If you are visiting these pages as a result of my recent messages, then welcome. As you can see, this forum is dedicated to discussions for business start-ups, student-Alumni networking, and opportunities for non-graduates, in equal measure. I hope you find it helpful.
If you are interested in the Forum's other discussions, then this article will tell you all you need to know:
https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140726162616-66254816-building-bridges-a-project-begins
This forum is here to help students, non-graduates and business start ups, but we need to find a way to help everyone; including your fellow entrepreneurs; young people and adults alike. Many of you are engaged in great projects to start new businesses and enterprise of your own: so here is a challenge for you.
The idea I have hit on, is that we could create a database or app, to include all three. Participating universities and colleges could upload all products and services as yet untested. Non-graduates who have received a qualification by assessment, apprenticeship etc, could be registered on the same database, by agreement with the awarding bodies. Finally, all adults who want to start a new business or play a part in one, can register too: in much the same way as for Staff Bay or Priority Jobs.
This would form a complete Toolkit for entrepreneurs to start new businesses. Anyone wanting to start a business would have direct access to new products and services to put into production; recently qualified non-graduates; and fellow adults with skills to offer. To my knowledge, there is not one app yet devised, to perform all of these functions.
A diagram of this concept is on the Forum's Facebook page. This is how it could work:
https://www.facebook.com/download/565626130231673/Toolkit%20for%20Entrepreneurs.docx
As you can see, the information comes together to give an entrepreneur most of the recourses he or she will need. With the impending redundancies in my region and others, it is important to keep creating jobs, and if we can get people who are out of work, together with the right entrepreneurs, they can start new businesses, and give people jobs.
It will not be easy to make, of course. Creating this kind of database would mean careful negotiating and coordination with all sides. And a further challenge to consider for any new business, is funding. I think that the application should also have a built in function, to allow access to key investors, in the relevant field of business. For example, social enterprises could be given access, via this application, to key community investment funds, and so on.
Networks like LinkedIn, Priority Jobs or Staff Bay could perhaps be modified to make this Toolkit. I have approached the major internet service providers, but at the time of writing, neither Microsoft nor AOL seem to have this kind of application. I am waiting to hear back from Google and will of course, speak with Apple's staff soon, to find out what they have.
To all major internet service providers reading this article: the concept is like an offer for tender: but the promisor is not me. Your clients will be the hundreds of fellow entrepreneurs who will buy the app you develop. Whichever company does this first is guaranteed a place.in the start up market. But ultimately, it doesn't matter who is able to build this app; as long as it allows an entrepreneur to select both the people to work with and the products/services to use: crucial for the start-up of any new business.
I believe that this Toolkit would offer a win-win solution for all parties using it. Non-graduates would get entry level jobs into their industry of choice; students and Alumni would get to use their innovations; adults would get to lend their expertise and be valued. Everyone would benefit in some way from it.
So here is a new challenge for you, the entrepreneurs: a way to make a big difference for yourselves and for fellow business people. You are invited to join the LinkedIn page, to discuss how we can go about creating this application:
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Lets-Build-Bridges-5133737?trk=myg_ugrp_ovr
The other project pages are:
Google+ (‘Gorilla Opportunity’ Start-Ups Database)
LinkedIn Business Start-Ups Page:
https://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=7495433&trk=my_groups-tile-grp
https://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=7495433&trk=my_groups-tile-grp
Best Regards
James M
Founder
Let's Build Bridges
Brilliant concept! Are you suggesting that graduate enterprise and entrepreneurs access a database of employable individuals through this app?
ReplyDeleteHi Marcus,
ReplyDeleteYes. I am suggesting that a person who wanted to start a business would have access to all these people - in much the same way as Staff Bay and Priority Jobs work now. But they would also have direct access to the innovations being developed at participating colleges and universities. This would give the entrepreneurs new products and services for the start-up business to provide and make.
While this kind of application would mean a big investment - the App Institute have informed me that it would take several thousand pounds to build from scratch - I think that existing databases and networks like LinkedIn could actually do this, by redeploying their resources.
LinkedIn has all the necessary connections and information to do this. The challenge would be negotiating an information sharing agreement between the different parties: the governing bodies for qualified assessment; and the universities and colleges, to name a few. I hope that some of the careers officers who are already on the Forum's might help us with this.
If even a few universities, assessors, and entrepreneurs agreed to share information this way, then they could build the basis for this kind of app/database. From there it could be developed into a full blown application.
I welcome your and other people's thoughts on this.
