Web 2.0 Directories & Cool Ideas From Cape Town

Trevor writes:

Am following these excellent site links for great ideas:

1. GO2WEB2.0

2. Listio

This cool ideas and trends site from Cape Town:

3. CherryFlava

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com
trevor@innercircleforum.com

The Iceberg Approach To INSTANT Strategy

Trevor writes:

Following on from INSTANT Strategy - Think It, Plan It, Do It! the thought struck me, on my swim, that INSTANT Strategy as a concept perhaps has serious validity in that the end-consumer of any end-product of an idea really responds to what he/she sees or likes that stimulates their buying emotions.

In other words, my thinking is that consumers are simply looking for what appeals to them and most probably couldn't care less about how much work has gone in behind the research and development of the product.

Much like an eco-traveller on a personal mission to see the wonders of the icebergs in Alaska. What do they really go to see, what's above the water... or what's below?

I believe that they go to see what is above the water.

The added importance of the iceberg principle is captured in this further picture of what it is that sinks the 'Titanic' (i.e. the lookout didn't see the tip of the iceberg in time - that little tip seen in time could have saved the Titanic).

So INSTANT Strategy as a concept may offer a similar reasoning to that of the Anthropic principle which essentially suggests that any process of observation - as for observing the reason for life on earth - is much like the course of a movie, with a beginning, a middle, and an end.

And that we the observers are at the 'end' of the movie which can be rewound to see what came before.

So what if INSTANT Strategy offered us a simple insight or short-cut process as to what the end of the strategy movie should be (i.e. what our end product looks like to the emotionally involved consumers)? Would it make it simpler to drop all the complexities of strategic planning in our explanations of what we want to achieve?

Aaaaah... ain't I stupid... the penny has just dropped... it's what Steven Covey talked of when he said: 'Begin with the end in mind'. That's where INSTANT Strategy should begin.

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com
trevor@innercircleforum.com

INSTANT Strategy - Think It, Plan It, Do It!

Trevor writes:

Following on from my thoughts expressed in simplify, Simplify, SIMPLIFY ..1 ..2 ..3 , I have found myself beginning to apply what I have been terming to myself as 'INSTANT Strategy' principles to simplify the initial scoping of some complex strategy thinking for a pending joint venture deal.

While swimming at the gym this morning (where I do a lot of my thinking) the mantra kept going through my mind: 'Think It, Plan It, Do It', 'Think It, Plan It, Do It', 'Think It, Plan It, Do It'. After 40 lengths of that... it starts to stick.. ;-)

It just strikes me that if one wanted a simple ..1 ..2 ..3 description of the term INSTANT Strategy then Think It, Plan It, Do It does a pretty good job.

Having then also written If You Think It, It's Probably Already Been THUNKED , it was natural for me to go and do an advanced Google search to see how many sites refer to the term 'instant strategy'... and the answer is: '..about 1,880'. And surprisingly, the same advanced search on "think it plan it do it" unveils only '..about 80' sites.

Which means that the two terms appear pretty rarely in the tons and tons of intellectual thinking and concept collaborations on the web. So we might be onto something here.

As a back-up, the thought came to me that 'Think It, Map It, Do It' might lend a visual connotation to the above phrase, although I do believe that 'Think It, Plan It, Do It' needs very little explanation for almost everybody. 'Map It' might need more explanation as it can lead to overly-intellectual discussion on landscaping and business models.

The closest links that refer to the above 'Think It,..' phrase are http://think-plan-do.net/ ; http://www.tipidi.com/ ; Joomla! by Think IT, Plan IT, Do IT Enterprises, LLC. Also found this comment by one Bill Castell who talks of: 'We are adept at real-time decision-making, instant strategy, and sound-bite communication..'.

I presume that he is talking of the apparent need for speed in an instant-coffee, instant-everything society... which aligns with my gut feel that people will enjoy the fleshing out of a concept called INSTANT Strategy.

Remind me to talk about the 'iceberg approach to instant strategy' thought that hit me on about my 25th length of the pool.

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com
trevor@innercircleforum.com

If You Think It, It's Probably Already Been THUNKED

Trevor writes:

Found someone who thinks as I do... interesting read.

