Trick or Treat!

Happy Halloween!

Ahhh finally!! The mid-term hump is over with! That explains my sparse posting in the past couple of weeks. I am so relieved that I can stop worrying about exams and prepare for upcoming hurdles - like the three papers I have looming before me!

As soon as I finished writing my Retail Management exam this morning, I cleaned my apartment and did my laundry. After that, I resumed work on my beloved Scribe website. It's really shaping up! I also joined youngentrepreneur.com today. I love that forum so much because it's really nice having a network of people who love entrepreneurship as much as I do! I'm also joining ladieswholaunch.com. I'll be joining a few other networks online in the next few days. I'll update as I do.

I am very happy with my MissBiz article this week. I will be posting it tomorrow afternoon. It's quite long - about 1550 words! I've been wanting to write about the negative impacts that Wal-Mart and big-boxes have on small businesses, and when I heard about the recent Wal-Mart strike in Florida last week, I figured that was my que.

Yesterday, my professor in my Study of the Novel course played a clip from a fairly new movie, entitled Mansfield Park, for our class. The movie is based on Jane Austen's book by the same title. The interesting thing is, is that this movie is directed in such a way that the realities of Empire, such as slave trading, are brought to the forefront of the movie, as opposed to being lost in the background, as Austen's novel actually presents it. She held up the DVD to our class and said that if any of us wanted to borrow it, it would be in the English Department. Of course, I went right up and borrowed it. I've become fascinated with the entire era, and it's better than renting a $5.00 movie from Blockbuster :)

Ironically, however, I just came back from renting a movie from Blockbuster! I wasn't expecting to, as I just wanted to look around for anything interesting I could rent in the future. I picked up The Company (with Neve Campbell) because I've been putting off renting it for a year now.

So now I have 2 movies to watch, and thankfully, I have time to watch them!

It feels so good to be able to watch a movie and work on the Scribe website at the same time. It's the life.

Keep Bizzy!

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"I never did a day's work in my life. It was all fun."

Edison

Wal-Mart: A New Horror Story Everyday?

I accomplished a fair amount of work today. I just started the fourth novel for my Study of The Novel class, Mrs. Dalloway. It's pretty good so far. I find it to be really poetic in its style, which means that I am tempted to do some internet research on it to ensure I am on track with the storyline. But I don't think I will. Not yet anyway. I did that with Pride and Prejudice, and I enjoyed reading the end of the novel because of it. But I think I'll save the research for this one until I''m finished.

I'm about 1/3 finished my MissBiz article for this upcoming Journal. I wont disclose exactly what it is until I post the full article on Wednesday, but I did come across something quite disturbing in my research...

http://www.walmartsucks.org. Their tagline: "A New Horror Story Everyday, Or We'll Give You Your Money Back".

The stories on here are unbelieveable. Some of them are so extreme that I am questioning the validity of the site altogether. Some of them do seem genuine, but one woman wrote in about her Wal-Mart supervisor recruiting her into some kind of cult, and a cult member impregnating her at a gathering (!?). I do believe some of the stories, but I think that the oppression and borderline abuse Wal-Mart forces upon its entry-level employees would drive anyone to exagerate the truth. I don't necessarily blame them.

Anyway, this article has expanded my peripheral vision, so to speak, and I will never look at Wal-Mart or any big-boxed store the same ever again.

Vive La Petite Entreprise!

I can't wait to finish this article!

Keep Bizzy!

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"If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves"

Thomas A. Edison

For This Weekend....

• E-mails for golf product tonight
• Read Retail Management chapters for test
• MissBiz article
• E-mail reminder to writers
• Dal Library on Saturday
• Retail Management write-up

Keep Bizzy!

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Song of the Day:

Rebellion (Lies) by The Arcade Fire

Thinking Pink

Blogger has been acting up for the past few days.

It doesn't matter anyway because I haven't had much time to post. I was doing an assignment until 12:00 am Wednesday night, and after my 8:30 am class on Thursday I went downtown to the bank, and along the way I stopped in at several retail stores. I wasn't shopping though, oh no. I was working. Seriously, I was!

For my Retail Management class, we have a project due next week where we have to gather at least 6 peices of information (pamphlets, flyers, clippings, signs, catalogues, etc) that identifies a specific retailing trend. The trend I am focusing on is the ubiquity of support for the Breast Cancer Awareness "Think Pink" campaign. It's everywhere! And don't be fooled - stores are profiting from it. I'm not saying it isn't a good cause - it's an amazing cause - I'm just saying that it's a retailing trend and strategy as well. Just walking down Spring Garden, there were several companies that were c0-branded with "Think Pink" (or they were showing support by placing stickers in their windows).

When I explained my task to the sales people at these stores, they were more than obliging to provide me with any information they could. Many of them would boast about what their company has done for Breast Cancer Awareness. The Running Room has actually donated close to $500,000 to finding a cure! So yeah, retailers are profiting from it, but it heightens awareness, and money is going towards the Breast Cancer Foundation. It's better than a kick in the pants.

This is the information I gathered yesterday for my Retail Management project.

After gathering that information, I headed to the Dal library to check out their Family Business resources for my upcoming paper. Turns out, this was easier said than done. This library is HUGE. I think it was 4 floors or something crazy like that, and all I came across were periodicals, journals, and encyclopedias. No book-books. My stomach was rumbling by this point, so I didn't stay too long. My next plan of action is to look the Dal library up online, where maybe I can get a map of the place. If this fails, I'll go back this weekend and ask someone to help me!

Besides this, I've been writing a few legal documents for a company, and spending time working on the Scribe Solutions website.

Regarding "the golf product", we are in the midst of booking a booth at the PGA tradeshow in January. After this is done, I can start designing it and pulling it all together. This is going to be hectic to say the least.

I am extremely excited because if everything goes well, "the golf product" will most likely be in Golf Illustrated in January... just in time for the tradeshow! Golf Illustrated will be attending as well, and handing out magazines to passer-by's. People will flip through the magazine and see that we are at the same show! We are looking into hiring a company to make the e-commerce website and to run the website operations for a while, as the golf company focuses on growing. I'm pumped!

