The Silicon Halton CEO Top-10 Book Club

The Silicon Halton CEO Top-10 Book Club

What began as an opener to a fall Silicon Halton CEO P2P meeting, generated so much valuable discussion and learning experience, that it obsessed an entire meeting.

At the previous meeting, the CEO’s elected to each share their favorite business book and importantly, what value they derived from it. As the CEOs find merit and value in each other’s opinions, this appeared to be an interesting exercise. As all are avid business book readers and always looking to maximize their efficiencies, a recommendation from a trusted peer, to prioritize the cornucopia of business books available today, is invaluable. In 2010 alone, there were 316,000 new books, 5% more than in 2009.

Each CEO discussed the importance and relevance of their recommended book, and what from the book, if anything, they incorporated into their businesses, and any resulting successes or learning experiences.

Under the belief that a rising tide raises all boats, the CEO’s elected to share their list publicly with the Silicon Halton community, and, well, anyone who happens upon this page. The CEO P2P group will hold another business book meeting in 2012, until then, there’s plenty below for you to read.

The books are listed in no particular order. Silicon Halton members can join the discussion here.  Where we can, Twitter addresses to the author are provided.

 

Good to Great    

Good to Great
Jim Collins

 

   Strenghts Finder 2.0    

   Strengths Finder 2.0
   Tom Rath

exploting chaos 2

Exploiting Chaos
Jeremy Gutsche

 

 

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

The Five Dysfunctions
of a Team
Patrick Lencioni

 

  Brand New World

  Brand New World
  Max Lenderman

 The 4-Hour Work Week

The 4-Hour Work Week
Timothy Ferriss

Nothing to Lose

Nothing to Lose,
Everything to Gain
Ryan Blair

   Blockbusters

 Blockbusters: The Five Keys
 to Developing GREAT
 New Products
 Gary S. Lynn, Ph.D., and
 Richard R. Reilly, Ph.D.

Win

Win: The Key Principles to
Take Your Business from
Ordinary to Extraordinary
Dr. Frank I. Luntz

Creating a Successful Brand Identity

Creating a Successful Brand Identity

In my last post, I discussed what makes a brand identity successful. This time around, I’m going to cover the process or stages involved in getting there.

The process of creating a successful brand identity requires research, gathering information, strategic analysis, creative design and skilled project management. While the amount of time and resources spent on each stage will vary for each client, the process itself should remain the same.

1. Establish criteria and gather information

The designer’s first step is to find out as much as possible about the company or product by asking the client a series of questions:

  • Who is the client?
  • Who are their customers?
  • Who is their competition?
  • What is their current perception and do they want to maintain or change it?
  • What are the demographics of their target market?
  • What are their short-term and long-term goals?
  • What is their key messaging?
  • What positioning, personality or tone do they wish to convey?
  • How long will the identity be used?
  • What applications are required for the identity?

Depending on the size of the company or the position of a product brand in the marketplace, additional market research from a third-party firm may be required to fully understand the competitive landscape.

2. Prepare a creative brief based on the information gathered

A creative brief is a clearly communicated outline of the intentions, expectations, positioning and creative direction the identity will take based on the information gathered in step 1. It is an agreed to collaborative plan between the designer and client that serves as a foundation or reference point for keeping the project on track and measuring the success of any creative concepts presented for approval. This crucial step will narrow the designer’s focus by establishing the ground rules for creative exploration.

3. Explore concepts based on the creative brief

At last comes the fun part. With all the background information at hand, the designer can now begin to brainstorm, mind map and explore creative concepts on paper. Further evaluation against the creative brief narrows the concepts down to about three choices: each being somewhat unique in format or creative direction.

4. Narrowing down the choices

Rendering these concepts on the computer in black and white is the next step, as ideas that work well without relying on colour only get stronger when fully rendered. Presenting the concepts in black and white also frees the client to focus solely on the concept without distraction. Based on this initial client feedback and my recommendation based on rationale defined by the creative brief, one concept is chosen as the strongest.

5. Typefaces, colour and approval

At this stage any changes to the chosen concept are made along with the selections of typefaces and a colour palette. More feedback from the client leads to final refinement and an approved design.

