Make Your Mark Blog

I really hope that Honda is an enterprising brand through its employees, not just its advertising campaign. Which I think is ace. They’ve inspired me today…

As we turn the corner of a new era, we need new people to help us continue with our enterprise message - As the new HR manager I am excited to have some great opportunities available to continue the enterprise message through our people. We are looking for people ready for new challenges and passionate about what we do - whether you are a self confessed enterprise junkie or want to embark on an amazing new journey you might just be in with a chance - so who’s in?

Vanessa

Enterprise Junkie - and - Make Your Mark HR Manager

Hi, Shed here… Great to be with you.

This month, I’ve got two new ideas for you…

1) THE p-Pod - the next big thing in MP3 players?

Forget apple! The next big thing is PEAS. I am very proud to show you my latest idea for a new mp3 player - ‘The p-Pod’:

If you’re a model-maker, graphic designer or manufacturer and you’d like to help me get this idea off the ground and into the shops, please get in touch through my personal site.

2) THE AMAZING ‘DRY CLEANING’ ADVENTURE (never thought I’d write that sentence)

Life is very exciting…because you never know when an idea might hit you. I was in a Dry Cleaner’s shop and became intrigued by the plastic covers used to protect people’s clothes. I noticed that they were printed with the name of the Dry Cleaning shop - and also that there was a space of white in between the reoccurring information.

So I asked myself the question: “Why can’t I use that space….perhaps to promote my new book?…”. I spoke with the Dry Cleaning bosses - a pair of lovely guys named Masood and Ali - and after we came to a deal, we printed a new batch of covers, complete with an advert showcasing - IDEAS MAN…

So, this adventure neatly proves that…

***OPPORTUNITIES ARE EVERYWHERE***

..and so, this means that you can take your amazing brain and just look around, whilst all the time thinking: “What could be done better?” or “What could I do slightly differently?” and you’ll be coming up with great ideas and having superb adventures in no time…

All the best,

Yours,

Shed

Shed’s inspiring, informative and amusing book IDEAS MAN is out now.

See more of his adventures and products on www.ideasman.co.uk

Read Shed’s inspiring story.

Phil Hope gave a rousing speech at the launch event of the UK Catalyst Awards - the community awards for social technology yesterday at NESTA.

Present were a range of aspiring winners, sponsors, partners, media, interested parties and not least the ‘Talkaoke’ - a doughnut shaped table where people come to have a facilitated debate and discussion.

The minister was especially keen to see a fusion between ‘techies’ in the social media sphere, social entrepreneurs and social activists. Watch this space…

www.ukcatalystawards.com

Microsoft have launched research today, which shows that over 80% of small business owners believe that the conditions for starting a business will worsen over the coming year. It also revealed that more than 40% would not encourage others thinking about setting up in business.  What was interesting was that financing projects was not of great concern so it seems that the issue is around confidence rather than money.

I went on some regional radio stations this morning to discuss these points alongside a spokesperson from Microsoft and was keen to point out the following:

• There is a market out there for more than you might think and, whilst entrepreneurs should be careful not to enter a particularly declining market, there will always be a need for innovative products and services
• You have to take risks to be an entrepreneur, no matter what the state of the economy is, so the trick is to manage these risks and take control of your own destiny
• Start small, but aim high. As my friend from Microsoft rightly says it is now possible to set up in business with only a good idea and a laptop based in your bedroom. You don’t always need to chuck your job in and remortgage your house to turn a dream into reality. Who knows you could create the next Google or Facebook which both started in someone’s bedroom!

And bearing this all in mind if you are (hopefully) still keen to take the plunge make sure you get out there and talk about your idea with others. Find people who can help you because a strong support network can get you through the hardest of times.

We were asked by the British Council to help out in selecting the top 100 young people to get the experience of a lifetime. They get to spend 6 weeks this summer is China, India or Brazil getting to know the culture, people, businesses and schools.

As the experts in enterprise we assessing the candidates on their enterprise capability. So I devised a challenge for the candidates to work in teams to come up with an idea to raise the profile of an NGO in one of the host countries. The case studies were all real and gave the candidates a really good basis of info to come up with some amazingly innovative ideas.

They decided to do everything from run a network to keep volunteers involved in the programme year round to recycling wrist bands to create new ones for their NGO. My favourite PR stunt which they came up with was to project their logo onto Buckingham Palace.

