a game changing c.f.o-the importance of having a great mentor in your organization

c.f.o as game-changer

as c.e.o i deliberate, i engage in strategic thinking, and I develop the best strategy that should be implemented on behalf of my team, my clients, my family, and my community. most often, strategically, we are right on the money, backed by powerful tactical flanking executed by the team.

 i don’t always know how to handle everyone-i don’t always get interpersonal relationships right: i am burdened by the entirety of the enterprise-which is no excuse-i refuse excuses from others and will not accept one from myself.

but, i can become so engaged in the day’s affairs and so wrapped up in my own ego, that i can’t see the forest from the trees-and the trees are my team. trees need water and the chance to grow.

i became insensibly unable to deal with a member of the team because i could not, through my limited prism of life and business experience comprehend the true nature of that person’s character or abilities-and i gave up. my c.f.o did not. she saw what i did not: a biz developer, a hustler, a beehive worker-a passionate, unique individual whose life experiences, bound together into a quilt of embedded memory make her a valuable player to my clients, my team, and to me.

 my c.f.0, eve, worked with her and what i can see-early days-is an early spring of personal growth and business mojo. always listen in business, always look for the tipping point, which is to be found at the edges, not at the centre, at those moments when you should listen, and are not. effective=active=acting intelligently. that’s what i am beginning to see  in this person that the c.f .o is mentoring, and i am proud and grateful.

we may have a business development powerhouse on our hands in this young acolyte.

beyond commoditization of customers: from customers to members, from members to members of your tribe.

green-organic boot-strap v.c funding in south park l.a: hope RIZE

Friday, May 15, 2009

 

the hopeRIZE fund:finding and boot strap funding GREEN-ORGANIC entreprenenuers

today, brett and I will be filing the securities and exchange paperwork for the hopeRIZE fund: moving toward solution-first round financing for young, dynamic, highly innovative future GREEN ORGANIC entrepreneurs: core component attribute: the startup(s) must be HQ downtown southpark l.a. within the four block LUNA-EVO-EVO SOUTH-FLOWER STREE LOFT schema.

we look forward to working with South Park stake holders to advance this goal.

-martin cavanaugh porter III and brett h tomich.

questions? you can email: info@southparkbusinessincubator.biz 

50-for-500 club

we cannot remain locked in a disparate darkness of financial road blocks to innovation. 

the best time to innovate, invest, and grow is through a recession by supporting groundbreaking start up-entrepreneurs who often lack the ‘get in the door’ credentials to accelerate their product to market and reach the payback period to investors. 

the los angeles business war room round table must assist start-ups and on-going businesses receive a degree of credit from suppliers, obtain second rounds of financing, and have access to state-of-the art technology to leverage their innovation and bring their product or service to market. 

let us look at the present value, beta, efficiency frontier modelling through the lens: degree to which we can support an innovator succeed.

credit scores: one part of a whole- many individuals credit scores have taken a hit these last years and/or young men and women don’t have enough credit history to have an adequate score.

Let us move beyond the obvious in our collective thinking “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” – Einstein.

 lets also talk about: innovation scores (can product or service be brought to market or improved and be re-branded in short order with a reasonable expectation of success) and credibility scores (what is the individual’s relationship with his freinds and family like-this is a prime new way of balancing a potentially low credit score). full due-diligence adding criteria that allows for a more balanced view of the potential investment. 

 

brett and I propose the  50 for 500 club to begin to provide direct, technical,branding, ongoing strategic advice and limited financial ‘boot strap’ assistance to one potential innovative, entrepreneurial  graduate from the USC Marshall School of Business through the South Park Business Incubator (a private business incubator, a business  unit of the South Park Development Group). much more to come about the 50 for 500 club in the days ahead.

 south park biz incubator (also called la biz incubator) would provide legal, technical, office, branding and marketing assistance (unlimited email marketing campaign blasts, free, best of breed website-on line ecommerce presence, viral-SEO marketing, business planning, and assistance in 2nd and third round financing) for the life of the start-up company, taking a 10% interest.

members of the 50 for 500 club in return for each member putting up a $500.00 stake in the venture, collectively own 10% interest.

it’s a new model: double down on the angel  investor model and drive innovation and the hopes of start-up businessmen and women.

the 50 for 500 club will be on the agenda  at the first war room round table.

questions? ideas? email: btomich@southparkbusinessincubator.biz or mcporter@southparkbusinessincubator.biz

entreprenuer magazine blog posting on forbes legacy ventures llc-l.a biz incubator inc

flvllc.com

entrepreneur magazine’s blog has said of forbes legacy ventures llc’s model is that it is a hybrid v.c, branding, ecommerce organization both % -equity based and or fee based that is the first organization that seems to be flexible enough to provide concrete, universal solutions to small-medium businesses. they have integrated business consulting with v.c allowing small business access to technologically complex solutions and focused growth strategies at a very reasonable rate….”

