Where were you in 1992?

Reading about Julia Cameron in today's New York Times Style Section  it's worth reading. Her Artist's Way first printing sold out the first day when it was published in 1992, makes me think back to what I was doing then, and why I instantly disliked her and the book she rode in on.

In 1992 I was living with Fr. David Morgan's Center for Christ Centered Ministries with a room mate who eventually was killed bicycling through France. For years I'd held what came to be called the IDEA Association, and I intended to hold it there.

The IDEA Association grew out of a TV and radio show I had back then which I started just after Janet left me with 4 kids and a note

Startup Show Mentions Today.

Below are items that were mentioned on today's Startup Show, which you can still see if you "Visit Group" on www.Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber and join us. I suggest you check it out first or these cryptic notes may not mean much to you.

The Startup Show is looking for sponsors, call me if you might be interested. (303)861-1447 For now I'm the only source of money for what we are doing, it's been a decades long labor of love. More about my alt-ego, the Small Business Chamber of Commerce, Inc at www.SmallBizChamber.org

Also see www.Meetup.com/Small-Biz-Chamber and www.Meetup.com/Socrates-Cafe-Society for more information about the free meetings here in Denver. 5280 Magazine has said they have "infused Denver with an entrepreneurial spirit," and I'd like to help you and your local chamber do the same thing.

A new group we are trying is the Speakers Corner Dialogue Group, it's each Wednesday morning at 10:30 a.m., next week we hear from one of the statewide candidates, join us if you can! www.Meetup.com/Franklin-Circles where you'll also info about our two Faculty Club meetings.

This is the issue I mentioned on the startup show today as a way to meet new people. Check it out:

TAX PLAN ENDORSED BY MILTON FRIEDMAN: Progress and Poverty: Full and Fine Text of 1880 Edition (Illustrated) by Henry George.  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BXJONIM/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_4ncWBbE84J3XS via @amazon

Want to make this your startup week?

Do you want to start a new career? A new project or campaign? A new business? This life is short, start now! Here's how I can help you:

Take a short break each morning Monday thru Friday with me as I talk about startup, live at 10 a.m. MDT, 9 Pacific, noon Eastern or any time after via recording, both on my Facebook Page John S Wren MBA+ (click here.) Your Facebook Message to me there will be answered the same day during or after the live broadcast at 10.

Read my little book on startup Daring Mighty Things, the Simplest Way to Start Your First (or Next) New Business. (click here)

Check out the free face-to-face meetings with me here in metro-Denver through my Small Business Chamber of Commerce, Inc (click here) and ask me about helping your local chamber start similar free meetings with our help (I'll help for free if you will, or we can split the net proceeds, call me for the details.)

Questions? Call me and leave a complete, confidential message for me, I'm the only one with the code to the voice mail box. Take as much time as you need, be sure you tell me what you are hoping I can do for you. Call now, 24/7, while it is on your mind. I'd hate us to miss this opportunity to work together. Call now (303)861-1447

If you post a message on my Facebook Page or send me a message from there, post a question during my live 10 a.m. broadcast, or leave a telephone message, I'll get back to you within 24 hours.

If you'd prefer to not leave a telephone message and would rather meet together attend on of the free SBCC meetings here in metro-Denver. For more see our SBCC Meetup site www.Meetup.com/Small-Biz-Chamber 

All hat, no cattle...

The more we talk about business startup, the fewer new startups.

According to the Kaufman Foundation, who's talk about startup is a big part of the problem, the rate of startup is about half of what it was in 1980.

Why? Here's what I wrote in my little book about startup, click Daring Mighty Things:

The world needs your new business!

   

Which is it, go or look?

Which is it, go or look?

When an idea for doing something new crops up are we best off if we “Just do it?” or should we “Look before you leap.”

Which has worked or not worked for you?

Topic right now online, to be part of it Tweet with #IDEACafeChat #StartFinish

The video posted this morning from Entrepreneur Magazine on https://Twitter.com/Small.Business.Chamber suggests the best way to start is to just do something, whatever it is that will get you moving.