6. Preparing final art files

Final art is prepared in a variety of file formats and divided into three main categories depending on application. Categories include professional print applications in both spot and process colour for items such as business cards, brochures and print advertising; internal applications such as letterhead, memos and invoices; and digital applications such as web sites, slide presentations and email signatures. A guide is included to ensure the right file selection for every use.

7. Brand Identity Guidelines or Graphic Standards Manual

This important document is developed by the designer to ensure consistent brand reproduction across all media both internally and with external suppliers. Here again, the amount of time and resources spent on creating this document will vary, but at the bare minimum a manual should cover both proper and unauthorized uses of the logo, its precise colour breakdowns and typeface specifications. More elaborate brand guidelines may also include exact layout specifications for diverse applications such as business cards, uniforms or external signage and provide guidelines for the selection of imagery and secondary colours.

Investing in the creation of a professional brand identity is always a good decision for any business or organization. I hope I’ve given you a better understanding of the process and what to expect and look for when working with an experienced graphic designer.

valsannaVal Sanna is the Creative Director and principal behind Ignition Design + Communications, a graphic design studio specializing in brand identity and communications design. His passion is helping position clients for success by creating clear, memorable, professional brands that get noticed and stand apart from their competition. For more information follow Val on Twitter or contact him at vsanna@ignitiondesign.ca

Elements of a Successful Brand Identity

Elements of a Successful Brand Identity

What is a brand?

cow

Let’s start by clearing up any misconceptions between logos and brands. Designer Sean Adams describes it this way: A logo or identity is not a brand unless it’s on a cow. A brand, rather, is the perception formed in the audience’s mind about a company, person or idea. This perception is the culmination of the logo, visuals, identity program, messages, products and actions. The designer doesn’t make a brand. Only the audience can do this. The designer’s role is to create one of the most important aspects of the brand, the logo or brand identity system. A logo can’t make a bad product or company better, but a well-designed identity will help position a product or company to realize its full potential. Brand identity builds awareness and customer loyalty. A company that invests in a creating a professional brand identity gives its management, sales agents, and employees a great tool to inspire team spirit internally and to connect with its customers in the marketplace. A professional brand identity becomes the face of a company or organization and is often the first connection between the brand and its target audience. We all want to make a favourable first impression, don’t we?

Attributes of a Good Brand Identity

What makes a good brand identity? Not every identity shares all these attributes, but the best ones share most, if not all of them.

  • It should be uniquely identifiable to help distinguish it from the competition. Think of how many brand messages you are exposed to each day, for instance on a public transit ride, in a grocery store or surfing the web. Remember it’s not necessary to make your identity represent exactly what your company does. This will avoid your identity resembling the competition and not limit areas of future growth.
  • It should be simple enough to be instantly recognizable. Can you easily picture in your mind’s eye the Apple logo? When we can easily recall and remember an identity, we form positive reactions to it that lead to feelings of comfort and trust.
  • It should draw the viewer in with pleasing aesthetics that appeal to the intended audience. While the culmination of a neutral colour palette, elegant typography and beautiful photography create a tasteful and sophisticated look for Martha Stewart, this same look is likely not appropriate for an apparel brand aimed at a youth market into extreme sports.
  • It should use shape and colour to enhance recognition and emotional response. The Nike swoosh creates an image of energy and dynamic power and Coca Cola uses red to suggest energy, life and vitality. It’s hard to imagine either of these identities without their signature shape or colour. We would not have the same reaction to them, nor would they be as successful, otherwise.
  • It sometimes has a hidden element or meaning that demands attention. Have a careful look at the FedEx logo. The negative space between the capital E and the lower case X form an arrow shape. This subtly portrays forward movement and is ideally suited to a shipping company. We naturally want to try to figure out the meaning of these kinds of identities and the more time we spend with them, the more familiar they become.
  • It must be culturally relevant. Certain symbols and colours have very specific meanings to different cultures. For instance, in the Western world we are very familiar with the Red Cross Society. In other parts of the world, the cross is replaced with a crescent and the name changes to the Red Crescent Society to be more sensitive to followers of the Islamic faith. Make sure to do some research ahead of exploring a creative direction that could cause problems in an increasingly global marketplace.
  • It will stand the test of time and not date itself quickly. The CN logo is an example of an identity that is timeless in appeal and not be subject to changing trends or fashion. Most companies or organizations would do well to follow this route, but there are always exceptions. For example, certain product brands will be more fashion-forward in their approach to capitalize on the latest fad or trend.
  • It should be easily reproduced across a variety of media, both in print and online, and at a variety of sizes. What is legible on the side of a truck may not work as well when reduced to the size of a favicon in a browser address bar. A complex identity with gradients and transparency may work well on a web page, but may prove difficult to embroider on branded apparel. A well-designed brand identity system is flexible enough to easily accommodate different methods of reproduction and sizes.

