Elements for Small Business Success

Elements for Small Business Success:

1. Own space, assets.
2. Procure supplies and utilities on terms.
3. Hire good people.
4. Market.
5. Understand your industry.
6. See yourself as a professional service.

Own the longterm/permanent assets, and seek low cost rental/finance on short term assets/supplies, with a clear understanding of depreciation.

Own or have free the space/location for the business. Own the key tools of the business, even if they are computers, but be careful not to pay too much (buy trailing edge technology?). Rental on longterm assets is a leech. And for what? By definition 'longterm' assets have little or no maintanence costs.

Utilities, communication and supplies should be bought on terms. Be as self sufficient and efficient as you can and do not get locked into longterm contracts. Be Green and engender a spirit of eco-social-friendliness in employees.

Hire good pepole. If you cannot find good people, then WAIT. Reward your people financially and socially. Nothing is worse for morale and efficiency than human resource thrash. If you are running a sweat shop, or cattle farm, then one is not speaking to your business (you have other problems).

Establish a web (or media de jour) presence to get the word out - quickly.

Stick to knowledge-based, professional, relationship, special product/service business. Large scale commodity/services businesses are just that - large scale. One might grow to be that someday, but start with quality, attention and efficiency. Get to know others in your business and their stories of successes and failures. Attend industry meetings when you can. Get your people involved in the industry. Get to know the business zeitgeist.

Process improvements and innovation are for after you get established, but in the longterm can be the difference of whether you merely survive or thrive/grow.

Model Steam Locomotives, Asters, Live Steam

Here is an LGB Spreewald garden size locomotive from Wikimedia commons..

Have been interested in Live Steam lately... Asters.
Was trying to figure out value for Asters and the following resources help
http://www.southernsteamtrains.com/
http://www.southernsteamtrains.com/reference.htm
http://www.southernsteamtrains.com/roster.htm
http://www.southernsteamtrains.com/misc/JvR-Aster-Development.htm
http://www.asterhobbyusa.com/
http://asterhobbies.co.uk/collecting/

One would think ebay would be helpful, but any given Aster just does not come up that often.

When thinking about pricing/values, I always think of the following article on sociology of model railroading. There is much therein I cannot fully embrace, but there are gems of wisdom nonetheless. It is, if nothing else, thought provoking.
http://www.trainweb.org/lfnwfan/html/Sociology.htm
There are also larger live steam like they run at Washakum.
http://www.waushakumlivesteamers.org/

IWL.ME - I Write Like...

Just tried "I Write Like" http://iwl.me/.
I actually fed in about ten blog entries and work related text.

Snippets make me out to write like -
- Cory Doctorow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cory_Doctorow
- David Wallace Foster http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Foster_Wallace

I find these very interesting. I wonder if background has something to do with this? I grew up in Canada (like Doctorow), and am interested in his writing and blogging. I spent many years in Ithaca New York (like Wallace), and after reading about Wallace in Wikipedia, find many parallels in viewpoint - though I hope I do not have the depth of depression and pessimism he retained.

Embedded Systems Conference - Boston 2010

Was to ESC (Embedded Systems Conference) Boston 2010 in late September.
http://esc-boston.techinsightsevents.com/

Here are a few highlights:

The platform and OS (operating systems) wars/debates are largely over - so much so that no one even bothers to mention the issue of OS and processor anymore. It is "assumed".

When a generic OS is used, only a few generic interfaces are really supported in all cases - TCP/IP, and serial ports.

For 8bit and similar the continuing players are 8051, Atmel-AtMega and Microchip-PIC architectures. Again this is mostly implied and few speak of it.

Software houses and tool chains vendors are talking about the ways they go beyond simple TCP/IP to get information to "cloud services".

Companies who formerly only sold components or built PC boards are transforming into complete end-to-end design-build companies where they go all the way from design to delivering boxes of the required products ready for you to sell (even with labels and software installed and locked).

Other attendees included trade associations, magazine/book vendors, Flash/SSD providers, tool/environment vendors, logic/JTAG analyzers, emulator vendors and wireless vendors.

Trip to Russia in 2003.

In 2003 visited Russia. Flew into London and spent the morning there and then headed out to Moscow, Domodedovo.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domodedovo_International_Airport
Domodedovo was actually under re-construction at the time I passed through in 2003.

Stayed at Hotel Rossiya (now gone - apparently demolition started in 2006). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rossiya_Hotel,_Moscow
Here is a view out the window of my room looking northwards.



Saw many interesting areas, like the Arbat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arbat
and Kremlin.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kremlin
Here I am inside the Kremlin near one of the churches.



Was very pleased to take an overnight train to Kazan. It was sort of an "Orient Express" on the economy-plan so far as I was concerned, though my gracious Russian hosts thought it rather expensive and inconvenient I think.

Here I am in the carriage at Kazansky vokzal, just a few minutes before departure


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazansky_Rail_Terminal
Kazansky station had one of the biggest platforms I have ever seen (bigger than in London and Japan - and that says something) and the train had more carriages than any I had ever seen.

One of my most vivid memories of that trip is that the train ran late and we sat on a siding just before the bridge into Kazan in the early morning waiting for passing traffic. It was snowing and we were near a small village. It was peaceful, and intriguing to watch the villagers go about their early morning business. There were a few cars and trucks, mostly people were our for a walk. Given no automobiles, it could have been the turn of the century.

In Kazan my hosts showed me great hospitality. Stayed at a very nice spa near the Volga. We had some great meals in restaurants and in my hosts's homes. Saw many interesting and historic sites in Kazan. I especially remember the building with spires of many religions.


And my hosts took me out to a Russian (in name/type, place and ownership *smile*) 2-10-0 locomotive.


Also passed a display of the Buran (or variant) at one of the institutes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buran_program
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buran_(spacecraft)
but it might have been a BOR-4 or other relative.

Took the train back to Moscow, and the plane out from Domodedovo, and then back to London for a few days with my wife (business and sightseeing).

Trip to Japan 2005

My wife and I visited Japan in 2005. We went to the Aichi Expo
http://www.expo2005.or.jp/en/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expo_2005
Saw lots of Morizo and Kiccoro. Saw many interesting exhibits, including ones about new high speed trains.

Also got to see Satsuki and Mei's house at the Expo...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Neighbor_Totoro
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Expo_2005_of_Satsuki_and_Mei%E2%80%99s_House_01.jpg

Also got to visit Kyoto and Nara.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nara,_Nara
The deer at Nara are adorable, but also very very cheeky (read aggressive). Watch your back when you feed them wafers!



Saw the (possibly) largest wooden building at Todai-ji
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Ddai-ji
And (possibly) the oldest wooden building at Horyu-ji
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C5%8Dry%C5%AB-ji
These are just two of many National Treasures of Japan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_National_Treasures_of_Japan_(temples)

Trip to Canada in 2005

We took the route to Nova Scotia via the Gaspe.
Stayed near Mont Albert.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasp%C3%A9_Peninsula

and near Isle Bonaventure, famous for the Fou de Bassan colonies

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonaventure_Island

visited Forillon
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forillon_National_Park

Spent some time picking blueberries in Nova Scotia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blueberries
http://www.nswildblueberries.com/



Visited Halifax
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halifax_Public_Gardens