helps you grow and achieve your vision. Surround yourself with advisers and mentors who can guide you and help you course-correct. There will be plenty of naysayers along the way. Do not get distracted, and stay focused.

2. KISS - Keep it simple stupid. As entrepreneurs, when we listen to lots of inputs from the market place, we may end up creating products that are way too complex. Simplicity sells. And it sells big! Think Groupon, Apple iPad, Google Search, Facebook and Twitter, Amazon Kindle, Salesforce.com and WebEx meetings. Be wary of adding bells and whistles. As your business grows, keeping it simple is a challenge! Don't fall in the features trap.

3. Don't run out of money. This is huge! Many a great ideas can fall short if they don't get funded adequately and in a timely manner. Bootstrapping is good to a point. Beyond that, the entrepreneur must look for outside help to get their business going. Getting funded is a full-time job. You or someone in your executive team has to be out there scouting the angels or VCs for money.

If you are looking to start your first startup, you have to be a risk-taker. Ask these questions: What if I fail? Do I have the staying power? Do I have adequate financial backing to see my vision through? If you are risk averse, a startup may not be the best place for you to start. However, if you enjoy the challenge, have unlimited faith, love to swim with the sharks, and want to make a positive difference, a startup will be the most fulfilling experience of your life.

I would like to share one of my favorite quotes for all startup entrepreneurs:
"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." Martin Luther King, Jr.

--
Sanjay Dalal, CEO / Founder, Ogoing Inc.
Connect: http://ogoing.com/sanjaydalal
Main: 949-288-6880 (M-F 9 am to 5 pm)

Address: 111 Academy Way, Suite 100, Irvine, CA 92617

Ogoing Inc. is an Irvine Chamber of Commerce member, and a national general resource partner of Startup America.

The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs: Insanely Different Principles for Breakthrough Success

2011-06-18T17:04:00.000-07:00

The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs: Insanely Different Principles for Breakthrough Success

A "THINK DIFFERENT" APPROACH TO INNOVATION -- Based on the Seven Guiding Principles of Apple CEO Steve Jobs

In his acclaimed bestseller The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs author Carmine Gallo laid out a simple step-by-step program of powerful tools and proven techniques inspired by Steve Jobs's legendary presentations. Now, he shares the Apple CEO's most famous, most original, and most effective strategies for sparking true creativity--and real innovation--in any workplace.

THE INNOVATION SECRETS OF STEVE JOBS

"Steve Jobs has reinvented music distribution, the mobile telephone, and book publishing. You might want to take a look at how someone creates multi-billion dollar ideas, and turns them into multi-billion dollar products that everyone loves and admires. This book is not an option. Buy it now, bank it tomorrow." -- Jeffrey Gitomer, author of The Little Red Book of Selling

“In The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs, Carmine Gallo captures the true mindset of Jobs and Apple. This book is not just for the techie and marketing crowd, although they will gain valuable insight that can be applied to their worlds. It is also for anyone who loves technology and wants to understand how to create simple devices that are easy to use and can impact our lives.” -- Tim Bajarin, president, Creative Strategies, Inc.

"An inspiring roadmap for anyone who wants to live a life of passion and purpose."
-- Tony Hsieh, author of Delivering Happiness and CEO of Zappos.com, Inc.

"Apple changed the world with the Mac and hasn't stopped innovating since. Carmine Gallo reveals the secrets and gives you the tools to unleash your inner Steve."
-- Marc Benioff, chairman and CEO of salesforce.com and author of the national bestseller Behind the Cloud

Learn how to RETHINK your business, REINVENT your products, and REVITALIZE your vision of success--the Steve Jobs way.

When it comes to innovation, Apple CEO Steve Jobs is legendary. His company slogan "Think Different" is more than a marketing tool. It's a way of life--a powerful, positive, game-changing approach to innovation that anyone can apply to any field of endeavor.

These are the Seven Principles of Innovation, inspired by the master himself:

1. Do What You Love.
Think differently about your career.
2. Put a Dent in the Universe.
Think differently about your vision.
3. Kick Start Your Brain.
Think differently about how you think.
4. Sell Dreams, Not Products.
Think differently about your customers.
5. Say No to 1,000 Things.
Think differently about design.
6. Create Insanely Great Experiences.
Think differently about your brand experience.
7. Master the Message.
Think differently about your story.

By following Steve Jobs's visionary example, you'll discover exciting new ways to unlock your creative potential and to foster an environment that encourages innovation and allows it to flourish. You'll learn how to match—and beat—the most powerful competitors, develop the most revolutionary products, attract the most loyal customers, and thrive in the most challenging times. Bestselling business journalist Carmine Gallo has interviewed hundreds of successful professionals--from CEOs, managers, and entrepreneurs to teachers, consultants, and stay-at-home moms—to get to the core of Steve Jobs's innovative philosophies. These are the simple, meaningful, and attainable principles that drive us all to "Think Different." These are The Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs.

How does Apple, the #1 innovative company in the world, innovate and create game-changing innovations such as the iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iPad and more? What is Apple's secret recipe for innovation success?

Download Apple's Innovation Strategy, and learn how Apple became the #1 innovator through:

• Creativity and Innovation
• Innovation in Products
• Innovation in Business Model
• Innovation in Customer Experience
• Innovation and Leadership
• Steve Jobs Visionary Leadership

Revised in 2011! Steve Jobs interview
Learn more...

Ogoing Launches Small Business Social Network

2011-06-14T13:10:00.000-07:00

Irvine, CA, June 14, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Ogoing launches the exclusive small business social network for small businesses, entrepreneurs, startups, emerging businesses, and SMBs.

A small business can instantly set up a powerful business profile, promote their products, build online visibility, attract new customers and jump start sales on Ogoing. Already over 1,000 businesses have joined Ogoing during our beta launch.

"Small Businesses do not have time, resources and expertise to build their social media presence. Ogoing Small Business Social Network provides immediate online boost to a small business using the latest social media. Best of all, Ogoing is free to join and very easy to use," Sanjay Dalal, CEO of Ogoing Inc.

Small Businesses share their latest deals, product briefs, company news and events, business services, sourcing needs and referrals in real-time, live on the Ogoing Small Business Social Network.

Why should small businesses join Ogoing?

1. Ogoing is very easy to use, and free to join. A business can get started on Ogoing with a complete profile in less than five minutes.
2. Ogoing is built for the business. Small Businesses can find and connect with local businesses and customers instantly on Ogoing.
3. Ogoing markets the business. Companies can promote products and services to local markets using innovative social media on Ogoing.
4. Ogoing helps businesses do more. Organizations get new referrals for their business, and are able to post business needs on Ogoing.
5, Ogoing boosts online visibility and search engine rankings. Ogoing enables sharing of real-time updates about business deals, services, news and events.
6. Ogoing helps power the social brand. SMBs can promote their brand on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook, and cell phones using Ogoing.
7. Ogoing helps businesses grow their sales. Using Ogoing, a business is able to expand local contacts, brand and sales.

There are over 25 million small businesses in the USA alone who need help with their social media presence. Ogoing invites these businesses to get started on the exclusive Small Business Social Network today, and attract new customers:

Join today: http://www.ogoing.com

Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs, Startups, Emerging Businesses and SMBs are invited to join.

Ogoing Inc. is an Irvine Chamber of Commerce member. Ogoing is head quartered in Irvine, California.

Get Your Business Going on Ogoing.

‘Made in America’ Alive and Well - The Next American Economy

2011-06-09T18:09:00.000-07:00

If you thought "Made in America" was a thing of the past, think again.

"[Manufacturing] is one of the bright spots of the American economy at the moment," says William Holstein, author of the new book The Next American Economy. "It is globally competitive, [and] it has adapted."

Contrary to popular belief, many U.S. companies and industries of old have done an excellent job surviving and adapting in today's global economy. It's sometimes difficult for consumers to recognize this when they hit the store for clothing and electronics, says Holstein, because most of the things the U.S. makes are much more specialized and much less visible to the average shopper.

In the interview above, he discusses a few examples with Aaron:
1. U.S. automakers: The Big Three have made a comeback and are now on the offensive against Toyota
2. Caterpillar: Turned back an assault from Japan's Komastu.
3. Boeing: Still the world's largest maker of airplanes.

In his new book, Holstein who is also a veteran business writer and author of Why GM Matters, looks to the future of manufacturing in the U.S. and features nine case studies on how Americans in cities across the country are already innovating at the grass-roots level.