In my next post, I’ll cover the process of Creating a Successful Brand Identity.

valsannaVal Sanna is the Creative Director and principal behind Ignition Design + Communications, a graphic design studio specializing in brand identity and communications design. His passion is helping position clients for success by creating clear, memorable, professional brands that get noticed and stand apart from their competition. For more information follow Val on Twitter or contact him at vsanna@ignitiondesign.ca

TechArts P2P Prepares To Be Drawn

TechArts P2P Prepares To Be Drawn

playbuttonSilicon Halton is launching a Technology in the Arts Tech Tribe (peer-to-peer, or P2P) that will focus on creative uses of technology.

You don’t need any experience in the arts to participate, just some curiosity about the role that technology plays in shaping the media that we’re exposed to every day.

Some of the topics we might cover include:

  • Digital audio/video production
  • Digital photography and imaging
  • Commercial and open source media tools
  • Digital media software development
  • DIY hardware development
  • Wearable technology (conductive fabrics, etc.)
  • Robotics
  • Interactivity and UX design
  • Using the arts as a way to get students interested in technology careers
  • Financial and legal resources for creative professionals

We hope to split our time between presentations, discussion and hands-on labs. Our first P2P is planned for July 28 where we’ll establish a roadmap for the group going forward.

Help shape the first meetup by joining our discussion thread on LinkedIn here (members only).  Just want to register for July 21, 2011 now? Please register here.

Hope to see you there!

Technology in the Arts P2P Group No. 1

When: Thursday July 28 at 7:00PM

Where: Boston Pizza in Oakville (QEW & Dorval) Map.

Register via LinkedIn: here

Silicon Halton Solopreneur P2P Approaching Cruising Altitude

…you may remove your seatbelts and move about the cabin. Just want to register for July 21, 2011 now? Please register here. June 16, 2011 saw a very successful launch of the our second Tech Tribe, the Solopreneur Peer 2 Peer.  With 15 enthusiastic members in attendance for this inaugural breakfast gathering, Rick Stomphorst walked the group through a brainstorming session of future discussion topics. 

While creating the list of future topics, there was a natural inclination to start diving into a few of the pain-point topics, with members already starting to mentor one another. When the group meets on the 3rd Tuesday morning each month, a topic, selected at the previous meeting, will be discussed, brainstormed, and wrestled with. The group selected to initially contain the intimate nature of the group, creating a attendee ceiling of 20.  When we exceed that, we’ll look into establishing another Tech Tribe.

The next Solo Peer 2 Peer meeting is July21, 2011. Register here.

Slide deck from our first Solopreneur Peer 2 Peer Meeting

Founders Update #1

Founders Update #1

We’re starting something new today for Silicon Halton. Rick and I will be having a monthly “founders meeting” and we’ll be sharing what we covered with anyone who is interested here on the Silicon Halton website. We get together at Artisanos to chat about what’s happened in the past, what’s coming up and where we hope to see Silicon Halton heading. Now we plan to share our coversations with you. We meet at Artisanos because that’s where the seeds of Silicon Halton were first planted. Here’s our very first video after we met with Rob Burton, the Mayor of Oakville. 