Keep Bizzy!

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"Advertising generally works to reinforce consumer trends rather than to initiate them"
Michael Schudson

It's Just The Beginning

These past few days have been crazy!

Yesterday (Sunday) my parents came down for the day. This wasn't just any kind of visit though. They came down for a purpose. My friend S.Pace took on the job of touching up some graphic design glitches for the golf product packaging. My parents wanted to meet him, and stay while he worked on it. I didn't expect it - but it took from 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm! All day! It was completed and everything, but my parents wanted to get back to Moncton before sun-down (it's a 2.5 hour drive) so they left around 5:00 pm. However, S.Pace and I stayed in the office until it was finished. Based on this, I really think that working on the tradeshow with him is going to be a positive experience *knock on wood*.

Unfortunately, this meant that I had no time to do school work, or to even properly write a MissBiz article for today. Fortunately, there were several great submissions for the Business Section, so I am in the green. I still wrote a MissBiz article, but it isn't even close to what I wanted to cover. The one I wanted would have demanded a lot more time. Thankfully, there's always next week!

So tonight and tomorrow my main goal is to read the rest of Pride & Prejudice. For some odd reason, this novel is not cooperating with me. I find it very dry and the language is pretentious (if language can be pretentious...?). To make the reading go faster (so I could understand the nature of the characters and plot better) I rented the movie this past weekend - featuring Keira Knightley. I am still reading the book, but now that I fully understand the outline of the plot - the reading will hopefully be more interesting. I know it sounds like cheating, but it really isn't in this case. I actually adore the storyline, and especially the entire era - with the pretty dresses and handsome uniforms. Beautiful!

Oh one more thing! Tonight my friend "Lordo" came into the Journal office to ask if I wanted to go to a business networking event hosted by the SMU Business Development Center ("Lordo" is the Events Programmer for SMUSA). I wasn't dressed for the occasion, but I went anyway. I walked in and immediately knew so many people that I was not expecting to see! It was great. I even ran into a guy I've met at other networking events who is now an account manager for the BDC. He said if I ever need funding for Scribe, I should give him a call.

I might be attending the Commerce Society's Wine and Cheese networking event on Wednesday (I have attended for the past 3 years). However, there's only a slight chance I will go as I have a mountain of school work to do, as this golf product is stealing away my free time.

Keep Bizzy!

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"More business decisions occur over lunch and dinner than at any other time, yet no MBA courses are given on the subject"

Peter Drucker

The Race Is On

I have so much to do - it hurts.

I've managaed to integrate "S.Pace" into my dad's golf business. He'll be working on some graphics for the packaging - just some minor adjustments. But the best part is that I will be organizing the tradeshow booth for the January 2007 PGA Tradeshow in Florida, and S.Pace will be designing some of the booth elements! Things like posters, brochures, back-drops, etc. I was actually an exhibitor for another one of my dad's products at the exact same convention center in 2004! Only this time I get to actually organize it! It's terribly exciting - but there is so much to do in 2 months!

Unfortunately, these arrangements and meetings took up a good part of the day. I wanted to... no, scratch that... I needed to do some serious studying for an upcoming marketing midterm, and I should have went to Dal to get some books. Not to mention the MissBiz article I still have to write. I think I'll be staying up tonight... Sometimes I wish there were 40 hours in a day.

Keep Bizzy!

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"The important thing is this: To be able at any moment to sacrifice what we are for what we could become"

Charles DuBois

Office in a Box

Still not much feedback on the Book Club deal. I'm working on something though. You'll have to wait and see.

Yesterday I went down to Gottingen St. to do my Retail Management assignment. It started to pour, which is too bad because I wanted to take pictures of the amazing architectual work around that area. It's beautiful. I will return and post pictures at another time. But anyway, I found shelter in a nearby Staples. While looking around and acting as though I was interested in buying a new computer, I came across a pile of Canada's SOHO Business Magazine (which is published by Staples and is free). I picked up the two latest editions.

Inside, in their "Cool Stuff" section, I came across their featured item - Office in a Box - which is manufactured by CederShed.ca.


How cool is this?!

I believe that structures under 100 sq/ft are usually hassle free when it comes to obtaining a permit. The idea is great, but the price tag - not so much. At $12,999 I could get soemone to build me something very similar for half that price, or less. Still - this would be a great alternative to working inside the home, especially if clients frequent your office a lot.

There are many things to consider before buying or building an outdoor office:

1. Do you have employees? If you have a few employees, this space could get very cramped.
2. Hooking up the heating, lighting, etc. Oh - it could also get annoying telling your clients to "go inside the house and use the washroom"....
3. Are you planning on growing your business in the near future? If so, this is not the best option for you, as you might be relocating and expanding.
4. The cost - is it worth it? You don't have an accessible washroom, you'd probably have to invest in a security system as well. Maybe paying the $1,200 or so a month for a small office downtown with facilities in place is worth it.
5. It ties the business to your home, even more so than if you were just working inside the house. Purchsing this outdoor office may hinder you from moving and growing your operation due to its significant investment.

Something to think about anyway. It would be perfect if you just need extra space and privacy. At this stage in the game, for me at least, I am not sure where I am going to be living in a year from now, so ensuring my business is portable, with the least amount of responsibility and material ties to a specific area is best for me. A rented office inside a corporate building with accessible facilities is ideal in my situation.

It looks beautiful though. I think I just like the idea of the structure itself - maybe their Sun House is more up my ally. Growing my own herbs and vegetables for most of the year... Oh yeah :)

--------------------------------------------------------------"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change"Charles Darwin

Are Bookworms Extinct?

Lately I've been interested in looking for some genuine bookclub networks online. I'm talking about hardcore bookclubs that are not corporate related, or in conjunction with exisiting bookstores (which obviously have alternative motives than just purely the love of reading). When I search for clubs online, however, I cannot find anything close to what I am looking for. They are either tiny clubs located in various towns and cities, or clubs run by corporations.

