UM Dearborn / EO Sponsored E Training

I am proud to say that I helped craft the relationship between University of Michigan Dearborn, the Entrepreneurs' Organization and Jaffe. I want to especially thank Kim Schatzel, William Lekse, Mark Winter from Identity PR and the Entrepreneurs's Organization, the team @ Jaffe, the Detroit Chamber, who spearheaded the grant process locally, and the Department of Labor, who is funding this program, for making this exciting program happen. I am very excited about the prospects for this program and look forward to a successful partnership with University of Michigan Dearborn.

Michigan's Emerging Technology Entrepreneurs' Program

Nine owners of startups or innovation-based businesses looking to expand in Michigan have been approved for the first class of the University of Michigan-Dearborn Product Realization and Technology Commercialization program beginning in October . . . . He also said the school is using the Entrepreneurs Organization, Detroit Chapter to help gather and screen more applicants until Sept. 15. Those not chosen from the original 200 also will get a second look.

US Army "Fly In" and Military Tattoo - Lessons Learned

The Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) Chicago Chapter coordinated a "Fly-In Visit" with the US Army to the Pentagon and they were gracious enough to provide me an invitation.

Always Be Present

The visit was flawlessly arranged and coordinated by K Stephenson the Director of Executive Partnerships at the Executive Office of the Army. I know K had a busy schedule all day, coordinating a number of tours and performing her normal duties, but you would have never known it. K, as well as, all of our hosts (4 generals and 4 Colonels and 1 Major) made sure to make us feel like we were their priority, despite the fact that the US Army is executing a Global War on Terror (GWOT) on two major fronts and other engagements across the globe.

Our hosts' hospitality and personal engagement reminded me of a business quote:

You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.

Dale Carnegie

Lesson Learned

The value of being present and interested in your guests and will take this lesson with me for life.

Global War on Terror (GWOT) - The Long War

We got a lot of information about the current high profile conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and I came to the conclusion that these battles are part of a continuum in the GWOT that is anticipated to persist for the foreseeable future (The Long War). The reality is the GWOT did not begin with on 9/11 or the day that the USS Cole was attacked in Yemen in 2000, its roots can be traced all back to the Iranian Hostage Crisis in 1979 or even earlier. This perspective of time provides us with a clearer vision of the seeds of the GWOT; I am confident that 10 or 20 years from today, the importance of bringing the GWOT to our enemies vs. the homeland will be applauded by historians instead of being chided, as so many of the news media do today.

The militaries need to manage the US citizens' expectations and the news media’s constant prodding reminds me of the process that a publicly-traded company might engage in with Wall Street to manage quarterly earnings expectations. The best companies focus tactically on the next 90 days, but are strategically looking over the horizon, 10 or 20 years out.

I think that the US military should consider reviewing Google's position on providing earnings guidance below:

Although we may discuss long term trends in our business, we do not plan to give earnings guidance in the traditional sense . . . A management team distracted by a series of short term targets is as pointless as a dieter stepping on a scale every half hour.

"An Owner's Manual" for Google's Shareholders

Setting unrealistic timetables for troop withdrawals in GWOT is akin to "a dieter stepping on a scale every half hour."

Lesson Learned

Let's give our troops the leeway to execute their mission of protecting freedom, lest we overmanage the GWOT in the short term and undermine our way of life in the long term.

Speaking from Experience

A cornerstone of the EO values is to utilize Gestalt Protocol, "speaking from experience."

It came as no surprise to me that our "fly-in" include an element of experience sharing from the fronts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Ken Spielvogel spoke to us about how he worked on a project in Afghanistan to develop micro-hydro and hydro electric infrastructure. LTC Spielvogel is quite a character and share some great stories about his experience delivering power to some villages in Afghanistan that had never had power.

Major (MAJ) Jeffrey Weinhofer talked to us about his time in Iraq, as a Transition Team Advisor, helping to train and develop the Iraqi Security Forces. MAJ Weinhofer was upbeat, yet candid about this very difficult mission.

