DareBooster

Who is already doing it? 1

I'm going to list some entrepreneurs investing money, time and effort in alternatives. Business people thinking outside the box.

The first on this list is James Dyson. He is best known as the inventor of the bag less vacuum cleaner, which works on the principle of cyclonic separation.

After the Dyson Vacuumcleaner came the Airblade. It can dry your hands in just 10 seconds and doesn't waste energy on heating air. In standby mode it uses  80% less energy than conventional hand dryers.

The new goal for Dyson is to develop a solar powered car. The idea is to improve range by the energy provided by roof mounted solar panels. In all his communication he speaks about "electric cars should work properly." 

That gives us high hopes for a fast, fun and practical electrical car. An affortable alternative for the tesla car? Move on James!!!

How to become THE most hated entrepreneur in 3 easy steps.

It is indeed easy to become the bad guy in this world. But even in the old days long before the internet en Web2.0 technology was created, my grandmother said to me : "It takes only one thing to ruin your reputation but a lifetime building it."

I read somewhere that most people do the opposite of what they have been told.

So here are the 3  fastest ways to loose all you've got, and you better keep them in mind.

1. Cheat on your partners, I used the word "partners" because this gives you the freedom to apply  this powerful tool in work and personal life. What will happen : People will find out and blow the whistle, it makes them feel as the small hero bringing down the mean dictator. Governments are paying the whistle-blowers rewards from 10 to 30% of the recovery, this is a motivation, isn't it?
2. Lie to your costumers. Really powerful especially in a Web2.0 environment. What will happen : Do you really believe you can hide a secret with all these snoopies, bloggers, virtual reporters, competitors investigating you to find your weak spots? Do you remember the latest Sad Dell Story? An unhappy client started complaining on his blog about the weak performances of Dell laptop warranty repair service.  BANG thousands of visitors started sharing their experiences. I'm not lying here is the prove : http://daddy.typepad.com/daddyblog/2008/05/dad-vs-dell-hav.htm
3. Break your promises. What will happen : They will not forget what you've promised, everything you say today will be recorded instantly, printed or published on the internet. I test a lot of ecological products and must say many do not meet expectations. I feel mistreated and misinformed when a wonderful green product isn't working. Last week I saw a documentary on Round Up and it really struck me to find out this product isn't biodegradable.(It is mentioned on the package) In a way it is, if you can wait 70 years. Hé, this is not what I call biodegradable. Liars, cheaters and criminals that is what I think about Monsanto.

"I would prefer that business leaders actually provide leadership so working people who rely on the wage to live don't get screwed by the poor decisions of corporations."(thewaythingswas)

"Now after meeting and brainstorming with the team at VirginUnite – I’d strongly recommend them as a candidate because of the way they are creating entrepreneurial solutions to significant problems and a force for good. As entrepreneurs we know we can foster innovative solutions to business problems – this is the same force being tapped for the greater good. I’m really excited about some of their projects and what us, as entrepreneurs, can do together. You’ll be hearing more about this soon".(Yanik Silver)

If you think about your child or your (future) grandchildren, how will their world look like? Have you helped building it? Come on be honest, make a commitment and stick to it.

Success, Ronny

Green to Go !

Green is the signal to proceed, permission to go ahead with a project. Take off, Launch, Create, Inspire, Change, Develop. (Source : Oxford Dictionary)

Or as in Funky Business Forever: How to Enjoy Capitalism (Financial Times):"...technology is changing and will continue to change faster than any government can issue regulations to control it."

Every day I hear Business Owners say : "What will be the next step? How can I stay on track? What will happen if we can't control it?"

This is fear, there are no rules anymore, you have to find out how to get along.  With your clients, customers, employees.  But also with your students, family and children. That's it.

Ridderstrale & Nordström mention 3 drivers  moving us forward into the unknown, naming changes in technology, institutions and values.
This means that we all have to find out for ourselves how we will manage our lives and businesses.

A good question asked by Eckhart Tolle in A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (Oprah's Book Club, Selection 61) : "What about turning choosing from being chosen to do something?"  You have to serve your soul. What is your mission?  If you think about your children's future, are you helping to build a better place for them?" Making this place healthier can be an inspiring guidance.

Look for the green light, with your eyes open to the future... three, two, one GO!!!

What if tomorrow China changes his economy from oil-based to let's say Hydrogen or another alternative energy source ??

We have all the technology, but as long we do not apply it, we leave them an opportunity to out-race our already weak economy.

Let's start with private transport. I remember the story my grandfather told me about the lazy dog of the milkman in his neighborhood. One day somebody started feeding the animal pulling the small buggy and overnight others followed the example ... everybody started to pet and feed the dog.   Within a week the milkman and his dog zigzagged from door to door.
Grandpa always told me this story with a big smile.  As a kid for him it was funny but it was a real nightmare for the poor milkman who had to follow his dog, hunting for treats. He pulling the buggy to make his dog slow down trying to protect his milk bottles.

It is hard for me to imagine how it was in those days, I've seen some pictures of carts pulled by horses and dogs. This was transport a few years before World War I (1914-1918). In less then 100 years we moved from carts and bicycles to car and motorcycle. What a change in such a relatively short period. 
By the way it took less then 2 decades for oil prices  to rise from 10 to +100 $.

And still you're thinking the Chinese will not make this change from oil to something else?  I can't believe this.

