I live and do my business by these values. Guy says….at the core and and the essence of entrepreneurship is about making meaning. From the beginning, your business must be grounded and founded to change the world, make a difference…as they are  the ones that are the most successful. I believe that.

ConnectiMass was founded on the principle of helping to bridge the gap between the information haves and have nots, the opportunity haves and have nots, that leads to the Caribbean becoming a center of innovation that will change the world. In the beginning though we went for the money from anyone who had it, to keep the lights on and fund what we truly loved to do…marketing, media and events to help growth the Tech Community and Tech Industry that few were willing to fund, sponsor or partner with. We  were a digital marketing company that services all clients from any industry and also did media and events for the tech industry.

After 4 years and thankfully with a strong and growing reputation in the Jamaican and Caribbean Tech Industry, we decided,  this month to be exact, to fully aligning ourselves to our tech evangelist DNA. And being asked to coordinate the Digital JAM 2.0 project by the World Bank surely helped us to further realise , that we made the right decision and in fact, should have done so at least a year ago.

So now, ConnectiMass is a digital communications company focused on marketing, media and events for tech companies and organisations and the products, services and initiatives they produce. Our Mission is facilitate and partner with the next generation of digital movers and shakers who through their innovations and businesses, will put a dent in the universe.

Is your company focused on making money or making meaning?

But art, the new, the ability to connect the dots and to make an impact–sooner or later, that can only come from one who creates, not from a teacher and not from a book. – Seth Godin

I had to share this. I remember how I used to feel sorry for msyelf when my company’s proposals were rejected or when a seemingly sure thing new client, bailed because of budget or something else. I’d feel like a failure and I’ve been known to sip on warm milo and watch TV for days ignoring emails, calls and putting off meetings. Talk about self sabotage.Ugh! Was so unevolved then. No wonder those were some of my most broke ass days. Since then my mindset, my attitude has changed completely. Thankfully.
So when I watched this and could so relate.

Ever since I made the complete move to operating my business virtually i.e. meaning wherever I was, my laptop and my phone and I were, there also was my office. Been doing this for 5 years now with zero regrets,  not even the 10lbs I regained. Lol. But there is just something about a cafe, a coffee shop that gets me focused and productive. I do it at home here in Jamaica and when I travel I seek out the local, popular stand alone cafes, one attached to a bookstore or a funky Starbucks.  I have a short list of ones I regularly visit here in Kingston and New York. It’s a serious ritual for me. It also helps with my mission of tasting the best hot chocolates on the planet.

In Jamaica my favourite cafe to work in is still Susie’s at Southdale Plaza….why? Free, open and robust wifi, air conditioned, comfortable seating that you can sit and work all day if needs be. It has the best networking in Kingston because of who goes there ( creatives, corporate and entrepreneurs.  The variety of food is goood and because they are going to be *Pita Grillising it there  too, it will become a bit more affordable with food and drink options too.  From sandwiches, paninis, smoothies, a salad bar, coffee bar, a hot food car and a dessert section that will fatten your eyes and make you smile. Try the plantain tarts I loovve them and they do have the best Hot Chocolate in Kingston.

And if you go there more than twice, Susie’s and Ruthie one of her managers will know your favourites and how you like them done and trust me, that’s shit is addictive. Added to that Susie’s open late….the Terrace which has a bar, so you can get your mojitos or a glass of wine as it closes at 2am. So allyuh “night people”, can eat and work still. The best choice for the road warrior and on the go entrepreneur.

My Second is Cafe Blue in Sovereign Plaza, Liguanea.….why? Free, open wifi, air conditioned comfort, pretty decent networking too and very central. I prefer there for a quick meeting and their paninis, those chairs are kinda tough and uncomfortable, hats off to those who can sit for over an hour.

My third choice is Cafe El Centro on Hillcrest Avenue, off Hope Road….why ? Free, open and robust wifi and the best salmon and lamb burgers ever!!!!!!!!! It’s very affordable. Mrs Newman will wow you with stories and the personal touch as you sit al fresco on the patio. It’s  about a 25 seater and there’s no air conditioning,  but they have big fans. I like this for short meetings, llong, lingering Friday lunches and an easy does it post meeting lunch.