All of the candidates really shone and came up with fantastic ideas and presented them really well to the panel. I’ve learnt that being a panellist is a really tough job - it takes a lot of energy and the afternoon break was really needed to keep my energy up.

Good luck to all the candidates and I’m sure they’ll have an amazing adventure when they get to their destinations. For more info on the Prime Minister’s Global Fellowships take a look at http://www.globalgateway.org.uk/Default.aspx?page=4120

The BBC is currently searching for Britain’s best entrepreneurs for the next series of Dragons’ Den and will be auditioning throughout the coming months. They want to hear from anyone who is genuinely seeking investment for their business idea or invention and thinks they’ve got what it takes to enter the Dragons’ Den.

If you would like an application form send an e-mail to dragonsden@bbc.co.uk, telephone 0871 200 3003 (Calls cost 10p per minute from a BT Landline, other operators and mobiles may be higher) or visit www.bbc.co.uk/dragonsden

What’s more, as it is St George’s Day today what better day is there to take on a Dragon?!

Make Your Mark has teamed up with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, NESTA and a number of other organisations to bring you The UK Catalyst Awards: Community Awards for Social Change.

These new awards are looking for people who help their community by using social technology in new and exciting ways.

Anyone in the UK can enter and winners will get the chance to promote their idea and see it adopted by others, be invited to pitch their idea to judges, compare notes with fellow finalists, and meet other interesting people, like the folk from Unltd - the charity that helps social entrepreneurs. They will also be invited to an award ceremony where their work could be recognised as the best in the country.

If you have had a great idea using social technology that has made a difference to your community then The UK Catalyst Awards want to hear from you!

Visit www.ukcatalystawards.com to find out more and enter.

The Ideas Igloo road show was created in order to search for hidden entrepreneurs in Colleges and Universities across the UK. 

Being a Product Design student in Manchester Metropolitan University, I had a couple of ideas to share when the road show came to Manchester. After being selected as one of the top ten contenders in Greater Manchester, I was given one minute to pitch my idea to the panel of Dragons. It was an interesting experience to watch each of the ten presentations since they were all so different. By the end of the afternoon I was selected as the winner in the Greater Manchester region. The prize was £150 to be used to further the idea in preparation of the National final, two weeks later. I spent the money on making a prototype of my concept and printing a large poster, business cards and leaflets. I spent my time creating a stand which effectively showcased my idea, and I created a simple, eye-catching PowerPoint presentation. The final was a great experience since it brought together like-minded, young Entrepreneurs from across the country. During the morning, a business meeting was organised for each finalist with the opportunity to discuss financial projections with an experienced entrepreneur. A sit- down, networking lunch was provided which gave the opportunity to speak with the other contenders. Each finalist was then given three minutes to pitch their idea with the opportunity to use presentation facilities. I was lucky enough to win the National Final and was awarded £2000 to further my idea and a variety of Microsoft software packages. Since winning the competition, I have made movements in developing my patent, producing more prototypes and refining the design ready for the marketplace. I have also carried out some market research in the Alps. I have been in contact with prospective investors but am currently playing my cards close to my chest.  

I would like to thank Microsoft and Make Your Mark for this opportunity to further my idea and am excited at what the future holds.  

Just been on a v cool training course by the gang from http://mediasnackers.com/intro/

If you want to learn more about the potential of social media and all things digital then this is the course for you. We saw some inspiring examples of the power of shared content:

http://www.invisiblechildren.com/home.php - if this isn’t an enterprising idea which has been turned into reality I don’t know what is! We should use this as inspiration for Global Entrepreneurship Week (www.unleashingideas.org).

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8602472107022912201 I love the cup stackers. Over one million people have viewed this film. Unbelievable.

Hopefully you’ll begin to see Make Your Mark folk being more digital-savvy, using video and audio to inspire and empower. Watch this space…

And if you have any other examples of where people have used social networking and digital technology to make their enterprising ideas happen please tell us and share the inspiration!!

ps just found this - better version of evite for sending out invitations http://www.pingg.com/event/view/ZQzZ0Wc-zZ05v?new=true

Professional networking group First Tuesday, in conjunction with leading web conference Internet World, have announced the First Tuesday Award. A distinguished panel of judges from companies such as the Financial Times and the London Business School will bestow the title of ‘UK’s Most Promising Internet Company’ to the most qualified candidate, at the Internet World conference in London on April 30th April, 2008.

