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Nortel Folk – Take a Look at Lead to Win!

August 1, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

If you are currently working in Nortel, Mitel or any of the other local tech companies that are under stress and under the threat of downsizing, then you are probably thinking about your “Plan B”.     If your “Plan B” involves launching your own business, then you should take a close look at the Lead to Win program.

Past successful Nortel alumnus who have participanted in Lead to Win have included: Chuck Colford (Trigence (aka AppZero), Congruance IT), David Vicary (Nakina, Weyes Eyes), Jerry Everett (onconference), Brian Hurley (Liquid Computing, Purple Forge), and many others.

Lead to Win is now accepting applications for it’s 4th session which will occur later this year (Lead to Win is currently nailing down the exact date and will announce it soon).

The program is focused on helping enterpreneurs develop and grow their businesses.

The program is free to qualified participants.

Program details, application process, testimonials, FAQ’s, training materials, etc are available online at www.leadtowin.ca.

If you know others who might be interested in the program, please send them to www.leadtowin.ca!

Business, business incubators, Commercialization, Ecosystems, Entreprenuerism, General Interest, Information Technology, Innovation, Innovation Hub, Jobs, Local Start-ups, Microbusiness, Nortel, Opportunities, Ottawa, Ottawa Start-ups, Technology, Unemployment
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Lead to Win Reception

June 17, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

Lead to Win held a reception on Monday evening for participants and supporters.   Special guests included the Mayor of Gatineau and the acting Mayor of Ottawa.  Both expressed their support for the Lead to Win program and new businesses the participants are hoping to launch.

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Mayor of Gatineau, Marc Bureau

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Acting Mayor of Ottawa, Michel Bellemare

Participants at the reception commented on the strong and growing support from the community for the Lead to Win program.

Past Lead to Win Alumnus David Vicary, CEO of Weyes Eyes and past CEO and founder of Nakina Systems announced that he had secured seed funding for Weyes Eyes, his second start-up venture.  For more on this, please read the related Ottawa Business Journal article.

David Vicary, CEO Weyes Eyes

David Vicary, CEO Weyes Eyes

Photos from the event are available online.

The reception was hosted by Développement économique – CLD Gatineau (DE – CLDG).

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BDC Gas Tank is Filled Up!

June 17, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

Industry Canada announced on Monday that they will be providing additional funding for BDC.

The funding allocation includes $350M for BDC‘s venture capital activities that will allow it to make additional direct investments of $260 million over three years in Canadian businesses already in the BDC portfolio, as well as investments in new seed technology companies and later-stage technology companies. It will also allow BDC to commit $90 million over three years to private, independent Canadian venture capital funds.

This funding is in addition to the $75 million in venture capital funds allocated in the Government of Canada’s Budget 2008, which is being used to support the creation of a privately run venture capital fund.

This is great news!  BDC has been, and continues to be a key player in helping grow Canada’s innovation, economic growth and economic diversity.

Best practices, Business, Canada, Canadian Politics, Creative Class, Economy, Ecosystems, Entreprenuerism, General Interest, Government, Government Policy, Innovation, Jobs, Local Start-ups, Microbusiness, OCRI, Ontario, Opportunities, Ottawa, Ottawa Start-ups, Regional Economic Development, Technology, Trends, Unemployment, Venture Capital
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Robert Half Technology IT Jobs Outlook Released

June 16, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

Robert Half Technology issued data on IT jobs outlook this week, key findings from their survey:

Technology executives attribute staff reductions largely to reduced IT budgets and company wide layoffs

    Employers cite rising workloads as the primary reason to add IT personnel

    CIOs in the finance sector are most optimistic about hiring

    Project management is the job area experiencing the most growth

      Five per cent of chief information officers (CIOs) expect to hire full-time employees in the next three months, while 11 per cent anticipate personnel reductions. The majority of respondents, 80 per cent, plan to maintain current staffing levels.

      Best practices, Business, Canada, Computing, Economy, General Interest, Information Technology, Jobs, Regional Economic Development, Technology, Trends, Unemployment
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      Fewer People Dying?

      June 8, 2009 by Brian Hurley 1 Comment

      According to the Globe and Mail today - the funeral industry is in decline due to a decline in the death rate.