Lesson Learned

The Iraqi culture values of personal relationship over any professional qualities an individual may possess. The GWOT will be won by engaging the community at a grass roots level; it will not be won by occasionally removing a terrorist here and there.

An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind.

Mohandas Gandhi

Impressions of the US Army

• Great Leaders
• Articulate
• Engaging
• Charismatic
• Committed
• Competent
• Courageous
• Positive

Lesson Learned

I would be happy to hire an Army Veteran, they would be a serious asset to any civilian organization. I would also encourage my son or daughter to join the US Army if they expressed interest.

I left with a lasting impression of the Army: they would be in good hands. To me, the most important people in this world are my children—and if the field leaders are similar to those that I encountered during this trip—my children would be well cared for.

Challenges Facing the US Army

• Recruiting
• Retention
• Family is Strained

Lesson Learned

The concept of a feeling of failed leadership. Great leadership can overcome any obstacle, but the hit to morale even from the perception of failed leadership can prove devastating. Leadership Matters.

Chicago-area Entrepreneurs Get Inside Story on Army

I was quoted in Army.Mil/News following our trip to the Pentagon. The quote is below and the full article is further below:

Jonathan B. Smith, of WhisprWave, a company that manufactures equipment to prevent shoreline erosion, was interested in getting a more complete perspective on the war on terror.

"It's interesting to get the military perspective verses the perspective that's in the newspaper on a daily basis," he said. "It's nice to get some balance."

He also said Huntoon is typical of many chief executive officers he meets in his business, "they are worried about their people, and retention, more than the bottom line," he said.

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, May 22, 2008) -- "This is very much a captain's war -- a sergeant's war," the director of the Army staff told entrepreneurs from the Chicago area at the Pentagon Wednesday.

The Army hosted members of the Chicago-area chapter of the Entrepreneurs' Organization for a "fly-in visit" in which the community business leaders met with Army leaders to learn about the status of the service, and how the Army is executing the war on terror. They also heard from Lt. Gen. David Huntoon Jr., director of the Army staff.

During a lunch in the Pentagon, Huntoon said it is the junior officers and NCOs who make a difference in the war on terror. "There are opportunities for them to make decisions on their own -- life and death decisions. When you have a sense of that -- to make those kinds of decisions and to be supported by your chain of command -- you don't want to leave that kind of atmosphere. It is exciting, it is empowering, and it makes you feel you are doing the right thing."

Huntoon also discussed the Army's recruiting and retention challenges, telling the entrepreneurs the Army has found only 3 in 10 young Americans are suited for Army service. Many are excluded, he said, due to criminal pasts that cannot be waived, or due to health concerns such as asthma or obesity.

He also said the Army is concerned about retaining Soldiers. Saying that multiple deployments have put a strain on Soldiers who would like to start a family as well as those who already have families.

"We recruit Soldiers and retain families and it is family members that vote on whether the service member stays in the profession," the general said.

Dale Boehm, of Brookfield, Wis., was one of the 14 entrepreneurs to attend the fly-in. One of his employees at Caspian Technology Concepts, LLC, is an Army Reserve member who will soon deploy to Iraq for the second time. Boehm said he's concerned about his employee and his family. He's also concerned about how multiple deployments could affect his business.

"What are we doing to make sure we don't have to deploy troops two or three times? I am seeing first-hand what that is doing to a family and my business," Boehm said. "He's a major component of what I do, day-to-day. We're going to have to figure out how to fill that gap while he's gone. And there's also that period of time not knowing what's happening to him."

Jonathan B. Smith, of WhisprWave, a company that manufactures equipment to prevent shoreline erosion, was interested in getting a more complete perspective on the war on terror.

"It's interesting to get the military perspective verses the perspective that's in the newspaper on a daily basis," he said. "It's nice to get some balance."

He also said Huntoon is typical of many chief executive officers he meets in his business, "they are worried about their people, and retention, more than the bottom line," he said.