Despite another mainstream perception, America has not run out of inspiration and new ideas. He points to Cleveland, where companies are targeting flexible electronics, San Diego where genomics is the focus and Pittsburgh, where advanced robotics is the center of attention.
Holstein makes the case that the only way the country can move forward from recession and create millions of new jobs is to continue innovating and creating new industries. The good news is that he feels the country is on the right track. However, much more can be done to foster this innovation. His key suggestion and hope for the future -- connect businesses with community colleges. "[Community colleges] are the ones that can adapt their curriculum to create course work that is really relevant to what employers need in the workforce today," he says.

As for the other popular notion that the U.S. is overly regulated, businesses are taxed too much and the nation just is not a good place for companies to operate, he says that's "rhetoric" and "empty posturing."

"We are doing things that are very advanced in the world, and that is very attractive to large multinationals ... that are looking for hot new ideas that are emerging from the small- and medium-sized companies," he says.

In fact, in his book Holstein lays out the case for on-shoring and cites these examples for why companies should bring business back home:
* China is no longer the cheap labor jackpot.
* Locating manufacturing offshore disrupts or restricts the process of innovation.
* Companies need to be in the U.S. AND in other parts of the world.

References:
By Stacy Curtin | Daily Ticker – Thu, Jun 9, 2011 7:43 AM EDT

iCloud it! Apple's new cloud

2011-06-07T17:45:00.000-07:00

Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple introduced the new, free service, iCloud, which would replace the personal computer as the central hub of people’s digital lives — storing photos, music and documents. Relying on the PC, he said, no longer works now that millions of people have multiple devices, each with photos, documents, songs, phone applications and other files.

“Keeping these devices in sync is driving us crazy,” Mr. Jobs said at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference. “We have a great solution for this problem. We are going to demote the PC to just be a device. We are going to move the digital hub, the center of your digital life, into the cloud.” Read more

The biggest player in digital music has finally vaporized its content. Starting this fall, you'll be able to stream your digital music library over the Internet, rather than having to download it to your devices and store it on them. We've already seen Amazon and Google's attempts at a Web-based streaming music service, with the former's Cloud Player and the latter's Google Music Beta, but with iTunes' dominance in digital music, Apple's iCloud could eclipse both of them. Apple's offering differs from those of Amazon and Google in some big ways, though. Here's a rundown of the three services' differences and similarities. Read more

Bottomline:

I use Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod... and hardly ever use my PC nowadays (shhh...). The Apple iCloud is exactly what the doctor ordered! I can now instantly share and download my photos, documents and music across all three devices, and on my future MacBook (yup, this year!). I have had instances where I shot a video on my iPhone, and want to download it straight to my iPad... I believe, now I can with the latest iCloud. I download photos or docs from the web on my iPad, and want to view them later on my iPhone. Now I can. I want to have one place for all my music that I have purchased from iTunes, be it iPod, iPhone or iPad. Now I can. I have different apps on my iPad and iPhone from the App Store, and always wondered if I had to buy or download apps separately for each device... Now I can share my apps across all Apple products. Finally, the all important calendar. I only use iPhone for my calendar, and was frustrated that I cannot automatically synch this with my iPad calendar. Now I can. For all the Apple users out there, iCloud is a huge step forward wherein we can now enjoy our music, photos and videos everywhere, work with our apps and documents anywhere...and never miss another meeting. The best part - iCloud is FREE for all the normal things we do. Diehard fans will use Apple products round the clock, 24/7, for everything, thanks to the iCloud. Apple, please make sure our information stays secured, and doesn't get hacked. Apple iCloud - loving it!

Apple is the undisputed innovative leader when it comes to creating, branding and promoting new innovations for business or personal use. Over the course of the year, Apple makes only three or four major product announcements at a live event. Before the actual announcement, a few members of the press get the wind of what is being announced, and begin the rumor mills. Press starts hyping up the event, and anticipation grows higher and higher before the event. An artificial awe begins to form about what Apple will be launching. The buzz reaches great heights on the day of the event. At the actual event, the magician and leader Steve Jobs takes center stage. He awes the audience, again, with beautiful slides, splashy video, uncanny presentation style, and what some just might say, "pure magic." Apple has gained mastery of creating brand and product demand by pre-announcing the launch event, increasing the hype and buzz, eventually culminating with Steve Jobs keynote address. As for the end users, they are simply amazed by this whole phenomenon, and grab the products the soonest Apple makes them available. Bravo Apple!

References:
Apple.com
Watch the Video of all the announcements

Small Business Social Network - Join Now

2011-05-29T21:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day 2011!

2011-05-27T21:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Memorial Day 2011!

Please share this video with everyone...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK0T4pVHP28

"It is, in a way, an odd thing to honor
those who died in defense of our country
in wars far away. The imagination plays a
trick. We see these soldiers in our mind as old
and wise. We see them as something like the
Founding Fathers, grave and gray-haired. But
most of them were boys when they died, they
gave up two lives -- the one they were living and
the one they would have lived. When they died,
they gave up their chance to be husbands and
fathers and grandfathers. They gave up their chance
to be revered old men. They gave up everything
for their county, for us. All we can do is remember."
-- President Ronald Wilson Reagan
Remarks at Veteran's Day ceremony,
Arlington National Cemetery November 11, 1985

"I, a humble citizen of this great country USA,
proudly salute the men and women of our Armed
Forces all over the world! Thank You for securing
our freedom, and providing us unmatched safety,
peace, and making USA the greatest democracy
in the world!
"I moved to USA from India in 1987 to study.
I became a U.S. citizen in 2008, and voted for the
first time - this was a terrific experience. I am
very grateful to USA for providing me great
education, fantastic work experience, freedom,
entrepreneurship, and success!! Above all, I am
very thankful and grateful that I have been able
to raise a wonderful family and grow here.

"As U.S. citizen, I am particularly proud of
the constitutional first amendment:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an
establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of
speech, or of the press; or the right of the people
peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
Government for a redress of grievances."
The fourth amendment:
"The right of the people to be secure in their
persons, houses, papers, and effects, against
unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not
be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but
upon probable cause, supported by Oath or
affirmation, and particularly describing the
place to be searched, and the persons or
things to be seized."
Finally, the fourteenth amendment:
"All persons born or naturalized in the
United States, and subject to the jurisdiction
thereof, are citizens of the United States and
of the State wherein they reside. No State shall
make or enforce any law which shall abridge
the privileges or immunities of citizens of the
United States; nor shall any State deprive any
person of life, liberty, or property, without
due process of law; nor deny to any person
within its jurisdiction the equal protection of
the laws"

Sincere regards,
Sanjay Dalal, CEO / Founder

oGoing

Small Business Social Network
Catering to USA Small Businesses

Join Now: www.oGoing.com

follow: oGoing.com/sanjaydalal

blog: www.SanjayDalal.com

main: 949.288.6880

(receptionist: 7 am to 5 pm PST M-F)

Startup America initiative by President Obama and the White House - SBA Report

2011-05-17T17:28:00.000-07:00

"I attended the "Startup America" event on May 12 at Stanford Law School. This event, organized by President Obama and the White House, provided a great forum for leaders, White House and SBA officials, entrepreneurs and community to connect and share our thoughts on growing and fostering startups and entrepreneurship in USA. I am happy to share that I was mentioned in the weekly news update by Small Business Administration - San Francisco District Office. I also submitted my idea for growing 1 million new entrepreneurs in USA." - Sanjay Dalal, CEO / Founder, Ogoing Inc., Small Business Social Network

In this issue:

White House “Startup America” Initiative Comes to Silico Valley
San Francisco District Office
News Update
May 13, 2011

‘Startup America’ Initiative Comes to Silicon Valley, the U.S. Startup Capital

STANFORD, CA - “Startup America,” the White House initiative to celebrate, inspire and accelerate high-growth entrepreneurship throughout the nation, made a stop in the heart of the nation's startup capital for high tech yesterday during an afternoon event at Stanford University.

“Stanford University is a great place for the birth of companies,” said Stanford Law Professor Dan Siciliano, who welcomed 100 entrepreneurs, small business owners, business leaders and government officials to the campus during opening remarks. “The folks who started HP, Google and Yahoo, among others, all went to school here and started companies in the area. This is an exciting time and an exciting place to be right now.”

The coordinated public-private effort of “Startup America” brings together an alliance of the country‟s most innovative entrepreneurs, corporations, universities, foundations and other leaders working in convert with a wide range of federal agencies to dramatically increase the prevalence and success of America‟s entrepreneurs.