Video Summary 00:30 Rick talks about our CEO P2P group that just kicked off in April. Here’s a blog post about the CEO P2P group initiative. 01:00 There’s a great discussion started in our Linkedin group by Karla Stephens-Tolstoy, CEO of Tokii. She asks the question: what are you top 3 reasons for being part of this group? If you are a member of the group, add your voice to the conversation here.

01:35 We met with Jim Beretta and John Davidson who are some of the key leaders working on getting Haltech off the ground. Haltech is a “Regional Innovation Centre” that is being created for Halton Region. You can discuss Haltech in our Linkedin group here and learn more about Haltech here. Rick also met with Ron Neumann who heads up the Hamilton Regional Innovation Centre (RIC) which is branded as “The Innovation Factory” (we love this name!) and Silcon Halton as well and learned about their CEO and Startup Peer to Peer groups and lunch an learn sessions.

02:50 Chris introduces a new program which will result in the production of an editorial content and conversational plan and more importantly relevant content and discussions that are of interest to Silicon Halton members. 03:38 A quick comment about Haltech from Chris.

03:54 We witnessed today Silicon Halton working! A key goal for Silicon Halton is to make it possible for members to bump in to each other when they are at a local coffee shop, pub, event etc. What we want is there to be a buzz, a sense of connection and over time a vibrant community of people that have an affinity to making technology a fantastic industry to belong to in Halton. It starts with meeting, connecting and knowing people.

Bumpin-Picture-Phil-Neukom-and-Rick-May2011-300x225So, yesterday we were really glad to see Phil Neukom (see photo below) and Mark Hickson both members of Silicon Halton. Pictured here: Rick Stomphorst (L) and Phil Neukom (R), May 2011 at Artisanos in Oakville.”)

Thanks for taking the time to watch our founders update video and read this post. If you have any questions or comments let us know below or through the members only Linkedin group. Chris Herbert and Rick Stomphorst, Cofounders of Silcon Halton.

CEO Peer-to-Peer Group Kicks Off

CEO Peer-to-Peer Group Kicks Off

board-roomAnd away we go… April 2011, saw the establishment of Silicon Halton’s firstPeer-to-Peer (P2P) group, notably, a CEO P2P group.  We’re grateful to Deloitte for allowing the use of their boardroom. In establishing the group we laid some ground rules to best ensure the members had much in common so as they could best leverage each other’s expertise.  We also wanted to ensure the group members were not too similar so we don’t end up with an echo-chamber of opinion.  The objective is to create a valuable forum where the leaders of community can learn, grow, and seek peer advice. Our admittance guidelines are:

  • ICT Technology based company
  • Business located in Halton or “CEO” lives in Halton
  • Past pre-revenue phase
  • Member holds highest position in the company (declared top of pyramid)
  • A for-profit company with staff (min ~10)
  • Non-government
  • By invitation

During April’s inaugural CEO P2P meeting the members approved the guidelines we proposed.  Our goal is to maintain the group at about 15-20 members, an optimum size which will allow for meaningful conversation by all members.  If the group needs to grow beyond this, well, that will be a great problem to have! Due to the nature of the group, there won’t be any post-event blogs as we do with our monthly meetups, however, we’ll strive to post something periodically to let everyone know the group is flourishing. Would you like to join?  Please contact Rick Stomphorst, Chris Herbert, or Jane Jantzi. We’re discussing establishing other P2P groups where there is sufficient interest and value.  Contact us if you have an idea for one. Silicon Halton Founders, Rick & Chris.

An Open Message to Our Federal Candidates

Rick Stomphorst, cofounder, has reached out to Halton Local Federal Candidates via email, asking what their position is on helping the hitech industry grow in Halton Region. Below is what he’s sent to each one of them:


Hello Candidates, I’m an IT leader living in Halton Region. 19 months ago I co-started a hi tech community in Halton called Silicon Halton. Our goal is to build a strong and engaged network to help all realize and promote the importance and vibrancy of the high-tech community in the Halton Region. Silicon Halton has grown to 290 members. With the Federal election upon us, our members have a question for you:

What is your position on helping growing the hitech sector in Halton Region and if so, what plans do you have in helping make this happen?


