Doomsday for Cable Providers?

MOBILE TELEVISION

According to Nielsenwire reports, 116 million mobile phone users access television programs via cell phones.  90% of mobile subscribers have phones, which are internet ready. As our society becomes more addicted to instant gratification and being able to choose when, where and what specific content we want to watch, will traditional cable at home viewing become a dinosaur? Internet sites such as http://www.internet-tvstations.co.uk/ are already becoming commonplace. They are selling consumer friendly software. Many of these claim to tap into International television station’s programming as well as domestic networks. What kind of effect will this have on the U.S. Television Broadcasting industry? Our elderly population, which may not have this technology, or for example, people in hospitals who rely on television as diversion, could end up paying exorbitant prices to cable providers who are already at financial war with each other vying for customers. With the new technology come emerging terms and definitions, new words pop up out of nowhere. Who makes these new words up? I haven’t been able to find who the person was that wrote the terms: space shifting, place shifting, time shifting, format shifting. Sounds all very Science Fiction but is now reality. I remember watching “The Jetsons” when I was a kid (and I still love cartoons!) and thinking that all those gadgets would never come to pass. And what about Dick Tracey’s watch communicator? Now we have spy cameras smaller than buttons. “The nation that secures control of the air will ultimately control the world.”

Alexander Graham Bell

(http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/alexander_graham_bell.html#a512f4E5DeDPIzhW.99)

It is definitely an exciting time we are living in right now. Science fiction authors such as HG Wells, Isaac Asimov and Jules Verne predicted this new world long ago. True visionaries. It will be interesting to witness the new revolution in the Broadcasting Industry.

CROWDFUNDING

As a start-up online business without capital the opportunity exists to research and implement new creative ways to attain monies. Any start up business can find crowd funding sources. Crowd funding is an available resource where people help each other out, usually via a website, and contribute money to specific projects. Small business financing through crowd funding is becoming very popular for start-ups, which bankers usually won’t even consider. Crowd funding also eliminates the need for pitching a business to professional investors who potentially acquire the rights to your product. This is counterproductive to the idea of being in control of your own administration. In return, a business can barter with those who donate, for example, by providing them with the use of your service for whatever time/project is decided. Crowd funding is a modern word for bartering and cooperation, or co-ops, which have been in place for centuries and utilized before there was printed money. Crowd funding websites include” Kickstarter, 33Needs, Appbacker, ChipIn, CoFundos, IndieGoGo, Buzzbnk, InventionBuy.com, FunderThunder, and many others. Each site focuses on particular areas. An Entrepreneur considering crowd funding should do research to determine the guidelines of their particular business and whether or not the site is a good match for their business.

(http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/2853-13-Crowdfunding-Websites-to-Fund-Your-Business)

Into the Next Frontier: Holograms

Into the next Frontier: Holograms

My first encounter with holographic images, other than novelty store items, was in the movie Star Wars. It was then that I knew, this is the future of entertainment. With the ever-increasing addiction to instant high visual stimulus perpetrated by constant input form cell phones, this pad that pad, explosive cg action, this generation of consumers will soon tire of the 3D world and seek out a new frontier. Holograms will temporarily curb the addiction. At the 2006 Grammy awards, created with the Musion Eyeliner holographic system, San Diego company Smith’s AV, produced a concert whereby the band “GORILLAZ” accompanied the incomparable Madonna onstage. Totally interactive it was a great illusion. Increasing numbers of stars are beginning to utilize holograms. Black-eyed Peas, rock concert Coachella with a TuPac hologram, created a sensation. The Presley estate has recently approved a hologram of Elvis Presley. Digital Domain, a Port St. John, Florida company will be in charge of resurrecting Elvis. This will create a substantial amount of income for the Presley estate once the hologram “goes on tour”. The TuPac hologram was allegedly priced between $100,000 and $400,000 dollars. That’s pocket change for the KING who’s Graceland Estate in Tennessee brings in over $42 million dollars a year. Not bad for a dead guy.

As a recent graduate from an Entertainment University the possibilities may exist to acquire a business position within those golden wall-ets. Touring with a dead guy would look great on my resume. Except, what do you feed a hologram?

(http://www.best-reviewers.com/how-much-money-does-elvis-presley-make-1958.htm#.UDHoqI62IeU)

"Experts Views on the Value of Business Plans"

             A Business Plan Development blog assignment.