“America's story has been forged in large part by entrepreneurs who have against great odds created innovative products and services that have changed the world and created millions of jobs,” said Steve Case, the founder of AOL who was appointed by President Obama to chair the “Startup America: Reducing Barriers” initiative. “Our nation once again needs to look towards these creative risk-takers to unleash the next wave of American innovation.”

SBA's Sean Greene, who heads the agency's SBIC program, moderated opening comments on the state of entrepreneurship. Panelists included Peggy Hamburg, commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Teresa Rea, deputy director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; Ginger Lew, a senior advisor to the National Economic Council; Canice Wu, president of Plug and Play Tech Center; and Joe Grundfest, a Stanford law professor and the former commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Attending an event like this allows me to gain an insight into the thinking of my fellow entrepreneurs and policy makers,” said Sanjay Dalal, CEO and founder of OGoing Inc., a small business social network site. “I want to share some of my ideas with them and see what they think.”

Jose Corona, who heads the Oakland-based Inner City Advisors, said the people in attendance at the Stanford event like to shape success and meet challenges.
“Entrepreneurs focus on action,” observed Corona. “We can talk all day about problems but entrepreneurs and small business owners really want answers on fixing problems.”

Benjamin Abram, an associate with The Westly Group, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm, had praise for the government's role in business.

“Many of our nation's most innovative companies have arisen from federal programs like the SBIC,” said Abram, “and so many new jobs have been the result of those investments.”

Noted Congressman Mike Honda's deputy director in San Jose, Mike Nguyen, “We‟re glad "Startup America" stopped in Silicon Valley. We want a chance to shape public policy and help the economy grow.”

Thanks,
Bob Borden
Assistant District Director/Entrepreneurial Development
U.S. Small Business Administration
San Francisco District Office

Download the Startup America News Update from San Francisco SBA Office:

SFDO News Update 051311.pdf (555.16 kb)

Small Business Social Media

2011-05-06T20:04:00.000-07:00

Small Business Social Media Marketing Unleashed!

Ogoing is the New Small Business Social Media Marketing and Social Networking platform!

Get started on the all new, most innovative Small Business Social Media and Social Networking service. Join Ogoing today: http://ogoing.com/

CREATE your own small business profile on Ogoing, get found, make new connections, promote your products with the latest social media, build engaging relationships, find new customers, and jump start sales. GROW your business!

Multiply your business opportunities with Ogoing today...

SHARE SMB business deals, services, news, events, ideas and needs in real-time, live on the Ogoing Small Business Community now... And it's FREE to join! It takes less than five minutes to join Ogoing.

"Businesses have seen their sales soar more than 20% within six months!"

7 reasons why you must join Ogoing today, and explode your business with social media:

VERY easy to use, and FREE to join! Less than five minutes!
FOR your business! Find and Connect with local customers & small businesses instantly
PROMOTE your business! Market your products and services to your local markets
DO more! Find new referrals for your business, and post your business needs now
TALK more! Share real-time updates about your business deals, news and events
POWER your brand! Promote your brand on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, and cell phones
GROW your business! Expand your local contacts, brand and sales. NOW!

DRIVE your small business forward with Ogoing Small Business Social Networking! Go BIG with OGoing!

Who should join?

Small Businesses, Entrepreneurs, Startups, Emerging Businesses, SMB, Professionals, Consultants, Small Business Sellers, Small Business Buyers, Procurement & Purchasing Managers, Government Consultants, SBA and SBDC Advisers

Get started on the all new, most innovative Small Business Social Network. Join Now!
http://ogoing.com

OGoing - Drive Your Business Forward!

Sincere regards,

Sanjay Dalal
CEO & Founder
Ogoing Inc.

Ogoing Inc. is an Irvine Chamber of Commerce Member

TiEcon Business Community - TiEcon 2011

2011-05-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

oGoing Inc. Launches TiEcon Business Community - Exclusive Business Network for TiEcon Attendees, Speakers, Sponsors, Partners & Organizers

The largest entrepreneurship conference, TiEcon 2011 begins in less than ten days. Ogoing Inc. is proud to launch the free, exclusive TiEcon Business Community for all attending TiEcon members, speakers, sponsors, organizers and guests!

Go to:

http://tiecon.ogoing.com to sign up now! The TiECon Business Community is open to TiE members, TiEcon attendees, sponsors, speakers, organizers & guests.

The New TiEcon Business Community - an exclusive Business Network for TiE - The Indus Entrepreneurs - provides a platform for TiE members & TiEcon attendees to:

Connect with TiECon attendees, members, speakers, sponsors and guests
Introduce your business, and Post relevant business Offers & Services
Publish organization Needs, Purchasing & Procurement
Share Professional News & significant Events
Collaborate, ask Questions & Do Business with TiE attendees

TiEcon attendees and members can immediately setup private business or professional profile, connect with fellow California, India, Asian & American members, and share information in real-time on the TiE Business Community Network. Further, TiEcon attendees can post instant updates, share links, documents, photos, and videos, respond to member updates, get notified about member posts & offers, and communicate with TiE attendees in real-time.

TiECon Business Community is also available on mobile phones.

Go to:
http://tiecon.ogoing.com to sign up now! And begin connecting, sharing and networking with TiEcon attendees before, during and after the TiEcon event.

Registration is open to all TiE members and TiECon attendees.

About TiE

The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), was founded in 1992 in Silicon Valley by a group of successful entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and senior professionals with roots in the Indus region. There are currently over 11,000 members and more than 2,500 charter members in 53 chapters across 12 countries. TiE’s mission is to foster entrepreneurship globally through mentoring, networking, and education. Dedicated to the virtuous cycle of wealth creation and giving back to the community, TiE’s focus is on generating and nurturing our next generation of entrepreneurs.

The foremost and most widely known event that TiE hosts is TiEcon, which is the largest professional and networking conference for entrepreneurs. TiE also hosts a wide range of programs events catering to Special Interest Groups (SIGs), educational events hosted by TiE Institute, TiE Young Entrepreneurs (TYE) program to foster entrepreneurship in our youth, and TiE Women’s Forum for empowering women entrepreneurs.

TiECon Business Community is brought to you by oGoing Inc. oGoing Inc. is headquartered in Irvine, CA, and is an Irvine Chamber of Commerce member.

Apple Innovation Strategy Workshop Seminar

2011-04-30T21:42:00.000-07:00

How does Apple, the #1 innovative company in the world, innovate and create game-changing innovations such as the iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iPad and more? What is Apple's secret recipe for innovation success?

What is Apple's Innovation Strategy and Innovation Process? Attend this engaging workshop delivered by Sanjay Dalal, chief innovator of InnovationMain and author of Apple's Innovation Strategy. Get detailed information, innovation insights, case study and report, and learn to innovate like Apple... and think like Steve Jobs, the top innovator and CEO of Apple.

"There's an old Wayne Gretzky quote
that I love. 'I skate to where the puck
is going to be, not where it has been.'
And we've always tried to do that at
Apple. Since the very very beginning.
And we always will." — Steve Jobs, Apple CEO & Co-Founder (1955-2011)

Apple Revenue Growth is spectacular! Since 2000, Apple sales has grown 1,200%, profits have skyrocketed 3,000% and maket cap has exploded more than thirty times to over $300 billion.

Apple innovates through:

• Creativity and Innovation
• Innovation Process
• Innovation in Products
• Innovation in Business Model
• Innovation in Customer Experience
• Innovation and Leadership
• Steve Jobs Leadership

This Apple Innovation Strategy seminar uses the latest Apple Innovation eBook that provides key insights, strategy, best practices, process, facts, Steve Jobs interview, and much more... Apple's Innovation Strategy eBook forms the basis of this workshop!

Apple has built an Innovation Factory – one that harnesses unbridled creativity from its people, stimulating bold & enterprising new ideas, and launching successful, profitable new innovations... time and again! Apple leverages its diverse ecosystem of employees, customers, suppliers, partners & global networks, proven innovation process, and a winning culture to seize new opportunities in the marketplace and grow its business... exponentially!

Key Benefits of Training Seminar
1. Learn how Apple and Steve Jobs innovate, and made Apple #1 innovator
2. Expand your creativity, and learn how to think different and generate new ideas
3. Create and architect process to make successful, innovative new products and services
4. Make innovation a key differentiator, and sustainable competitive advantage for your business

Workshop Schedule
Monthly Event - First Wednesday: 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM (PT)

REGISTER NOW!