We are sending this same question to all candidates in Halton Region. We will post all replies in our private online social network group on LinkedIn.com: http://linkd.in/hy8VpW We appreciate your time in answering this question. We would further appreciate your reply by 5pm Thursday April 21, 2011. Best Regards, Rick Stomphorst Co-Founder, Silicon Halton www.SiliconHalton.com Twitter.com/SiliconHalton LinkedIn group: http://linkd.in/hy8VpW

Rick has started a discussion here in our Linkedin Group for those members who want to follow along. April 22, 2011 note: The responses are now posted in the Silicon Halton LinkedIn group here, grouped by riding. Thanks for all the responses.  -Rick

Launch a Workshop!

Launch a Workshop!

Silicon Halton Workshops are created by the members, for the members.Attend a workshop 230x68  

Do you have a workshop you would like to deliver but don’t know where to begin? Would your workshop add value to the Halton hi tech community? Does your topic fall under the three pillars of Silicon Halton: Community, Technology & Growth? If so, then Silicon Halton wants to empower you in delivering your workshop.

Silicon Halton is targeting a highly distributed model of programs to address the needs of our hi tech community. A model where you own your workshop. You’re the specialist, you understand the challenge and the solution. This model will give Silicon Halton the ability to do more, do it better, and have lasting solutions.

Find scheduled workshops on the events page.

About you

Silicon Halton wants to leverage the bounty of talent found in Halton Region. We also want to professionally enrich the members of Silicon Halton and anyone else who would like to attend your workshop. If you have a workshop you would like to deliver, but don’t know where to start or if you could attract enough people, Silicon Halton wants to help.

Flexible

Your workshop could be 90min, ½ day, full-day, multiple days, and/or a series of workshops. You decide. Want food or refreshments served? You decide. Want to include the cost of food or refreshments in the ticket price or not? You decide. Where will your workshop be? You’re in control (we can help you source a location).

Branding / Naming

You decide the name of your workshop. Silicon Halton asks only that the workshop to be branded “Silicon Halton”. All the street creds, glory, rights and privileges therein remain yours. We want the community to know that this is your workshop.

The proposed branding format is: Silicon Halton <workshop name> Workshop

Examples of past Silicon Halton workshops:

Converting Opportunities into Deals sales workshops (here)

Pitch Camp Breakfast (here

The Influencers Mantra Workshop (here)

Another option is to include your company name in the branding message.  

What Silicon Halton will do?

We will promote your workshop to our 900 members and to the community at large.

  • Apply our Monthly-Meetup Social Media Promotion plan to your workshop.
  • Post your pre-workshop blog on the Silicon Halton site, categorized under “Events”
  • List the workshop in the Event’s Calendar here: (here)
  • Post your workshop, if you already haven’t done so, in the Silicon Halton LinkedIn group
  • Regularly tweet your event Broadcast the workshop at preceding monthly meetups (as many events as the schedule permits) – you may provide a slide for the meetup’s slidedeck.
  • Create an Eventbrite event for registrations and payment (if needed)

Following the workshop, we may create a legacy by:

  • Posting your slidedeck in the Silicon Halton Slideshare account
  • Post your post-workshop blog on the Silicon Halton site, categorized under “past events” and “blogs”

What you do

  • Design workshop topic, format and agenda
  • Prepare all handout materials
  • Setup an attendee registration site (e.g. Eventbrite)
  • Manage all communications with attendees and potential attendees
  • Arrange and manage any presenters
  • Establish the attendee rate, if any
  • Carry all costs associated with the workshop
  • Find a venue and manage its logistics
  • Arrange for refreshments, Hors d’oeuvre, and/or meals

If you need help with any of the above, I’m sure we can help you, or find someone in the community that can.

Cost

Your time is money. However, if you want to deliver the workshop for free, that’s your call. For paid workshops, we have a revenue sharing model that heavily favours you.

Engage

Contact Rick Stomphorst, rick@searchvelocity.ca, to get started.

Your mileage may vary

As of mid-2013 we’re still test-driving this format for the workshop program. You’re an early adopter. Bear with us as we work out the kinks and fine tune the program so everyone benefits. In the end we’ll have a fresh approach which is member-driven, member-focused.