      Business, Canada, depression 2.0, Economy, General Interest, Jobs, Trends, Unemployment, United States, US
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      INTERESTED IN LAUNCHING A NEW TECH BUSINESS? LEAD TO WIN WANTS TO HELP YOU!

      June 7, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

      Here is a recent call for participants from Dr Tony Bailetti for the 3rd session of the Lead to Win program which starts on July 28th – please spread the word!

      INTERESTED IN LAUNCHING A  NEW TECH BUSINESS?  LEAD TO WIN WANTS TO HELP YOU!

      If you are serious about starting a profitable technology business in Canada’s Capital region, we invite you to apply to the next session of the Lead to Win program.

      The Lead to Win program is free to qualified applicants – no strings attached, no small print, no surprises.  Individuals from 37 organizations are investing to make Lead to Win participants successful for the benefit of the individual and our community.

      Details on the program, including past success and testimonials from participants are available at www.leadtowin.ca.    If you need additional information over what is at www.leadtowin.ca, please contact:

      Spaces in the Lead to Win program are limited – so prospective participants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

      Application instructions are available online at www.leadtowin.ca.

      If you know of  others who may benefit from Lead to Win, please forward this email to them – help get the word out!

      Regards.

      Tony Bailetti
      Lead to Win Program

      Business, business incubators, Canada, Commercialization, Creative Class, depression 2.0, Economy, Ecosystems, Entreprenuerism, General Interest, Government, Government Policy, Information Technology, Innovation, Innovation Hub, Jobs, Local Start-ups, Microbusiness, OCRI, Ontario, Opportunities, Ottawa, Ottawa Start-ups, Regional Economic Development, Talent First Network, Technology, The Code Factory, Trends, Unemployment, Universities, Venture Capital, Web 2.0
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      Nortel Collapse and Kanata Future

      June 5, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

      “Nortel’s collapse could spell the doom for the industry and trigger an exodus of high-tech companies from north Kanata.”

      Business, Canada, Economy, General Interest, Government, Government Policy, Innovation, Innovation Hub, Jobs, Local Start-ups, Nortel, Ontario, Ottawa, Ottawa Start-ups, Regional Economic Development, Trends, Unemployment
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      US and Canada Job Losses Continue – May Numbers

      June 5, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

      Latest unemployment numbers today:

      Other interesting lists:

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      Canadian Small Businesses Outlook Improving

      June 3, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

      Survey results from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business showed some improving outlooks among small business owners polled:

      • 38% considered the condition of their business to be “good”, 18% “bad”, and 44% “satisfactory
      • 18% of businesses were planning to add staff
      • 16% of businesses were planning to reduce staff
      • Top five business cost concerns: tax, regulatory costs; fuel, energy costs, wage costs; bank account and processing fees; and insurance costs.
      • Top three business constraints: insufficient domestic demand; shortage of working capital; and shortage of skilled labor
      • Business Barometer index rose to 60.4% (well below historical norms, but up since last survey)

      Business, Canada, General Interest, Government, Government Policy, Jobs, Ontario, Ottawa, Regional Economic Development, Trends, Unemployment
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      Server Market Hits Record Lows

      May 31, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

      The server market is getting hit hard these days – announcements in just the last few months:

      My bet is on Cisco capitalizing on the turmoil and emerging  stronger and more dominant then ever before.

      Update July 1

      IDC forecasts server market to decline through 2010

      Business, Cisco, Computing, Entreprenuerism, General Interest, Information Technology, Innovation, Technology, Trends, United States, Venture Capital
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      Lead to Win May-June Sessions

      May 22, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

      The 2009 Lead to Win program kicked-off this week.  The program was originally planned to support 30 participants per session.  Due to overwhelming demand from highly qualified candidates the program capacity was doubled and 61 participants were accepted into the May-June program.

