@blake-s-ford
Active 9 years, 8 months ago-
Blake S Ford commented on the post, Disruptive Change: Are You Ready?, on the site 9 years, 9 months ago
Yes, I strongly believe that our lifestyles will change due to technology in the next ten years. Based off the past and how it has already done so, to me is almost proof that it will happen again in the future. I think that a lot of existing jobs will be done by technology.I feel that the technology will be a cheaper and more efficient way to do…[Read more]
-
Blake S Ford wrote a new post on the site MIS4596 – Section 3 Spring 2015 9 years, 9 months ago
Graduation is near. I wanted to post an article that had some post graduation tips for success. We will encounter some major changes and need to stay focused. Here are some tips:
1. Take advantage of […]
-
Blake S Ford wrote a new post on the site MIS4596 – Section 3 Spring 2015 9 years, 9 months ago
With our presentations coming up, I thought I would post an article that discussed tips that may help your team improve there pitch. Your idea is only as good as your pitch. Even with a great idea, if you […]
-
Blake S Ford wrote a new post on the site MIS4596 – Section 3 Spring 2015 9 years, 9 months ago
Creating value for your startup is a repetitive process that you must constantly be changing and upgrading. Long term success is achieved by constantly creating and recreating value.
-
Blake S Ford wrote a new post on the site MIS4596 – Section 3 Spring 2015 9 years, 9 months ago
We learned about autonomous vehicles as we were going over disruptive innovations earlier in the semester. This article is saying that within the next five years we will begin to see autonomous features in new cars. The article isn’t suggesting that these cars will be COMPLETELY autonomous yet, but more and more autonomous features will be coming out. A possible feature would be autonomous driving in traffic jams that will function based off of lane alerts. Also, there has been discussion around assisted parking.
Autonomous Cars Are Closer Than You Think
What autonomous features do you think would be most beneficial/convenient?
What features do you think will come out first?
-
Blake S Ford commented on the post, 3 Questions on Killer Robots, on the site 9 years, 9 months ago
I believe that these could be used by the government, but that is it. I know that there was debate over people using 3D printers to produce weapons as well. With technologies this complex coming out that can possibly be dangerous, there is going to be a need for strict policies around these devices.
-
Blake S Ford commented on the post, Nailing the group presentation, on the site 9 years, 9 months ago
I had a similar post recently in regards to successful presentations and the same tips were discussed. As stated in previous comments, I really believe a lot of these are common sense, but these things are easier said than done. For the most part, once you get in front of a crowd your concentration on these things tends to fade when the nerves…[Read more]
-
Blake S Ford commented on the post, The Most Toxic Types of People to Avoid at Work, on the site 9 years, 9 months ago
These are definitely the types of people to avoid in the office. I’m sure we all have stories of each example provided. With these types of people you definitely need to monitor your relationships with them. I think of the 3 I try to avoid the constant complainers the most. I just feel that complaining is so unproductive and it can be annoying…[Read more]
-
Blake S Ford commented on the post, Affordable 3D Printing May Be Just Around the Corner, on the site 9 years, 9 months ago
I believe that this will impact the consumer industry greatly in the future. I do not think that 3D printers are going to be affordable for the general population for a VERY long time, so for the LEGO example, I feel that this would only make an impact once the price of 3D printers dramatically fall. I feel if they were affordable that everyone…[Read more]
-
Blake S Ford commented on the post, Rocket maker for NASA and the Air Force to begin 3D printing parts, on the site 9 years, 9 months ago
Initially, not really because of the safety involved in creating a rocket. Then when you begin to think about the savings incorporated with using 3D printers. Saving $1 million a year is a lot, especially when dealing with a project that will take several years like this example. Another manufacturer that may benefit from 3D printing their…[Read more]
-
Blake S Ford commented on the post, Making An Effective Presentation, on the site 9 years, 9 months ago
I feel that the three components discussed definitely go hand in hand with a successful presentation. We all have a very important presentation coming up soon. We should look at these 3 things in our groups, so that we can incorporate them into our overall presentations and it’s not just one person in the group doing this. That way it will give…[Read more]
-
Blake S Ford wrote a new post on the site MIS4596 – Section 3 Spring 2015 9 years, 9 months ago
Forbes released an article discussing possible ways to fund startups. Having a great idea and product is only half the battle when launching a startup. You are going to need cash and a lot of it. […]
-
Of the four tips, I think that finding your niche is definitely the most important. Without having a niche, then none of the other three funding tips in the article would be possible. Additionally, having any niche is not sufficient enough to expect to get funded. Rather, your niche needs to be valuable enough for people to want to fund it. An example that comes to mind is from the bloated music streaming market. Right now, there is a lot buzz about the latest streaming service, Tidal. They’re just like any other streaming service except that, um, it’s a luxury streaming service? It’s backed by musicians (*note: wealthy musicians), therefore it is a paid streaming service. Tidal definitely has its niche, but it will no doubt fail, because the niche is not seen as valuable enough to pay a subscription fee for, especially when music can be easily acquired for free.