My new Cafe I’m vibing on right now is Sweet Belle in the Barbican Business Centre in Barbican Square….why? They put something in that pumpkin bisque that keeps you coming back. The best I’ve ever tasted outside of Guilt Trip’s pumpkin bisque. Have that with a half grilled chicken panini and you are set and only spent $650. You gotta try the bread pudding with the rum butter sauce and the Lemon tea cake, mi rhatid. Fab-u-lous!  They have a cool panini lunch menu. Haven’t tried out their breakfast as yet. I didn’t check for wifi. They too are small but air conditioned and comfortable with some al fresco seating outside. Wouldn’t recommend for chilling and doing work and being surprised by being charged $50 per to go container was not cool at all.

I happened on this article “Coffee shop buzz is good for creativity, study finds” completely underscores my sentiment. Can you work in a cafe too?

* Pita Grill is the new pita sandwiches, wraps, slider, submarine central in Liguanea. It was another mini SUsie’s location but they listened to the market and created combos for everything and it’s very affordable and open 24hrs. And I was told that Susie’s flagship in Southdale Plaza will Pita Grillise a bit their inside seating while making the Terrace even more comfortable. Whoa!

In a rapidly changing technology world, it’s not only important that one understands how to do your current job/technology well but also be exposed to new ones, particularly in open source and cloud computing and mobile development technologies that may not have originated from the enterprise segment or the 10 year old technology used by your bank. – Mbwana Alliy

In a previous article looking at doing tech business in Africa, we found that Africa’s youthful population is where it’s at. Majority of the African population is under 30 years of age with two thirds being under 25 according to the Africa Commission. We saw that presented an unprecedented potential market for those who can understand this demography and provide what they are demanding.

On the other hand, this youthful population also presents a massive potential labor force. According to the Africa Commission, by 2015 youth will account for up to almost 30% of the total African labor force. If appropriately skilled and exposed, this youthful population can easily provide the brains and smarts to power Africa’s renaissance particularly as far as technology and innovation go. More

This is my the self made billionaire and Shark Tank investorMark Cuban. You know he’s a straightshooting kind of guy. Read this and had to share it.

“I hear it all the time from people. “I’m passionate about it.” “I’m not going to quit, It’s my passion”. Or I hear it as advice to students and others “Follow your passion”.

What a bunch of BS.  ”Follow Your Passion” is easily the worst advice you could ever give or get.

Why ? Because everyone is passionate about something. Usually more than 1 thing.  We are born with it. There are always going to be things we love to do. That we dream about doing. That we really really want to do with our lives. Those passions aren’t worth a nickel.” More

Do you dream of the day you can start your own business? Take control of the reins, set your own schedule and make your own decisions?

In these days of economic uncertainty when layoffs and unemployment rates dominate the news, the idea of starting a business no longer seems all that much riskier than the traditional nine-to-five office job.

Now that you’ve decided to take the plunge into entrepreneurial life, do you know how to choose the type of business that’s right for you? What industry and business would make the best use of your specific abilities and assets? Here are six tips for selecting the business that’s right for you:

1. Align Your Strengths and Interests

Not sure where to focus? Let past experiences be your guide. Maybe you spent six years running marketing programs for a legal firm. Maybe you’re famous for throwing the most creative birthday parties for your children. Consider all previous work experience and hobbies, and think about how you can parlay that into a successful business.

Create a list of skills that covers what you’re good at and areas where you’re a subject matter expert. Then list out the things you like to do. Compare these two lists and see if any patterns emerge, or point to any business type that aligns both your strengths and passions.   More at Mashable.com

Running a small business can be confusing. Many owners are just successful enough not to go out of business. The path forward is often unclear. Should they keep the business open in hopes of future success or close up shop?

What is that moment of truth that tells the small-business owner they will be successful? Here are 12 signs that you’ve got something going beyond survival.

1. Your company earns money while you’re on vacation

Going on vacation and earning money at the same time means you have built a company, not just a job.

”I started my firm 10 years ago,” said Paige Arnof-Fenn, of Mavens and Moguls. “For my 40th birthday, my husband and I celebrated by taking a month off. I honestly did not know if I would have a business to come back to. When I returned, I realized that my company had not just survived but thrived in my absence.”

2. You show up on the first page of search results

The new main streets for the digital age are search engines like Bing, Google and Yahoo. Some business owners feel that when they organically show up on the first page of their favorite search engine, they have made it.

“I knew my business would be successful when I made it to the first page on Google for a bunch of highly searched, highly profitable keywords,” said Bill Elward of Castle Ink.

3. You change a customer’s life

Most small business owners seek to make a difference in the world through their businesses. When a customer writes to tell you the difference you have made in their life, it’s one of those moments.