See Mosh Pit as Innovation Model - here's an extract:

as CDBaby's Derek Sivers put in in this post: "It’s so funny when I hear people being so protective of ideas. (People who want me to sign an NDA to tell me the simplest idea.)To me, ideas are worth nothing unless executed. They are just a multiplier. Execution is worth millions."

It's our implementation, not our idea that matters.

Even if we are the only ones to have a specific new and protectable "idea" (unlikely), the moment we reveal it, everyone else will have it too. The barrier to entry today is way too low to use "intellectual property" as a main advantage. And all too often, we think we have a unique idea only to find that others are -- independently -- doing the same things.

I've been toying with this slogan in my head for a while:

If You Think It, It's Probably Already Been THUNKED!

In other words, don't get to precious about your ideas... rather concentrate on researching their viability (look for the lessons from others who are thinking along the same path) and implementing them sooner than anyone else.

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com
trevor@innercircleforum.com

simplify, Simplify, SIMPLIFY ..1 ..2 ..3

Trevor writes:

From this post - MAD 7. It Only Takes 'HALF-A-DOZEN' Things! (extract below) - I am reminded that it is all to easy to fall into the trap of adding unnecessary complexity to ideas, projects, strategies, et al, that should be as simple as ...1 ..2 ..3

Too many people look to make the simple things in life too complex to understand.

Yes, most often it takes only a few things... 1, 2, or 3 things... just a 'half-a-dozen' things to ensure success in most projects.

I am resolving to simplify every idea, project, strategy I have into a 'simple as ..1 ..2 ..3' graphic presentation.

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com
trevor@innercircleforum.com

10 Steps For Moving Ideas To ACTION

Trevor writes:

I like this simple 10 Steps For Moving To Action plan used by www.changeproject.org.

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com
trevor@innercircleforum.com

Talking IDEAS - A Morning With Trevor Nel

Trevor writes:

Come and spend a morning with me Talking IDEAS - Life, Business & Money-Making Ideas.

Saturday 21st April - 8 a.m. to 12 Noon - stay for lunch & drinks.

Venue: My Home Office - 4 Etterby Close, Lonehill.

• Bring YOUR OWN ideas
• Share in the ideas of others
• Brainstorm ideas from nowhere
• Learn how to put your ideas into action
• Monetise your ideas

Everyone knows that I have tons of my own ideas... and access to tons more ideas at the drop of a hat... and experience in taking many of my own ideas to market. I can share what we are doing with our Developing JV Blogs to uncover great business ideas, joint ventures and strategic alliances.

Every attendee will get an e-book copy of my publication 'How To GET WEALTHY In Your Sleep' (we'll use it to stimulate discussions) covering these chapter topics:

1. Can Anyone REALLY Make Money, Retire Wealthy… and Love Your Life..?
2. Is MONEY Really That Important In This Life..?
3. The STRANGEST Thing About Money
4. There Are MANY Different Ways To Make Money
5. The SAD Truth About Making Money
6. Three Steps To Making Money and Retiring Wealthy
7. Who PAYS THE PRICE For Your Success… Or Failure?
8. Making Money Work HARD For You
9. From STRUGGLE… To Making Money: A Quality Lesson
10. The Beauty Of A Revolutionary PASSIVE INCOME Business System
Conclusion: The Very BEST Investment You Can Make… Beginning Today

Come with an open mind and a desire to make lots of money and we should all have some fun with a SERIOUS agenda.

Booking Essential. Seats Limited.

Just R200 per head + R50 for lunch & tea/coffee/cooldrinks (if you're staying to shoot the breeze.. :-)

Book Here: Please Confirm Your Details for Sat. 21st April Talking IDEAS meeting on this link

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com
trevor@innercircleforum.com

About Taking IDEAS To Market

Trevor writes:

Some interesting links to people who understand how to take ideas to market:

1. Why do 88% of Ideas Fail to Make it to Market? - this author discusses an Innovation Process System that works. 'Generating good ideas and profitably bringing good ideas to market requires 7-steps.'

“Deliver to the right customer exactly what the customer wants, exactly where and when the customer wants in exactly the way and for exactly the amount the customer is willing to pay.”

