SME Blog

The ITC Entrepreneurs’ Forum

Being an entrepreneur can be tough and stressful.  It can also be incredibly exciting. If you are an entrepreneur then qualities such as drive and persistence will be a given.  Factor in that we are living in the 21st century, and more than likely technology will feature somewhere in the mix. If you find you are fired up, with fresh business ideas that blend in technology, then where is a good place to turn for help?

Judging by my visit to the Information Technologists’ Company (ITC), a very good place to start is The Entrepreneurs’ Forum.  Don't be put off by their distinctly retro looking website.  It may not have the dazzle of the current wave of Web 2.0 and social media orientated sites, but look at the content and it reveals a golden nugget.

A host of high quality successful entrepreneurs such as Geoff Morris and Paul Finch are willing to be mentors to you the entrepreneur on a voluntarily and without payment basis. Given that these entrepreneurs have a wealth of experience and skill then this is fantastic offer.  Their mentoring could be the encouragement you need to achieve your goals.

One such entrepreneur who is benefiting from the The Entrepreneurs Forum is Rajeeb Dey, the powerhouse behind enternships.com .  Rajeeb is an impressive individual who notes that:

The experience and knowledge of the people on the panel is very rich, and to have access to it, as a new business, is really helpful.

In these days of press filled stories of greedy bankers it is hard not to be impressed and refreshed by the works of the ITC. Investigate further yourself and get in touch at www.itcmentoring.com

Keeping control of your finances with online accounting

Recently at work I met up with entrepreneur Andre Kwakernaat from Twinfield and captured some video footage. In this video Andre gives some tips for entrepreneurs and explains how they can keep control of their finances using online accounting.

Behind the Cloud - The SME Perspective

Behind the Cloud is a book written by Marc Benioff of Salesforce.com that provides advice to help entrepreneurs become more successful.

You can hear what Mark Benioff says of the book in the video below, but for the typical SME is it worth the read? 

For the most part the book is a success.  The book is a very easy read and keeps the content to short sections of advice divided up into 111 "plays".  Much of it is very sensible for SMEs such as:

Play #9: Listen to Your Prospective Customers

Play #18: Differentiate, Differentiate, Differentiate

Play #95: Build a First-Class Financial Team

Some advice needs to be taken in light of Salesforce.com's position rather than, say, a small one man micro consultancy business.  For example, Play #94: Measure a Fast-Growing Company on Revenue, Not Profitability is not likely to apply if your company is a one man consultancy business.

Particularly fascinating are some comments that go against perceived old rules, but have worked well for Salesforce.com.  Play #56 Embrace Transparency and Build Trust tells of the company's experience on actively opening up to customers, prospects and journalists rather than remaining silent when faced with problems.  Even for a company as forward thinking as Salesforce.com this was "a big leap of faith".  However, with the rise of digital publication and blogging in retrospect it was no surprise that engaging with the individuals in this arena would be more successful than shutting them out.

Overall, a good read for any entrepreneur.  Keep the above in mind and while the book will undoubtedly help, there is still much hard work required by any entrepreneur to bring the areas described in the book together to create a successful business.

10 London based business iPhone apps

The iPhone has proved very popular at work after replacing the Blackberrrys.  With Android in the market the mobile tech sector will be even stronger in the new decade.

Here are my current top 10 business apps:

iThoughts

Mind mapping tool that highlights the benefits of using touchscreen technology. An excellent tool for those that like the mind mapping approach.

Quickoffice

Excel and Word functionality for the iPhone.

WorkSnug

Locate a nearby wireless network (and cafe). Uses the augumented reality approach also found on Nearest Tube.

BusinessWeek

Quality content with good small business and management channels.

National Rail

Obtain the latest train information.

Tube Exits

Shortest journey calculator for the tube. 

Weather Pro

High precision weather forecast. Very good.

Business Card Reader

Import contact information from business cards directly to your iPhone contacts.

Twittelator

Discover Twitter for yourself and join the growing business users.  Alternatively, there is the LinkedIn app.

Xero

Access the Xero accounting system on your iPhone.  Demonstrates how future business systems will integrate with mobile technology.