Blackberry is on the Verge of a Comeback

A prototype of the Blackberry London

 

Blackberry is almost on the verge of a reputation comeback, but no one knows due to a lack of effective communication. After years of criticism for a failure to innovate, Blackberry has finally got it’s grip together and is about to re-enter the mobile market as a true competitor:

• It has a new phone unlike any other: Blackberry London
• It’s app marketplace is about to explode with 75%-Android compatibility
• BB10, their new operating system, is beautiful and developers love it
• They’re releasing Blackberry Mobile Fusion, enabling businesses to keep their corporate data secret across all platforms

And yet no one is talking about it! Why? Because of a dreadful failure to communicate. The only people discussing Blackberry’s exploits in detail are hardcore technologists (the early adopters); not the mass market. With the rumoured release date of the Blackberry London set to be about the time of the London Olympics, they don’t have much time.

This can happen to anyone. Your brand goes down, you fix it, but are too timid to say anything about your actions. You fear critics snapping back at you, or another $485 million mistake (keep reading…). Yet if you’re planning to make a comeback, you’ve got to go all the way.

Keep reading to learn how you can do it, through the Blackberry case study.

Eyerusalem Kidane: How to source a product in China

Speedwalking in Shanghai. Time to join in.

Eyerusalem Kidane is the woman to know if you want to make a product in China. She guides individuals and businesses through the process and I have invited her today to write a guest article explaining the exact step-by-step method.

I was inspired to learn more about sourcing goods in China at my New Year’s London Business Party, when an entrepreneur explained his idea for a new product and desire to produce it there. “Do you know the cost benefits?” He asked. “You can produce thousands in volume for 50-70% less than anywhere else”, I was immediately hooked.

As if by good fortune, Eyerusalem and I met at a business networking event that same week. She explained how she works with with CJI Group China, and together they can manage the whole process for you: Communicating your exact specifications; finding a factory; monitoring its progress; sending back sample products; getting it made; and finally putting it on the boat heading back to you.

This was the coolest thing I had learnt since The Original Affluent Society, and so I asked Eyerusalem to give a workshop at my London Startups and to write this guest article for you.

So without further ado, I introduce Eyerusalem and the step-by-step method for producing a good in China! Keep reading!

How to be loved by hundreds of devoted students

Students travel half-way across the world following the principles of their teacher and help locals in Chittagong plant rice.

As my Anthropology degree comes to a close at University College London (UCL), I ponder what I have learnt.  I can rattle off a hundred names of different tribes around the world, describe our evolutionary path, explain dozens of cosmologies, talk in depth about social theories from Marx, Weber, Foucault and more… but to what end?

Knowledge is pointless until it is applied. And that was the key for one teacher who gained the adoration and devotion of hundreds of students.

Climb the Google Ranks, a Real Case Study

I want to help people become rich through effective communication. But before you can start communicating, your audience have to find you. And where does everyone search today? Google.

This article explains the basics of how to climb the ranks of Google and be in a position where people can find you. It is very detailed, but assumes no prior knowledge – yet although a basic guide, follow it consistently and you will get to the top.

I use a real example to help, and it is of my brother, Terry Church who manages the reputations of Dance Music DJs. He wanted to increase his own brand image (note – not increase traffic, that was an indirect result) by ranking #1 on Google for relevant search terms.

Keep reading if you want to do the same.

Book Review: Steve Jobs a Biography

Obsession, passion and drive. That’s Steve Jobs. His story is a relentless push for perfection and no care for the consequences. He tore people apart, tore himself apart, but created something beautiful: A legacy.

There are so many things to learn from the book: His upbringing, his love life, the history of Apple, his beliefs, drug use and family; but you really have to read it for yourself for all of that.

In this book review, I want to focus on four aspects: How Steve Jobs bent reality for himself and others; the importance of A players; his insane levels of productivity; and the benefits of his drive for simplicity.

This is the book review for Steve Jobs a Biography by Walter Isaacson.

Start Again. It has to be right.

It took just one day to destroy two months of work. The attack came from three people, and they shall never be forgotten. Separately they tore apart the start up I’m involved with and have left it much, much better. To learn the lessons, keep reading.

Guess how much it costs to start a company in the UK?

“I don’t believe you! That can’t be true, really?!” I had just heard the ridiculous amount it costs to register a company. It’s staggering to realise that you have been wrong your entire life. Keep reading to learn the truth…

Case Study: Fulham Osteopaths, 22 Years in the Making

Melinda Cotton, Osteopath, treats a baby patient.

A ten-year old business can be proud of itself. A twenty-year old business should be proud of itself. Fulham Osteopaths is 22 years old. It’s a health practice in West London, dedicated to helping its patients. It has no plans to expand, no interest in franchising, no concern to automate nor outsource. Instead, it is the life of its staff. A place where they practice their craft – bringing people back to good health.

I had the good fortune of working there for a year, and learnt about their communication strategies – why hundreds of people come back week after week, some since it began in 1989.

The greatest business app ever made

CardMunch. Take a picture of a business card and it automatically scans and stores the data, AND finds the person on LinkedIn.

After collecting 60 business cards at my last London Startups event, this app saved me serious time from manually entering in details. I save them to my Apple Address Book list where I have a business group to stop things getting messy (see how to create a group).

But the Apple Address Book isn’t exactly a great way to manage relationships. There are no reminders, case histories, email histories or LinkedIn pages. For that, as I’ve mentioned before, I use HighRise. Moving contacts between the two is a doddle, if you’ve got this cheap little app, that is. Export, import, done.

Having a strong professional network is the key to any successful company, and CardMunch (built by LinkedIn) facilitates this by removing all the manual work. Android and Blackberry versions are coming soon according to their FAQ page.

It’s a New Year – Make It Happen!

It’s a blank page, a new leaf, a fresh start. Let’s go and make it happen! Meet the people you want, find the resources you need, and keep trying until it comes true. Happy New Year!