Do you know when the first Japanese car was sold in the USA? 1956 (source : http://www.scaruffi.com/)  Back then, nobody in the USA would have believed me if I had said : "And there are many more to come!"
Every good American would have answered me : "Nobody can beat Detroit"
"What about 1973?"  First real oil crises.  Japanese cars used only half of the petrol compared to American cars.
Why Japanese cars are the best seller in USA ?  Because American car manufacturers were practicing what's called "planned obsolescence" and Japanese developers kept on improving and innovating.

The change is happening :
In 1997: Toyota introduces the Prius, the world's first commercially mass-produced hybrid automobile, (source : http://www.scaruffi.com)
2007: Toyota passes General Motors as the world's largest car manufacturer !!!

Japan is a very small country, it's population is estimated at around 127.4 million.  But what about China?
With just over 1.3 billion people (one out of every five people on the planet), China is the world's largest and most populous country.
And what about India?
India is currently the world's second most populous country with 1 billion people.  By 2040, India is expected to become the world's most populous country (by then it'll be home to over 1.5 billion while China will have a population of under 1.5 billion.) (source : http://geography.about.com)

They don't have the money to pay the energy-bill and in crisis people get creative. They will eventually find an alternative  for highly expensive oil consuming cars.
Honestly ?  What is more fun then driving your own car ? Anywhere in the world ...

"Dear customers, We Care About Our Children's' Future ! All Our Printed Materials are Environmentally Safe !"

In my coaching practice, I often hear the following question from managers:
"Where do I start ?  I have no experience in going green or being green at all."

What is the first thing that customers see from your company ?  What is the first impression they have from your product or service ?  Right, it's information, publicity, ads in papers, packaging, leaflets, user manuals.  It is a lot of printed material.

Let's say you are not a printer, but you use printed material to promote your service or product.  What do you know about printing?  Not that much because it is not your responsibility.  You or the copywriter creates an idea and you'll send it to the printer.  So, what about asking him for advise?

From now on you want to print environmentally friendly.  You will use less resources, less to no pollution.  Doing it this way will add a value to your message : "Dear customers, we care about our children's future."
You don't have to know anything more about green printing then you did about printing in the old days. Let your printer know that you want to create environmentally friendly material.
Ask him. "How will you do this?" Let the printer help you to define how green you want to go.
Green alternatives are available for any piece of the puzzle. Guide to Book Publishing (The Green Guide Girls)

Here is a list of green alternatives to get you and your printer going :

• More then sixty environmentally responsible book papers Tyson Miller of The Green Press Initiative.
• Up to 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Rule of thumb: "1 ton of 100% post-consumer content paper, such as copier or printing paper, saves 24 trees. This number is based on calculations that Conservatree did with Environmental Defense from data in Claudia G. Thompson's book Recycled Papers: The Essential Guide  published in 1992.  Combined with data from Environmental Defense "Paper Task Force Recommendations for Purchasing and Using Environmentally Preferable Paper" published in 1995. (Source: www.Conservatree.org)
• Vegetable based inks instead of petroleum-based inks
• The use of renewable energy products during the printing process.  Paper can be made using wind, solar power, water power or other renewable energy sources
• Chlorine free paper : Chlorine is a chemical used in the bleaching, or whitening, of papers, and to say chlorine is a "dangerous" chemical is the understatement of the century.  Dioxins are the byproducts released during the manufacturing of chlorine-bleached papers. According to Deborah Bruner of New Leaf Paper: "For a long time paper mills were the number one source of dioxin pollution in waterways in the U.S." and as a note "Dioxin is considered the most dangerous carcinogen to mankind".
• And last but not least you are saving trees. More tips on Going Green on TreeHugger.com
  

Save the Planet = Stop the Blame-game !

Plastic made of petrol and chemicals is not biodegradable.  This means that if you don't burn it (which, by the way, produces highly toxic gasses) they will stay on our planet for much longer then you and I will live.
Almost everything we eat and many of the things that we use in our daily lives are made of or packed in plastic made from petrol.

To give you an idea of the enormous quantities : a vast swath in the South Pacific of about twice the size of Texas, is full of floating plastic garbage. (this was november 2007)  Yesterday I heard on the news that meanwhile the plastic whirlpool has grown as big as the United States.

You can read many scientific reports about the consequences of this immense pollution.
Amongst many others, Captain Charles Moore is one the people who is sounding the alarm.  You can read a most depressing article  in Life Best Magazine about Charles Moore and his work if you click here.
But be warned, if you read all through to the end you might feel a little bit discouraged and depressed ...

Unfortunately it's always the same old song, someone is shocked and tries to saddle up people with a guilty conscience. 

Let it come to you

Have you ever heard of RSS?
Do you know how to use it?
Do you know why it is good for you?

I do, but I'm not going to explain it.

I never saw such a simple explanation on RSS as the one you can visit by clicking the following link :

RSS In Plain English

 

This little clip was made by Mark Hendricks.

And what's in it for me?

A while ago a client asked me an interesting question when I mentioned blogging to help her grow her business. She asked : "And what's in it for me?" I wasn't sure about the meaning of this question. So I reflected back : "In it for you? Can you be a little more specific?"

She told me that she had to do a lot of things and her days were packed with loads and loads of things to do. Adding a blog wasn't something she wanted to do. She was thinking in terms of time and return. And right she was, one has to think about return on investment.

A while ago a client asked me an interesting question when I mentioned blogging to help her grow her business. She asked : "And what's in it for me?" I wasn't sure about the meaning of this question. So I reflected back : "In it for you? Can you be a little more specific?"