      The first three days of workshops went exceptionally well.  All participants were highly qualified, highly motivated and highly committed.  The workshop was intense and there was a lot of interaction between the participants and the program leaders.  A breakdown of the participants company types, target markets, etc. is available: Lead to Win May 2009 Portfolio Snapshot

      Photos from the first day of the program are available online -

      Lead to Win (May 19, 2009)
      Best practices, Business, business incubators, Canada, Commercialization, Creative Class, Economy, Ecosystems, Entreprenuerism, General Interest, Government, Innovation, Innovation Hub, Jobs, Local Start-ups, Microbusiness, OCRI, Open Source, Opportunities, Ottawa, Ottawa Start-ups, Regional Economic Development, Talent First Network, Technology, The Code Factory, Trends, Unemployment, Venture Capital, Web 2.0
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      US VC Investments Down 61% in 1Q09

      May 22, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

      Reports from Mercury Press highlight the continuing decline of Venture Capital in the US:

      Nationally, VCs invested $3 billion into U.S. companies, down 61 percent from the $7.7 billion invested in the first quarter of 2008. It was smallest quarterly sum since 1997, and the sharpest decline on record.

      In the Bay Area, the world’s leading hub of innovation, $1.2 billion was invested in 172 deals during the quarter. That was a 43 percent decrease in dollars and 26 percent decrease in “deal flow” from the previous quarter.

      Business, Commercialization, depression 2.0, Economy, Entreprenuerism, General Interest, Innovation, Jobs, Silicon Valley, Technology, Trends, Unemployment, United States, US, Venture Capital
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      Lead to Win Videos

      May 6, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

      Message from Dr Tony Bailetti for Prospective Lead to Win Participants

      Testimonial from Jerry Everett, President of onconference

      Want more information?

      Visit the Lead to Win website at http://www.leadtowin.ca.

      The program is free to qualified participants (no small print, no strings attached!).

      ltwlogo

      Best practices, Business, Canada, Commercialization, Creative Class, Economy, Ecosystems, Entreprenuerism, General Interest, Innovation, Innovation Hub, Local Start-ups, Microbusiness, Ontario, Open Source, Opportunities, Ottawa, Ottawa Start-ups, Regional Economic Development, Talent First Network, Technology, The Code Factory, Trends, Unemployment, Universities
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      Economists see more job losses, 9.8% unemployment in US

      April 27, 2009 by Brian Hurley 1 Comment

      According to a USA Today article,  41% of economists surveyed in April predict the unemployment rate will top out at 10% or higher.   58%  of the economists surveyed said the economy will weaken in the next six months.

      Business, Economy, General Interest, Opportunities, Regional Economic Development, Trends, Unemployment, United States, US
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      Lead to Win Program Update – April 25th

      April 26, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

      ltwlogo

      CTV Ottawa News Coverage This Sunday!

      Tune-in to CTV Ottawa TECH NOW with Paul Brent on April 26th at 6PM for a special report on Lead to Win!

      City of Ottawa, Carleton University and Business – United in Leadership for the Community

      Recent press releases on the Lead to Win program:

      Media Coverage

      Visit the Lead to Win website to see all the latest media coverage on the Lead to Win program.

      Free Re-use of Lead to Win Materials for Other Canadian Communities

      All Lead to Win program materials (e.g. online tools, learning materials, processes, network) will be made freely available to other communities who would like to re-use, or adapt,  the materials, procedures and network for their own regional benefit. Contact us at lead@leadtowin.ca if you are interested.

      Spread the Word!

      Please spread the word on the Lead to Win program to prospective candidates, community organizations and sponsors.

      Can you Help?

      If you know politicians or government leaders in agencies who want to join the City of Ottawa, the Chamber of Commerce and Carleton University in taking a strong, visible leadership position to help make a difference – please make them aware of Lead to Win and ask them to contact Dr Bailetti at 613 829 8885, bailetti@sce.carleton.ca

      Best practices, Business, Canada, Canadian Politics, Commercialization, Creative Class, depression 2.0, Economy, Ecosystems, Entreprenuerism, General Interest, Government, Government Policy, Innovation, Innovation Hub, Ottawa, Ottawa Start-ups, Regional Economic Development, Talent First Network, Technology, The Code Factory, Trends, Unemployment, Universities
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      Ottawa Tech Jobs Melting Away

      April 25, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

      The Ottawa-Gatineau unemployment rate took a sharp jump recently and currently sits at 5.2%.

      Under the surface, the situation for tech jobs is increasingly serious.