Covering a broad spectrum of web-based UK businesses, the companies will be judged on their degree of innovation, growth rate and future potential. The winner will be awarded a lucrative business booster package including personal introductions to some of UK’s top VC and Angel investors, a professionally produced corporate video, access to meeting facilities across the UK and business plan coaching. The full package is valued at upwards of £10,000.

“London specifically, and the UK in general, are experiencing a resurgence in web-based entrepreneurial culture,” said First Tuesday Chief Executive Christer Holloman. “What largely disappeared after the dot-com bust of 2000 has reemerged, with a vibrant mix of young start-ups and experienced venture capitalists starting to make waves.”

Internet World event director James Drake-Brockman commented: “With the UK’s premier web companies and most promising entrepreneurs in attendance, Internet World provides the perfect forum for First Tuesday’s ‘Most Promising Internet Company’ award. First Tuesday’s formula of bringing together venture capital and entrepreneurship will add a valued dimension to the event.”

Companies that believe they should be shortlisted can nominate themselves free of charge on the First Tuesday website ( http://www.firsttuesday.org.uk/award ). The nomination process takes then less then 10 minutes. Members of the public are also encouraged to nominate companies they would like to see win, for a chance to collect a cash prize and tickets to the official after party at Paul Allen’s private members club, The Hospital in Covent Garden.

Hello. My name is Shed.

I know that sounds a bit odd, but my parents called me that from an early age (it’s short for ‘Sheridan’).

Anyway…it’s great to be with you.

One of my huge passions is coming up with new ideas and then making them happen. You can see the sort of mischief and entrepreneurialism I get up to, on my personal site.

Right now though, my only focus is YOU. My aim is to make this blog incredibly useful (and hopefully also entertaining and interesting) for you. You can judge whether I succeed. . .

First off, I’m going to read your mind. So, prepare to be astonished.

Ok, good… hold still…it’s coming through.

The fact that you’re visiting the ‘Make Your Mark’ website tells me so much about you. First off, it tells me that you’re someone who wants to make things happen.

Secondly, you’re someone who searches for information on how to make those things happen. Already, these two facts about you mean that I know you’ve got all the talents needed to achieve success in any field you want, namely: you’ve got both the desire to succeed and also the intelligence to search for ways to make your success happen.

So that’s good news for starters, isn’t it!

In this series of blogs, I’m going to share with you some of my adventures in creativity and entrepreneurialism and give you my secrets of success. Hopefully you’ll find them both interesting an inspiring… If you enjoy them and find them useful, you can read more of my adventures and secrets for success in my latest book ‘Ideas Man’…

All the very best and I wish you great success…

yours,

Shed

SHED’S TEN QUICK SECRETS OF SUCCESS (PART 1: Secrets 1-5)

1- TO GET YOURSELF NOTICED, GO ABOVE AND BEYOND

For my first job in television, I wanted to make myself stand out amongst the thousands of applicants all equally able and willing to get their chance at working in one of the most diverse and upcoming production companies in the UK.

So, I sent my potential employers a pizza with the following message printed in the lid: “Wanted to give you a pizza my mind and say thanks for the interview…”.

Oh, how cheesy (ouch) is that! But it worked because the bosses noticed me. After I sent them scripts proving I was passionate about the job, they interviewed me and eventually hired me as a trainee.

So…research is key. Find out all you can about the job you are going for and the people who are ultimately responsible for making the decisions.

Then use your initiative to go above and beyond and make your application stand out.

2- FIND INSPIRING PEOPLE WHO SHARE YOUR DREAM TO WORK WITH

No matter how great and unique you are, it’s always better when you’re succeeding with someone else. We all need other to help fill in our skill gaps.

So it’s a good idea to always search for the best (and most knowledgeable people) in the field you’re hoping to succeed in and persuade them to work with you.

It’s also a good idea to share your goals with others by telling people (who you trust) about your aims.

Doing this will set your idea in motion, because when you’ve told someone you’re going to do something, you’ll want to prove to them you can.

And hopefully, they can also help you stay motivated. . .