forbes legacy ventures llc is so pleased to announce that they are being closely watched by business week , whole foods blog, and the real estate industry report: they are humbled-they feel it is thier duty to  live up to the accolades…..forbes legacy ventures llc- the south park development group-l.a biz incubator will endeavor every day, in every way to provide maximum value to its clients

e-raod cycle, update 2

E-ROAD Update 2

the forbes legacy ventures team will be test driving the E-Road this sunday at, 2pm.

almost zero carbon emissions

seems perfect for downtown….we will keep you posted…

korean airlines: downtown’s biggest booster-exemplifies korean business practice: the mentality of a warrior

Korean Air

Korean airlines: a developer? yup. the only player spending a billion plus to build downtown los angeles’ newest, biggest, tallest, most state of the art skyscraper.

go figure: investing through the recession.

a better farmer’s market for downtown los angeles update 2(first posted in southparkla.com)

happily, a key and important stake-holder in our south park community has conditionally embraced the idea of a weekly farmer’s market for the community.

further, he has brought to the table some very forward-thinking, well thought out ideas, reorienting our own conceptions-essentially, significantly improving on them.

based on our chat, (this gentleman was very patient with us and gave wide berth to the overly energized c.e.o), we will continue to move forward with our plans to develop a weekly, organic, widely-ranged farmers market.

the stake-holder opened up for us the extent of the potential market-from FIDM north, to the California Hospital Med Center to the south, LA Live (Ritz-Marriott) to the west, and a vitalized, vibrant ‘edgy’ mix of lofts to the east.

the community thanks him-I certainly do.

we will keep you posted on this potential game changer: more community activity, more connectivity: bringing ‘neighborhood’ to steel towers and lifting quality of life.

a workable model: moving beyond credit scores: the next model-innovation scores

it is important that entrepreneurship at it’s most grass-roots level flourish.

banks are barely lending to small companies-even ones that have been established for awhile and have good credit.

a group of micro-angle investors  needs to develop a new model to pump-prime young, bright entrepreneurs in downtown los angeles based on four components:

1. efficacy of product or service: supremely simple, ingenuous, and highly marketable through a blend of marketing tactics: on line and on the ground-backed by powerful viral-seo-email marketing.

2. willingness of start-up entrepreneur to accept sound advice and follow workable plans, and systems.

3. non-monetized collateral: trust/commendations, and personal references.

4. understanding that % of ownership and/or % of gross will be retained for working shoulder-to-shoulder with them.

many young entrepreneurs don’t have enough of a credit history or/and for a variety of plausible reasons (the economy) have poor credit.

lets move beyond credit scores to innovation scores and develop a hybrid model of boot-strap financing in downtown l.a for businesses and start-ups with great ideas, good products, and a proven track record of treating people with decency and respect.

for more info on this please visit: http://www.revanchist group.com or/and LABWRBLOG.wordpress.com

thoughts? ideas? are you one of those entreprenuers or a potential micro-angel investor ($500-$1000) please email: info@southparkbusinessincubator.biz

evolve

this recession is not like prior recessions.

chaos: globalization and technology=turbulence. do not count on uninterrupted periods of prosperity-become a wave rider. values: this recession, no matter when it ends, will modify people’s….

values: community, sociability, and safety will be at the top of the consumer’s mind. think like the potential customer-brand and market into their hopes ( a better community, more social interaction, and a safe environment. hint: it’s all about local, local, local and using all the tools of the Internet to go global, IE. low fixed costs with local operations, vast monetization possibilities if your online e-commerce presence is powerful and brilliantly marketed (yes-seo, viral, email mkt works-period-get used to it).

products: there is little wiggle room left for poorly made products. mkt research firm Neilsen has found that through good and bad times consumers are willing to buy innovative products. make sure you explain to your customer how your product solves their problem-whatever the product-whatever the problem.

cost cutting: action negotiation-ask for whatever you want from your suppliers and vendors and landlords-this is the window to trim overhead and enlightened suppliers, vendors, and landlords will meet you half-way. right now, and for the next three years, you are in the driver’s seat-customer retention and tenant retention is paramount to these folks. lower your overhead. forbes legacy ventures llc is working with one client to move in the direction of drilling to profit points by being transparent with suppliers and vendors: want a customer? bend over backwards.

new mkts: create your own game-changing niche (that’s what hope business center is doing with the south park development group)-a new virtual office paradigm that includes direct email marketing services, web site services, e commerce services with virtual offices at very, very competitive prices=high value= paradigm shift, new niche, ownership of a market that hitherto had not been created. For more info email: inquires@flvllc.com or nvanparys@hopebuscenter.com

a little is a lot: when times were good, businesses got lazy-now is the time to experiment with your business model and really develop your ecommerce model-don’t rush. look at your entire business model-leave pride aside: is it working?

status quo=bad: be hyper-flexible-form alliances, develop into new networks, shed business units that are clear disasters-move on.

he hated customer: they are, like all critics, your greatest ally because they force you to innovate to make them customers you can love.

“an innovation to be effective has to be simple and focused.”- peter drucker