Learn to Innovate like Apple! Now!

InnovationMain - Creativity and Innovation Driving Business provides uncommon insights, strategy and solutions with proven processes that drive Creativity and Innovation at your business, create real market growth and success for your products and services, and achieve market leadership. We make innovation a sustainable competitive advantage, inspire you to build an innovation factory, effect and manage change, and accelerate your business. We have considerable experience and expertise in working with small, growing and established companies, product and marketing departments, and innovation teams. InnovationMain - Creativity and Innovation Driving Business is an Irvine Chamber of Commerce Member in Orange County, California.

About Sanjay Dalal, chief innovator

Sanjay Dalal is an Innovation Author & Consultant, Innovation & Marketing Speaker, Innovator and Community Leader. Sanjay is the author of the leading Business Innovation eBook & Resource Kit used by over 1,000 innovators worldwide including Nokia, Pepsi, HP, LG, J&J, TATA, SAP, major universities...and is the author of the all new Apple's Innovation Strategy. Learn more about Sanjay Dalal here

Web: www.InnovationMain.com
Phone: 1-949-288-6880
Address: Irvine Center Dr., Irvine, CA 92618

Nissan Leaf - World Innovation of the Year

2011-04-29T16:43:00.000-07:00

The Nissan Leaf won the World Car of the Year in 2011. It was chosen from an initial entry list of thirty-nine (39) new vehicles from all over the world, then a short list of ten, then three finalists: the Nissan Leaf, the Audi A8 and the BMW 5 Series.

“It is a great joy that the world’s first, mass-marketed electric vehicle, the Nissan LEAF, has won the prestigious award of 2011 World Car of the Year,” said Nissan Chairman and CEO Carlos Ghosn. “This accolade recognizes Nissan LEAF, a pioneer in zero-emission mobility, as comparable in its driving performance, quietness and superb handling to gas-powered cars. And it validates Nissan’s clear vision and the values of sustainable mobility that we want to offer to customers around the world.”

"The Leaf is the gateway to a brave new electric world from Nissan. This 5-seater, 5-door hatchback is the world's first, purpose-built, mass-produced electric car." - The Jurors observed.

Nissan Leaf could easily be the World Innovation of the Year. Leaf has altered the automobile landscape for the better. More automakers will follow the Leaf and produce mass-market all electric cars. Chevy Volt is a great competitor, and offers the hybrid gas-electric model. Chevy Volt won the World Green Car of the Year. It remains to be seen which model will be commercially successful in the short term - Leaf, Volt or both.

Point: Tesla Motors introduced their high end limited production Tesla Speedster back in 2006.

Trivia: Did you know what Leaf stands for? "LEAF" is a backronym for Leading, Environmentally friendly, Affordable, Family car (source: Nissan).

Bharat Market | Indian Shopping

2011-04-18T11:16:00.000-07:00

Introducing Bharat Market | Indian Shopping

http://www.bharatmarket.com

Bharat Market - Provides One-stop India & South Asian Shopping for Books, Food, Grocery, Jewelry, Beauty, Kitchen, Health, Home, Apparel, Gifts, Movies and more. Free shipping for orders over $25.

Browse for Indian shopping at Bharat Market online portal. Bharat Market includes specialty grocery such as chicken paste, curry, tikka, basmati rice, Indian clothes such as salwars, kurtas and saris, latest Bollywood movies and music of your favorite actors, ayurveda health products and much more.

In partnership with Amazon, the website displays a wide variety of categories of Indian shopping products.

Over 1 million products for sale at Bharat Market. Start shopping:

http://www.bharatmarket.com

Buy Google when market sells

2011-04-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) reported first quarter non-GAAP EPS of $8.08 after the bell Thursday, up from $6.76 in the prior year period, a 19.5% increase year-on-year. The consensus estimate was for EPS of $8.11. Google reported quarterly revenues of $8.6 billion, a 27 percent increase year-on-year and 2 percent over the previous quarter.

Mobile momentum
Google did really well in the mobile market, considering it "tripped" into it. Mobila ads are fetching a billion plus dollars quarterly. "We already announced that [mobile] was a billion-dollar run-rate business," Google SVP and CFO Patrick Pichette said Thursday on its first-quarter earnings call. "And we tripped into it. ... We tripped into a billion dollars. That gives you a sense of the momentum."

"Thanks in large part to Android, search on mobile devices has increased by more than 500 percent in the past two years," Jeff Huber, Google's SVP of commercial and local, said. Over 350,000 Android devices are activated daily, translating to over 127 million activations annually! Over 3 billion apps have been installed. Huber said "Android Market has benefited from its online presence and the addition of in-app billing."

SVP of Advertising Susan Wojcicki noted that for mobile ads, AdMob Inc. has more than 150 million iOS and Android devices receiving ads every month, up 50 percent over the last four months. And, many advertisers are running mobile-only campaigns and customizing them to the handsets with location and click-to-call, a feature that over half a million advertisers are using.

Hiring key talent in volumes
Google added 1,900 employees in the first quarter and is set to hire 4,000 more in 2011. Google is treating their employees well. Everyone in Google got a 10 percent salary increase. More employees and higher salaries led to increased expenses, resulting in lower EPS for the quarter. Huber claims that 2011 will be Google's biggest hiring year to date.

Management changes
When asked how the executive change-up has affected business, CFO Pichette only reiterated that it's business as usual. Co-founder Larry Page is the incoming CEO, and it appears that he is willing to make strategic investments in resources and talent to make Google better and more innovative. Mr. Eric Schmidt has stepped down from the CEO role; however, he remains as the chairman of the board.

In his first week on the job, Page promoted seven of his managers to senior positions, including Andy Rubin, who heads up mobile efforts, and Vic Gundotra, who is in charge of social initiatives, according to a person briefed on the changes. The executives will report directly to Page, the person said. (source: Bloomberg)

"In short, the company’s position has not changed," Pichette said. "Google is a technology company focused on users and looking for products that can affect billions of people."

Google stock movement
In after hours Google stock was down more than 5.6%, and is expected to fall further tomorrow. This will present an excellent buying opportunity. Fundamentally, there is nothing wrong with Google. Google sales growth is over 25% year over year, the Android mobile market is booming, YouTube is picking up steam, new talent pool is growing, and social networking is getting a renewed focus in order to compete versus Facebook. These are huge positives, and make Google a safe long term play. Buy Google when market sells tomorrow.

Leading Creativity and Innovation eBook, Insights, Report. Business Innovation Resource Kit includes 212 pages Definitive Guide, 439-slide insights Innovation Bootcamp, Annual Innovation Report. 212-page collection of over 55 best practices, case studies, and insights on the current state of Creativity and Innovation in Business at Top Innovators including Apple, Google, Netflix, 3M, Frito Lay, Johnson & Johnson, Proctor & Gamble, Toyota, GE, BMW, Deloitte, Southwest, Nike, IBM, Dell and more. "Your report from the eBook and definitive guide was the primary reference that we used." Used by over 650 leading organizations including HP, Pepsi, EDS, Nokia, Tata, LG, J&J...Download NOW!

GM Turnaround

2011-04-13T00:30:00.000-07:00

General Motors - GM - was ranked a top 20 innovative company in the world according to the BCG - Business Week 2008 survey. In early 2008, everyone was bullish about GM's future. However, in just over a year since this review was published, the big question on everyone's mind was: "Can GM survive?" If you answered this question with YEA, then you ask the next question: "How can GM turnaround?" General Motors was really close to going bankrupt. Were it not for the federal loan in late 2008 to the tune of a whopping $13.4 billion, GM would have bellied up by now.

Selected references:
Leading eBook on Creativity and Innovation in Business
Creativity and Innovation Best Practices
Creativity and Innovation Case Studies
The Innovation Index
Top 50 innovative companies in the world

And to make matters worse, GM made this announcement on Friday, March 13, 2009:

General Motors Corporation Recalls More Than 276,000 Vehicles For Gear Fix

"Reuters reported that General Motors Corporation is recalling 276,729 passenger vehicles to correct a problem in certain cars that could cause them to roll when parked, the U.S. government said. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in a recall notice that a suspected flaw in the transmission cable system may not allow gears to fully engage when the vehicle shifter shows the driver that car is in 'park.' The vehicle could roll away after the driver has exited, NHTSA said in its notice. The 2009 Models affected include the Chevrolet Cobalt, HHR, Malibu, Traverse and the GMC Acadia, Pontiac G5, G6 and the Saturn Aura and Outlook."