“Just Start,” as described in this video and in more depth in the Harvard Business Review Press book published with this as it’s central theme, can be powerful. 

Amar Bhide’s findings from research with Inc 500 founders and then published by Oxford Press (“The Origin and Evolution of New Businesses) strongly make the case for not writing a business plan, not doing market research, not raising money, but rather to do what you can with what you have to get underway quickly with a new business idea.

Cynics point out, Bhide’s research is biased because it only takes into account the survivors of the “leap before you look” approach.

Today’s Wall Street Journal has a book review headlined “Cold, Doomed, Hungry;” it reviews the new book “The Best Land Under Heaven,” the tragic story of the Donner family migration to California from Illinois. I suggest you read it, I'm about to post a link to it on our https://Twitter.com/IDEACafeChat 

The Donner brothers George and Jacob had read the then popular new book, “Emigrants’ Guide to Oregon and California” and they took their families on a new route described as much faster and safer. and they stuck with it despite the warning of mountain man James Clyman.

Let’s discuss the philosophy of start and finish. 

Right now you can Tweet your comment with #IDEACafe #StartFinish to be part of today’s online conversation. If you are in metro-Denver today or later this week join us this evening (Tue, 6/6) at Trinity Church, Friday at LoDo Panera, or Saturday at the University of Denver where I’ll be suggesting this as the topic. More info about these Socrates Cafe meetings and optional rsvp at https://Meetup.com/Socrates-Cafe-Society 

No video session of our IDEA Cafe Chat again today. Hopefully it will get underway soon. First we want to finish a conversation with a mountain man…

John Wren

www.JohnWren.com

(720)495-4949

Startup Show!

Starts at noon Fridays or anytime after here by recording https://johnswren.clickmeeting.com/YeZyoUVSa9

Startup Show: What's love got to do with it?

Next Friday (Oct 14) at noon MDT the Startup Show will address the question: "What does love have to do with business and politics?"

To join us on the show next Friday or any Friday rsvp yes or no on our Meetup site (click here,) let us know in your rsvp comment a teaser about the startup story you'd like to share, and we will give you a call to schedule a date.

Watch the show live or any time by recording via the link that will be posted here just before we go on the air, or see it each week on YouTube Live Events by subscribing, see www.YouTube.com for details.

This could make a good topic for a Socrates Cafe. Partial list of Socrates Cafes here in Colorado (let me know if you'd like me to add yours) at http://Meetup.com/Colorado-Socrates-Cafe-Society

John S. Wren, MBA+ 

1881 Buchtel Blvd. #501

Denver, CO 80210

www.JohnWren.com  "Just start!"

www.SmallBizChamber.org  "SBCC Startup Method!"

www.COCaucus.org "Save the Caucus!"

(303)861-1447 cell (720)3495-4949

Denver Startup Week

Big events are being held around the country
celebrating people who are starting new businesses.

In my experience people who are really serious about
starting are just too busy to attend.

And when inspiration hits, usually it's time to get
started. It's true, this life is very short!

That's why we hold IDEA Cafe Startup Workshops every
week. http://Meetup.com/Small-Biz-Chamber

Every week is startup week at Denver IDEA Cafe!

Life's short, start now!

The Startup Show, today with Russell Dennis.

Live here Friday, July 3 at 10 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time or anytime after that via video recording, Russell Dennis! Russell is well-known in Denver and elsewhere because of his economic development work, work with veterans, and now his public speaking and consulting work with non-profits. He'll be with us today to share about some difficulties he has recovered from and then used new strength to start in a new direction. We hope you'll join us and please share this with your friends who might find it helpful. You'll be able to ask questions online about your situation if you want.

Live at 10 a.m. Mountain, The Startup Show

Each week at 10 a.m. Mountain time or here via recording later John Wren talks about startup, going in a new direction with your career, a project or campaign, or a new business. To be on the show call (303)861-1447, if you get the voice mail leave a complete, confidential message and John will get back with you ASAP.

