Catching Up On Readings: Youth And Entrepreneurship

Here is a summary of the posts from this past week, in case you missed them. Sunday afternoon may be a good time to catch up. >>>

Personal Branding and Me 2.0 (Part 4)

By Guest Author Dan Schawbel

[Dan closes his series with a an overview of the technological changes that made personal branding possible and a discussion of how to use technology to create your personal brand.]

Technology and Brand YOU

The World Was Not Ready in 1997

The graduating class of 1997 encountered many uncertainties when they ventured into the postcollege “working world.” They had received little preparation for its challenges. Back then, teachers, family members, and guidance counselors made fewer recommendations that students get internships. Job opportunities were growing at a rate of 27.5 percent, the largest increase in history. There were also fewer bachelor’s degrees granted between 1997 and 2000 (Scheetz, 1997-1998). Thus, the need to brand oneself as anything special seemed less urgent. >>>

Educating the Next Wave of Entrepreneurs (Part 4)

By Guest Authors Steve Mariotti and Daniel A. Rabuzzi

[This series ends with a blog entry on youth and entrepreurship from The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) For the Global Education Initiative Blog at the World Economic Forum on April 24, 2009. The entry is based on an essay by Julie Kantor, Vice President for Government Relations.]

“Some Systemic Ingredients for Success in Entrepreneurship Education”

High Visibility Champions

Successful education reform efforts succeed when high-visibility individuals champion the initiatives at the national, state, and local level. In many cases, national figures play a critical spokesperson role. Colin Powell’s leadership at the America’s Promise Alliance is a prominent example. Other education reform efforts have benefited from high-level political encouragement. For example, Communities in Schools gained much of its early momentum from President Jimmy Carter, who was familiar with the program from his days as Georgia’s governor. >>>

The Power of Price

By Guest Author Linda Bishop

[Linda continues her series with a discussion on how the role of price in a buying decision and the buyer’s very mindset have changed as budgets have shrunk. Find out more in her book, “Selling in Tough Times”.]

“I’m sorry Joe, but I awarded the project to a different vendor,” Nancy said.

Surprise painted a concerned picture on Joe’s face. Nancy had been his customer for more than a year and he had expected to win this bid. “Why?” >>>

Shervin Pishevar’s Dream: Social Gaming Network (Part 4)

SM: What was your next step after HyperOffice?

SP: I became the founding president of Webs. My first hire at WebOS was a really young Afghan-Turkish immigrant named Zeki Mokhtarzada. He was super smart. >>>

Educating the Next Wave of Entrepreneurs (Part 3)

By Guest Author Christine Volkmann

[Last week, the series discussed what entrepreneurship education should look like; today Christine Volkmann addresses how to implement last week’s ideas in a university setting.]

Creating a “high surge” of entrepreneurs in institutions of higher education

The current global economic and social crisis may leave people puzzled, doubting that existing ways of doing things may still work in the future. In other words, powerful engines for creating innovative solutions and effective approaches to problems are badly needed, be it in financial services, renewable energies or elsewhere. However, now more than ever we feel that it may be hard to decide what will be effective new approaches and what will not – and this is where entrepreneurs, who have a shot at such problems, come in. >>>

Personal Branding and Me 2.0 (Part 3)

By Guest Author Dan Schawbel

[In the first two parts of his series, Dan defined the concept of a personal brand and discussed how to build and maintain one. Here he elaborates on the social aspects of a personal brand with excerpts on visibility and networking.]

Visibility Creates Opportunities

A key part of branding is visibility—clearly displaying your value to the world. The more people who either know you or have heard about you, the better. Opportunities for advancement and success will arise through your connections and visibility—created through the repetition and strategic placement of brand messaging. Effective brand messaging allows you to maximize your potential to create positive opportunities. >>>

The Price of Sales Mediocrity in A Buyer’s Market

By Guest Author Linda Bishop

[In this series, Linda considers how salespeople can adapt their approach to thrive even in a tough economy. You can find out more in her book, ‘Selling in Tough Times’.]

When the economy booms and people look at the future enveloped in a rosy pink glow of optimism that causes them to buy without blinking or thinking twice—then you can have the wrong people in sales and as long as they represent a small percentage of the total sales force, mediocre salespeople won’t be the downfall of your company. >>>