Roving Informationistas

The nature of employment is changing. Howard Rheingold comments on the new breed of free agent whose workplace is Starbuck's, Kinko's and the Fedex drop box:

"Now that Fedex owns Kinko's, I really think they ought to consider buying Starbucks to constitute the ultimate 21st century cybernomadic infrastructure: 24X7 coffee, wireless broadband, and handy global shipping for roving mobs of socio-knowledge workers.



Starbucks is trying to be a "third place" for untethered informationistas by furnishing couches, caffeine, and WiFi. Kinko's pitches toward the independent operators who don't have offices full of copiers, or for the traveling infoworkers who want the hardcopy ready for their meetings when they arrive. What if Starbucks starts providing printers, scanners, and copiers? Or Kinko's starts serving good coffee and puts in a few couches?"

Via Atmaspheric.





With so many small business owners and consultants working on-the-go, larger businesses may find it harder than ever to reach them with marketing messages. After all, how do you call on businesses that don't have formal offices or even land-line phones? Why, by going to them where they hang out: the Starbuck's and Kinko's. Or by establishing a physical presence adjacent to or close by the Starbuck's and Kinko's.

Trends are No Coincidence

The Chicago Boyz outline five trends that led to the U.S. economic boom of the past decade.



The growth in small businesses was one of them: "Many, many people risked their homes and life savings to start small businesses. Small businesses are the biggest source of jobs and economic growth. They are also often the source of innovative ideas."



And the other trends? They were:

• Investment in information technology



• Commitment to product quality



• Demise of labor unions



• Thinning of management ranks

I think it is no coincidence that information technology proliferated, labor unions lost their power, and management melted away, all at the same time that America's entrepreneurism grew. All of these trends are related. They suggest greater power by the individual. Once information became widely available and started leveling the playing field, large organizations no longer held all the cards.

On the Way Back from the Dotcom Bust

The Internet is on the rise again. Both the number of websites and Internet advertising revenues have increased substantially in recent months.



For the first time, the Internet has topped more than 50 million websites according to the May 2004 Web Server Survey issued by Netcraft, an Internet services company based in the UK. It took 21 months for the Web to expand from 30 to 40 million, but only 13 to cross the 50-million mark. May was also the sixteenth consecutive month of growth in sites, following the two-year shakeout known as the dotcom bust.



The Interactive Advertising Bureau and Pricewaterhouse Coopers have reported in the Internet Ad Revenue Report issued earlier this year that overall Internet advertising revenues rose nearly 21% in 2003 to $7.3 billion. The report cited strength in the Keyword Search category as an important contributing factor.



There can be little doubt about the Web/ecommerce revival when numbers like these are added to the much anticipated announcement of Google's coming IPO. Look for this revival to gain speed and bring venture capital back to Internet-based businesses. Also expect it to whet the appetites of business large and small for a bigger taste of the Internet.

PowerBlog Review: Inside Real Estate Journal

Editor's note: This is the thirteenth in our popular weekly series of PowerBlog Reviews of other weblogs...





Inside Real Estate Journal is published by John Mudd.



John is a realtor located in beautiful Tampa Bay, Florida, USA. He also goes by the name "Mr. Real Estate."



As his blog's name suggests, he publishes a real estate blog.



OK, so you never heard of a real estate blog? Well, there are several other real estate blogs around. Most of ones I've seen are written by realtors. You can find links to other real estate blogs on Inside Real Estate Journal.



I first learned about Mr. Real Estate on the group blog, Blogcritics. I periodically post articles there. Eventually I ran into Mr. Real Estate, who also posts on Blogcritics. And I came to appreciate his insights into the real estate market. From there I found his own weblog, Inside Real Estate Journal.



On Inside Real Estate Journal you get news and insights about the nationwide real estate market, mortgages, interest rates, homeownership rates, housing prices -- you name it. If it is important to the real estate market, you can find something about it on Inside Real Estate Journal.



Mr. Real Estate even discusses useful niche subjects. In one post, he discusses the concept of buying real estate with no money down. He even shows a client property that he sold with 100% financing, pointing out that a skilled realtor can help a buyer negotiate such financing.



He also knows the nuances of his subject matter as only an expert in his field would know. In one post he describes the market for luxury beach condominiums. And he distinguishes them from luxury houses, for which a very different market exists.



I like Inside Real Estate Journal because it provides bite-sized chunks of real estate market information. I can digest it quickly and easily.



And since most realtors are the quintessential small business people, I get a sense of how they think and what drives them. Being close to their markets, they have a good handle on trends. They have a good pulse on what's happening in the real estate market from ground level. I can get a clearer, more immediate picture of what's happening in real estate by reading material from those working in the industry each and every day.



Inside Real Estate Journal has been live on the Web since March 2003.





The Power: The Power of the Inside Real Estate Journal weblog is in the subject matter coverage it provides, i.e., all matters related to the real estate market. And what better way to gain on-the-ground insight into the real estate market than by reading a weblog written by a real estate professional?

Lessons from Spirit of America

Jim Hake, the entrepreneurial founder of Spirit of America, raised US$1.52 Million so far through the Internet, media, and blogs, among other sources. The money will be used to fund requests by Americans serving overseas on behalf of the countries where they are stationed. Most recently, Spirit of America raised funds to buy broadcasting equipment for several Iraqi TV stations, so they can re-open.



Much has been written about this worthy charitable effort, including this article in the Opinion Journal. Also, many blogs helped raise funds, an effort which Wizbang and other blogs drove.



From a business perspective, what I find so interesting are the entrepreneurial lessons of Spirit of America:

• Set a Goal. It's amazing what you can do starting with not much more than a goal. Entrepreneurs are a can-do lot. Give them something to focus their efforts on, and [****] happens.





• Find a Niche. Even in a mature saturated market, small startups can thrive. They just have to find the right niche. To do that, you have to identify a need that is not being met. That's what Spirit of America did. Spirit of America defined its mission as raising money to help Americans who are serving overseas respond to needs in the countries where they are stationed. The US seems to be overrun with non-profits, with some group or other raising money for just about every cause you can imagine. But none was serving that exact niche.





• Excite Others. It's important to get others behind your dream. Make your dream become their dream. That's how successful entrepreneurs build a team. It's even how they attract funding. An entrepreneur can't do it alone. They need others -- partners, employees, customers, bankers, investors, and even service providers such as lawyers and accountants. Everyone wants to root for the home team. Get a banker or a customer to view your small business as "their" team, and you will have more than just a banker or a customer. You will have someone actively helping grow your small business.





• PR is Powerful. The typical non-profit in the US uses traditional marketing, i.e., local fundraising events, direct mail and phone solicitations, etc. Spirit of America did something different. It leveraged the Internet, the media and the blogs. Spirit of America understands the power of public relations, especially the kind of grassroots support that can come from blogs. And not only is PR powerful, but it can be very low cost.