Obviously a bookseller would create a "book club". They're promoting their products. But where are the indie networks?

This is very odd. Maybe I'm just missing something? The types of genres I am interested in include - business profiles and biographies, bio-histories, A.D. history, best selling and popular fiction, Canadian literature, and classic novels. I really can't find anything I'm looking for at all.

I mean, I found a couple corporate "clubs" which I would like to keep on top of, namely Oprah, just to see what's going on there - but this is a far cry of what I have in mind.

I really love reading (which I haven't had much time to do as of late, since I am going to school, working for The Journal, Marketing Director for a golf product, and starting my own business). But this is the main reason why I take English electives (especially novel related courses) - reading novels and writing are leisurely for me; hence, why I began Scribe Professional Writing & Editing Solutions.

Hm. I might have to do something about this. I'll keep digging around though and I will update later.

Keep Bizzy!

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" 'Tis the good reader that makes the good book "

Ralph Waldo Emerson

MissBiz Article, "YouTube Acquisition An Entrepreneurial Success!"

by MissBiz aka Jacqueline Howatt
Published and Copyright October 18, 2006
Saint Mary's University, The Journal

It had to happen sometime. A week ago, and to no surprise, YouTube (the fastest growing video sharing network) was acquired by none other than Google. The $1.65 billion purchase (an all-stock deal) was by far the most extravagant investment Google has initiated in its eight-year operation. It is also said to be one of the most risky, as YouTube has been confronted by companies regarding copyright infringement laws. Nevertheless, after learning about the YouTube acquisition, I realized that there is an emerging, and all-too-familiar pattern taking shape. Some call it Web 2.0, others call it Bubble 2.0 – I call it a window of opportunity and entrepreneurship at its best.

Chad Hurley, 29, and Steve Chen, 27, were just your average University grads, trying to make a decent living in the USA tech-hub, otherwise known as California. They met while both working as employees for PayPal, before it was acquired in 2002. After the company was bought by EBay, Chen remained with the company while Hurley went on to become a personal consultant. They kept in touch over the next few years. In 2005, they both attended a dinner party hosted by a former PayPal colleague. During the party, a mutual friend, named Jawed Karim, complained that he couldn’t easily post video footage of that night on the internet for his friends and family to see. A light went off, and at that moment, Hurley and Chen gave birth to their brainchild, and named it YouTube.

For the next eighteen months, the development and operations of YouTube mostly took place out of Hurley’s basement in Menlo, California, and then eventually graduated to a small office above a pizzeria in San-Mateo, California. Like Google, YouTube obtained funding from the Venture Capital company, Sequoia Capital, for $11.5 million, who owns a cool 30% stake in the company. Since implementation, the company has grown incredibly. In January 2006, YouTube members were posting about 8,000 videos daily and watching 3 million videos per day. Jumping ahead just four months to April 2006, video posts were up to 35,000 daily, and views were an unprecedented 35 million per day!

During a casual luncheon at the American fast-food chain, Denny’s, Chen and Hurley sat down with a Google representative who agreed to purchase the company for $1.65 billion in Google stock. Soon after the news went public, Google’s share price jumped $8.50 to close at $429 on the NASDAQ. Needless to say, despite the swirling speculation that YouTube may undergo litigation due to copyright infringement (as YouTube members continue to post unauthorized artistic work), investors were satisfied to learn of the promising acquisition.

In favor of budding entrepreneurs everywhere, a recent and familiar trend of fast tech start-ups and buy-outs, similar to that of the dot-com boom is becoming more prevalent. Last year set the pace for this “bubbling” re-emergence of the dot-com era, with EBay purchasing Skype for a mind-boggling $2.5 billion in cash and EBay stock. Since then, small start-ups have been churning out social networks, which have collectively revolutionized the way people use the internet.

MySpace was acquired for $580 million by News Corporation in July of 2005, and has since exploded in popularity - becoming one of the company’s most valued investments. At its peak, about 250,000 people joined MySpace every day. The reason for this acquisition, and others like it (YouTube), is due to their advertising potential. This remains to be seen, as YouTube is surprisingly an unprofitable business, meaning, advertising revenue is less then operational expenses.

This trend has some market analysts thinking dejavu, and they believe that the next major acquisition could set-off this ticking time bomb. USNews.com describes this fear in detail in an article written last week entitled, “YouTube Fallout: Beware of Next Deal”. However, the fact that these sites are currently cost-centers is not dampening their alluring potential. Tech companies are still clamoring over themselves to get on the social network bandwagon, and offering large sums of money to purchase small, but rapidly growing companies.

The college-student networking site, Facebook, is another company in the upcoming acquisition role-call. Mark Zuckerburg, a Harvard student, created Facebook in 2004 as an alternative to student ID booklets. In the first three weeks, 6,000 Harvard students signed up as members, and Zuckerberg has since launched the network to schools everywhere. In March 2006, rumors were a-buzz that Facebook rejected a $750 million buy-out initiated by Viacom because it was holding out for a $2 billion sale. Just recently, speculation hints that Yahoo may be interested in acquiring Facebook for $1 billion. Either way, due to the hyper-competition of the tech world (companies actually cannibalize their own products just to stay ahead of trends), the popularity of Facebook will inevitably decline just as fast as it is growing. They can’t afford to hold out much longer.

Finally, another high-profile social networking site, myYearbook.com, is following on the heals of its two major predecessors, YouTube and Facebook. Still in a fairly infantry stage, the company is hoping to gain the volume necessary (and relatively quickly before the market goes bear) to harvest a nice profit. The website, which has been dubbed “The Next $1.65 billion start-up” by Inc.com, was founded by Geoff Cook - a 26 year old Harvard graduate who saw an opportunity for a worldwide online yearbook. There is little talk of acquisition yet, but with 6,000 new members joining daily, it wont be long before this company is making headlines on Wall Street.

