EQ Journal

Category

Things Every Tech Startup Needs to Know about Business Models

By Bruce M Firestone, B Eng (Civil), M Eng-Sci, PhD Abstract The Business Model is supplanting the Business Plan in many organizations. It not only describes the complete business ecosystem, it is a mechanism to discover profitable new relationships amongst stakeholder groups. The Business Model is more resilient than a plan and harder for competitors [...]

Exploriem Announces NEW Startup Membership Program for 2013

Why Getting a Mentor is Key and How to Find One OTTAWA (January 3, 2013) – Exploriem announces today, a new membership program for startup entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and artpreneurs for the Greater Ottawa Area. For a small annual fee, entrepreneurs gain access to essential resources and services. Exploriem will be offering different levels of membership [...]

Great Art

At TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) 2011, U2′s Bono made an offhand, almost throwaway comment that stopped me in my tracks. He said something like this: ‘The difference between good, maybe even very good art and great art is HUGE.‘ Entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and artpreneurs would do well to keep this in mind. Steve Jobs was [...]

IOE, Institute of Entrepreneurs

IOE5100, Advanced Business Models Exploriem.org’s Institute of Entrepreneurs presents IOE5100, Advanced Business Models for Entrepreneurs, Intrapreneurs and Artpreneurs, an MBA level course (For available dates and times as well as more information, please contact: Ms. Theresia Scholtes, tscholtes @ exploriem.org or @tclsholtes) Come study with Prof Bruce, a leader in designing and building business models [...]

Institute of Entrepreneurs/Advanced Business Model Course/Strathmere

(IOE5100 Advanced Business Models for Entrepreneurs and Intrapreneurs, MBA level) Come to beautiful Strathmere (1980 Phelan Road West, North Gower near Ottawa, Canada) to study with Prof Bruce from Monday July 23rd to Saturday July 28th, 2012. In less than a week, we will help turn you into a creative, focused entrepreneur or intrapreneur with [...]

Bundling

I think bundling is going to be a big factor in terms of leveraging entrepreneurial ventures in this century. For example, Lululemon Athletica not only sells active wear they also have Yoga classes in their stores. In essence, they are housing two complementary businesses under the same roof. But there is no reason why they [...]

70 Ways to Raise Bootstrap Capital

There are certainly hundreds or even thousands of clever techniques entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs are using to raise cheap/free capital, aka bootstrap capital. No list is ever going to be complete. But here is our summary of what people are doing these days to self-capitalize their new products/services/enterprises. If you would like to add to our [...]

Finding Bootstrap Capital Where You Least Expect It

(How one company made $800,000 from their below market office lease) Entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs work their magic every time they launch a new company/product or service with little or no funding. They’re amazingly good at finding niche opportunities and exploiting them to raise cash. Here’s one I learned from Rod Bryden who was on the [...]

Accretive Financing: Disney’s Deal to Buy the Ducks

How You can End up with More Cash on Hand after a Deal Than Before How the Disney Company Ended up Buying the Ducks from the National League for a Negative Amount of Cash I have been involved in more than 168 startups over the last 25 years—either as a principal or as an advisor. [...]

Institute of Entrepreneurs

Introduction Exploriem.org is launching the Institute of Entrepreneurs (IOE) this year. Why? To bring advanced research, education and mentoring to student entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs from self-capitalized and forward-looking enterprises across Canada and around the world. IOE provides access to research, education and a network of high achievers that you just can’t get anywhere else. The [...]

Negative Cost Marketing

Negative Cost Marketing (NCM) is all about getting other people to pay some or all of your marketing costs, in effect, turning your marketing function from a cost centre into a profit centre. NCM is a specific form of Guerrilla Marketing*. The 1964 Tribute Band (Beatles) does this with an ingenious promotion during concerts. They [...]

Six Questions with Manpacks’ Andrew Draper

Name: Andrew Draper Company: Manpacks Bootstrap Gold Medal Award Won: Best Website 2011 1. In three sentences or less, what is your enterprise’s value proposition? Manpacks makes shopping simple for men (and the people who love them) by automating the basics and allowing them to do the things they really want to in life, like [...]