On a positive note, GM reported 127,296 Deliveries In February. Is that positive?

Chevrolet retail cars continue to gain share, led by Malibu's 33 percent retail sales gain compared with last year
Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave and Saturn Outlook drive mid-utility crossover retail sales up 35 percent, share up 10 percentage points, compared with a year ago
GMAC retail penetration increased dramatically to more than 30 percent of sales in February; Credit Union-financed sales now about 10 percent of total

"General Motors dealers in the United States delivered 127,296 vehicles in February, down 52.9 percent compared with a year ago, driven by a 75 percent reduction in fleet sales." On surface, this is a recipe for bankruptcy! When sales go down more than 50% year over year, you better have enough cash to survive, or get ready for a fire sale.

But there is a positive - a faint light at the end of the tunnel: "GM's car sales compared with January were up nearly 23 percent, and crossover sales increased 6 percent, as financing availability continued to improve and slightly more fleet orders were able to be filled."

The biggest problem facing GM today though is: The Cash Burn. GM's operating costs are very high, and unless GM finds a meaningful way to bring these costs down, it will need another cash infusion from the government - very soon! Or file for bankruptcy, and push the time-table for turnaround back by a few years. Or, GM has to find new ways to sell lots of cars at very high profits - but in this recession and tough economy, this may be a very steep uphill climb. So, we go back to the central question: What can GM do in order to survive in 2009, and then plan forward for a possible turnaround in 2010 and beyond?

First things First: A matter of survival

In order to survive 2009, GM must first clean out the closet!

Let's say, as a dual-income working family, you are planning your monthly budget:

Husband's salary = 47.5% of total

+ Wife's salary = 47.5% of total

+ Interest income from savings = 5% of total

--------------------------------

Total Income = 100%

Your Total Expenses are typically divided into Fixed, Discretionary and Unplanned Expenses.

Fixed Expenses would include home mortgages or home rentals, car payments, insurance, utilities, groceries, taxes, gas, etc.

Discretionary expenses would include shopping, eating out, travelling, movies, education, buying a new car, etc.

Unplanned expenses would include emergencies, healthcare, legal, something breaks down, etc.

In general Total Income should be at least equal to Total Expenses for you to live comfortably. It is recommended though that Total Income should be at least 20% higher than Total Expenses for you to save for the future, and build out a nest egg. In tough economic times such as what we are facing today, families reduce their Discretionary Expenses considerably including buying a new car to alleviate for a lost or reduced salary (or fear of losing a job), and hope that they do not get burdened by Unplanned expenses.

What does this have to do with GM?

In the case of GM, on the one hand, it is losing revenue (salary) owing to reduced sales of its automobiles by more than 50% year over year (in part, due to reduced Discretionary Expenses by consumers, in large part due to non-competitive product mix), but it is also suffering from high fixed costs (expenses) owing to very large manufacturing workforce, higher pension and union costs, and many non-performing divisions.

Let us look under the hood

GM Revenue has been declining rapidly since reaching a peak in 2006. From over $200 billion in 2006, total sales are down to under $150 billion in 2008. A decline of over 25% in total revenue. And 2009 promises a potential 50% decline from 2008 revenue (unless we see some turnaround in second half), so this could mean total revenue in the neighborhood of $75 billion for all of 2009.

GM Gross Profits have been been falling even faster since 2006. The slide in Gross Profits is even steeper than the fall in revenue, and this shows management misdirection. While the revenue was falling, GM management did not take adequate measures in 2007 to reduce the operating costs. And the climbing operating costs suddenly became a huge burden in 2008.

GM Gross Margins are in low single digits, and shrinking further. This is another way to look at how well GM is operating - or Not! Lower sales and higher operating costs are a recipe for huge losses! And this is exactly what happened at GM. The margins were constantly pressured not only due to lower sales and high operating costs, but also owing to increased competition on key market segments, and forced reduction in prices on major GM brands.

Resulting in huge operating losses for GM in 2008. Losses are accelerating further in 2009 owing to higher operating costs (GM has still kept many of the plants open), non-performing assets, higher salaries and retirement provisions, 50% reduction in sales, increased competition from brands with superior, innovative products, and lack of innovative products launching in 2009.

How can GM turnaround in 2010 and beyond?

If GM were to survive 2009 (most possibly with another government aid), GM first has to cut back massively - every non-performing division, every loss-making operation has to be cut. These are hard decisions. But there is no reason to continue making automobiles that lose money even before they are shipped! GM knows today what cars make money, and what cars don't. Start with every car that does not make money, and scale back everything with that car. This also means that for the cars that are making money today, it may make sense to invest further in these initiatives. This should give GM some breathing room in 2009.

Next, GM must innovate! GM has to go back to the drawing board. After all, this is the company that made automobiles mainstream using the assembly line. Incidentally, Toyota surpassed GM as the world's largest maker of automobiles in 2008. Toyota is facing major challenges as well owing to the current economy, and may post its first annual loss in over 50 years in 2009. Just look at how GM compares versus Toyota in 2008.

However, Toyota's total revenue exceeded GM's by about 50% in calendar year 2008.

And Toyota remained profitable in calendar year 2008 as well, albeit considerably less than its 2007 profits.

But the key difference is Gross Margins - Toyota maintained double-digit gross margins in all of 2008. This is huge considering that GM's gross margins shrunk to low single digits, while Toyota had closer to 14%. This means Toyota runs it operations with considerably less expense than does GM. Call it Toyota's operational and innovation excellence, or GM's management hibernation, Toyota delivered vehicles that mattered to consumers. And consumers bought a lot of hybrids in all of 2007 and 2008.

Finally, GM's return on equity investment (stock performance) vis-a-vis Dow Jones (of which GM is a component) and Toyota Motors is terrible.

GM's Turnaround Plan

If GM were to turnaround its business in 2010 and beyond, it has to be grounded on business innovation. Open innovation driven by excellence in products, creativity in design, change in business model and streamlined operations. Process Innovation driven by change and leadership.

GM gave up the leadership position it once enjoyed to the likes of Toyota, Honda, BMW, Nissan, Volkswagen, Ford, Tata, and even Hyundai. How does GM become a leader again? It is going to be hard for GM to be many things to many people in 2010 and beyond. It simply does not have the fire power to create so many products. So, GM must compete on its own turf in specific markets. GM must first take the markets where it is profiting today. If Chevrolet Malibu is performing well, GM must go all out, and conquer this segment of the market outright. Easier said than done, but GM must out-market the competition in this segment, and do so profitably. A fine line indeed.

GM must find similar brands that are winning with today's consumer. What are these car brands? And GM must invest smartly in these brands. This is where GM has to invest for the future. GM must not focus on hitting a home run with the Chevy Volt in 2010 and beyond. What if GM fails in this venture? Chevy Volt cannot be the "save all" of GM strategy. Rather, GM must innovate with the brands that are making money today, and invest in a meaningful manner with these brands. GM knows it is very hard to build a brand, and much harder to create winning models. As for divesting brands, now is the time. Every non-profitable brand must go. This could mean closing down operations outright for all loss making divisions.

GM must make products that matter to today's consumer. This means taking a page out of Apple's innovation strategy: Make cool cutting-edge advanced technology products that sticks, create the cool marketing and cool brand that resonates with young buyers, provide excellent customer service and experience that matters, capture the emerging landscape of demand and trends such as hybrids and alternative energy, and execute! GM has to capture the imagination of the young buyer in the twenties and thirties. GM has to be appealing and sexy to these buyers. GM has to become a brand that is fresh and modern.

GM Dealership Experience

I visited the local Power Chevrolet GM dealership in Irvine, Orange County along with my son to check out the latest Chevy Malibu. Whereas the car salesman was great to talk with, and eventually helped us with a test drive of the Chevy Malibu LT2 (in between, he began helping a new customer), the manager of the dealership was not as friendly. I wanted to test drive the Chevy Malibu LTZ that had full leather seating and offered the highest performance. However, this particular Chevy LTZ was located inside the showroom. The car salesman asked the manager to check if he can take the car out of the showroom for me to test drive. To which, the manager replied: "Why don't you find something similar from the lot outside?" And there was not any LTZ in the lot. So, I ended up driving the LT2 instead. LT2 is no LTZ. I did enjoy the spacious interior, and the LT2 gave a spirited ride. The acceleration was spotty, and the engine sound was noticeable as I stepped on the pedal. The car was also running on empty gas, so I had to cut short the test drive. I think Chevy Malibu offers a good value, and I am going to hold my judgment until I test drive the LTZ (hopefully, second time will be a charm).