Civic education for neighborhoods

Once again John Wren, founder of Small Business Chamber of Commerce, Inc. is available to chamber of commerce and other groups to talk about Ben Franklin and how the common person can serve in elected public office. Will travel. Or get a preview any Friday at an IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop John chairs personally, see upcoming calendar on http://Meetup.com/Small-Biz-Chamber or call (303)861-1447 with questions or to get John Wren's Ben Franklin on your calendar.  

Last communication about Small Business Chamber here. Maybe.

I just sent out this memo to our Small Business Chamber/ IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop Meetup.com members. In the future this type of communication about the Small Business Chamber of Commerce, Inc and  all our various activities will only be posted on http://www.SmallBizChamber.org and/or our Facebook Page http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber and/or our Google+ Page click here . (Unless you object and I suddenly realize this would be a mistake, If you see something wrong with this please let me know ASAP.)

If you didn't get the memo below directly from me via an email from Meetup.com and you'd like to next time, please become a (free) member and RSVP for an IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop or other event at at http://Meetup.com/Small-Biz-Chamber 

Questions or suggestions for me? Contact me at (303)861-1447 or John@JohnWren.com  Post comments here if you'd rather talk with all of us. Here's what I just sent out.

Friday, August 9, 2013

To:  Small Business Chamber IDEA Cafe Meetup Members
From:  John S Wren, founder & CEO, Small Business Chamber of Commerce Inc
Contact John at John@SmallBizChamber.org or (303)861-1447 To RSVP for an IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop or the new Go Group see http://Meetup.com/Small-Biz-Chamber

1.  Our weekly broadcast The Startup Show is looking for a few good guests to share their startup story. We'll be recruiting at our IDEA Cafe Startup Workshops, there is an online meeting each Tuesday afternoon. For more see The Startup Show Facebook Page http://Facebook.com/SmallBizStartup

2.  Free IDEA Cafe Startup Workshops are in Boulder this morning (thanks Toby and Steve) and in Denver, which I'll be leading myself today. I also lead an online IDEA Cafe each Tuesday afternoon. If you want to start a new IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop in cooperation with your local chamber or other group, I'll help you. Let me know if you are interested and I'll invite you to the next organizers meeting.

3.  New Go Groups are like Franklin Circles on steroids, they are for people who are serious about getting started. I personally interview those who participate, I'd love to talk with you about it. We've set a group up here on Meetup.com (it's at the bottom of the scheduled events, no date), we ask you to RSVP and to pay in advance, we only want people who are serious. Scholarships are available, and I'm looking for a couple of Go Group leaders. Call me with any questions. (303)861-1447, call me any time, I try to pick up the phone right away 9:30 to 11 Monday thru Friday and I'll be picking up tomorrow morning (Saturday, August 10.)

4.  I've made a media release about what we are doing that asks for help. I'll be posting it on www.JohnWren.com later today, that's where I'm asking people to go who would like to make an online contribution for a Go Group scholarship or who would like to help me get our various activities transformed into a real, functioning non-profit. Again, call me if you have any questions. (303)861-1447.

Thanks to Russell, John, Toby, Steve, Don, Bill and all the others who have been helping with this recently, and to all those who have helped over the past nearly 20 years to get us to this point, again Bill, last year Sharon, Richard, Ken, Paul, Fran, Marilyn, Karl, Eustace, Tom, earlier David, Bill, Doug, Barbara, Polly, Dennis, John, and all the rest.

Our mission is to strengthen the grassroots in business and politics by helping people get a good start with a new career, a new business or a pivot with a new project or campaign.

If we are successful at an IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop, those who are attending are too busy to come back the next week. But hopefully they will join one of the Go Groups we are forming and/or they will join or start a Franklin Circle. If this spreads as we expect it to over the next few months, we believe it will help bring about a dramatic drop in the unemployment rate.  Will you help us? Again?