“Following the launch of our I-Ease eye drops to help relieve dry eye, a long-term sufferer of the condition called me to express her gratitude for our product,” said Dr. Greg Maguire BioRegenerative Sciences. “[She said it] has changed her life.

More

Found this, love it, had to share.

So you decided to go into business for yourself. Well here are twelve critical pointers you will need to succeed in your entrepreneurial venture.

1. Purpose
Very simply stated, you need to know what you want to achieve in life and be willing to go after it.

2. Project
Your business idea that recognizes: a need in the marketplace and involves a product or solution that brings value to the client.

3. Passion
You must possess a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for something. ou have to want it badly. You have to feel it at a gut level.

4. Planning
Your business plan is the document that summarizes the operational and financial objectives of your business and contains the detailed plans and budgets showing how these objectives are to be realized. It should have the following sections: Executive Summary, The Company, Products and Services, Market Analysis, Competition, Business Strategy and Implementation, Operations, Organization, Financial Analysis, and Supporting Documentation.

More

You have to be a little touched in the head to be an entrepreneur even though in this Digital Age that’s now unfolding, there is no better time to hang out your shingle,  test your ideas and allow your passion to play and find its way in the marketplace. We’re living in a time where are so many opportunities and reasons to just go for it.

It’s not easy but my gosh isn’t it effing exciting though?! . You learn, you lose, you cry, you dance, you nail it, you miss one, you push hard, your curl up and hide, you win big, you get scared, you wake up with middle fingers on both hands high to the sky….what a ride.

Yet, because you are human, there are times when fear dulls your nerve, paralyses you. You find yourself in a space where you wonder if you are out of your depth, you’re not sure if you can take hearing another no, you are waiting for that damn client to have that goddam cheque ready in time for you to pay the rent, you scream holy sh*t I just landed that big client now I better raise my game and deliver.

ConnectiMass is my fourth startup….the first was Maverick Media, we published the first internet guide for Jamaica back in 1999 and won an Innovation in Media Award for it. Then, I put Maverick Media on ice to go join an American dot com called HomeView Media as their Chief Content Officer. The second startup was Passion Fruit Studio I still don’t know what the hell I was doing with that one and I can’t remember the services I was supposedly offering. The third was Dutchpot Interactive a web development and online marketing agency. It was there that my then business partner Susan LeeQuee introduced me to blogging and I started TechWatchCaribbean which became SiliconCaribe.com. It was during that time too I hatched the idea and launched Kingston BETA and worked with some of the Caribbean’s largest brands Digicel, JMMB, Ja Stock Exchange and more.

And now there is ConnectiMass, one part Digital Marketing agency and one part tech evangelist. It’s a deft mashup and a streamlining of my vision and boy am I going for it like never before…big scarey goals and all. Also, in between there somewhere I  co-founded CaribClix – online advertising network with 4 guys and that tanked.  I’ve also launched and closed a niche social network, tried my hand at mobile content with an idea called Teez Mobile ahmmm… I think you can guess what that was about. lol. God knows I’ve tried out ALOT of ideas, tested many, succeeded at a few, failed at a couple. ‘Cuss pure claat and taken out my frustration on food and raised many very full glasses of wine in celebration along the way. The things is, because of all of that …working with different kind of business partners, people all over the world, snagging small to large Jamaican and Caribbean clients….I have learnt ALOT and that knowledge and experience is what’s making me be better at a number of things I’m doing right now, even as I know that there is still lots more to learn and that’s a never ending process.

So my point is this, when fear tries to dull your nerve, when it puts you in an uncomfortable place with people and things…remind yourself of why you are doing what it is you’re doing now…remind yourself of where you’re coming from, how far you’ve travelled already and the dreams you still hold as special and achievable. Remind yourself of the things you’ve done well,  the things are your excellent at, the failures you can look back on, laugh at and be thankful for the wisdom it left with you. And if you need some outside help to help you to refocus, then call that friend or mentor you know will hold you accountable, call you out on your self doubting bullsh*t and motivate you and make you feel like Mohammed Ali again. Then, to close the deal, look fear dead in the eyes and say FCUK YOU! I’m doing it anyway.

Enjoy the vlog from one of my online mentors Gary Vaynerchuk. He gives one of his usual straight no chaser talks, that will challenge you and make you feel like crap for wanting to be a spectator in your own life.

And if he doesn’t do it for you, as he kinda looks scary in that video…lol…then nod your head to this one by Esperanza Spalding. If you’ve never heard of her till now well…just listen…she sings ” Remember you are black gold”