      In Ottawa-Gatineau technology jobs have been evaporating at an alarming rate -  in just the last 12 months,  the region has lost 8,800 tech jobs.  This represents greater then a 14% loss. Further, Ottawa-Gatineau has lost almost 30% of its regional tech jobs compared to 2000.   Ottawa-Gatineau tech jobs peaked at 74,000 in 2000 and are now down to 53, 800 as of March 2009.

      Stats Canada has published that during the 2002 bubble burst – 4 out of 5 laid off tech workers did not find work in high tech, and 2 of 5 left the City of Ottawa.

      The tech sector is continuing to shed jobs in Ottawa-Gatineau.

      Ottawa-Gatineau faces a significant loss of tech capability and associated economic impact/growth for the region.

      Lead to Win is focused on launching new technology businesses in Ottawa-Gatineau to retain and create new tech jobs.   If you are concerned about the state of the technology sector in Ottawa-Gatineau or are interested in launching a new tech business in the region, you are encouraged to visit www.leadtowin.ca.

      Business, Canada, Creative Class, depression 2.0, Economy, Ecosystems, Entreprenuerism, General Interest, Government, Government Policy, Information Technology, Innovation, Innovation Hub, Jobs, Local Start-ups, Microbusiness, Ontario, Opportunities, Ottawa, Ottawa Start-ups, Regional Economic Development, Stats Canada, Talent First Network, Technology, Trends, Unemployment
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      A Cool Technology – “Sensitive Object”

      April 19, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

      This new technology from Sensitive Object presents some interesting potential for new applications.

      Their technology can turn almost any object into a touch-sensitive interface!  

      Best practices, Business, Computing, Creative Class, Ecosystems, Entreprenuerism, General Interest, Information Technology, Innovation, Jobs, Local Start-ups, Microbusiness, Opportunities, Regional Economic Development, Technology, Universities, Venture Capital
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      High Tech? Ensure You Know About the IRAP Small Project Accellerated Review Process

      April 18, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

      irapsmallproject

      Best practices, Business, Canada, Commercialization, Creative Class, Economy, Ecosystems, Entreprenuerism, General Interest, Government, Government Policy, Information Technology, Innovation, Innovation Hub, Jobs, Local Start-ups, Microbusiness, OCRI, Open Source, Opportunities, Ottawa, Ottawa Start-ups, Regional Economic Development, Trends, Unemployment
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      More Beef, Less Bun!

      April 18, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

      We are in the midst of the worst economic downturn Ottawa has seen, and we are watching our high tech sector melt away.

      I find it very disturbing that there are few organizations – other than the Talent First Network and NRC-IRAP – that are stepping up and taking visible, urgent and concrete steps to help out our community.

      Talent First Network is aggressively pushing ahead with the Lead to Win program, which has garnered strong community support.

      The IRAP team have ramped up their pace, they have streamlined processes to match the urgency of the situation, they are pursuing new programs, and they are on the frontline – engaging the entrepreneurs and high tech businesses who are working to expand existing businesses or build new businesses which will revitalize our high tech sector.

      The big question is – Where is the leadership from the other tax-funded organizations? The City of Ottawa, the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation and Industry Canada have spent truckloads of money on the Ontario Centres of Excellence, Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation and The Ottawa Partnership (TOP) – these organizations  should be front and center but are virtually invisible.

      When it comes to getting results from our tax dollars and leadership from the organizations they fund – it’s time for “More Beef and Less Bun!“  -

      In the current economic downturn,  I would rather see more of my tax dollars going to IRAP and the Talent First Network.  They have the right attitude and they are focused on helping our community.

      It’s time for MORE BEEF!  LESS BUN!

      Business, Canada, Canadian Politics, Creative Class, depression 2.0, Economy, Ecosystems, Entreprenuerism, General Interest, Government, Government Policy, Information Technology, Innovation, Innovation Hub, Jobs, Local Start-ups, Microbusiness, OCRI, Ontario, Open Source, Opportunities, Ottawa, Ottawa Start-ups, Regional Economic Development, Talent First Network, Technology, Trends, Unemployment, Universities, Venture Capital, Web 2.0
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      Forget Monorails! The New Snake Oil for Economic Development is Green Tech and Clean Energy!

      April 18, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

      Green tech and clean energy is the new snake oil – and is increasingly being pushed in Ottawa and other communities as “the future of technology” and the source for attracting venture capital,  private investment and driving  massive economic growth…  However the facts paint a different picture!