Not only is there an obvious pattern of social networking start-ups, but most of these websites are founded by University-aged entrepreneurs. This is a major source of inspiration for students who are looking to start a business, or who already own a business. As the founder of myYearbook.com says in an Inc.com interview, “I started my first site with $600. All you need is hosting space and a merchant account (to accept credit cards).”

There is no doubt that the acquisition of YouTube feels like a mini-feat for all student entrepreneurs. It serves as a reminder that with the right skills, contacts, foresight, and ability to seize opportunities, it is possible to go from nothing to something these days, and in a short amount of time. Even though YouTube is an inspiration, it is also frustrating, because the rest of us feel left behind. The only way to overcome this cognitive dissonance it to believe in your own ideas, don’t be afraid to develop them, and make confident decisions along the way. Don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be done, persevere, don’t procrastinate, and as Donald Trump would say, THINK BIG!

Full Speed Ahead

Last night "S.Pace" and I went to Starbucks to work on the website. The logo is currently on the website but it needs a slight modification. It should be perfect by the end of today. I then have to go in and write the text for the website. It's exciting! We also had a chance to start working on the business cards for Scribe, which are going to look really great. My goal is to launch the website in a few weeks.

I can't wait!

Some things I have to complete before Christmas:

• Finish website content
• Update Financials
• Logo for car
• Call Yellow Pages
• Phone numbers
• Portfolios in place and in file folders
• Examples and samples online
• Join networks online
• Outline of protocol reporting for projects in place - written with corresponding materials
• Outsourcing plan with S.Pace worked out and on paper
• Invoices in place and Excel project files set-up (project status and hourly count, client list and projects)
• Chamber of Commerce
• 3 in 1 printer (fax, copy, print)

It seems like a lot, but now that it's written down, it seems a lot more manageable.

Well, today I will be going downtown (to the 'hood) to do my Retail Management assignment. It looks like it's going to pour, so I have to get moving...!

Besides that, I'll be catching up on some reading and working on the website.

Keep Bizzy!

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* The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination" Tommy Lasorda

Investing in Fashion - A Faux Pas?

I was going through the Top 30 Under 30 on the Inc.com website, and I came across something I definately need to do more research on. Angela Batinovich, #19 on the list, owns two companies - LumberJax and a women's apparel company called Bat's Daughter. On her mini-profile, it states that she started a company that invests in fashion start-ups. Always being interested in the textile and fashion industry myself, I checked out her investment company, AMBLA, on Google. Other than the NAMBLA organization popping up (North American Man Boy Love Association *wtf!*), I didn't find anything of the sort. Furthermore, not only could I not find her particular business, I was astonished at the lack of resources in the "fashion investment" category.

I didn't look for long (I will later), but I had to conduct several searches to find anything at all. Taking a retail management course, and realizing the importance of retail and textiles in our economy, I can't believe how little support there is in this massive industry. What I did find was a relatively new program for fashion designers hosted by the Government of Canada (specifically The Western Economic Diversification of Canada branch in Manitoba). The program is called the Mantiba Fashion Institute (MFI) and it was created by Laurie Butler.

"Started in 2002 as an initiative of the MFI Training Centre, the incubator is the only industry- based apparel training centre in Canada", reads the article.

Well, this is good to know - but what about everywhere else? I'll have to do some looking around. I am very curious as to where fashion and clothing retail start-ups recieve initial investment from, and how willing investors are to invest in this sector? I'll update on my findings later.

So,

I spent literally all day on Sunday, from about 8:00 am to 3:00 am (Monday morning) writing for The Journal and studying for The Novel midterm. Monday, I had to edit and re-write some articles before the 12:00 pm deadline. Then I had my midterm. I was at The Journal office from 2:00 pm to 11:00 pm. I wish I could have posted, but it was nearly impossible.

In about 45 minutes I will be heading to the library to get my picture taken for my Journal pass - which allows me to enter the Student Union Building anytime. After that, I will spend the rest of the day reading Pride and Prejudice, writing a warranty for a client, and then at 7:00 pm, I have a meeting with "S.Pace" to finalize the look of the Scribe Solutions website.

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"Fashions fade, only style remains the same"

Coco Chanel

Not "Buying" Enviga

I guess Enviga is Coke's attempt at apologizing to their existing caffeine-addicted and overweight target market. Apologizing is probably not the right word. Capitalizing is more like it.

Enviga is a "sparkling" green-tea drink with epigallocatechin gallate (a "natural" anti-oxidant which speeds up metabolism). This article from The Guardian claims that Coke introduced this product to appeal to "America's legions of weight-loss enthusiasts".


Funny. Soft-drinks have recently went through the ringer with public schools and other organizations banning them from vending machines in elementary, middle, and high-schools (internationally in most cases). Zero-calorie and non-sugar drinks (aka aspertame ladden) beverages are still usually permitted. Weight-loss enthusiasts? If by weight-loss enthusiasts they mean morbidly obese children and adults who have become addicted to sugary caffeine products and are now looking to shed the weight before they become seriously ill - then yes. I can definately see a large (no pun intended) market for Enviga.

As a marketer, I am actually embarrassed for Coke. Sure, they'll probably make money from it, but come on! They spent years encouraging the consumption of one of of the unhealthiest beverages one can intake (with the calories, sugar, glucose-fructose, syrops, caffeine, and not to mention the aspertame). Now they have created a dietary solution for the North American obesity affliction that they helped create?

I'm all for marketing and product development, but this doesn't sit right with me. Is it okay that these companies are making their customers sick, and then selling them an alternative to combat the negative health affects that their product is partly responsible for? Or at least, selling a product that is percieved to combat those negative affects? And yes, this product is actually claiming to combat weight gain, as "drinking 3 cans per day will burn off 60-100 calories more than normal" (whatever that means).

It may seem odd that I am questioning Coke's strategic move into the green tea market, as this is where the current hype (money) is. Knowing more than I want to about some uber-corporations, I can't help but wonder. It just emphasizes the indestructable drive that corporations have to seize every trendy opportunity to make a buck - regardless of the affect it has on the end consumer.

