Struggling Entreprenuer

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In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we take a look at the challenges of re-branding yourself as a small business owner or entrepreneur. In our interview with Charles Knickerbocker, who is the owner of the firm SamePageResults, we explore how an individual can move from one area of expertise to another that is more niche-focused. Now, as you can imagine, it can be filled with challenges and obstacles.

However, with his background and experience in running many organizations in the past as businesses, Charles Knickerbocker has used the flexibility of his technical and project-management expertise in moving from the public sector and private sector enterprises as an employee to the world of small business and his entrepreneurial ventures.

In this audio podcast, you will hear how his drive for questioning authority and always being a mobile self-starter has given to him the benefit of knowing what it takes to succeed in a small business environment.

And you may ask yourself “What is this ‘visual thinking‘ approach?” It is really a concept that is being used more frequently by enterprises today.

Charles is also a very technically competent entrepreneur who dedicates his time in supporting organizations like the NCDD (National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation), especially in the area of social media online tools and techniques (e.g., FriendFeed).

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

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In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we present for you an interview of a successful Freelance small business owner and Entrepreneur in the area of IT services — an IT consultant who is also a writer of technical articles and an author–Anil Desai.

This interview was conducted by the team at CS Techcast (a podcast for the IT technical professional  that is focused more on IT solutions from Microsoft and other IT enterprises).

When you have the technical skills, knowledge, abilities and experience in the ever-changing world of IT, you may have the burning desire to branch out on your own and establish your own services firm in the form of being an IT consultant–either as a specialist or generalist.

But the key questions you may have may leave you pondering:

- Do you specialize or diversify?

- What about keeping your skills up to date?

- How do you ride through the slow times during IT “peaks and valleys” of IT projects and engagements with clients?

- What about the administrative burden of running your own IT consultancy (e.g., taxes, accounting, sales, marketing, promotion, etc.)?

Hear what a successful IT consultant has done in order to stay ahead of the IT technical curve and yet keep loyal customers and accept exciting and key engagements focusing on state-of-the-art IT technologies.

We would like to thank the team at CS Techcast for their written permission to include the complete and unabridged interview with Anil Desai, as he explains the benefits, the burdens, the challenges, the obstacles and excitement of becoming a successful entrepreneur in the role of an IT consultant. Also listen to the recommendations that Anil gives to clear the path to success.

If you want more information on the written articles and publications by Anil Desai, or if you wish to get more information on Anil’s engagements, you may find him at:

http://anildesai.net/Main/ 

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Interview of Anil Desai by CS Techcast is included with written permission by CS Techcast at http://www.cstechcast.com.

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In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we investigate the situation of one individual’s departure from Corporate America in order to launch his own startup firm and become a true entrepreneur.

Giving up the day job in what could be seen by others as a bright future and great promotions with prestigious companies in the modern Corporate space may seem intimidating to many. However, to Peter Kim, this is quite the opposite–it is a challenge and an exciting path to pursue his passion.

In this interview, we go into Peter Kim‘s mind (as he states) to understand his motivation and goals for success. Although the firm has not yet launched and is still in what Peter calls “stealth mode,” his self-confidence could not appear stronger.

With the experience he has gained from the large corporations–especially in the area of analysis, management, business forecasting and predictions–Peter seems well poised to jump into his entrepreneurial venture and put himself on the road to success (and no longer on the road to corporate promotions).

As you will hear in this episode, Peter is acknowledged by groups and organizations as a subject-matter expert in the area of Social Media Marketing. He plans to focus on social media and social computing technologies to provide solutions for the Fortune 500 enterprises.

In addition to wishing Peter the best of success in his new small business venture, we look forward to getting an update later on, after he joins the ranks of recently-launched entrepreneurs.

If you wish to follow along Peter’s path to starting his firm or to know about his speaking engagements, you can follow him on his blog, http://www.beingpeterkim.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

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In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we interview Karen Kreps of www.netingenuity.com. Karen has struggled in the world of online media from the early days of dial-up Internet access applications, but she has become a Best-Selling Author and is now moving into the Social Media space to provide her customers not only the best in web design, copyrighting and web presence–but to imiplement web-based social media presence on her customers’ web sites.

In this interview, Karen describes her struggles to become a successful entrepreneur in the difficult world of traditional media, then online media. She also shares with us her successful key strengths and traits which can also help other entrepreneurs in today’s rapidly changing landscape of social media.