      Venturesource reports steady declines in Venture investment in the green tech and clean energy sectors, with $189 million of Venture Capital invested in 15 deals during the first quarter, down 59 percent from the $457 million invested in 24 such deals last year.    This is in comparison to ICT investments, which even in the worst of times are still almost 10 times greater for the same period!

      Clean Energy, Green Tech – it walks, talks and looks like a Monorail -

      Business, Canada, Canadian Politics, Computing, Debacle, depression 2.0, Economy, Ecosystems, Entreprenuerism, General Interest, Government, Government Policy, Information Technology, Innovation, Jobs, Local Start-ups, OCRI, Ontario, Opportunities, Ottawa, Ottawa Start-ups, Regional Economic Development, Technology, Trends, Unemployment, Venture Capital
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      Join Lead to Win: Drive Massive Innovation in Canada’s Capital Region

      April 15, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

      Join Lead to Win:

      Drive Massive Innovation in Canada’s Capital Region

      If you are serious about starting a profitable technology based business in the National Capital Region during the current economic situation, we invite you to apply to Lead to Win (LTW).

      LTW is a proven program for talented technology individuals who wish to establish and grow successful businesses in Canada’s Capital Region.  Past program participants have come from a wide range of backgrounds, including – sales, business development, product managers, design engineers, systems analysts, and management.  LTW previously ran during the 2002 economic downturn.  Out of the 29 participants in 2002 – over half launched a new business.  Collectively those businesses created over 300 new jobs and attracted over $90M in investment.

      The first 2009 LTW training session starts May 19, 2009. If you have what it takes, we encourage you to apply immediately.  Applications are now being accepted online at www.leadtowin.ca.

      The LTW program is free to qualified applicants – no strings attached, no small print, no surprises.  Our region is investing to make LTW participants successful for the benefit of the individual and the community.

      LTW has three phases. In the first phase, you apply online.  Qualified applicants will then be invited to meet with LTW leadership.  Participants will be selected based on their experience, commitment, and opportunity profile. In the second phase, you participate in an intense six day training program where you will learn how to lever business ecosystems, profitably serve attractive vertical markets, and the key factors that contribute to the ultimate success of a fledgling technology company. Upon completion of this second phase, you will be well equipped, and encouraged, to launch your new technology businesses in the National Capital Region.  In the third phase, LTW connects you to strategic customers, revenue opportunities, and individuals, companies and organizations that can provide requisite resources, including capital.

      LTW is supported by The City of Ottawa, The Talent First Network, alumni from the 2002 Lead to Win program, community expertise, and faculty members and graduate students of Carleton University’s Technology Innovation Management program (www.carleton.ca/tim).

      To apply to LTW, please contact: Press and program, please contact:
      Ottawa Tony Bailetti:

      Bailetti@sce.carleton.ca

      613 829 8885
      Tony Bailetti Bailetti@sce.carleton.ca

      613-829-8885
      Rowland Few rfew@sce.carleton.ca

      613-222-4394
      Ian Graham Ian@thecodefactory.com

      613-321.3831
      Gatineau
      Serge Lafontaine slafontaine@arrow.com

      613-884-8965
      Best practices, Business, Commercialization, Creative Class, Economy, Ecosystems, Entreprenuerism, General Interest, Information Technology, Innovation, Innovation Hub, Jobs, Local Start-ups, Microbusiness, Nortel, Ontario, Open Source, Opportunities, Ottawa, Ottawa Start-ups, Regional Economic Development, Talent First Network, Technology, The Code Factory, Trends, Unemployment, Universities, Venture Capital, Web 2.0
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      Lead-to-Win Turns Economic Downturn into Opportunity for Laid-Off Technology Workers in Canada’s Capital Region

      April 15, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

      April 16, 2009 – Press Release

      Ottawa, Ontario

      Lead-to-Win Turns Economic Downturn into Opportunity for Laid-Off Technology Workers in Canada’s Capital Region

      In the tech meltdown of 2002, four out of five laid-off tech workers did not find work in high tech, and in Ottawa-Gatineau two out of five laid-off tech workers left the region.   In 2009, Canada’s Capital Region high tech sector faces a significantly greater challenge.