Trying to choose only 2 famous Entrepreneurs is like trying to count all the stars in the skies. Throughout history there have been a multitude of brave individuals who have struck out on their own and manifested dreams into riches. Modern day names include the likes of: Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah Winfrey, Sara Blakely, Ryan Seacrest, Dick Clark, Merv Griffin, Richard Branson and on and on. The names are endless. (http://www.forbes.com/)


T: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/8581/8581-h/8581-h.htm#2H_4_0011 a reader can download a free online ebook of Phineas Taylor Barnum's, (1810-1891) "The Art of Money Getting or Golden Rules for Making Money." I harbor a fascination in Barnum's life and exploits. From store clerk, to book printer, to Mayor of Bridegport of Connecticut and then on to being the greatest showman on earth. How many of us will be able to say that a circus we started in 1880 is still in existence today, still maintains the same name and has a modern day website with tour schedules? None of us. The following is the table of contents from Barnum's book "Money Getting:"

  

DON'T MISTAKE YOUR VOCATION

SELECT THE RIGHT LOCATION

AVOID DEBT

PERSEVERE

WHATEVER YOU DO, DO IT WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT

USE THE BEST TOOLS

DON'T GET ABOVE YOUR BUSINESS

LEARN SOMETHING USEFUL

LET HOPE PREDOMINATE, BUT BE NOT TOO VISIONARY

DO NOT SCATTER YOUR POWERS

BE SYSTEMATIC

READ THE NEWSPAPERS

BEWARE OF "OUTSIDE OPERATIONS"

DON'T INDORSE WITHOUT SECURITY

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS

"DON'T READ THE OTHER SIDE"

BE POLITE AND KIND TO YOUR CUSTOMERS

BE CHARITABLE

DON'T BLAB

PRESERVE YOUR INTEGRITY

     In the chapter labeled: "Be Systematic", Barnum expresses the basic idea that "Men should be systematic in their business." This statement implies that Barnum would more than likely agree that a business plan is important. He goes on further and states: “A person who does business by rule, having a time and place for everything, doing his work promptly, will accomplish twice as much and with half the trouble of him who does it carelessly and slipshod. By introducing system into all your transactions, doing one thing at a time, always meeting appointments with punctuality, you find leisure for pastime and recreation; whereas the man who only half does one thing, and then turns to something else, and half does that, will have his business at loose ends, and will never know when his day's work is done, for it never will be done.” 
      British businessman Richard Branson, (1950 to present), has been compared by Esquire magazine as: 

Richard Branson: P.T. Barnum for the 21st Century

By Tim Heffernan

"Anyway, today's endorsement is of that old type of tycoon we rarely see anymore: the populist showman."

(http://www.esquire.com/blogs/endorsement/virgin-galactic-spaceshiptwo-launch-120709/)

Branson's first job at 16 was in his own business, publishing a magazine. Today his celebrity net worth according to (http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-businessmen/ceos/richard-branson-net-worth/) is $4.2 billion. Although I am guessing that is s rough estimate. I will venture to say that Mr. Branson believes in having a good business plan. His company Virgin Galactic has 2 spaceships that will be launched for public space travel sometime in 2013. (http://www.space.com/16057-virgin-galactic-spaceshiptwo-launches-2013.html)

Investors will be looking for short term overview of a business in the business plan. They will look at your management team to ensure team mentality. How much control  and percentage of profits will I have as your investor over ownership? An investor will want to know if the business can profitably withstand throughout the years. Can I use the name Richard Branson as collateral?

Investors

Rhonda Abrams is a renowned author, speaker as well as a columnist for USA Today. Her weekly column is called “ Small Business Strategies.” Each week she gives practical advise to entrepreneurs. The language is simple and uncomplicated enough that those starting a business for the first time can easily understand the teachings and apply them to whatever business situation they are

in. She wrote a book called “Successful Business Plan Secrets and Strategies” (1991, The Planning Shop). This book is utilized as a textbook for many business schools and business programs. She has opened several businesses of her own and runs a consulting firm for entrepreneurs. Her website www.planningshop.com has many resources for new business start-ups. Her advice regarding investors is to not leap before you investigate thoroughly what investors are looking for before you make a possible lifetime commitment to somebody who may eventually be able to take over your business at their discretion. She writes about potential investors such as family, venture capitalists and angel investors. Each category and situation will come with it’s own parameters according to their needs. Family and friends will have personal motivations. Angel investors investing their own monies are more likely to be more patient with new businesses while waiting for a new business to grow and make a profit. Venture capitalists will be the © “Shark Tank” types that will invest larger sums of money for a larger bite of your company and profits. They are also more involved in dictating how to run your business and theoretically “own” you. This premise basically sounds like you will still be working for somebody else.

John Doerr is a venture capitalist. He became a billionaire during the .com boom. In 2009 President Obama appointed him to the Economic Advisory Board. Reports are that he built the internet into what it is today. He is now focused on building green technologies.