As for crowdfunding, that is certainly an interesting method of funding nowadays, and continues to grow in popularity. It is an excellent funding option for startups that already have a bit of a following. However, what is not often mentioned is that a majority of crowdfunding campaigns fail to be fully funded. According to Kickstarter’s own statistics, only 38% of campaigns actually reach their funding goal. To put it in a different perspective, nearly 2/3 of crowdfunding campaigns fail. This ties back to the need to have a niche. If a startup does not have a convincing and valuable niche, then there will be little interest in having their idea to be funded. If they do have a convincing niche, however, then crowdfunding will be an excellent way to get funded.
-
I agree with John that finding your niche is the most important. The startup is fundamentally built around it’s unique offering, and without a real value proposition, funding is irrelevant. As far as crowdfunding goes, I think it’s awesome. It’s a way for people to get behind something that they believe in and contribute to its success. However, with crowdfunding, you are subject to the masses, and even if an idea is good, it may not get funded because people may not understand it, or a bad idea may get funded because people like it.
-
I really really enjoyed reading this article, considering it is my dream to one day be able to run my own company. I have a couple of ideas in mind, but I still need to determine whether or not it would be worth the investment. I think that finding my niche is most definitely the most import tip from Forbes, considering I would be devouring so much time to the business and if I was not passionate about it then how can expect my employees and customer to be passionate.
-
-
Blake S Ford wrote a new post on the site MIS4596 – Section 3 Spring 2015 9 years, 9 months ago
Our presentation date is approaching quickly. I wanted to share an article that provides tips to presenting a successful group project. Hopefully you can use some of these tips to help you with your […]
-
I think one thing that might be relevant, depending on the presentation, to send materials beforehand or create some sort of takeaway. Whether that be a handout, a quiz, etc; it’s something to engage the audience and giving them something to take home means they will remember the presentation.
-
For me, one of the more frustrating parts of a group presentation are where people stand during the presentation. I’ve been part of several group presentations that have way too many people that are part of the PowerPoint, and end up standing in front of the screen and block out very valuable information. Going to the room, or a similar room, can help ensure that you place people who are not at the podium so they do not block out the screen. This can also make sure that there are no issues when people change hands at the podium.
-
-
Blake S Ford wrote a new post on the site Blake Ford 9 years, 9 months ago
Our presentation date is approaching quickly. I wanted to share an article that provides tips to presenting a successful group project. Hopefully you can use some of these tips to help […]
-
Blake S Ford wrote a new post on the site MIS4596 – Section 3 Spring 2015 9 years, 9 months ago
Marketing for a startup can be challenging. According to this article, marketing success is determined by combining the right channels of marketing content and PR. Before starting to market a new startup it is important to develop a marketing strategy to build a foundation. The following things need to be handled first. Choose a market, define keywords, define success, set core metrics, estimate conversion rate, and setting a budget.
Next is using the social media outlets that work best for your company and using them effectively. This is the most common way used today to try and reach people. I am sure that most of us will be implementing some use of social media with our applications. When using social media you want to focus on these things: Choosing the right social media networks, defining the best times to post, using a keyword list, creating and using an influence list, and setting up a blog.
PR also play a huge role in releasing a startup. Knowing what to say, when to say it, and who to say it to are the main focuses of PR. When dealing with PR within your company remember to: Create meaningful position statements, define your startup sensitivities, identifying the right writers for a media list, creating a press kit, and reaching out to journalists.
Once the PR is handled you want to start to think about the content creation. Although, we will not formally go into content creation, the rest of the article talked about content creation. When creating content for marketing you startup[ remember to: Create a topic list, know what types of content to publish (Newsletter, video, webinar, etc.), have guest blogging, and capture emails.
Now your marketing strategy is in full effect. Also, down the road think about testing and iteration. Your company can set up analytic tools, measure against benchmarks, and brainstorm creative new ideas You may want to also think about what successful startups have already done drive success. Focus on selling the solution, having a compelling story , and using all of your resources.
Has your group been using any of these tools when focusing on the marketing side of our project? I know we are not formally marketing our products, but some of these things come in handy when developing a marketing strategy.
Article: The Ultimate Guide to Startup Marketing
-
Blake S Ford wrote a new post on the site Blake Ford 10 years, 2 months ago
I spent 8 months working full-time at SAP in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. I was an infrastructure management intern who worked on a rotational program. I spent time with the data center operators, […]
-
Blake S Ford commented on the post, Final thoughts (100 section reflection on the course), on the site DATA ANALYTICS @ MIS2502 /S2 12 years, 1 month ago
I am a finance major, but decided to add a MIS minor last year and I am happy I did. This was an interesting course and a class that I looked forward to going to each day. I learned a great deal about data […]
-
Blake S Ford commented on the post, Q&A: Week 10 (100 second reflection), on the site DATA ANALYTICS @ MIS2502 /S2 12 years, 2 months ago
In week 10 we learned about decision trees and continued using SAS. Decision trees are used to help understand efficiency all while laying out a model to view, rather than looking through a massive database. […]
-
Blake S Ford commented on the post, Q&A: Week 9 (100 second reflection), on the site DATA ANALYTICS @ MIS2502 /S2 12 years, 2 months ago
In week 9 we focused on data mining and how to use it. We used this information to help us predict future data and to assist in decision making. We started using SAS in an in class assignment to see how data mining works.
-
Blake S Ford commented on the post, Q&A : True or False, on the site DATA ANALYTICS @ MIS2502 /S2 12 years, 2 months ago
the answer is true
- Load More