      Today, Ontario’s Talent First Network is pleased to announce the launch of the Lead To Win  program for laid-off tech workers.  The program is based upon a program of the same name that was delivered during the last economic downturn in 2002. Over half of the participants in the 2002 Lead to Win program created a new business in Canada’s Capital Region.  These new businesses collectively created over 300 jobs and attracted over $90M in investment.

      “Lead to Win is a great initiative for our region and we are pleased to support the program,” stated Larry O’Brien, Mayor of the City of Ottawa.  There is a proven recipe here. This is precisely the sort of innovative action that takes the current economic situation and turns it into a compelling opportunity for growth.”

      Professor Tony Bailetti of Carleton University stated “We have a real opportunity to drive massive innovation in Canada’s Capital Region. Lead to Win will equip the next wave of technology entrepreneurs to launch new businesses that target the right market spaces. We did this in 2002 and we are going to do it again.”

      David Vicary, founder of Weyeseyes and previously President and founder of Nakina Systems was also a 2002 Lead to Win participant. Vicary stated “The Lead to Win program was developed to help entrepreneurs in tough times. The lessons learned in Lead to Win were critical to my success in founding and growing Nakina Systems.”

      The program is intended for talented individuals who want to launch a new technology business.  The program is free to qualified applicants.  Applications are currently being solicited for the program.  Space is limited and interested individuals are encouraged to apply online at www.leadtowin.ca.

      Lead to Win is sponsored by the City of Ottawa, Talent First Network and Carleton University.  Lead to Win associates include alumni from the 2002 Lead To Win program, local businesses, and faculty members and graduate students of Carleton University’s Technology Innovation Management program (http://www.carleton.ca/tim).

      About the Talent First Network

      The Talent First Network is a successful Ontario-wide initiative funded by the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation and Carleton University.  The Talent First Network enables the commercialization of market offers that rely on open source projects and global ecosystems for their revenue.

      Contact: Tony Bailetti, Bailetti@sce.carleton.ca, 613 829 8885

      Best practices, Business, Canada, Commercialization, Computing, Creative Class, Economy, Ecosystems, Entreprenuerism, General Interest, Information Technology, Innovation, Innovation Hub, Jobs, Local Start-ups, Microbusiness, OCRI, Ontario, Open Source, Opportunities, Ottawa, Ottawa Start-ups, Regional Economic Development, Stats Canada, Talent First Network, Technology, The Code Factory, Trends, Unemployment, Universities, Venture Capital, Web 2.0
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      Wireless M2M – Machine to Machine Networking …a Cool Idea with Loads of Microbusiness Potential

      April 12, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

      Wireless M2M networking enables the monitoring and control of devices that have historically been difficult to access and were previously un-managed.   Standards are becoming more common and stable.  Further, the implementation and production cost of wirelessly enabling and managing devices continues to drop.  This opens up a broad range of potential new applications and business opportunies.

      Some examples of companies that provide development platforms and system building blocks for Wireless M2M include:

      Business, Commercialization, Computing, Creative Class, Economy, Ecosystems, Entreprenuerism, General Interest, Information Technology, Innovation, Jobs, Microbusiness, Networking, Open Source, Opportunities, Regional Economic Development, Technology, Trends
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      Canadian Unemployment Rate Hits 8% in March

      April 12, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

      Stats Canada has reported that Canada’s unemployment rate hit 8% in March.  This is the highest rate in seven years.

      march2009unemp

      In March, Ontario unemployment remained steady at 8.7%, however Ottawa’s unemployment rate rose sharply and is now 5.2%.

      More details on Canada’s forecast unemployment rates and trends for 2009 is in this blog.

      Comparison of Canada’s unemployment rates with the great depression is in this blog.

      Business, Canada, Economy, General Interest, Government, Government Policy, Jobs, Ontario, Ottawa, Regional Economic Development, Stats Canada, Trends, Unemployment
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      MagCloud – Do It Yourself Magazine Publishing …a Cool Idea with Loads of Microbusiness Potential

      March 31, 2009 by Brian Hurley 1 Comment

      HP is currently running a beta of a new online service called “MagCloud“.  The service allows anyone to produce a magazine and print it – on demand – for $0.20 a page.  The service also offers an online store to allow publishers to sell their magazines.  The service will take care of printing, mailing, subscription management, and more.

