Monthly Archives: July 2013

Business Wisdom: Beyond Dragon’s Den Event, Was A Success! Take A Look At Our Photos.

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Wizof.Biz with the support of KPMG Enterprises ran a stellar event on July 24, 2013, bringing together a incredible panel of Dragon’s Den alumni.  It was an amazing success!  Here are a few of the photos that were taken that day: 

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Some Great Tips from the Wizof.Biz Dragons’ Den Event

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5 Tips to Get Your Pitch on Dragons’ Den CBC’s

Matt Faulknor in conversation with Deborah Aarts

  1. Go easy on gimmicks: Bells & whistles won’t get you past the audition unless there’s a truly solid and interesting idea at root.
  2. Do your homework: Faulkner is amazed at how often would-be pitchers fail to do even the most basic due diligence.
  3. “A good background story makes for great TV,” says Faulkner. “It ’s my job to find those stories.”
  4. Prove that you really need help: “We’re looking for businesses that actually need the smart money the Dragons can offer.”
  5. Keep your cool: Know your numbers, demonstrate passion, &
  6. be able to competently & compellingly pitch under pressure.
  7. Read the whole article: http://tinyurl.com/MattsTips

What To Do Once You Get The Chance To Be On The Den

Detailed video at http://wizof.biz/DDtips

  1. Done well, it ’s good publicity even if you don’t get funded.
  2. Dragons’ Den is mainly about entertainment.
  3. Be a sage on the stage: Know your market & answer wisely.
  4. Stay on message even if interrupted. Answer any questions, and then get back to your presentation.
  5. Don’t contradict the Dragons or your team mates.
  6. Engage in dialog: You’ll lose if you try to debate the Dragons.
  7. Have an example or prop to illustrate your product or service.
  8. Dress appropriately to your market: business, fun, casual…
  9. Prepare a script with important points first. You may only have 15-30 seconds before you’re interrupted by the Dragons.
  10. Rehearse and re-rehearse your script so you don’t get lost in interruptions. However, always answer Dragons’ questions first.
  11. Have Devil’s Advocates acting as a stand-ins for the Dragons during your rehearsals, trying to throw you off base.Reply to all questions with humour, facts and figures.
  12. Have back-up people on your team to step in with detailed knowledge on specific topics, or if one presenter is stumbling.
  13. Know when to seek outside opinions & advice, to get beyond the frame of reference of your friends, relatives & associates.

 

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Tips to Avoid Burnout

Burnout - tired at workOne article that recently caught my eye, is from the The Globe & Mail, entitled “Ten Ways To Avoid Burnout At Work”, by Harvey Schachter. This piece intrigued me in part, because it tells the story of a young enterpreneur, Andrew Dumont, who at the age of 18 left school to launch his startup Tatango.com.

Andrew shares with us his own experience with burnout. He further explains that it is something that we all experience but are often unable to spot.“Ten Ways To Avoid Burnout At Work”, shows you how to recognize the first signs of burnout, followed by ten simple ways to avoid it at work. These tips will help keep you at the top of your game, while not forgetting to come out and play.

For another ten tips, check out “10 Surefire Ways to Avoid Burnout” by Bruna Martinuzzi on OpenForum.com.  It’s the same theme and another great set of advice for all the entrepreneurs out there who are feeling overwhelmed.

You can also visit Andrew’s blog Always On, his twitter at @AndrewDumont or check out the WizOf.Biz blog for great advice posts like this one.

Creative Commons Licensed Image

 

 

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Finally, a real business perk for after work…

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“Business Wisdom – Beyond Dragon’s Den”

presented by WizOf.Biz and sponsored by KPMG Enterprise

“…It’s one thing to read about Dragons and another to meet them.
                                               -Ursula K. Le Guin, a Wizard Of Earthsea.

On July 24, 2013, KPMG Enterprise and WizOf.Biz have come together to create unique afterwork perks!  We would like you to join us for what will be the first in a series of Afterworkshop events. In running this interactive business series we are providing SMEs and entrepreneurs like yours, to have the opportunity to learn from alumni of Dragon’s Den and  KPMG Enterprise seasoned professionals in a lively, interactive and open environment. A dynamic question and answer period will give you the chance to interact directly with some of Canada’s best and brightest entrepreneurial minds. You will learn directly what it’s like to be on Dragon’s Den and walk away with some practical tools needed to succeed on the show and beyond.

This Afterworkshop series will give you an opportunity to network with like-minded business professionals and provide you with information you can use to help advance your enterprise. You will also have a chance to take part in a series of applied learning labs as well as share best practices in a dynamic and relaxed manner. The event will feature keynote speakers, expert panels and of course plenty of opportunity to mingle.

The discussion topics at the inaugural Afterworkshop event will focus on best practices sharing from CBC’s Dragon’s Den Finalists who have taken their learnings from the Den and gone on to make their entrepreneurial dreams come true. Learn from some of the county’s most engaging and inspiring entrepreneurs. Take away great tools and advice that can help you succeed on Dragon’s Den.

You will be a part of an interactive forum featuring 2-3 interviewers, (combination of KPMG Enterprise professionals and WizOf.Biz mentors) posing a series of qustions to Dragon’s Den Finaliists who are thriving after surviving their experience with the Dragons. There will also be at least one surprise guest appearance and a chance to win one of ten copies of the book That’ll Never Work by KPMG Enterprise.

At the very least, we promise you good food and a glass of wine after a busy day at work.

Join KPMG’s Senior Manager Ana Chan and WizOf.Biz CEO Reg Charney along with their respective teams of mentors, supporters and professionals, for a business networking event you won’t soon forget!

Event Details:

When: Monday July 24, 2013 5:30-8:30pm

Where: KPMG LLP (Canada) 
333 Bay Street, Suite 4600 
Bay Adelaide Centre 
Toronto, Ontario 

Space is limited so register early via Eventbrite for free.. The panel discussion will also appear on YouTube on the WizOf.Biz channel.

See you there,
The WizOf.Biz team.

 

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Institutional Knowledge Preservation in the Future

Bina48

What if there was a way to take all of your personal characteristics and experiences and preserve them? How about a way of preserving institutional knowledge and passing it down generations?

Well, you can. Take for example entrepreneur Dr. Martine Rothblatt who had commissioned a project, run by roboticists Dr. David Hanson entitled Bina48, which would allow for all of her husband’s characteristics to be preserved in an android.  

A Financial Post article by Dan Ovsey, on the Future Face Of Institutional Knowledge Preservation confirms, that when technology tycoon Bruce Duncan, and the Executive Director of the Terasem Movement Foundation and supervisor of the LifeNaut Project Dr. David Hanson get together, anything is possible.

The LifeNaut project, allows people who wish to have their knowledge and experiences preserved in alternative forms such as avatars, androids and clones, to do just that. This, many argue, is the future of knowledge preservation and a way to hold on to our human experiences. A three-day conference recently held in Toronto such as Ideacity, served as the perfect opportunity for Duncan to introduce Bina48 to its participants.

The passage of information within an organization and through generations is vitally important.  It is what allows the continuation of a business and an continuity required to ensure trust and success.  Technologies such as Bina48 are going to revolutionize business and enable exciting new businesses and new ways to grow on our existing knowledge.

I invite you to read the full interview and their discussion on the future of Bina48. You can also check out the WizOf.Biz blog for more exciting posts.

Image courtesy https://www.lifenaut.com/bina48/

 

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