There are several important points that venture capitalists look into new business before investing. A well-written business plan is the most important document. They want to know that the business they are investing in is in a market that will grow and show profit. Capital investors will also consider whether or not the company can also sell stock. Is  your idea new and unique enough to draw in loyal customers for years? And one of the most important points that a venture capitalist will want is a good experienced management team that can guide employees and the business to prosper. (http://www.usatoday.com/money/columnist/abrams/index)

(http://www.rhondaonline.com/content/aboutRhonda/aboutRhonda.asp/)

(http://www.planningshop.com/)

(http://www.ted.com/speakers/john_doerr.html/)

(http://venturebeat.com/2009/02/06/obama-appoints-john-doerr-to-economic-advisory-board/)

(http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/07/082doerr.html/)

(http://www.allbusiness.com/business-finance/equity-funding-private-equity/454-1.html/

Online Book Self Publishing

Using Create Space for Online Book Self Publishing

“A wonderful thing about a book, in contrast to a computer screen, is that you can take it to bed with you.” Daniel J. Boorstin

 (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/d/danieljbo387215.html)

The world wide web has become a commonplace directory of all things. Period. There is no escaping the fact. According to (http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm) the world total for internet users is 2,267,233,742. That is a lot of billions! The latest world population total is over 6 billion. That means to me that the little ones growing up now possibly total 3 billion of that 6? As an aspiring writer, I still have an “old school” view of books. And even considering online book publishing sends chills up my spine. Sure, most of the sites have disclaimers regarding ownership rights remaining with the authors, but, do I want to take a chance that somebody out of 2 billion people is going to “rewrite” my stories and tweak them just enough to eek by my copyrights? By nature, I am not a trusting individual. Online book publishing is an interesting concept, however for those who think that “post your book online for free” doesn’t come with a catch somewhere. It apparently appeals to 91,200,00 hits on my engine search for “Publish your book online.” (http://www.booksie.com/) At this site, booksie.com, as I read the parameters for posting a book, there was a statement regarding the fact that anybody who posts on this site can edit works. What? Maybe I didn’t read it correctly but really? I logged into their Facebook page and noticed a large amount of the posts were from the booksie administrators themselves. Apparently, their www website has a lot of bugs and is hardly ever functioning correctly. When I am ready to self publish a book, it will not be for free online publishing. There are reputable sites such as https://www.createspace.com/ through Amazon.com that can assist me with creating a work that will be legitimate. And I can have hardcopies printed. Because holding a book is a tactile experience that you can’t have with an e reader!

MOBILE PUBLISHING

Digital Media Effect On Writers

As the digital world turns each rotation births new and exciting modes of expression. Doomsayers cry the sky will be falling. Guy Patrick Cunningham, (2012) calls it “fragmentary writing.” (http://www.themillions.com/2012/01/fragmentary-writing-in-a-digital-age.html/). I agree. Text messages and tweets are fragments of full sentences. A Japanese poetic form, haiku, is similar in nature. Haiku form evokes emotions. Haiku is linear. Haiku is concise.

                                             “As the wind does blow

                                              Across the trees, I see the

                                              Buds blooming in May”         

                             (http://www.international.ucla.edu/shenzhen/)

One can see the similarity of haiku to texts and tweets. The trend of utilizing mobile cell phones for viewing content, including books, has increased. Mobithinking.mobi estimates users at 6 billion worldwide. Entire books and even comic books are digitalized for cell phones. 2011 estimated sales of cell novels and comics combined are $108.3 million and growing. (http://www.publishers.org/press/30/). This new media is a boost for writers. With increased distribution possibilities, digital marketing is becoming huge. A prediction at ineedhits.com states, “mobile ad spending will jump to $20.6 billion by 2015.”

It is believed that the cell phone novel originated in Japan. This supports the idea of continuing the haiku tradition. History reinvented to accommodate new generations. As usual generations may clash at new ideas. Writers who refuse to run with the tide may find themselves out of work. Personally, I don’t like digital ebooks but I would prefer reading on a © Kindle with a larger screen over trying to read anything on a cell phone. However, I will not hesitate as a writer to jump on this financially lucrative venture. Book publishers and filmmakers are discovering Novelists. Hard copies have sold in the millions and anime films are popular in Japan. I believe this trend will occur in the United States.

At (http://www.textnovel.com/story/The-Cell-Phone-Novel-Manual/) their wonderful statement “many other young aspiring authors, each inspiring another, began to join the movement creating a new wave of innovative literary technique, awakening a new passion to write and read in teens all over the world” is in itself inspiring. For an interesting view on Comic book novels watch this video: (http://youtu.be/lJRvWLrCS8Q/)