Karl Edwards presents Working Matters

Tag: strategy

  • Karl’s Library: Business Model Generation by Osterwalder and Pigneur

    Some books are as fun to read as they are helpful.

    Laid out visually, Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and Challengers by Alexander Osterwalder and Yves Pigneur is just such a treat.

    Instead of long, winding verbiage filled with technical jargon that no one (not even academics) understand, Business Model Generation stays grounded, simple, and practical.

    The book is divided into five sections that outline the process of business model generation:
    Canvas -> Patterns -> Design -> Strategy -> Process

    They offer nine helpful building blocks of a healthy business model:

    1. Customer segments
    2. Value Propositions
    3. Channels
    4. Customer Relationships
    5. Revenue Streams
    6. Key Resources
    7. Key Activities
    8. Key Partnerships
    9. Cost Structure 

    If it’s beginning to feel a bit overwhelming, you need to flip through a copy of the book itself.

    It is fun. It is visual. Brief, articulate explanations. Structured around the process itself.

    I think you will find it an empowering tool for you and your partners.

    Click here to see its Amazon.com page.

    Karl’s Library is a weekly column highlighting my favorites from my professional development library. “Always learning” is one of the pillars of my personal mission statement. Explore past columns here.

     

    If you’re a Kindle fan like I am, it is available for the Kindle.

    Don’t have a Kindle? Get one! You’ll love it.

  • BlogWorld 2010 -> 7 Ways to Take Action Now

    BlogWorld BadgeThe largest Blogworld yet is behind us.

    What now?

    The hours of helpful (and not so helpful) seminars, the miles we walked on the trade floor, the networking parties, and the innumerable conversations with vendors, future partners and potential customers. We are hopefully inspired. We might be overwhelmed. We are definitely exhausted.

    We came away with many new ideas. Maybe too many! Maybe just enough so that once we get back into the grind of our busy lives, we don’t find our way to act on any of these great ideas.

    It is too easy to leave all those great ideas in that closed notebook on the desk. Too often we never get around to sifting through the computer files where we stored those ingenious tidbits that were going to transform our business.

    Here are 7 trajectories of action that you can use to guide your after-the-show efforts.

    1. Attitude Boost

    Participating and persevering in a still-emerging industry during a struggling economy requires courage, passion, and energy.

    Select one source of inspiration from the expo that resonated deeply with the challenges you face. What is one way you can transform that model, story, and/or attitude into a vehicle to recharge your juices, restore your confidence and/or rededicate your efforts?

    Take action to boost and reinforce your attitude for the work ahead.

    2. Personal Branding

    Feeling your blog is lost in a crowded sea of exponentially expanding bloggers, consultants, experts, celebrities and companies?

    Which one or two speakers at BlogWorld do you remember most clearly? Why do you think the memory is so clear? How do they describe themselves in their title, (more…)

  • Don’t Let Their Meltdown Become Your Meltdown

    It’s certainly not fun to watch the stock market fall, taking your long term savings and possibly a dream or two with it.

    It’s certainly not comforting to watch entire companies close their doors, creating instant unemployment for not just a few skilled workers.

    And no one likes hearing about anyone losing their home, even in the maddening case when the initial mortgage commitment was irresponsible.

    My question for you is, “Are you letting their meltdown become your meltdown?”

    It’s easy to start worrying about our own job security, financial well-being, and credit issues. But there is a big difference between the sort of reality check some of us need to make us face the facts about our money practices and the sort of shared anxiety based, not on facts, but on the broader climate of uneasiness, fear and panic.

    One question you might want to ask yourself is, “Am I making this decision to make myself feel less anxious today, or is this the best possible choice to help me achieve my short and long term financial goals and commitments?”

    In times of economic stress, it is easy to slip into making decisions in order to make us feel better. This is where we risk allowing their meltdown to become our meltdown.

    What we are looking for is a sense of poise instead of panic. Perspective instead of overwhelm. Strategy instead of fear.

    Poise is both an interior and exterior posture that is steady, balanced and paying attention. Poise is not easily knocked over or thrown off course by the unexpected earthquakes and/or hurricanes of life. Poise involves maintaining one’s composure to better assess the situation, distinguish between fact and fear, and think more clearly.

    Perspective is a vantage point. Perspective involves being able to step back and look at issues from more than one angle. Perspective rejects isolation and consults with safe and experienced friends, associates and professionals.

    Strategy is wisdom committed to action. Strategy discerns urgent issues requiring immediate decisions. Strategy recognizes longer term possibilities and holds or adjusts course accordingly. Strategy does not recoil from difficult decisions, because its validation does not come from needing to feel better right away.

    Validation is the peace that is available from a posture of poise, a vantage point with perspective, and a thoughtful strategy of next steps.

    What are you doing to prevent their meltdown from becoming your meltdown?