SME Blog

Quote of the month

"The best way to explain a wiki is to look at one and use one yourself"

It certainly worked for me.

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Wiki event

I don’t think anyone was expecting such a good turn out at last week's Wiki Wednesday technology event organized by David Terrar at GJ.  Normally, you get drop out.  I was expecting about 25.  We got drop in and around 40 people came.  If nothing else it demonstrates the interest in wiki’s.  Rightly so in my opinion, this is no brainier technology that is breaking down geographic restrictions on how people interact.

What is a wiki?  A wiki is a website that is as simple to edit as it is to read.  This makes a wiki a perfect online collaboration tool.  A wiki can be a complete repository of knowledge that evolves as a business grows.  Just think of all the emails that get lost in space, especially when the team changes over time.  The benefit of a wiki is that it can capture all the vital information to benefit new team members as they join. 

Clearly, it is not only businesses that can benefit.  A wiki can benefit any type of social interaction not least as a tool to raise awareness of social issues.

You can find out more details on the event and the next one at Microsoft on the events very own wiki.

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Philip Woodgate

Podcast - Peter Rogol

It’s easy to add video content to this blog.  All you need to do is cut and paste some HTML code into the blog article to be posted.   Websites, such as YouTube, provide the HTML code. 

The HTML code looks like this:

<p><object width="425" height="350"><param value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SOsWniPgA8M" name="movie" /><param value="transparent" name="wmode" /><embed width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SOsWniPgA8M"></embed></object>

The same principle applies to the below podcast by Dennis Howlett. The MP3 player and podcast were created using HTML code provided by ClickCaster.  It’s a great method of sharing podcasts. 

This podcast is a conversation with Dennis and Peter Rogol.  I work with Peter and here he shares his thoughts on how entrepreneurs should deal with the mountain of bureaucracy and compliance they face in the 21st century.

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Philip Woodgate

Multi touch screen

The Jeff Han's multi touch screen has certainly moved on since SME Blog last looked at it back in November.  The video really says it all: 

Thanks to David Terrar for pointing it out.  Imagine if all Vista machines came with this?   

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Philip Woodgate

Franchise heartache

The franchise business model is a very successful one. The model is based on collaboration between the franchisee and franchisor working for the common good to build mutual success.  Unfortunately, real heartache can occur.

Bhupinder "Bob" Baber a franchisee found the whole process so bad he committed suicide and left this message on his death:

"I have struggled hard and did the best I could to create a voice for the franchisees in the system and to create a 'support system' for the franchisees, which does not exist, and to fight the injustices of this franchise system.…Not to bring the system down, but to make it fair."

The contractual franchise agreement determines the relative positions of strength between franchisee and franchisor.  Given that the franchisor draws up the agreement it's no surprise that the franchisee normally ends up in the weaker position.  However, some contractual agreements really can put the franchisee in a no win situation.  For example, contracts preventing franchisees suing their own franchisor are not uncommon.

Entering into a franchise agreement is a big step.  It often attracts people who are new to running a business as it is often perceived that there will be a good support network and a solid business .  But a franchise is a big investment so proper advice is vital from the outset.  Don’t rely on verbal representations of the franchisor. Do get proper advice from someone independent with experience in the sector.  In no way are all franchises bad, but sign up with a bad one and it can be very costly in a number of ways.

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Philip Woodgate

Keep it simple

I have an overriding philosophy in life of trying to keep things simple.  It’s a good philosophy, but the problem is this:

It’s easy to make simple things complicated

It’s hard to make complicated things simple

A complicated problem can be broken down to something simple.  It’s a case of breaking the problem up into small easy stages.  It takes time, but the benefits are worth it.  The big mistakes tend to happen when people don’t understand what they are doing.

This technique works well when you can apply logic.  Don’t use it for relationships (that needs the Sorry technique).  It also doesn’t work with the UK tax system.  Applying logic to the UK tax system to solve a problem is a dangerous game played with loaded dice.  The UK tax system is renowned as one of the most complex in the world.

Imagine then my surprise when I found out there is a Dummies Guide to Paying Less Tax 2006/07.  Quite amazing; I’ve ordered a copy to find out more.  Do they skate around the complex issues or break them down. Do they say "it depends". I would have loved a copy 18 years ago; it would have been a joy to witness the reaction from the Old School partners.

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