No RSVP is required, but it saves you a seat until the start of the meeting, which is sometimes very helpful. To save a seat for one of today's IDEA Cafes, or for next Tuesday's online meeting (limited to 7 who want to have a seat at the online virtual roundtable, but unlimited for those who want to just watch) to to http://Meetup.com/Small-Biz-Chamber PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH ANY OF YOUR FRIENDS WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED, OK? AN EASY WAY IS TO JUST FORWARD THIS EMAIL ALONG WITH YOUR NOTE. SEND IT TO THOSE WHO MIGHT NEED HELP, AND TO THOSE WHO MIGHT BE WILLING TO HELP US, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO MIGHT CONTRIBUTE TO THE SCHOLARSHIP FUND FOR THE GO GROUPS. THANKS!

The Small Business Chamber of Commerce, Inc. http://www.SmallBizChamber.org  cooperates with local chamber of commerce leaders, community newspapers, and others to create IDEA Cafe Startup Workshops and Franklin Circle Peer Advisory Groups.

People ask me why I'm doing this. See my explanation on our Meetup site, and while you are there RSVP for an upcoming meeting here in Denver or online this afternoon or any Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. Mountain (6 p.m. Eastern, 3 p.m. Pacific), they are free now, as they have been for nearly 20 years as I've learned more, clarified my thinking, and looked for direction, but the meeting this afternoon may be our last free online session. Why have I been working on this for nearly 20 years? See http://Meetup.com/Small-Biz-Chamber , and join us this afternoon at 4 p.m. for our Google+ Hangout meeting. Free. Today.

Big news? Not yet.

Announcement now expected this Thursday, tomorrow, check here for preview which will be finalize at lunch tomorrow (Thursday), before we make a media release in the afternoon. Give me a call if you'd like to join me for lunch today or tomorrow to talk about our new direction.

What's next?

Big news on The Startup Show tomorrow, 4 to 5 pm see link here then, or see our Facebook Page now http://Facebook.com/SmallBizStartup

I've taken this week to ask God for direction, to see what's next in my decades long effort to strengthen the grassroots, the voice of the common person, in business and politics:

1) My non-political Small Business Chamber of Commerce and the effort to help local chambers start IDEA Cafe Startup Workshops and Franklin Circle Peer Advisory Groups, 2) the Colorado Political Committee ReferendumOrRecall.org.

A good friend told me long ago, "if you chase a rabbit you'll catch a rabbit, if you chase two rabbits you won't catch a rabbit. For years I've been trying to herd rabbits.

I hope you'll listen tomorrow (Mon, Apr 1) live via a link right here 4 to 5 pm, or to a tape of the show anytime after that here or on our Facebook Page http://Facebook.com/SmallBizStartup, where you can listen to a tape of last week's show with Doug Root (Tony Gallegos listened, emailed me "I really liked it.")

SBCC Facebook Page Hits 4,000 Likes

We've formed the Small Business Chamber to cooperate with local chambers across Colorado and beyond to organize IDEA Cafe Startup Workshops, hope you'll "Like" and "Share" it, see http://Meet.com/Small.Business.Chamber

I just verified with Susan that Nigel Clayton (in picture to the left) will be with us this afternoon at the Small Business Chamber's Denver IDEA Cafe (click here for more info and optional RSVP.)  The meeting is free and open to everyone who is starting in a new direction with their career, starting a new project or campaign, or starting a new business. It's a learning group, not a networking group. This should be a great meeting, join us if you're starting something new, and please let any of your friends who might like a boost at the end of a hard week know about it.


Facebook is changing the way they do Groups, so this may be the last time you'll be getting a Facebook Denver IDEA Cafe reminder.

Because of the Facebook Group change in policy, I'm (that's me, John Wren, in the picture to the right), I'm now going to start posting a message to you here each Monday that will include information about the Small Business Chamber and our Denver IDEA Cafe, our South Metro IDEA Cafe, our Boulder IDEA Cafe, and any other SBCC activities that might be of interest to you.

I'll be posting here each Monday morning, so just check back. If you'd like an email reminder about the post, just enter your email address in the "subscribe" form to the left.