What's next? Philip Morris selling medicinal marijuana? Oops - maybe so.

Keep Bizzy

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"Be glad that you're greedy; the national economy would collapse if you weren't"

Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966

What's In An IPO?

Pressure, pressure, pressure. I'm feelin' it.

I have an English test on Monday for The Study of The Novel, and I have to hussle on over to the Dal library to do research for my Family Business paper. These scholastic pressures are not the problem though - it's this financing ordeal. I've been consuming so much information on the subject, and I have so many questions - but it's Saturday. Nobody can take my calls.

Lucky for me, I have a friend (who was actually a colleague in one of my What's The Big Idea? business plans) who recently took his venture public on the over-the-counter (OTC NASDAQ) exchange in the U.S. I spoke to him yesterday over MSN, and he outlined the process of taking a company public. It's arduous. However, I really believe that this is a promising plan for this golf company. It will give us the proper investment we need in order to make it a worldwide success.

It takes a few months to complete the IPO, and the costs of getting it to that point can significantly add up (and may even prevent the company from going any further). However, like my friend says, the point is that the company will recoup those costs through the IPO. Not only is it a great way to gain credibility and investment for growth, but the experience of taking a company public is a once in a lifetime experience. Plus, if things don't turn out as well as planned (which in this case they will because this product is fulfilling a major market gap), there is always the possibility of doing a reverse take-over. An interesting article I've read is The Unseen Benefits of Going Public. Another article which I really liked is The Major Benefits and Burdens of Going Public, by Attorney Buchanan Ingersoll.

I am talking to my dad tonight about this. We shall see!

Keep Bizzy!

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"Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen"

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Financing Options: VC or CPC?

I am in the process of looking for expansion financing options for the golf product.

There are a few options I am currently looking into. The first is Venture Capital, and the second is the TSX Capital Pool Company Program (like a junior stock exchange). This is really exciting for the product and myself. This expansion funding is necessary in order to take the product to the next level in terms of marketing and beefing up manufacturing, and will ultimately give it a unique competitive platform to stand on.

I'm also facilitating all of this and presenting the options to my dad and his business partners, so I have a lot riding on my shoulders right now. I have tons of researching to do, and many calls to make in the next few business days.

**I'm starting to remember why my blog is called the VentureS of MissBiz - there are many, and they are constantly rotating. **

I was supposed to meet my friend (S.Pace) today to put all of the graphics together on the Scribe Solutions webpage, but due to the hurricane-like conditions, it was put on hold. I'll have to re-schedule it for the weekend. Hopefully we can meet at UnCommon Grounds Cafe - they have the best Steamers (steamed milk with a shot of flavour - my favourite is vanilla).

I have to read some Family Business articles right now. Tomorrow after class I will visit the Dal library for research information for my Father - Daughter Business paper.

Keep Bizzy!

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Song of The Day:

Njosnavelin (The Nothing Song) by Sigur Ros

From the Vanilla Sky Soundtrack

MissBiz Article "Job Interviews: How Competitive Do You Look?"

By MissBiz aka Jackie Howatt
Published and Copyright October 11, 2006
Saint Mary's University, The Journal

How important do you think visual appearances are? When making a first impression, either at a job interview, a general meeting, or even in your everyday interaction with people, image matters - a lot.

“Image consultants say that 55% of the impact we make is the way we dress, act and walk through the door, 38% is quality of voice, accent, use of grammar, and overall confidence, and a mere 7% is from what we actually say” says xpressrecruitment.com. For all of you who still believe that “it’s what’s inside that counts” - let’s get real - this is not the case when it comes to making first impressions, especially with employers and colleagues. I especially feel that addressing this issue and explaining what recruiters are looking for (appearance-wise) will help my fellow 2007 graduate students when job-seeking in the exceedingly competitive markets of today - where appearance is a perceptive by-product of confidence, worth, and ability.

First, it is important to understand that there is not one cookie-cutter way to dress for an interview - even in a corporate, multi-national firm. With an increased focus on intrapreneurship, incubator teams, and “brand-culting”, large multi-national corporations house dozens of varying sub-firms that may all have their own values, goals, and images to uphold. The point is, whether you are interviewing for a small firm or a sector within a large firm, you should do your homework on how the employees dress. This will increase your chances of getting hired because you will look like you “belong”. You may be wearing an Armani or Chanel suit and look like the reincarnation of Jackie Onassis, but you are probably unintentionally giving off a air of intimidation and superiority. These are not attributes that anyone likes bestowed upon them, especially someone who is hiring you. It is best to know how the other employees dress, and then take it up a notch to look “professional” for the job in question.

An article in the Orlando Sentinel entitled, Do your clothes say ‘hire me’? says, “Caroline Schuster, recruiting manager for Wachovia Corp.'s capital management group, says most interviewees dress well. ‘My recommendation to people is go a little bit more conservative than might be your natural inclination’”. “‘Show them your cute, funky wardrobe later,’ says Betsy Olinger, founder/coach of Marketing-U (marketing-u.com), a Charlotte, N.C.-based executive coaching firm. ‘If it's something you think you look 'hot' in, it's wrong ’” www.orlandosentinel.com. Employers first and foremost want to assess your ability to fit into their organizational culture - not your unique fashion sense. Keeping your wardrobe respectable and conservative will allow the employer to see you, not your clothing. That is not to say that you should look dull and boring. Wear something that makes you look and feel competent and confident, while keeping appropriateness in mind.

When interviewing for a position, there are universal rules of dress that almost always apply. For men, wear a suit, but avoid a back suit. A modern charcoal, navy, or grey suit looks more approachable. Cotton suits are prone to wrinkling, so choose wool or gabardine. You can never go wrong with a white, light blue, or ecru dress shirt. The shirt sleeves should be about ½ inch longer than the suit sleeves, and a pointed collar is more professional than a button-down. Choose a darker tie then your shirt - a solid colour works best, but a minimal pattern will suffice (at all costs - avoid Looney Tunes characters) and always choose 100% silk for a more polished look. For footwear, black dress shoes are best in all cases, but make sure they are polished. Socks should always match your shoe colour, or at least be a dark colour (www.career.fsu.edu).