3- DON’T JUST DREAM IT…DO IT

When you have an idea, the worst thing is to sit there and spend valuable time thinking about making it happen. So, stop thinking and start doing.

We all have creative ideas from time to time and the longer we sit and think about them the more we fill ourselves with self doubt and in the end stop doing it.

These days, with the internet at your fingertips, you are always so close to people who can help. As long as you start making your idea happen and then learn from the journey, you can’t go far wrong.

And remember, as Walt Disney said so well, “If You Can Dream It You Can Do It”.

4- PACKAGING IS KEY

One of the first novelty products I launched was the ‘Butt Plug’ – a bum shaped mould that goes on the back of an electrical plug.

Unfortunately, the packaging wasn’t quite right. It didn’t clearly tell the customer what the plastic bum was for.

Presentation is always key when you’re pitching anything – you must communicate quickly and professionally what your message is.

5- AIM TO FAIL

Try to re-train your mind and persuade yourself that when you try something new and than you fail, it’s a good thing.

It’s good…because, if you fail at something, you know you’re moving towards your goal.

All you then have to do is learn from those hiccups and power onwards and you’ll succeed.

(SECRETS 6-10 coming soon….)

All the very best in your endeavours…

Yours,

Shed

*****

To read more of Shed’s adventures in entrepreneurialism and find out the secrets of success, see Shed’s New Book ‘Ideas Man‘ and view his news and products on www.IdeasMan.co.uk.

Also, if you work in the Tea Bag industry, The Bottled Water Industry The Cheese Industry or would simply like to explore working with Shed on one of his new ideas, please contact him through www.IdeasMan.co.uk too.

*****

Read Shed’s inspiring story

Check out the latest BBC online blog http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7315598.stm

from entrepreneur and Make Your Mark ambassador Kulveer - who has just sold his company which he runs with his cousin for ‘millions of dollars’.

His move to Sillicon Valley in the States has undoubtedly played a part and I wonder whether we can ever hope to reproduce this fostering environment for tech companies in the UK. It’s a point which Kulveer raises within a view point he wrote for us last year.

http://www.makeyourmark.org.uk/policy/future_face_of_enterprise/who_else/viewpoints/stoz/

Let us know what you think…

The Innovation Edge Conference – Tuesday, 20th May 2008

NESTA’s Innovation Edge conference is an unrivalled opportunity to get under the skin of innovation in the UK – and consider the impact it will have on our future.

The conference brings together a powerful mix of experts from industry, culture, politics and academia. Bob Geldof, Lord Puttnam, Helen Alexander, Michael Birch and urban artist ‘Inkie’ are just a few of those who’ll be fuelling the discussion.

Be a part of it. The Innovation Edge is free to attend. Register now at www.innovationedge08.co.uk

A speaker event on how to be a great entrepreneur in the workplace!

Wednesday 9th April 6 - 8.30pm at the British Library Conference Centre

• Are you creative, enterprising and innovative in the workplace?
• Are you bursting with ideas on how your company could innovate it’s internal systems or external services?
• Do you know how to manage this energy and present ideas effectively to management, generate buy-in and successfully thrive within the workplace?

How can companies effectively nurture this type of environment to encourage innovation greater knowledge exchange and improved recruitment, retention, development and deployment?

This event is for professionals who desire to be entrepreneurial in the workplace and wish to know how to present and develop their ideas effectively to management?

PLUS HR/Learning and Development teams who are keen to enable an entrepreneurial culture within their company.

A panel of speakers have harnessed this creative potential:

Claire Purchase from Freshminds
After graduating from the University of Manchester with a first class Economics degree, Claire brought her creativity and energy to FreshMinds Talent. She is known by her colleagues as incredibly innovative and is the key contributor to the “Ideas Surgery” that the FreshMinds CEOs hold each month.

Justin Champney, Head of Brand Innovation EMEA,McCann Worldgroup
Justin has extensive expertise in leading teams across multiple European countries, innovating creative management solutions and processes. As an internal entrepreneur, Justin also adds value to the operation of the overall agency.

Ashley Sweetland, Director of Youth Strategy, Corporate Culture Ltd
Ashley, 24, leads Corporate Culture’s focus on children, young people and education. Prior to joining Corporate Culture he has worked for The National Youth Agency and the Department for Education and Skills.

Find out more and register here http://www.stridingout.co.uk/networking-events-london.php