How does Karen do this? What is a key competitive differential advantage for her?…

Karen Kreps enables other people’s success by helping them communicate clearly. She clarifies, organizes and presents their ideas in ways that eloquently express their messages. She gives them the right words, with appropriate style and proper grammar, and she helps them communicate their vision using interactive technology. Karen finds ways to use the Web that compel others to work with them. She also finds a way to be available to her customers — always, whether on weekends or evenings, etc. And in today’s fast-paced enviroment where attention and time are in short supply, this gives her an additional advantage by providing this added value to her customers.

Karen has also written a book on the topic of couples and their relationships. It is titled Intimacies (see image below), and she includes real-life stories to spark conversation and experimentation to help couples appreciate and improve the intimacy in their relationship with each other.

You can find out more about her book at www.TrueIntimacies.com. In a promotional book-marker that she gave to me, I noticed that the creative (and appropriate) tag-line for this work is “Take this book to bed with you.”

She has also written a best-selling book called The 60-Day Diet Diary (published by Dell, 1982). It sold over 250,000 copies and was listed as a best-selling Trade Paperback for one week by the New York Times and for six weeks by B. Dalton Bookseller.

In addition, Karen belongs to numerous organizations and groups, as you can see from her web site. She also has book-signing campaigns at various bookstores, which adds to her notoriety as a best-selling author. It also helps in the promotion for her business, Net Ingenuity.

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

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In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we speak with Carleton L. Smith, who is a management counselor, of the Austin, Texas, chapter of SCORE- the Service Corps of Retired Executives, whose tag line is “Counselors to America’s Small Business.”

This interview was captured during a break at the recent Entrepreneur Expo in Cedar Park, Texas.

Carleton gives us a summary of how the FREE services that SCORE provides to the small business owner and entrepreneur can be great resources to help these audiences become successful in their ventures.

Too many times, the small business owner and entrepreneur seek the help from very expensive or fee-based offerings from the “Small Business Gurus”–when, in fact, all that may be needed is counsel and guidance from the SCORE team. This may come in the form of free templates and resources from the SCORE web site; or it may be in the form of counsel in helping to set up the written feasibility plan or Business Plan; or it may be by assistance in getting financing for the business at a particular time.

We thank Carleton L. Smith for his enthusiasm and willingness to be a volunteer Management Counselor of SCORE and help the local entrepreneurs.

However, SCORE also is a national organization and can provide volunteers with years of experience in their industry and expertise to the small business owner or entrepreneur.

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

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In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we address a common question that is recently asked by small business owners and entrepreneurs about the trend toward the tools and the buzz-words of SOCIAL MEDIA.

In the marketing environment for the entrepreneur, it is imperative that the relevancy of Social Media be understood. This 29-minute session was led by Peter Kim, a former Forrester analyst, in a discussion of the Social Media Breakfast meeting in October, 2008, in which he tries to address the question:

Social Media Marketing: Does it matter?

[Note: this is a bonus episode, because it addresses a burning issue that is often misunderstood by entrepreneurs, but the buzz-words of Social Media can create some confusion that needs clarification. We hope that you will find it of value]

Copyright (C) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

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In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we examine how an energetic entrepreneur gains a competitive differential advantage by providing a customer service experience of value by anticipating what is best for the customer’s business and recommending future positive strategies.

In the crowded and “saturated” world of small business owners who provide web design and high tech consultancy for intermediate-sized businesses, it can be difficult to define your competitive differential advantage–let alone, to leverage it and promote it to the customers in this market. Well, Jeremy Thompson, entrepreneur of the firm Revolution Web Studios, ensures that his customers will always get the best customer service that he can deliver–but he goes above and beyond that measure of excellence.  He anticipates the customer’s future needs and requirements, and then he recommends and helps the customer plan for the future.

How does he do this effectively?

He has this intution for reaching past the sale today and promoting the best interests of the customer–almost like a partnership, where the customer feels as if Jeremy has put his own personal  “skin in the game.”

In this way, Jeremy differentiates himself in this environment of high tech consultants and web designers. His business is flourishing with this attitude and vision. Also, the hiring practices that he has firmly entrenched in his business ensures that the best customer-service-oriented people will be working with the customer to provide the best experience. All of this adds up to the one elusive word that entrepreneurs seek  for success–VALUE.

Copyright (c) 2008, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

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