John Allegretti runs a commercial real estate company, CMZ Properties, LLC. He is also developing cargo pallets made from bio-resin that contain embedded RFID tags. He is currently working to sell those same pallets to the Army. He said his time visiting the Pentagon was fascinating.

"I hope to get a better understanding of why we do what we do and have a better understanding of the connection between military and civilians," he said of his visit. "The information we receive in the general public is somewhat different than what we are hearing today. I'd like to know the meaning behind the why, the when and the where.

He also said he recognizes that the decisions being made by those at the Pentagon are decisions he made, in part.

"This is interesting to know why we are doing what we are doing," he said. "And this is a 'we,' because we elected the people that are telling these people what to do -- so it's a collective decision."

During their visit to the Pentagon, the 14 members of the Chicago-area chapter of the Entrepreneurs' Organization took a tour of the Pentagon, attended a Twilight Tattoo at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C., and visited with Army leaders ranging from a major to a lieutenant general.

While the Army provided the entrepreneurs with an inside perspective of how the Army is completing its mission in Iraq, the Army also asked something of the entrepreneurs.

"As an employer, support that Guardsman or Reservist as much as you can," said Maj. Jeffrey Weinhofer, recently assigned to the Pentagon after a tour as a military advisor in Iraq. "If you have relatives or friends interested in military service, certainly don't discourage them. Please talk about your visit to the Pentagon and the military folks you talked with."

Even Lieutenant General Huntoon Recognizes the Human Weapon

My buddy Troy and I were part of a group of Entrepreneurs' Organizations recent visit to the Pentagon to meet with a number of military brass though a program called the Army's "Fly-In Visit." In addition the the "Fly-In"we also got to a Twilight Tattoo, an hour-long military pageant.

Below Troy and are speaking with Lieutenant General David Huntoon, Director of the Army Staff. LTG Huntoon made an effort to personally meet and greet all of his guests. In the picture below LTG Huntoon just asked Troy about his military service. Troy has never served in the military, but we got a great kick out of the question because I call him "Human Weapon" because he is a 3rd degree black belt in Taekwondo and I regularly tease him that he is my bodyguard.

Troy is such a character that he embellished the photo below to play out the subliminal exchange that we were having while conversing with LTG Huntoon.

Entrepreneurship program coming to U-M Dearborn

metromode, 4/24/2008

Innovation and entrepreneurship are already practically synonymous with the University of Michigan, but the university is trying to spread that gospel to its Dearborn campus.

U-M-Dearborn is launching an entrepreneurship and innovation program as part of its business School of Management. The idea is to work with the colleges of engineering, computer sciences and the Detroit Chapter of Entrepreneurs Organization to help local businesses become more involved in the new economy and even foster a little business creation.

"A university can only guide, foster and provide a platform for ideas and thinking... That's what we are doing here, thinking, fostering growth and development," says Tim Hartge, a lecturer at U-M Dearborn. "In fact we are starting an eMBA program in the fall of 2009 and we are designing the program around innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership."

The program is open, not only to students at the university, but businesses throughout the region as well. Although only in its infancy, administrators hope to begin working with businesses soon, helping them to make the right connections and moving them forward, both at both home and abroad.

"Our mission is regional yet global," Hartge says.

For information on the new program, contact Hartge at thartge@umd.umich.edu or at (313) 583-6465.

Source: Tim Hartge, lecturer at University of Michigan-Dearborn
Writer: Jon Zemke

Lawrence Tech Hosts Future Tech Entrepreneurs

More than 80 people braved Friday's snowstorm to learn more about starting technology-based businesses in Michigan.

Lawrence Technological University hosted the "Invention to Venture" conference, the only Michigan stop for the national tour of such events sponsored by the Hadley, Mass.-based More than 80 people braved Friday's snowstorm to learn more about starting technology-based businesses in Michigan.Lawrence Technological University hosted the "Invention to Venture" conference, the only Michigan stop for the national tour of such events sponsored by the Hadley, Mass.-based National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (http://www.nciia.org/).