For women, skirt suits are still viewed as more appropriate in interviews, but pant suits are acceptable. If you are wearing a skirt, knee-length is best, and pencil cut is most professional. Darker coloured suits are more appropriate and modern than lighter colours, and fabric should be wool, gabardine, or rayon. Select a blouse rather than a camisole, as a collard blouse can bring a punch of colour to your face (almost every woman looks great in some form of pink or coral) and a camisole tends to not show up under a jacket and leaves a gap of skin. Panty-hose should either match your leg colour (preferable) or match the colour of your skirt. Wear close-toed shoes - the heel not being higher than 1-2 inches. Although I believe that shoes should be close-toed, not strappy, and fairly simple for an interview, the colour can be optional, so long as it is appropriate. They say darker is best, but as long as it matches your outfit (grey, beige, cream, brown, blue) and is not fire-engine patent leather red, you’ll be fine. And for make-up, remember what your grandmother use to say: less is best (www.career.fsu.edu).

Donald Trump will always be seen wearing a suit, unless maybe on the golf course. Despite his success and fame, he has a certain image to uphold - one of authority. What does your appearance say about you?

In both cases for women and men, avoid wearing too much jewellery. In fact, no jewellery is better than a lot. It serves as a distraction and can even make you look sloppy. If you are unsure, then don’t wear it. Also, grooming is extremely important. A fresh hair cut and simple styling is best. For men, this means clean shaven, neat side-burns (if any), and combed hair (sometimes a little gel can make all the difference). For women, you can wear you hair down, or in a polished ponytail. Nails should be neat, teeth should be brushed (breath should be fresh), and don’t forget deodorant. Don’t go crazy over the perfume or cologne either - your potential employer (or employees) could be allergic.

Remember - these “rules” do not apply to everybody in every situation. The key thing is to know how others in the organization dress, and what they value. Also, these are best for those of you who are applying for a corporate or office job. A tattoo parlour would expect something much different then what I have outlined here.

After you are hired, you can relax a little and even add some of your personality into your everyday outfits. However, in the cut-throat reality of corporate ladder-climbing, just because you landed a job does not mean the competition is over. You will constantly be competing for advanced positions, or simply trying to maintain your own, as there are hoards of new talent entering the market everyday. Maintaining a professional (business casual) appearance everyday should be second-nature because you never know who you might run into. Include transitional pieces into your wardrobe like: khakis, chinos, dress shirts, and casual blazers. Remember, companies hire you to ultimately represent themselves and their image. By dressing the part, you represent yourself as a serious player.

YouTube Acquisition an Entrepreneurial Success!

We could all see it coming. YouTube had to be bought by someone at sometime. Sources say that Google intends to not interfere with the underground vibe of YouTube, but that it will only have an advertisement running down the side of the YouTube website.

The most exciting part of all, is that this is an adrenaline rush for entrepreneurs all around the world! The two co-founders of YouTube, Chad Hurley, 29, and Steve Chen, 27, started the company in the basement of Hurley's home in Menlo Park, California and 18 months later, harvested their brainchild into $1.65 Billion! It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.

The trend of quick start-ups and quick buy-outs, that resembles the dot-com boom era, seems to be picking up speed and has many analysts worried that this is yet another bubble to be burst. MySpace was purchased for $580 million in July to News Corp. and it looks like the teen site MyYearbook.com (founded by 3 siblings - 2 of which are still in high school) is next in the acquisition role-call.

These are not the only recent buy-outs that have been started by fairly young people and parlayed into mega bucks. This BusinessWeek article describes other similar (and recent) occurances.

I am totally awe-struck by this. This is literally every entrepreneurs dream - to hit it big. It's a mixed blessing for the rest of us because on one hand, it is of great encouragement to never give up, but on the other hand, it is frustrating because you feel left behind. I think that the only way to deal with this cognitive dissonance is to be content with your own ideas, believe in them, and make rational decisions. Don't let anyone tell you it can't be done, stick to your guns, and give it everything you've got. And THINK BIG.

I feel a business article coming on... I can't not write about this in The Journal! It's TOO exciting AND it applies directly to all of us students who are starting our own companies, as mostly all of these enterprises were founded by students!

Okay, enough talking about other success stories. I have my own enterprise to take care of!

Keep Bizzy!

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"People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don't know when to quit. Most men succeed because they are determined to"

George Allen

I Love Lists

Things to do today:

• Retail Marketing survey on Quinpool Rd.
• Visit Dalhousie Library for Family Business paper resources (make bibliography)
• Read "Desire and Domestic Fiction" by Nancy Armstrong and answer questions
• E-mail business writers to remind them of article deadlines
• Read Pride and Prejudice

After my English class at 1:00, I will be walking to Quinpool, which is a 25 minute walk away. I haven't been to Quinpool for about a year now (so close, yet so far away) so I will most likely stop in at a few boutiques.

By the way, I bought one of my most favourite movies last night at Blockbuster - Big Fish. It was previously viewed, but it was only $9.99. A fabulous deal! I can't wait to watch it.

Keep Bizzy!

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"There's a time when a man needs to fight and a time when he needs to accept that his destiny's lost, the ship has sailed and that only a fool will continue. The truth is, I've always been a fool. "

Big Fish

Thanksgiving Train Ride

I arrived back in Halifax yesterday around 5:30 pm. Since it was Monday, I didn't have time to stick around, as I had to run over to The Journal office to edit and such. I was there from about 6:30 pm until 12:30 am. It's strange because I was tired, but I couldn't go to sleep until 4:30 am this morning. My brain just wouldn't shut-down. I guess some of the other Editors had similar experiences last night. I blame it on our intense conversations (i.e: affirmative action).