      HP’s longer-term plan is to sell their specialized printers and inks to businesses who will offer regional on-demand printing services.

      This ability to do on-demand printing of magazines can allow smaller operations and professional service organizations to offer new services to businesses which need to quickly and cheaply produce magazines.  One of the benefits offered by the service is the ability to do tweaks to the magazine master document much more quickly and with less cost then traditional methods of producing magazines.

      Best practices, Business, Canada, Commercialization, Computing, Creative Class, Economy, Ecosystems, Entreprenuerism, General Interest, HP, Information Technology, Innovation, Jobs, Microbusiness, New Media, Ontario, Opportunities, Regional Economic Development, Trends, Unemployment, United States, US, Web 2.0
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      Best Buy Reports Sales UP 10%

      March 29, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

      Best Buy reported that revenue for their recent quarter which ended Feb. 28 was $14.72 billion, up 9.7 percent from $13.42 billion from the same the period a year earlier.  The increase came from strong sales of laptop computers and cellphones.

      Business, Canada, Economy, General Interest, Sales, Trends, Unemployment, United States, US
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      Technology Rates Adoption from 1900 to Present

      March 29, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

      history-of-productsThis interesting chart is from the New York Times, it highlights the speed of adoption of new technologies over the years.  The general conclusion is that adoption/consumption of new technology occurs much faster today then in the past.

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      Unrest in the Workplace

      March 26, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

      Recent reports in the news are highlighting increasing aggression and unrest in the workplace.

      There have also been reports of incidents against executives at firms with layoffs – ranging from physical assault to murder.  In France there have been two cases of hostage taking of managers by employees – at Sony and 3M.

      Business, depression 2.0, Economy, Europe, General Interest, Jobs, Trends, Unemployment, United States, US
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      Recession Proof Businesses – US Gun Shops

      March 26, 2009 by Brian Hurley 2 Comments

      According to Reuters, in the first two months of 2009, around 2.5 million Americans bought guns, a 26 percent increase over the same period in 2008. Gun dealers report this rise in sales to be a consequence of fear of social unrest as the ailing economy pushes the newly destitute deeper into misery.

      The Orlando Sentinel’s also reports that gun dealers are experiencing shortages of bullets -

      Some say it began with the election of President Barack Obama. Others say it’s about the economic downturn or fear of crime. Whatever the reasons, ammunition has been selling like plywood and bottled water in the days before a hurricane.

      Eleanor Duckwall’s blog on the nationwide ammunition shortage that has hit the U.S.  provides a comprehensive review of the various possible reasons for the ammunition shortage, which may include:

      • An increase in the size and number of paramilitary police units
      • An increase in the use of “patrol carbines” in law enforcement
      • Fears of draconian gun and ammunitions restrictions
      • Economic instability

      Related articles:

      Business, depression 2.0, Economy, General Interest, Government, Government Policy, Jobs, Opportunities, Trends, Unemployment, United States, US
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      Carleton University Poster Session – Innovation, Talent, Commercialization

      March 24, 2009 by Brian Hurley 0 Comments

      I attended the Carleton University engineering poster session on Mar 20th.  89 engineering students  displayed the results of 36 4th year projects (http://www.sce.carleton.ca/courses/sysc-4907/webforms/posterLocations.php).

      The projects ranged from the abstract to the commercially viable, and from simple to complex.  The one thing that stood out in general was the high quality of the students.   The projects I found  most interesting were the ones which struck me as being commercially viable with further development – examples from the poster session included:

      • An application which linked exercise equipment (in this case a treadmill) into a virtual reality world where the treadmill user could “run” through the virtual reality world and potentially interact with other users around the world
      • An inexpensive and compact wireless sensors technology that automatically create a wireless mesh communication network to allow easy deployment of sensors (e.g., smoke detector) without the cost of dedicated wires (or even electrical outlet)
      • An iPhone-based geo-tagged photo blogging application
      • A Nintendo Wii technology-based interactive projection “whiteboard’

      Poster sessions like this can be a great way to help advance commercialization of university work and link local investors/entrepreneurs to ideas and talent.

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