© Silicon Halton

Solopreneur Tech Tribe

Solopreneur Tech Tribe

morning-croissaintThis is an open group targeting entrepreneurs in Halton who work alone, “solo,” running their business single-handedly. 

The objective is to create a valuable forum where the hi tech Solopreneurs in our community can learn, grow, and seek peer advice.

Our admittance guidelines are:

  • You are from ICT Technology or ancillary industry
  • You live or work in Halton

Our first meeting details:

  • When: Thursday June 16
  • Time: 8am (for 90min)
  • Location: the Civitan Room inside the Hampton’s Restaurant (map), at the Quality Suites hotel at QEW/Bronte Rd.
  • Cost: We ask that you buy breakfast there.

Join the discussion here (members only).  Would you like to join?  Please contact Rick StomphorstChris Herbert, or simply come out. Tentitively meeting on the second Thursday morning of the month.  

Silicon Halton Newletter

Silicon Halton Newletter

we-want-youYour newsletter scribes are looking for short articles for the newsletter.  If you want to submit something longer, please submit an executive summary as well and we will post the whole article on the Silicon Halton site with a link in the newsletter at the bottom of the summary. If you have something you want to talk about, even if it is you or your company, let us know. 

Each newsletter we would like to run 2-3 paragraphs about an individual member, your 30 second spot if you will, and another spot about one of our member companies.   Bill and Joel will select a member and a company from those submitted to spotlight.  Please include a link to your LinkedIn profile and/or company website at the end of the article should people want to know more.

Don’t want to talk about you?   How about your Tablet PC, your Windows Phone 7, a great application you found, a great company you found, a Great corporate citizen in Halton, What Silicon Halton has done for you…

This newsletter is about you, not us, and it won’t write itself.  Be a part of history and act soon to be included in the inaugural edition of the Silicon Halton Newsletter, coming soon to an inbox near you. Deadline 5pm January 25th, 2011

Contact one of the Editors:
Bill Rasmussen, billras@gmail.com  
Joel Baines, joel.baines@cogeco.ca

2010 Technology & Homeland Security Forum, Niagara Falls NY

2010 Technology & Homeland Security Forum, Niagara Falls NY

Homeland-security-Forum-bagOn October 14th I attended the 2010 Technology & Homeland Security Forum in Niagara Falls, NY.  The event was hosted by infoTech Niagara, Erie County LEPC, Infragard Buffalo and Niagara County Data Processing organizations.  This was the 10th anniversary of this security conference.

Why did I attend?  Security seminars are my IT horror films.    Secondly, as InfoTech Niagara, a hi tech association for the Buffalo area, was co-hosting the event, I wanted to observe what was possible for our area and Silicon Halton. While InfoTech Niagara is ~11years old, their membership numbers rival ours.  Thirdly, to gain first-hand experience commuting to the Buffalo area.

In reverse order, the commute: I left at 6:30am. The door-to-door commute from Oakville was just south of 60min.  The Toronto-bound QEW through Oakville was already moving at the customary crawl.  I coasted along at the speed limit so as to not exaggerate travel times.  Crossing the border at the Peace Bridge took ~2min.  Parking was free.  In comparison, I couldn’t have commuted to downtown Toronto in the same time frame and parking certainly wouldn’t have been free. 

Seneca Niagara Casino

The Conference:  From what I could see, there was 300-400 attendees at the Senca Convention Center, 50+ exhibitors and 3 periods of presentations, each period providing a choice of 6 different  topics, for 18 in total.  Most of the vendors were from NY and in the security, DR, BCP or ediscovery space. The event opened with a keynote on e-discovery.  It was a professional event by all accounts.  Disappointingly I was unable to pickup a wireless signal until the very end of the conference, virtually nobody had laptops, couldn’t find Twitter or a Twitter #hashtag being used (which I’ve found exponentially increases the positive experience of a seminar) nor was a hasttag promoted. As with all conferences, I wish they’d provision power bars at a number (not all) tables – enough to get juiced up from from time-to-time.