Anyways, as I said, I took some pretty pictures of my train ride from Halifax to Moncton, and back (left on the 7th, returned on the 9th). I've taken the train countless times for the past five years, however, this time felt extra special as it is probably the last time I will take it as a SMU student!

The Queen Mary II (the largest, most luxurious cruise ship in the world) was in port right behind the VIA Rail station in Halifax. It's a mamoth.

Inside the VIA Rail station, a display case dedicated to War Brides depicted what it was like to be a newlywed bride in the midst of war.

Luckily, most of the trip consists of gorgeous waterfront and lake views. This is the best time of year to travel by train in the Maritimes because the trees combined with the water is intoxicating.

Cleck here to view the entire set of pictures from this trip.

I am upset with my camera right now. It is a few years old, and therefore, ancient. The quality is quite poor, but my mom bought it for me, so it has sentimental value I suppose. It's too bad that I can't use my dad's non-digital Nikon - but it would not be very practical for posting purposes, unfortunately. The pictures are fantastic. I'm hesitant shelling out a few hundred dollars for a better camera, but it looks like I'm going to in the next few months.

My internet connection on campus is so unreliable. This is my third attempt to post these pictures because Blogger keeps timing in and out. I wish I could be posting more, but with this rotten connection and the increasing amount of work I have to do as the semester unfolds, it is challenging, but I try to post at least everyday.

Keep Bizzy!

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"Any system that depends on reliability is unreliable"

Unknown

Procrastination is Opportunity's Assassin

I arrived at home last night. I thought about posting, but my dad needed to talk about some business and I didn't get around to it. It looks like I'll be working on a plan of attack (re-branding strategy) for the next few days. This is not for the golf product business, but for another product. All of which I will reveal at a later date.

Today I wrote over a 1,000 word article for the paper this week! I am so excited about this issue. Things have really picked up 10 fold since the Journal re-hired its staff. It looks 100% better, readership is way up, and our team is really working hard. Students are getting involved too. Tonight, I have to write a small e-mail note to give to each President of each business society (AISEC, Commerce, ACE, Marketing, Accounting). This note is intended to recruit business writers, which will be sent to the members of each society via their newsletters. Collectively, those 5 societies have hundreds of members, so I should get a decent response.

I have yet to touch the Scribe website, as I have been writing all day. I still have to edit all of the articles by my contributors (I have three people writing for me this week!). The deadline for submitting our final edited sections is tomorrow at noon. This is a big adjustment for us, since Monday at noon used to be the deadline for article submissions, and the editing process would begin then. But one of the main goals for The Journal this year was to finish the entire paper before 11:00 pm Monday night (or so). I love hanging out with everyone on Monday's at The Journal, but it can get rediculous.

I'll spend tonight editing the articles, and working on the website. It's a very strange feeling, working on this website, because I feel like this is it - I can't screw it up. I find this feeling of trepidation causes me to avoid it. I want to make it perfect, so I hate to say it, but it is intimidating. With that said, I know that procrastination will not make it any easier - so I am biting the bullet and starting it.

I'll spend my train ride back to Halifax tomorrow reading Pride and Prejudice. Oh! I took some pictures of my train ride into Moncton yesterday. I'll post them when I get back.

Keep Bizzy!

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"Procrastination is something best put off until tomorrow"

Gerald Vaughan

"Only Robinson Crusoe had everything done by Friday"

Author Unknown

"A year from now you may wish you had started today"

Karen Lamb

Title quote by Victor Kiam

Scribe Updates!

I got in at 11:30 pm last night, but then my building had the longest fire alarm right when I got in.

"S.Pace" and I walked to Starbucks last night to finish up the Scribe Professional Writing & Editing Solutions logo! I was so excited at the results - I wish I could show you! Actually, I don't even have the logo on my computer, as he says that I should "sleep on it" to decide if it is really what I want while he perfects it. Let me tell you - it is the nicest logo ever. Best of all - it's all custom made. As soon as the logo is finished, we can start working on the business cards, stationary, yellow page advertisements, etc.

This Thanksgiving weekend I'll be working on the Scribe Solutions website and business plan. Right now, it's looking like I'll be launching the website in mid- December. You will be the first to know.

I am leaving to catch the train in an hour (4.5 hour trip from Halifax to Moncton). I will try to post when I get "home" tonight. I still have to write two articles for the Business section by tomorrow night.

Keep Bizzy!

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“[A logo] should look just as good in 15-foot letters on top of company headquarters as it does one sixteenth of an inch tall on company stationery”

Steven Gilliatt

Very Mysterious

I learned something new this week. New, and extremely disturbing.

The Journal News Editor sent me a link to a video called "9/11 Mysteries". The Dalhousie paper, The Gazette, opposed the video's suggestions in an article published last week, while The Journal defended the video in this weeks paper.

I was stunned when I first saw it. It's hard to make an objective decision based on one documentary, but they do make a persuasive arguement - and they utilize tons of actual footage. I want to say that it makes complete sense, but an opposing arguement (which I haven't really heard yet) could provide a greater perspective.

Still, it raises very important and overlooked issues that the media never touched. It's really well researched and does plenty of asking, not much answering, which is ideal, because after watching this - it seems that the events of 9/11 are up for interpretation. I for one think that given the circumstances (which were mostly hidden from the general public), this video is considerably valid.

Watch the video here. Make your own decisions.

I'm just going out the door to meet "S.Pace" at Starbucks (I know, I know, you hate Starbucks), but he likes the mocha-frappaccino there and I promised I would buy him a drink (it's the least I can do since he is helping me with Scribe so much). Oh! did I tell you that he was hired as the graphic/ layout artist for The Journal this year? Well, I guess I just did! I'm very happy about it because he is awesome at what he does.

Gotta run! I will post when I get back.

Keep Bizzy!

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"As we know, secrets cannot be kept forever"

9/11 Mysteries

The Latin Oval and Some Updates

I ordered my Saint Mary's grad ring today! I've been waiting 5 years for this, so I am just a tad excited about it!