Your humble narrator had the privilege of moderating the daylong event, easy duty that consisted mostly of getting out of the way and letting the people who actually know what they're talking about take the microphone . . .

The morning session wound up with Jonathan B. Smith, founder and president of Summit, NJ-based Wave Dispersion Technologies Inc., which has developed a floating breakwater that provides both security against terrorist attacks and wave erosion control.

Smith said his experience shows rapid prototyping allows a startup to innovate quickly, and learn from calculated risks in real time. He also said his experience in Web site optimization helped put the company on the map.

As for entrepreneurial advice, Smith said: "Don't be afraid to fail... when I make a mistake, I just figure that I am one step closer to the answer." Also, preaching patience, he said, "It takes forever to make things happen. It takes about three times longer than you think to make any venture work." He also advised building a good support system and joining a peer-to-peer networking group.

Full Story

Growing entrepreneurs share common business strategies

Alexa Stanard / Special to The Detroit News
DETROIT -- Some up-and-coming Michigan entrepreneurs are betting they can boost their businesses and the state's struggling economy by giving each other a helping hand.

The Entrepreneurs' Organization, a global group with an 80-member Detroit chapter, connects young business owners whose companies generate at least $1 million in annual revenues. Its core mission is to help members successfully navigate business challenges and help their companies grow."Entrepreneurs travel in packs, so this was a natural idea," said Mark Winter, communications chairman for the Detroit chapter of the Entrepreneurs' Organization and a partner at Identity Marketing and Public Relations in Bingham Farms. "We have similar-size businesses, similar ages, aspirations. We have similar plans in life, both personally and professionally."

The Entrepreneurs' Organization, known as EO, got its start 20 years ago, and today has 108 chapters in 38 countries. Jonathan Smith, the Detroit chapter's president and president of Wave Dispersion Technologies Inc. in Sylvan Lake, emphasizes that EO isn't a platform for gaining new clients or sales, though its members may ultimately form business relationships.

"It's about entrepreneurs helping other entrepreneurs," he said.At EO's heart is its monthly forum, a sort of group therapy session where six to 10 members get together and pow-wow about whatever is on their mind -- from how to better manage employees to finding the right work/family balance to staying sane while working 100-hour weeks.

At forums, members must turn off their cell phones, leave their laptops behind and can expect to pay a fine if they show up late. In exchange, they get each other's total attention as they attempt to navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship and strategize about how to develop their businesses in a tough economy.

"Most entrepreneurs don't have a road map," Winter said. "What gets an entrepreneur off the ground is aggressiveness and tenacity and love for what they do. But they need support and help with issues at work, at home and sometimes in breaking through the ceiling."

Those who do break through often "graduate" from EO to the Young Presidents Organization, a group for young leaders of large companies that's informally linked to EO. EO graduates include Josh Linkner, CEO of ePrize in Pleasant Ridge. EO also offers its members regular opportunities to rub elbows with top business leaders. The group recently toured the site of the new Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital and spoke with President and CEO Gerard van Grinsven. Christopher Ilitch, president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings Inc., met with EO members in a Comerica Park suite during a Tigers game.

The group is able to score such access because "there isn't one business leader or politician who doesn't look at entrepreneurship as the future of Michigan," Winter says.

To ensure that future is a bright one, EO is now working to support successful entrepreneurs and to cultivate those who are on their way up. The new Accelerator International is a 10-city initiative in North America that began in 2006 and is aimed at helping initial-stage business owners get to the $1 million revenue level.

Next year the group hopes to raise its profile in Michigan by initiating an awards program recognizing best practices and the best entrepreneurs. Doing so will allow the group to further support those going out on their own.

"From an economic development standpoint, entrepreneurs are the fuel that power the country," Smith said. "They're the folks that grow jobs. We want to graft what the future of Michigan's economy looks like."

Alexa Stanard is a Metro Detroit freelance writer.

Playing Shrink to Other Business Owners

GR8 article about EO, describing the forum process. Here for reference purposes.