Bottom line: This is a worthwhile conference to attend next year.  I’d recommend going. More on the Security Forum by Rick here.

Facilitating the Hiring Process

Facilitating the Hiring Process

At Meetup #11, we followed the un-meeting format again:  I pitched the topic of Facilitating the Hiring Process.   Hiring the talent you need is easier said than done.  You not only need to find the right talent, you’ll likely need to find it locally.  They also need to fit into your culture no matter how good they may be at what they do.  No small feat for any business owner, and members of Silicon Halton shared their experiences and tips in an open discussion.

Finding the Talent

facilitating-the-hiring-processUnless you’re lucky enough to have talent already knocking at your door at your door looking for work, a number of outlets are available: Job Postings, though impersonal, may reach the widest market.  As one Silicon Halton member suggested, using tools like Craigslist may be a great alternative to other large-scale posting sites and you may be surprised at the quality of responses you’ll receive, LinkedIn and other networking sites can help you tap into your existing network of contacts, or use the advanced search tools to find potential candidates quickly, Recruiters can be great if you’re short on time, and are able to pay a premium. Co-op positionsthrough local schools, if your position allows for an entry-level candidate, can be a great way to give real-world experience and receive a lot of energy and enthusiasm in return.

Networking is Key

Often the expertise you need is closer than you think, and nothing counts more than a face-to-face introduction or a recommendation from a colleague.  For virtual networking, make sure the information on your company is up to date on all online sites, and if you’re looking for work make sure your LinkedIn and other online profiles give as much information as possible on what you can offer. 

Finding Talent in Halton

From a Silicon Halton point of view, a better company directory and a focused forum to “pimp” the skills of members could make Silicon Halton more of a resource for companies looking for talent.  There are difficulties in communicating all the skills we can offer, along with up-to-date availability, but we can certainly push in that direction and improve over time. Finding the right talent may not be an overnight process, but the ideas from the discussion certainly gave us food for thought.  All the best finding the next member of your team, and would certainly welcome your thoughts below to help us all along the way!

About the Silicon Halton Blogger

Brian-HoggBrian Hogg is owner of a web development and consulting company in Canada and the UK.  Born and raised in Burlington and graduate of McMaster University, he has helped bring sites like Meylah, RushPRNews, Community Connections and Freeads to life.  Brian can be reached through his company site at bhconsulting.ca, Twitter at @brianhogg, by phone at 1-877-774-4767, and by e-mail at brian@bhconsulting.ca

Exposure to US market

Exposure to US market

CanadaThe Open Space topic I pitched for Meetup 11 was “Halton Businesses entry to the USA”, meaning, how to we as Halton hi tech businesses gain entry or exposure to the hugely potential of the US market.  Why?  First, I’m convinced that “Halton Biz A” selling to B who is selling to C, who is in turn selling to “Halton Biz A” is not an sustainable economy.  To grow Halton businesses we need exposure, then entry to the US market place.  Halton businesses need to sell internationally to create economic prosperity for our region.  Secondly, I’ve engaged with a Trade Commissioner from our Canadian Consulate in Buffalo.  She has agreed to present to Silicon Halton at our December meetup. The topic thus far has loosely been established as “Exposure to the US Market”.  

entry-to-US

Halton is uniquely geographically positioned in that we are physically close to the US boarder. That’s important.  Of the largest 20 Canadian cities, 17 are within 100 miles of the border.  However, only a small handful have a major US metropolitan city within an hours drive.  From Burlington, it’s approx 45min to the Queenston Lewiston bridge, then another 15min to the Buffalo airport.  From downtown Toronto, it’s at least 90min, too long a drive for most.  We’re so close in fact, that the Buffalo Niagara International Airport has specific information on it’s website for Canadians.     