I ordered the L96/3 in 10k yellow gold. One side says "B.Comm", the other will say "07". "Jacqueline Howatt" will be engraved inside. They're all the same ring, just different sizes. The next size up from mine is the man's ring!

The Latin Oval ring is the most traditional in Saint Mary's rings. I figure that most people have this one and therefore, it will probably be the most recognized. Plus, it is the most distinguished and "academic" of them all. You can look at the other styles here.

Some updates:

• Tonight, I have to write a paper about my dad and his businesses for Family Business.
• I will begin reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen this weekend (Thanksgiving break at home!)
• I just borrowed the DVD, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz from The English Dept. My Study of The Novel professor said they had a good selection of DVD's to loan out, and because I am too stingy to rent a $6.00 two night rental from Blockbuster, this seemed like a great alternative.
• The President of the ACE Society (Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurship) will be writing an article about the society for the up-coming Journal. Also, a student entrepreneur (and friend) will be writing an article. I still haven't decided what MissBiz will be about?

Keep Bizzy!

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"There's a little bit of Duddy in all of us"

The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz

MissBizzy

I wont even discuss the work I've had to do in the past few days. My last "real" post was on Saturday, and since then - if I wasn't out either working on the Journal (Monday from 2:00 pm-2:00 am!), reading like a madwoman, writing papers, or out doing assignments downtown, I was sleeping. I hate that I haven't been able to post, but I am keeping my head above water with everything else -luckily! Everyday I would make mental notes, "I have to write about this", and then I would get in my room anywhere between 9:00 pm and 3:00 pm and I would be too tired to sit up. But here I am, back on track.

Yesterday I managed to post my MissBiz column from this weeks Journal. I told you I was going to write about reusable/organic menstrual products - and there you have it. I did! I really like how it turned out.

Actually, Monday was really the first time the new Journal team worked together. It was awesome! Thanks to our plentiful budget, we were able to get Subway for everyone (yet we are still lacking in new computers, but anyway).

When I arrived in my office on Monday, I had a very unexpected and very thoughtful present on my desk. I believe it was two days prior (the Saturday) that I was speaking with The Sports Editor (who I've been working with since last year). He said that he bought me "something" for my office at the downtown market and that I would see it when I went into work next. So upon my arrival on Monday, I completely forgot about him saying this, and when I saw a small pot of flowers on my desk, I was somewhat confused for a second - but then remembered who they were from.

This is my desk in The Journal office. Nice flowers, huh?

More pictures of my office. As you can see, it needed some flowers to give it some "life". Pun intended. I'm working on sprucing the place up.

If you look on my desk in the above pictures, you will see this book. This "advanced reader's copy" was sent with a small press kit to do a review on. I can't wait to read it!

Keep Bizzy!

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"If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it. The more things you do, the more you can do"

Lucille Ball

MissBiz Journal Article, "MissBiz On: 'The Rag' "

By MissBiz aka Jackie Howatt
Published and Copyright October 4, 2006
Saint Mary's University, The Journal

The title of this column is not entirely what it seems - so let me explain. Last week I had an assignment for one of my marketing classes that required me to explore the shopping atmosphere in downtown Halifax. There were specific stores to visit during my travels. I stopped in at Venus Envy (for those of you who do not know – this is basically a sex toy/ book store) and coincidentally came across something that would make a great article: alternative menstrual products.

For those of you who are either a) allergic to pads or tampons, b) worried about the environmental affects that menstrual products have on the environment, or c) sick of spending money on this biological accessory – read on.

As you may know, pads and tampons are possibly linked to several health problems – not just yeast infections, but serious diseases like breast cancer, cervical cancer, endometriosis, and womb tumors. According to Natracare.com,“Tampons are commonly made from a blend of chlorine-bleached conventional cotton and/or synthetic products, such as rayon, polypropylene and plastic, and Pads often contain a blend of chlorine bleached pulp, polypropylene, polyacrylates and plastic. Chlorine bleaching produces an unwanted byproduct called dioxin -- a substance linked to cancer, endometriosis, low sperm counts and immune system suppression”. As mass production matures, consumers are increasingly concerned in regards to the food they eat and the products they use, hence, the explosion of the organic and health food industries. It is therefore surprising that the issue of all-natural menstrual products is not more mainstream then it is.

The sanitary pad substitute I purchased at Venus Envy is a 100% cotton pad that ultimately looks more like a terry-cloth washcloth than anything (as seen in the corresponding picture) and which set me back only $10.00. They also sell reusable tampon substitutes, such as, The DivaCup (approximately $46.00), and The Sea Sponge ($10.00).

The DivaCup website reports that, “In 1998, 7 billion tampons and 13 billion sanitary pads and their packaging made their way into landfills and sewage systems in the USA alone!” Because pads are not biodegradable they have accumulated for decades in landfills. Menstruation.com provides a “Disposable Pad and Tampon Cost Calculator” so anyone can calculate how many products they will use over their lifetime. Being 22, I will approximately use 7,722! Let’s just say 4,000 women attend Saint Mary’s right now. On average over our lifetimes, we will collectively use 34,749,000 sanitary products. That is a mind-blowing amount of waste.

My initial thought when I saw the assortment of reusable and organic substitutes at Venus Envy was, “I wonder what the financial impact would be over a lifetime?” Using the same calculator on menstruation.com, I figured out that I would spend approximately $1,800 on disposable sanitary products over my lifetime. Let’s say I purchased a DivaCup once every five years, I would end up spending $495.00 over a lifetime. Even though it may not seem like a huge difference, and it might not be a lot of money spread out over a 45 years period, other financial factors can come into play by continuing to use disposable sanitary products. The more waste we accumulate, the higher our taxes will be to accommodate landfill space. Also, if you experience rashes, itchiness, hives, or yeast infections due to the synthetic materials found in pads and tampons, you will be spending money on medication and treatments.

To find out more about reusable and all-natural menstrual product substitutes, check out the following website: http://www.divacup.com/, http://www.gladrags.com/, http://www.bloodsisters.org/ or visit Venus Envy on Barrington Street.