2. About Ideas from Entrepreneurial Proverbs - great article - here's a few extracts:

• Pay attention to the idea that won't leave you alone
• If you keep your secrets from the market, the market will keep its secrets from you
• Immediate yes is immediate no
• Give people what they need, not what they say they need
• Your ideas will get better the more you know about business

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com
trevor@innercircleforum.com

Here's A Neat IDEA For Home-Building Resources & Eco-Building

Trevor writes:

Thanks to Nikki Viljoen for forwarding these links to some innovative home-building resources online:

1. Annie Kempen's My Little Black Book - www.mylittleblackbook.co.za - says Annie: 'I want it to become the leading resource for good quality suppliers in every town, in every region throughout South Africa. We are all tired of bad service, I want MLBB to be filled up with people and businesses in every town, in every region, who supply excellent service - so that if someone in Hotazel needs air-conditioning, he just has to look in MLBB and he will find it.'

2. www.allaboutbuilding.co.za

3. www.shoestringcottage.co.za

4. http://www.cobhouse.blogspot.com/ - eco-building example

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com
trevor@innercircleforum.com

Second Life - An IDEA Whose Time Is Coming?

Trevor writes:

Now here's an idea that's got legs - www.secondlife.com - I get the feeling that we'll be using virtual life platforms like this to simulate and test new business ideas 'in-world' before we take them to the real world... and some may just make more money in this space than we/they do in the real world.

Check out: Breathing Second Life into Business - The virtual community is becoming an online destination of choice for big companies looking to test and sell new products and promote their brands

Also: Starting a Second Life Business - Find out what entrepreneurial opportunities the virtual world of Second Life has to offer.

See 80% of active Internet users will have a 'second life' - Gartner - Fifth Law: This is a long haul. Today’s multiplicity of virtual environments has developed through the convergence of social networking, simulation and online gaming. There are many new entrants, whose stability and scalability are not yet established. There is significant probability that, over time, market pressures will lead to a merging of current virtual worlds into a smaller number of open-sourced environments that support the free transfer of assets and avatars from one to another with the use of a single, universal client.

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com
trevor@innercircleforum.com

From Big Idea To BIG PROFITS in Business

Trevor writes:

Business entrepreneurs have to make their living in a rapidly changing world where competition is rampant and consumers, inundated with a myriad of choices, change their buying patterns in a flash.

One of the positive spin-offs of such uncertainty is that there is always a new opportunity for savvy entrepreneurs to develop new ideas to meet new trends and market demands.

Often, the biggest profits come from the simplest ideas that make it to the market and which appear so obvious to everyone after the event.

Being ready to snap up these opportunities requires business entrepreneurs to be mentally prepared to understand what is needed to succeed.

Here are some guidelines:

The business of business is profit. Don’t let anyone tell you anything different. The scorecard of a business is measured by the profit that it generates. Everything you do in your business should be intended to lead to profit.

Pay yourself first. You can do nothing for society by bankrupting yourself. Let creation of wealth, personal growth and development be your primary objective for you and those who are associated with your enterprise.

Be innovative. Make it your continual goal to think of ideas to change the world and add value to society, and then put them into action.

Be aware. Constantly scan international news releases, web links and industry bulletins to identify new trends and subtle twists to ‘old faithful’ income generators.

Think BIG. It takes just as much time and effort to launch a small business project as it does to work on a big project… go for the BIG idea.

Think SPEED. Speed to market is the battle cry of successful entrepreneurs in the 21st Century. Be prepared to move from idea to implementation in a matter of weeks.

Do It Now! Be ready to complete your business plan, marketing plan, test market research and produce marketing material within a matter of days.

Don’t be afraid of failure. The more you keep yourself aware of trends and on the ‘bleeding edge’ the more projects you are going to put into action. Many of them will fail. Keep trying until you find your winner. Then keep trying some more until you find your next winner. Welcome failure!

Massive action. Give every resource and commitment you have to producing significant results in 90 to 120 days.

Be inspired. Look for ways to add UNIQUE twists to commonly accepted products and services. Use simple technologies to create a ‘WOW’ affect.

Be enthusiastic. Consumers can sense your enthusiasm in delivering a quality product or service. If it is really that great, you will be really enthusiastic.

Be persistent. Set your eyes on each goal and don’t stop until you achieve what you want to achieve.