Where would be GM in 2011 and beyond? I for one will be watching as GM's management tries to steer it out of a shipwreck for a safe landing.

GM in 2011 - Mother of all turnarounds!

GM emerged out of bankruptcy courts in 2009, reestablished as a new company in July 2009, and began turning around its business in 2010. GM went IPO again in November 2010, and it was the world's largest IPO. On February 24, 2011, General Motors reported its first full-year profit since 2004. Equally amazing is this fact: The automaker suffered $103.7 billion in losses from 2005 through 2009 (not sure if any other company can match these staggering losses). GM avoids paying taxes on the $4.7 billion it earned in 2010, and on future profits for years to come, because of a favorable government ruling in 2010 on previous losses. The Wall Street Journal estimated the tax break, including credits for costs related to pensions and other expenses, can be worth as much as $45 billion over the next 20 years.

Household nameplates such as Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer, and service brands like Goodwrench were discontinued. Others, like Saab, were sold. Daewoo brand in South Korea has been replaced with Chevrolet.

GM recently introduced the all new Chevrolet Volt, or Chevy Volt, the marquee plug-in electric car that makes GM a real innovator. The Chevrolet Volt is an electric vehicle with back-up generators, powered by gasoline. The production Chevrolet Volt was available in late 2010 as a 2011 model with limited availability. GM delivered the first Volt during December 2010. Volt may perhaps become the best-selling GM car. Even if Volt does not become a best seller, Volt will provide GM an innovative edge in the auto industry that will have a huge halo effect. Of course, GM needs to make sure that Volt is a profitable brand from day one. Volt gives GM a new launchpad for plug-in vehicles. Volt looks great on the street, and I am looking forward to my first test drive.

GM Turnaround is for real... And Kudos to GM management for making this happen!

Originally published March 2009
Updated April 2011

Would you like to become an innovator? I invite you to participate in the Innovation Bootcamp workshops:

The Innovation Bootcamp consists of Six Engaging Online Workshop Sessions (details below):
1. Benchmarking and Leading with Innovation
The Business Case for Innovation
2. Unblocking Creativity and Innovation
The Essential Processes and Skills
3. Unleashing Team Innovation
Great Teams Deliver Great Innovations
4. and 5. Business Innovation Case Studies
Learn how Top Innovators Lead with Innovation
6. Building an Innovation Factory
Create a sustainable, scalable Innovation Process

Or, download my leading eBook on Creativity and Innovation in Business used by professionals, faculty and innovators at educational institutions and businesses all around the world including EDS, Ericsson, Center for Sales Strategy, IdeaChampions, Acara Global, Byrne Dairy, Cleveland Clinic, Magpie, DOJ/FBI, HP, Hewlett Packard, Intervista Institute, Fryett Consulting Group, Satellite Shelters, ProductVentures, Speakeasy - a Best Buy company, Jarden Consumer Solutions, Hallmark, Infinium, DeakinPrime - Deakin University, Lucas-TVS, McCann Worldgroup, S.P.Jain Center of Management, Suffolk University, RiCoMan, AmpControl, Craig Rispin, Momentive, Champion Laboratories, University of Phoenix, University of Washington, SFR - Neufbox, Attwood as Edison, Academy of Sport, Ideogenesis, Principled Innovation, Meridian Partners, Ananzi, Tangibility, Syngenta Global, Speedy, The Business Lab, Deloitte, Lane Management, University of California at Irvine, Wharton Business School, Babson University, Larsen & Toubro, Nokia, Credera, Pfizer, Bilkent University, Indian Institute of Science and over 650 more.

This eBook is a 212-page collection of over 50 best practices, case studies, and insights on the current state of Innovation in Business at Top Innovators including Apple, Google, Netflix, 3M, Proctor and Gamble, Johnson and Johnson, Toyota, GE, BMW, Deloitte, Frito Lay, IBM, Nike, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, Microsoft, Dell, Intel and more. With pertinent articles from the award-winning Creativity And Innovation Driving Business Blog, this Faculty eBook provides real-world examples on how the Top Innovators innovate and grow their business successfully time and again, especially during economic cycles. Creativity And Innovation in Business is a definitive guide that will help you unblock creativity, uncover and create game-changing innovations, and make exponential business growth a reality. Learn more...

References:

GM Press Releases, Yahoo Finance, Google Finance, Toyota Press Releases, Reuters, Wikipedia

Why Apple is a BUY at these levels

2011-04-11T05:16:00.000-07:00

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has corrected 8% from the 52 week high of $364.90 set on Feb 16, 2011.

Apple is set to announce record quarterly earnings this month on the heels of the hot launch of the iPad 2 and iPhone 4 on Verizon. The average quarterly estimate is $5.33 EPS on $23.18 billion of quarterly sales - a spectacular growth of 60.10% in earnings, and 71.70% in sales. Compare this to the quarterly earnings growth of 20.80% for the average S&P 500 company. Thus, Apple earnings growth is poised to be more than three times that of the average S&P 500 company.

Apple Muddied Picture

Apple's current P/E is 18.69, while the forward P/E is only 12.56 - a significant undervaluation of Apple's future potential. What's wrong with this picture? Here are possible explanations: 1. Retail investor is holding out until after the earnings are announced 2. Current NASDAQ-100 rebalancing that reduces Apple's 20% stake to around 12%, and surrounding liquidation by funds 3. Steve Jobs medical leave, and speculation about his health 4. Downgrade by JMP Securities analyst.

Apple Quarterly Milestones

Apple has made significant announcements during the last quarter, which should translate to real growth in quarterly sales. Key Apple milestones include:

1. iPad 2 launch in U.S.A on March 11

2. iPad 2 launch in 25 countries on March 25

3. Revved up MacBook Pro launch on February 24

4. iPhone 4 launch on Verizon Wireless on February 2

5. App Store growth juggernaut on January 22

What will be Apple's earnings this quarter?

Three earnings scenarios are plausible:

1. Apple beats the average earnings estimates of $5.33 by at least 50 cents, and announces in the vicinity of $5.83 (40% probability).

2. Apple makes the average earnings estimate of $5.33 (50% probability).

3. Apple misses the average earnings estimate by 10 cents and announces $5.23 earnings (least likely, 10% probability).

Accounting for all probabilities, Apple's mean earnings will be around $5.52 for this quarter; this will increase its prior 12 months earnings to $20.10. If Apple's current P/E were to remain the same at 18.69, Apple stock price should appreciate to $375.57.

There you have it: If Apple delivers reasonable quarterly earnings of $5.52, and current P/E of 18.69 remains constant, Apple's stock price should jump to $375.57.

What's the upside?

Some analysts estimate Apple's earnings to be as high as $5.98. If Apple were to kill its quarterly earnings, and make this high estimate, watch out from above! This will increase Apple's prior 12 months earnings further to $20.56, or fetch an Apple stock price of $384.27! (at the current P/E of 18.69)

On an average, Apple has beaten the average earnings estimate by 20.3% during the previous four quarters. If Apple were to match this average, Apple could deliver whopping surprise earnings of $6.42. Imagine that! This will increase Apple's prior 12 months earnings to $21, or fetch an even higher Apple stock price of $392.49! (at the current P/E of 18.69)

Thus, we have three possibilities of where the Apple stock price could be post earnings:

1. $375.57 (for mean earnings of $5.52)

2. $384.27 (for analyst high earnings of $5.98)

3. $392.49 (for an Apple high earnings of $6.42)

Analysts are even more bullish

The mean target for Apple's 12 month price as per 46 analysts is $424.80, which is higher than all three possibilities above. The median is $440.00. The high target is $550.00, and the low target is $200.00. The high-low 12 month average target price is also $375.
Apple Price Target Summary

Mean Target:	424.80
Median Target:	440.00
High Target:	550.00
Low Target:	200.00
No. of Brokers:	46

Data provided by Thomson/First Call

Caveat: Stock Price Drops after earnings

Apple stock has not done well immediately after earnings announcement. On an average, Apple stock has actually dropped 4.48% post earnings during the previous four quarters, before it begins appreciating. This could mean that further downside to Apple stock is entirely possible after the earnings are announced this quarter. However, one can argue that Apple stock has already corrected significantly this quarter, and is priced for perfection post earnings to go up.