FIVE THINGS: About an entrepreneur

BY MARGARITA BAUZA

FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

Becoming an entrepreneur takes courage, planning and vision, says Jonathan B. Smith, president of Wave Dispersion Technologies Inc.

The Sylvan Lake company sells floating modules that act as fences for waterfronts and dams. They can be used for erosion control and maritime port security. After the USS Cole bombing in 2000, Smith began making protective barriers for the Navy.

Smith, 37, left the corporate world in 1995 to start his business, which was recently ranked 203 in the Inc. 5,000 list of fastest-growing companies in the United States.
Smith, who also is board president of the networking group Detroit Chapter of Entrepreneurs Organization, shares some tidbits about becoming an entrepreneur.

Don't be afraid to fail

If the corporate world allows little room for making mistakes, the opposite is true of having your own business. Making mistakes allows for quick learning.

Brace yourself

It takes about three times as long and three times as much money to reach your business goal. Be prepared for disappointment and have patience.

Think outside of the box

Respect conventional methods of business for things like accounting and marketing, but don't be afraid to try alternative methods.

"All of my marketing was done online before anyone knew to do this," Smith said. "It's all via the Web. Conventional tactics are important, but you can't be afraid to do things in a different way."

Hire a business coach

Having a third-party person with experience is very helpful.

Join networking groups

"My friends and colleagues who are entrepreneurs all share the same experiences -- with hiring, firing, marketing," he said. "We all have the same kind of problems and challenges. It's hard to find these people to share experiences with unless you belong to a group."

Contact MARGARITA BAUZA at 313-222-6823 or mbauza@freepress.com

Gestalt Protocol

The Gestalt Language Protocol comes from Gestalt psychology. Practicing this protocol is a discipline that has far reaching effects on the quality, operation and value derived from a Forum group. The seven points of the protocol are difficult to absorb and practice for new Forum groups. They are however a key component in creating a safe environment where members will feel comfortable sharing openly. Because this protocol can be difficult, we recommend that new groups focus on numbers 1, 2 and 5 in that order of priority.

1. Speak from your own experience rather than give advice.
2. Use “I” statements not “one” or “you,” but “I.”
3. Speak in specifics not generalities. If I were to say, “all men are workaholics” that would be a generality. Instead if I were to say, “my dad and my partner are workaholics” that would be specific.
4. Ask “How” not “Why” to prevent defensiveness. If I were to say “Why didn’t you fire your bookkeeper when you found out he was steeling from you?” that maybe attacking. Instead if I were to say, “How did you come to the decision as to whether or not you should fire your bookkeeper.”
5. Make a statement to declare your position before you ask a question.
6. Say, “I feel” to mean real feelings like sad, mad or glad, rather that saying “I feel you are.” Forum is a uniquely personal experience where emotions are as important to the process as the facts. By asking someone how do you feel, we attempt to evoke the emotions in the person that are perpetuated by the situation. Using feel in the right context will allow for deeper presentations.
7. Replace “I don’t know” with “I won’t decide” or “I don’t want to say.”

Innovation tools, resources and strategies

InnovationTools catalogs the best resources for business innovation, creativity and brainstorming

InnovationTools provides entrepreneurs and innovators with a focused, growing collection of the best resources on business innovation, creativity and brainstorming. Our goal is to help you to learn more about the tools, strategies and techniques you can use to be more creative in your business -- and to help your company to increase its capacity for innovation and change.


http://www.innovationtools.com/index.asp

Working Capital Requirements

Tips on ManagingCash Flow Wisely

By PAULETTE THOMAS

Question: Is there a formula to determine the necessary working capital for a business?
-- Thom, Falmouth, Mass.

For businesses that sell big-ticket items or services, an entrepreneur requires a heftier working-capital cushion because the next sale might be weeks or months away. A manufacturer, for instance, incurs high costs upfront for materials and labor, but has to have the means to keep the lights on until its customers make a payment. It might be reasonable for a company such as this to keep at least 25% of annual sales as working capital.