Guarantee your quality. Stand by the quality of your product or service with your personal guarantee.

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com
trevor@innercircleforum.com

Possibility Thinking - Managing IDEAS Effectively

Trevor writes:

Robert Schuller wrote a fantastic book called 'Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do!', which opens one's mind to the awesome power of managing ideas effectively.

Says Schuller: 'Impossibility thinkers are people who instinctively react negatively to a possibility-laden idea. They impulsively look for reasons why it can't be done. They quickly abort an idea and forget about it.'

'The possibility thinker looks at every idea to see if it has possibilities. If it does, he takes an option out on the idea. He does not let it slip by.'

Through his own personal experiences, he learnt to' Never underestimate the value of an idea. Every positive idea has within it the potential for success if it is managed properly...' and came up with the Ten Commandments of Possibility Thinking, as summarised below:

1. Never reject a possibility because you see something wrong with it!

Says Schuller: 'There is something wrong with every good idea. Don't throw away a suggestion when you see a problem. Instead, isolate the negative from the possibility. Neutralise the negative. Exploit the possibility, and sublimate the negative. Don't ever let negatives kill the positive potential that is within an opportunity.'

2. Never reject a possibility because you won't get the credit!

'God can do tremendous things through the person who doesn't care who gets the credit. Decisions must never be based on ego needs. They must be based on human needs and market pressures that transcend your own desires.

Decide today: Would you rather satisfy your ego - or enjoy the fruits of success?'

3. Never reject a possibility because it's impossible!

'Almost every idea is impossible when it is first born. Possibility thinkers take great ideas and turn the impossibilities into possibilities. That's progress!'

4. Never reject a possibility because your mind is already made up!

'People who never change their minds are either perfect or stubborn. I'm not perfect and neither are you. I'd rather change plans while still in port, than to set sail and sink at sea.'

5. Never reject an idea because it's illegal!

'You might be able to get the law changed. A lot of laws on the books today need to be changed.'

6. Never reject an idea because you don't have the money, manpower, muscle, or months to achieve it!

'Make the commitment to do what's great, then solve the problems. A successful person has very few resources, except the capacity to take an idea and marshal stronger and smarter people around him to pull it off.'

7. Never reject an idea because it will create conflict!

'You can never develop a possibility without creating problems. Every idea worth anything is bound to be rejected by people who don't go along with it.'

8. Never reject an idea because it's not your way of doing things!

'Learn to accommodate. Prepare to compromise. Maintain a balance between the tension of an opportunity that demands exploitation and the limitations of the resources available at the moment.'

9. Never reject an idea because it might fail!

'Every idea worth anything has failure potential within it. There is risk in everything. You never reject an idea because there's some risk involved. You isolate the risk, insulate it, and eventually eliminate it.'

10. Never reject an idea because it's sure to succeed!

Schuller levels some strong words at fellow Christians who overplay the humility card: 'To choose poverty instead of prosperity, failure instead of success, low achievement instead of top-of-the-ladder achievement, simply for the sake of being humble, is not super-Christian. It's dumb. Only successful people can help people who are failing. Only winners will survive to give food to the hungry.'

He quotes Rich de Vos - president of the Amway Corporation: "The poor cannot help the poor."

So where did Robert Schuller get The Ten Commandments for Possibility Thinkers?

'All ten came from the Bible. All ten come from Jesus Christ - The World's Greatest Possibility Thinker. He said: "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you." (Matt. 17:20)'

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com
trevor@innercircleforum.com

The Corollary: IDEAS Are A Dime A Dozen

Trevor writes:

In the last post - IDEAS: Currency Of The Information Age - I shared how ONE idea can change your entire life... and how it is up to you to make it either PRICELESS... or worthless.

A corollary to that view is my personal observation from many of the people who come to me with a GREAT IDEA... and who do nothing with that idea.

I personally believe that God communicates with many of us through the inflow of ideas into our minds... I mean, just where DO they come from?

The sheer volume of ideas that flows into one's mind seem, to me, to indicate an amazing ABUNDANCE of opportunity available to the person who will focus on and ACTION those ideas.

I think it was Peter Daniels who first shared the idea with me that... 'God will not give you a dream, without given you the ability to achieve that dream.'