Additionally, big things are happening in the Buffalo-Niagara region.  For example, Yahoo is building a $150M US data centre in Lockport (about 1 hour from Queenston Lewiston Bridge).  From Buffalo, you are within 800km of 40% of the US population.
We captured some excellent points during the “Halton Businesses entry to the USA” Open Space discussion.  This is going to help me and Mary St. Mary from the Consulate tailor her December presentation to us.  After meeting with Mary in late September, it also became apparent that she and her colleagues possess a wealth of information (not too surprisingly) on this topic and could present for days non-stop to us.  Therefore, the December presentation will be of an introductory format, it will be full of valuable information, with next steps to further explore each item of the presentation.
I’ve distilled down our worksheet to these presentation points which will help frame the December presentation, with the exception of the first point, the “why” question, which will further help frame the presentation.
  1. Why create a US entity?  (I’m soliciting peoples real or perceived understanding of the benefits, see below) 
  2. Programs available to assist CDN companies to setup in US/Buffalo Sales & Marketing opportunities / conferences
  3. Dealing with U.S. Protectionism and “Buy US” 
  4. Top 3 pitfalls for Canadian Businesses in US (I’m soliciting peoples experiences on this topic, see below) Parachuting in to US
  5. High-level steps to create a US presence.
    • Proper way to gain unfettered entry to US for self and staff.  How to convey legitimate reason for entry to US boarder guard
    • How to appear as a US entity (US mailing address, virtual office, etc).
    • Cross boarder shipping.  How to I get my US mail?
    • Does it matter which state I appear or exist in?

Your Input 

Help frame the December presentation.  We need your input to the why and pitfalls questions above.  Add your comments here or in the LinkedIn discussion item here.

Facilitating the Hiring Process

Keep Using Open Source Format?

Should Silicon Halton continue using the Open Space meeting format? First some background on “What is an Open Space meeting?” Open Space describes a variety of meeting styles where the participants define the agenda at the beginning and adjust it has the meeting progresses. It and the original Open Space Technology require that individuals participate without prior groupings or agendas, and that they accept the agendas and groupings that arise from the meeting process, with only minimal restrictions on scope.  The are four guiding principles and one law. The Law of Two Feet: If at any time you find yourself in any situation where you are neither learning nor contributing, use your two feet and go someplace else.  The Four Guiding Principles:

  1. Whoever is there are the right people to be there
  2. Whenever it starts is the right time for it to start 
  3. Whatever happens is the only thing that could have 
  4. When it’s over, it’s over

facilitating-the-hiring-processAn Open Space meeting normally has a single theme. At the beginning of an Open Space meeting, each individual is given the opportunity to present or post their issue.  The participants then create a working agenda using these issues.   The participants then attend the sessions which they have an interest in. The first Silicon Halton Meetup that I attended, held in August 2010 was an unMeetup using the Open Space meeting format. It had a theme of “What will Silicon Halton be in 2020”.   At Silicon Halton Meetup #11, there was no theme defined, so I asked “Should Silicon Halton continue using the Open Space meeting format” which became part of the agenda. Some of the comments and issues:

  • Due to the nature of an Open Space meeting, a lot of time is spent at the beginning determining the agenda, which makes the meet-ups longer and reduces the amount of time that can be spent networking or discussing the agenda items 
  • Without a predefined agenda or theme, some members of the SH community may choose not to attend since they don’t know in advance what will be discussed 
  • An open space meeting lends itself well to serendipitous connections, discoveries and discussions, which are needed to generate new ideas 
  • Perhaps SH could limit the number of Open Space meet-ups to a few per year, each with a predefined theme. The agenda could be defined and discussed on-line for a few weeks before the meet-up, thereby allowing all members of SH to know beforehand what the topics of discussion will be 
  • SH meet-ups are used by different people for different reasons: personal networking, education, marketing, and recruiting and as such every meet-up should allow most people to come away satisfied with their attendance 
  • Each meet-up should provide everyone the opportunity to introduce themselves and connect with others

About the Silicon Halton Blogger

Philip-Papadopoulos-150x150Philip Papadopoulos is a Technology Consultant with expertise in delivering solutions that meet an organizations operational and strategic information needs.  He works with clients to bridge the gap between technology and business and is involved in projects that require improving technologies and business processes, and integrating systems and data, so that effective business decisions can be made quickly and easily. Silicon Halton note: Philip conducted an Open Space session at Meetup #11.  This blog post was generated from that event. Thanks Philip!

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