Finally, Robert Schwab, Scott Rodgers, and myself are looking for a few beta testers for our new PioneerHQ.com Colorado Business Almanac and Small Business Directory.  Take advantage of the current free listing offer, and we'll get more information about how we can help you in other ways to connect with good prospects for your business.

The mission of the Small Business Chamber and all that I'm doing now is to help local chambers of commerce be even more useful to people who want to start new businesses, and to strengthen the voice of their small business members. If you'd like to help, give me your email address here, and then "Like" our Facebook Page at http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber

This life is short, let's get started!
 

I'm sticking with my idea of a weekly 2-minute video here on my web site, it will go up by 5 p.m. each Monday. Last week's won't win any awards, but I'll keep working at it to make the video, combined with what I post here on the blog, don't miss TV for you, post a comment here if you like the idea, send me your email if you don't. :)

Hope you'll become a regular viewer, check back here each Friday and encourage your friends to do the same. Your watching, and especially your commenting, will help me help you by making it easier for me to connect with interesting startups and gather useful information for you.

This week I spoke with 21 year old Robert Grant Niznik, a senior law school student and founder of Shpoonkle, a website that just went live 14 days ago with 4 employees. It allows attorneys and law firms to bid on legal requests submitted by clients. The service is free for now, attorneys may be charged membership fees in the future.

Niznik and his new eBay type service is getting lots of publicity right now. I saw an article in the Wall Street Journal last week, and it has been featured on the American Bar Association Journal.

Niznik and I spoke by phone this morning and this is what he shared with me, reconstructed from my notes (Robert please post a note with any additions or corrections):

"I'll graduate from New York Law School this fall, I graduated from Brooklyn College when I was 17, I've always had a lot of business ideas, and I started an Internet business with a friend when I was 14.

Being in law school, I've become aware of the fact that a lot of the 44,000 or so law students that graduate each year don't find jobs with law firms right away. So there are a lot of people who would do law work for the experience.

"There has been a lot written recently about the fact that the middle class has a hard time getting legal help they can afford, it's a lot like medicine, there is no problem for the wealthy, and no problem with the poor, but the middle class gets squeeze.

"Last September I was on a train, and the idea of connecting these two groups came to me. I wrote it down in a little book I carry with me for making a note of my ideas like this.



"This idea gathered momentum as I talked about it with my girlfriend and my dad, who has become my best friend over the years after he and my mom divorced when I was 3. I gathered more information about the need for new lawyers to find work and the needs of the middle class, we incorporated, and I hired our first employee, we now have 4. (The firm is headquartered in Florida, where Robert's dad, a business consultant with an active practice, now lives.)

"I'm managing the business. Everyday I send an email to each employee and every day I speak with each of them on the telephone, sometimes more often. If one of them tells me it will take an hour to do I job, I'll often call them back in an hour to see how it's going.

"As the business was getting started, I came into the house and my dad was watching TV, and I said, 'Hey, Shpoonkle, what are you doing?' The word just came to me. Later I thought, that would be a good name for what we are doing. In the beginning we didn't have any marketing help. We have a PR firm now, and they were not thrilled with the name, but I stuck with it and it has worked out well.

"People are now saying 'Shpoonkle' to describe lawyer and clients getting together this way. We are in the process of registering the tradename.

"After just these first few days the site already has over 300 lawyers and we are having requests for help come in from all over the country, we have a couple from Colorado.

"We should make legal services much more affordable. This is what happened with baseball cards and other collectables when they started to trade online. Being available on the Internet destroys the illusion of scarcity, and the price drops. That's why so many established lawyers don't like what we are doing. Their negative comments don't bother me at all.

"What's my favorite book? That's a question I ususally ask when I get together with successful lawyers in our mentoring program at school. Mine favorite book is 'How to Get Rich' by Felix Dennis, he's in the UK, but he has some real insight into how businesses really get started."