I believe the same sentiment goes for a thought... and an idea.

Yes, all I see is a never-ending ABUNDANCE of IDEAS flowing all around most of the people I have ever met.

But, far too few people I know ever seriously focus on the ideas and put them into action in a BIG way.

What a waste.

It is these people who lead to me saying that IDEAS are a dime a dozen... they are all around you... yet, just ONE of those ideas, when actioned, can make you VERY WEALTHY.

Ask Bill Gates... ask Warren Buffett..!

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com
trevor@innercircleforum.com

IDEAS: Currency Of The Information Age

Trevor writes:

Many years ago Anthony Robbins instilled a simple thought in my mind - ‘One IDEA..! That’s All It Takes To Change Your Whole Life.’

This thought has always been at the forefront of my mind-set whenever I consider something new… a new article… a new book… a new introduction… a new set of challenges.

Almost every event in life presents with it the seeds of a new idea just waiting to be pounced upon by wide-awake people who use it to make a difference in the world… and in their own lives..!

Just think about it… from what I can gather, it was Bill Gates who had the idea of a computer on every home and business desktop in the world. He became the world’s richest man in just over a decade just for TRYING to action his simple idea.

I mean, think about it, he’s nowhere close to achieving his original goal… YET..!

And yet, despite not even getting close to succeeding with his original idea, at the height of the Dot.Com boom years his personal net worth had topped $100 billion… and today after the crash of global stock markets and the aftermath of 9/11 and the fall of Saddam, he is only worth +- $50 billion as the world’s richest man for 2006.

And think about the idea that F.W. de Klerk had about talking to the ANC… and releasing Nelson Mandela.

That one simple idea… and the courage to see it through… changed the lives of millions of South Africans - setting them free from politically-motivated racial intolerance… and it gave the world one of its greatest-ever icons of PEACE in all of history.

No wonder that both F.W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela each received a Nobel Peace prize medal… all from a simple idea..!

I am acutely aware that ONE IDEA… just one idea… can change a person’s entire life… it can change a nation’s future… and, it can change the world.

So for me, if I can stimulate JUST ONE IDEA… just one genuine spark of interest… that a reader can use to change his or her life through their application thereof, then I know that the information I provide is PRICELESS.

It is this thought that underpins every review article that I produce for the It’s So Simple!..1..2..3 Information report. Whilst my aim is to ensure that there are 15 to 20 GREAT IDEAS in every issue, the reality has been that most issues over the lasy eight years have in fact contained well over 50 ideas… and often well over 100 ideas, each of which individually could be used to change a person’s entire life.

So… right now… right in front of you... you are reviewing INFORMATION that carries within it an idea or two, or more, that potentially can turn someone (yes, that someone can be you) into a millionaire… perhaps even a billionaire.

In fact, many of the ideas I share with my readers have actually been used, tried and tested by people who have become millionaires and billionaires themselves.

Knowing that, will you put the time into dissecting every word and sentence in this simple reader-friendly information format..?

And will you put some of the ideas into action in your life..? I pray that you do.. God Bless.

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com
trevor@innercircleforum.com

Ideas Are A Dime A Dozen... Or Are They?

Trevor writes:

To my mind ideas ARE a 'dime a dozen' just because I have so many of them - business ideas, that is - sitting on my shelves just waiting to be actioned.

And therein lies the secret... ideas require ACTION and IMPLEMENTATION.

Found this interesting link: Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die - where they found "..that the ideas that ’stick’ all share the following six principles":

PRINCIPLE 1: SIMPLICITY - How do we find the essential core of our ideas?

PRINCIPLE 2: UNEXPECTEDNESS - How do we get our audience to pay attention to our ideas, and how do we maintain their interest when we need time to get the ideas across?

PRINCIPLE 3: CONCRETENESS - How do we make our ideas clear?

PRINCIPLE 4: CREDIBILITY - How do we make people believe our ideas?

PRINCIPLE 5: EMOTIONS - How do we get people to care about our ideas?

PRINCIPLE 6: STORIES - How do we get people to act on our ideas?

Take a look at the article - Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die

Regards
Trevor Nel - 011 - 705-2790 - www.innercircleforum.com
trevor@innercircleforum.com