Where will Apple stock price end up after quarterly earnings call is anybody's guess... For instance, if Steve Jobs participates in the earnings call, the investors will welcome him and get excited about Apple's future. All eyes will be on the iPad 2 quarterly sales, Mac shipments, iPod sales, iPhone 4 growth and importantly, margins. If Apple were to hit a home run on all of these, Apple stock has nowhere to go, but up! We do know one thing for sure: At current price point of $335.06 as of Friday's close, Apple is quite undervalued! Even if the Apple stock remains undervalued and the P/E of 18.69 stays constant, it is reasonable to expect at least a 12% upside in the near term post earnings. $375 could be just round the corner!

Apple's Innovation Strategy

How does Apple, the #1 innovative company in the world, innovate and create game-changing innovations such as the iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iPad and more? What is Apple's secret recipe for innovation success?

Download Apple's Innovation Strategy, and learn how Apple became the #1 innovator through:

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• Innovation in Products
• Innovation in Business Model
• Innovation in Customer Experience
• Innovation and Leadership
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Revised in 2011! Steve Jobs interview

Learn more...

Social Media Marketing for Business

2011-04-08T11:15:00.000-07:00

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Business Innovation eBook, Resource Kit and Definitive Guide

2011-03-31T20:53:00.000-07:00

Innovation eBook used by 650+ innovative companies worldwide - eBook Best Seller (deployed at Nokia, EDS, Pepsi, HP, J&J, LG, many more...)

Innovation eBook and Definitive Guide is a 212-page collection of over 55 best practices, case studies, and insights on the current state of Innovation in Business at Top Innovators including Apple, Google, Netflix, 3M, Proctor and Gamble, Johnson and Johnson, Toyota, GE, BMW, Deloitte, Frito Lay, IBM, Nike, Starbucks, Southwest Airlines, Microsoft, Dell, Tata, Intel and more. With pertinent articles from this award-winning Creativity And Innovation Driving Business Blog, this Faculty eBook provides real-world examples on how the Top Innovators innovate and grow their business successfully time and again, especially during economic cycles. Creativity And Innovation in Business is a definitive guide and resource that will help you unblock creativity, uncover and create game-changing innovations, and make exponential business growth a reality.

"I teach Applied Creativity and Innovation for a College near Toronto, Canada. I gave my business students an assignment to work with one of the top 10 innovative companies and to research/report on what makes them innovative, type of innovative challenges, benefits, etc. Your report from the eBook and definitive guide was the primary document that they used for their work." - Business School Professor

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"1) Innovation and growth is not (just) a fuzzy process of screwing around vigorously (SAV) but can be a systematic process,

2) Innovation and growth is not (just) something that happens in a department like R & D or product development,

3) Innovation and growth is not just about products or solutions - it is about creating a transformational change in the way people live, work and play." - Chapter 26, Erich Joachimsthaler, author of "Hidden in Plain Sight"

Who should buy?

The Innovation eBook and Definitive Guide has been downloaded and used by over 1,000 professionals, faculty and innovators at educational institutions and businesses all around the world including EDS, Ericsson, Center for Sales Strategy, IdeaChampions, Acara Global, Byrne Dairy, Cleveland Clinic, Magpie, DOJ/FBI, HP, Hewlett Packard, Intervista Institute, Fryett Consulting Group, Satellite Shelters, ProductVentures, Speakeasy - a Best Buy company, Jarden Consumer Solutions, Hallmark, Infinium, DeakinPrime - Deakin University, Lucas-TVS, McCann Worldgroup, S.P.Jain Center of Management, Suffolk University, RiCoMan, AmpControl, Craig Rispin, Momentive, Champion Laboratories, University of Phoenix, University of Washington, SFR - Neufbox, Attwood as Edison, Academy of Sport, Ideogenesis, Principled Innovation, Meridian Partners, Ananzi, Tangibility, Syngenta Global, Speedy, The Business Lab, Deloitte, Lane Management, University of California at Irvine, Wharton Business School, Babson University, Larsen & Toubro, Nokia, Credera, Pfizer, Bilkent University, Indian Institute of Science, Bacardi, Chick-fil-A, LG Electronics, Pepsi, SAP and many more.

If you are a marketing executive, information executive, IT executive, product manager, marketer, product marketer, sales operations manager, sales director, sales consultant, business consultant, product designer, brand manager, marketing manager, VP of products, VP of marketing, VP of technology, research & development director, product director, product marketing manager, marketing consultant, brand consultant, innovation consultant, chief innovation officer, engineer, engineering student, business school student, business school professor, technology student, technology consultant, design engineer, consultant, trainer, professor or management consultant - this book and definitive guide is for you! If you are one of the key executives of the company or the CEO, buy this guide for your company!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 1 - The Top 50 Innovative Companies In The World
Chapter 2 - The Innovation Index - Top 20 Innovators
Chapter 3 - Measuring Business Innovation Success - Key Benchmarks
Chapter 4 - Failures And Stumbles Driving Innovation - Five Takeaways
Chapter 5 - Blocking Creativity And Innovation - Nine Processes
Chapter 6 - Six Ways To Find Innovation - "See with new eyes"
Chapter 7 - Five Principles For Successful Business Innovation
Chapter 8 - Is Innovation Cyclical? - Four Common Blunders
Chapter 9 - Can Leadership Create Innovation? - Ten Leadership Ideas
Chapter 10 - Top Ten Creative Leadership Traits - Be The Leader and Innovator
Chapter 11 - Creating Team Innovation - Seven Characteristics
Chapter 12 - Creating Team Innovation - Effective Teams Examples
Chapter 13 - Creating Team Innovation - Ten Principles To Unleash Innovation
Chapter 14 - The Future Of Management, Creativity And Innovation - Upend Business Models
Chapter 15 - How Much Creativity Is Enough?
Chapter 16 - Co-Creation Driving Innovation At Top Innovators
Chapter 17 - Marketing Innovation Creating Market Leadership
Chapter 18 - Consumer Innovation Best Practices - Six Steps To Lead Innovation
Chapter 19 - The Innovation Gap - Disruptive Innovation versus Sustaining Innovation
Chapter 20 - Are Children More Creative Than Adults?
Chapter 21 - Questions Lead To Creativity, Answers Lead To Innovation
Chapter 22 - Expanding Your Business Innovation Capacity
Chapter 23 - Innovation Insights And Wisdom From Greatest Innovators
Chapter 24 - Turn Complaints Into Solutions, Innovations And Success
Chapter 25 - Why Some Ideas Survive And Others Die
Chapter 26 - Ten Answers For Driving Innovation And Growth At World Class Innovators
Chapter 27 - Strategic Innovation At Deloitte - The "Apple" Of Services Innovation
Chapter 28 - Toyota's Innovation Factory
Chapter 29 - Ipod - Apple's Best Innovation
Chapter 30 - Apple Iphone Rising - Top Ten Innovations
Chapter 31 - Google Versus Yahoo - A Tale Of Two Cities
Chapter 32 - Youtube - $1.65 Billion Innovation And Counting
Chapter 33 - Blockbuster Versus Netflix - Winner Takes All?
Chapter 34 - GE And P&G - Innovations Driving Growth & Six Growth Principles
Chapter 35 - Can Dell Turnaround Dell? Seven Thoughts For Turnaround
Chapter 36 - Innovations Brewing At Starbucks ? Five Takeaways
Chapter 37 - Southwest Airlines Flying High With Ten Innovations
Chapter 38 - Innovations At Microsoft - Four Business Pillars
Chapter 39 - Direct Marketing And Direct Mail Innovation At USPS
Chapter 40 - Disruptor Zune Versus Innovator Ipod
Chapter 41 - 100% Electric Ultra Fast Innovation - Tesla
Chapter 42 - Nike Versus Adidas - The Innovation Game Is On
Chapter 43 - People Innovation - We Think Culture Of Innovation
Chapter 44 - Intel - Exponential Innovations
Chapter 45 - Five Innovations In Software Industry - Intuit Case Study
Chapter 46 - Google Versus Microsoft - The Enterprise Battle Heats Up!
Chapter 47 - Launch Of Tata Nano - A Watershed Moment in Indian Autos
Chapter 48 - How Can GM Turnaround The Business? Is Innovation The Answer
Chapter 49 - Doubleclick A Smart Buy For Google
Chapter 50 - Microsoft Walk-Off Home Run With Aquantive
Chapter 51 - IBM's $5 Billion Cognos Acquisition
Chapter 52 - Top Acquisitions By The Top Innovators
Chapter 53 - Will Yahoo merge with Microsoft?
Chapter 54 - Innovation And Stock Performance Correlation
Chapter 55 - The Innovation Index Annual Report
Chapter 56 - $1 Billion Or The Future