I'm emailing a link to this blog post to Robert later this evening. Post your question in the form of a comment here, I'm pretty sure you'll get a direct answer from Robert posted here as a comment. (This is new, please help me test it by posting your question for Robert now, OK?)

Would you like to see a similar interview here each week?

Your Small Business Chamber of Commerce's Denver IDEA Cafe had writer/entrepreneur Cathie Beck with us last Friday, it was one of our best ever meetings. This week we have three speakers, my friend Rick Grice, who has started a sea salt business, Sharon Linhart, who will talk about how she started her PR firm, and entrepreneur Susannah Carroll. No RSVP is required, but to reserve a seat at the brainstorming table, RSVP at http://meetup.com/Denver-IDEA-Cafe, you can also RSVP on our Denver Small Business Chamber Group site, see the link to it on http://Facebook.com/Small.Business.Chamber

If you'd like to start an IDEA Cafe Startup Workshop in cooperation with your local chamber of commerce, or if you'd like to start or join a Franklin Circle Peer Advisory Group, stick around after the Denver IDEA Cafe for Community Room College. There is a 20-minute chalk talk on a business topic, and then we have a sample Franklin Circle. Attend 6 times and you are eligable for a certificate of completion. For more information see http://meetup.com/CommunityRoomCollege

"Conventional wisdom daunts initiative and offers far too many convinient reasons for inaction." Felix Dennis, How to Get Rich

Let's go get started!

John Wren

Contact Managers

There are so many choices today, it's hard to know how to keep track of business and personal contact information. What works for you?

I've signed up for the single user version of Salesforce.com, but have found it just too hard to learn. Has anyone else had that problem?

Highrise is great in many ways, very user friendly, but I had a telemarketer working from home using it and she made a big mistake. She followed my instructions! As a result the tagging system is clogging it up, and I haven't been able to figure out a quick fix. Has anyone else had that problem.

Outlook 2010 looks much more powerful and I'm going to give it a try. I'm on Plaxo and Linked In, but don't spend much time with either one.

Some days I wish my old index card system was still in place! How about you? Are you using the computer to keep track of contacts? If you know of a good current article about this topic, if you'd post a link here or email it to me I'd be very grateful!

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

Another change for me: I'll be posting here and on our Small Business Chamber of Commerce blog http://www.sbccblog.com/ more often as a result of attending Splashmedia's CEO Bootcamp on Social Media yesterday. For more see what I just posted on the SBCC blog.

Many of the posts I've been making on Facebook will now be here, and I may even set up a real website that I control rather than relying on the goodwill of Blogger.com and Facebook.com for my posts.

How about you? Where do you invest most of your online time? Website? Blog? Linked In? Facebook? Twitter? The choices are endless, how do you decide which tools to use, and how is that working for you.

Today I'm attending the University of Denver alumni weekend, if you are there let's sit together at dinner, OK?

Thanks to 5280 Magazine for emailing this out
as part of today's 5280 Best Bets email:

What: Every Friday for the last 10 years, local business consultant John Wren has infused the city with entrepreneurial spirit by hosting Idea Cafe, a conversation group for anyone starting a new career, business, or campaign. This week, Wren has a particularly diverse group of participants lined up.
Why: Meet Republican House Representative Don Marostica (Loveland), Alzheimer's specialist Dr. Bill Bergman, Denver Business Journal's Kelly Stangel, and web marketing expert Barbara Bailey.
Bonus: If you enjoy this week's event, pencil it in for every Friday from now on.
Details: Fri, 2 p.m. Panera Bread, 1330 Grant St. Free. For more information, visit www.johnwren.com.

This 5280 email should help boost attendance at tomorrow's IDEA Cafe, so RSVP right now to make sure your get a seat. If you can't make it tomorrow, RSVP No and you'll get an email notice each week letting you know who is speaking. More info and RSVP at http://ideacafe.meetup.com/1.

Dan Brogan 5280's publisher shared his startup story with us last week. If you'd like a recording of it, email me at JohnSWren@aol.com with Brogan in the subject line.