Eight new chapters added, including a detailed report on "Measuring Business Innovation Success"

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Innovation eBook details invaluable tools to unlock:
Creativity -> Ideas -> Innovations -> Success -> Profits

The Innovation Bootcamp On Demand Resource Kit Tools:

The entire Innovation Bootcamp is available On-Demand now for your business to unleash the creativity and innovation within your own environment! You can selectively leverage the key concepts of the Innovation Bootcamp at your own pace, at your office or at your home, and share them with your team. The Innovation Bootcamp On-Demand Resource Kit includes:

The complete Innovation Bootcamp presentation and handouts containing over 400 presentation slides to spark new ideas, channel team creativity and create innovation factory.
100+ pertinent strategies and tools, hands-on techniques and uncommon insights to unleash creativity and innovation at your business

The Innovation Bootcamp Resource Kit consists presentation slides of Six Engaging Online Workshop Sessions:

1. Benchmarking and Leading with Innovation
The Business Case for Innovation
2. Unblocking Creativity and Innovation
The Essential Processes and Skills
3. Unleashing Team Innovation
Great Teams Deliver Great Innovations
4. and 5. Business Innovation Case Studies
Learn how Top Innovators Lead with Innovation (Google, Netflix, Apple, Toyota, Southwest, more)
6. Building an Innovation Factory
Create a sustainable, scalable Business Innovation Model
"The Innovation Bootcamp provided an excellent orientation on the topic of innovation and I learned several new techniques for generating and successfully implementing new ideas. Plentiful real world case studies was another aspect I liked about the program. I highly recommend it." - IT Manager, Top 5 IT Services Business

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How does Apple, the #1 innovative company in the world, innovate and create game-changing innovations such as the iPod, iTunes, iPhone, iPad and more? What is Apple's secret recipe for innovation success?

Download Apple's Innovation Strategy, and learn how Apple became the #1 innovator through:

• Creativity and Innovation
• Innovation in Products
• Innovation in Business Model
• Innovation in Customer Experience
• Innovation and Leadership
• Steve Jobs Visionary Leadership
Revised in 2011! Steve Jobs interview

Learn more...

About the Author

Sanjay Dalal is an innovator and entrepreneur with over fifteen years of leadership experience in Silicon Valley and High Tech companies. Dalal authored and launched the Innovation Faculty eBook and Definitive Guide on Creativity and Innovation in business in 2008, used by over 650 leading organizations and professionals all over the world including HP, Hallmark, Cleveland Clinic, Pepsi, EDS, J&J, TATA and major universities. Dalal published over 200 articles in the last two years on the real-time state of innovation in business at this blog on Creativity and Innovation Driving Business, and introduced the Innovation Index in December 2006 that correlates business, innovation and stock performance. Dalal launched Apple's Innovation Strategy eBook in February, 2010. Dalal was the president and managing director of the innovative investment company, Innovation Index Group, that systematically invested into the Top 20 Innovators of the Innovation Index. Dalal filed joint U.S. Patent on "Hands-On Labs" for delivering live, hands-on training over Web Meetings by simulating a training lab environment. Dalal has launched innovative products such as WebEx Training Center and WebEx Sales Center to market, and grown product line revenue to tens of million dollars in annual revenue. Dalal holds executive certification on Leading Management Teams from Cornell University, and is an engineering scholar graduate in Electrical Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. Dalal attended Arizona State University for graduate education in Computer Science. Dalal secured the first position in the 50th William Lowell Putnam Math Competition. Dalal volunteered as a basketball coach on three separate occassions for Fremont NJB, Irvine NJB, and Rancho Middle School 7th graders, as an art master for 2nd graders, and as the secretary of the School Site Council. Dalal was a member of the Technology Advisory Committee for the Fremont School District containing over 40,000 students, an appointed position by the Board of Education. Dalal was a Web 2.0 adviser for Cal State Fullerton, Extended Education and a lecturer on "Making the business case for Web 2.0". Dalal, an appointed member of the Dean's Leadership Circle of The Paul Merage School of Business, University of California, Irvine, serves as a guest lecturer at the University of California, Irvine for the Strategic Innovation class. Dalal is an active Rotarian at the Rotary Club of Newport-Irvine.

Innovation eBook is brought to you by Creativity And Innovation Driving Business based in Irvine, CA.

Phone/Fax: 1-949-288-6880
Address: 111 Academy Way, Suite 100, Irvine, CA 92617

Selected references:
Creativity and Innovation Best Practices
Creativity and Innovation Case Studies
The Innovation Index
Top 50 innovative companies in the world

Social Media and Social Networking for Small Business

2011-03-28T22:29:00.000-07:00

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Small Business Innovation News Stories

2011-03-26T22:29:00.000-07:00

Inovio Pharmaceuticals Receives U.S. DOD Small Business Innovation Research ...

PR Newswire (press release) - ‎Mar 21, 2011‎

... announced today that it has received a US Department of Defense Small Business Innovation Research Grant to test the feasibility of delivering DNA vaccines by intradermal electroporation simultaneously to two or more spatially distinct sites on the ...

Inovio Pharma gets US DOD SBIR award

Pharmaceutical Business Review

Inovio receives DNA vaccine delivery grant

In-PharmaTechnologist.com

Inovio Pharmaceuticals Receives US DOD Small Business Innovation Research ...

SunHerald.com (press release)

MFRTech (press release)

Kentucky awards grants to Bexion, 13 others

Bizjournals.com - ‎Mar 25, 2011‎

The program matches federal Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer grants awarded to Kentucky companies or companies willing to relocate to Kentucky. The awards supplement more than $8.7 million in federal funding ...

Matching SBIR-STTR Grants for Kentucky High-Tech Small Businesses

MFRTech (press release)

Madison's success in turning technology into business lures conference

Wisconsin State Journal - ‎Mar 23, 2011‎

Lithium ion batteries, the size of large button cell batteries, are being tested at Silatronix, 3587 Anderson St. Grants from the Small Business Innovation Research program have helped the company develop its novel compound, designed to make big ...

EOIR Technologies Wins Multi-Camera Real-Time Feature Recognition, Extraction ...

PR Newswire (press release) - ‎Mar 23, 2011‎

Through their focus on innovation and excellence, EOIR contributes to ensuring that the United States is the most technically sophisticated military and intelligence organization in the world. Understanding the client's mission is core to the EOIR ...

SBIR program could get boost

Bizjournals.com - ‎Mar 25, 2011‎

Small businesses could get a bigger share of federal research dollars under legislation that appears headed for passage in the Senate. The bill reauthorizes the Small Business Innovation Research program and would open the program to small businesses ...

Bills authorizes more R&D funding

Portland Business Journal

Lucigen Gets $226K SBIR Grant from NIH

GenomeWeb Daily News - ‎Mar 22, 2011‎

By a GenomeWeb staff reporter NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Wisconsin biotech firm Lucigen said on Monday it has received a $226401 Small Business Innovation Research Phase I grant from the National Institutes of Health to develop genomic tools for use ...

Lucigen awarded National Institutes of Health grant

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

This Week in Small Business: Radiation, Inflation and Regulation

New York Times (blog) - Gene Marks - ‎Mar 21, 2011‎

The New York Times' Robb Mandelbaum reports that the new 1099 rules may not be that bad for small businesses. An inventor says the currently discussed Patent Reform Act will hurt small businesses. Harry Reid pleads to keep the Small Business Innovation ...

New Research & Development Grant for Small Business Innovation

is4profit - ‎18 hours ago‎

“Nearly two thirds of all commercial innovations originate in small companies and we need to nurture and encourage this vital source of exciting new innovations.” “Small companies may under-invest in innovation because of the high degree of risk and ...

Technology grant workshops to he held

Lewiston Sun Journal - ‎Mar 25, 2011‎

MTI Phase O SBIR/STTR Grants of up to $5000 are offered to foster and support competitive federal Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) proposal submissions. Funds can be used for direct costs associated ...

Rare Opportunity to Learn About Innovation, Commercialization and Growing your ...

Business Wire (press release)

Innovation act will encourage job growth

Fremont Tribune - ‎Mar 22, 2011‎

We advanced the Business Innovation Act on March 16. This Act would provide competitive grants for private sector research at Nebraska institutions, offer technical assistance in new product development and testing, and help expand small business and ...

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Source: Google news