I've now spoken to Apple's customer service people and am waiting to hear back from them. Apple is of course, the powerhouse for Apps, and if anyone can develop an app that will do this, it's definitely them. I'm also waiting to hear what Google has to offer. Whoever can do it: the above spec is what entrepreneurs need.
ReplyDeleteOk Apple s business team tell me that they have many apps of course, but can't recommend a specific one for this function at this time. Therefore, since we've asked all the other major app providers without success, its clear that Google is where we ll start. Marcus has made an excellent recommendation to.get started. More on this to follow shortly. And if any service provider can do better then please come forward. The company that can build an app to do the functions mentioned above will get the.prize. In the.meantime, Google is where we ll start.
ReplyDeleteHi All
ReplyDeleteThe App is taking shape. Marcus has put together the structure of the database that we will use. It's called Gorilla Opportunity, and is searchable on Google Play If you are interested in starting a new business, or have ideas for one, then you are welcome to visit this database, and put them on one of the lists. It's a voluntary initiative at the moment, but it should start the ball rolling to make a new Toolkit for business start ups: on Google and elsewhere.
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ReplyDeleteThe database is called 'Gorilla Opportunity' and can be found on Google+ at https://plus.google.com/108660978572646258999/posts
ReplyDeleteHello to you
ReplyDeleteNow that you've had a chance to look at the database, you're welcome to take part. The aim at this point in time, is to put the right information in place, to help people start businesses. If you have any ideas for new products and services, or have skills and experience you would like to lend to start one, then please send your contact details and ideas to: gorilla.opportunity@gmail.com These will be put onto several lists for entrepreneurs to find.
This is a voluntary initiative and there are no obligations if you participate. Any patents, royalties and copyright will of course be honoured as normal.
You are welcome to contact Marcus or myself if you have any questions. In the meantime, I wish the users of the database all the best with their endeavours to build new businesses together, and share their ideas.
Best Regards
James M
Founder
Ok, about 4 concepts for new businesses have been submitted so far. Hopefully in a few weeks time, there is a Business School, whose graduates I will offer this to. But in the interests of fairness, all graduate and other entrepreneurs are welcome to submit their ideas to the contacts given above.
ReplyDeleteBest Regards
James M
Founder
It's been a few weeks, but so far, the database has had over 300 views, which shows a lot of interest. This is encouraging. I know that many fellow entrepreneurs may be inspired to use this or to create something similar. This project is intended to get the ball rolling to do just that.
ReplyDeleteThis is just the beginning. The end result will be, that entrepreneurs will eventually have a full Toolkit, in the form of an app, that they can access on their smartphones and tablets. The Toolkit will give them access to both the people to work with, AND the innovations for new products and sevices to try. All the information to start a business will be stored in one place. The Gorilla database is intended as a prototype for this.
Therefore, you are more than welcome to impliment the concepts submitted so far, or you can join the growing network on Google+ at:
https://plus.google.com/108660978572646258999/posts
You can also contact:
gorilla.opportunity@gmail.com
Good progress so far. Let's keep this going!
Best Regards
James M
Co-founder
Hi All
ReplyDeleteIf you have been looking at the Gorilla database, you may have noticed that you'll need Google Drive to read the sheets. Here's the page you'll need it for:
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BxBc5hecrgEfTFJDQm11STM3TVE#list
The first thing you should see on the database is the list of concepts. There should be at least 2 other lists, for you to add your contact details, if you are interested in using taking part.
Kind Regards
James M
Co-Founder
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ReplyDeleteHi All
ReplyDeleteSomeone just raised an interesting point that I’d like to answer. The question everyone is asking is: the start-ups database is a good idea, but what's in it for me?
So here's my (detailed) answer:
http://letsbuildbridges.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/whats-in-it-for-me.html
Enjoy.
Kind Regards
James M
Founder
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi All
ReplyDeleteGorilla Opportunity has now had over 400 views from entrepreneurs and others. The worldwide interest in the Gorilla start-ups database, from countries including the Arab Emirates, Thailand, and Spain, among many others; shows that there is clear support for this concept. The purpose of this database, is to create new jobs, be enabling business start ups.
As I have said before, the main aim at this point, is get the ball rolling, and inspire fellow entrepreneurs, to show them what will be possible in a few years time. No doubt that the major internet service companies have already considered this design, and are working on similar apps at the time of writing. I believe that this project will help as a catalyst, to move the process forward by a few years.
Marcus, the designer, is currently committed to a reorganisation in his business; but should be able to continue building the database, once this has been concluded. I am grateful for his work, to make this happen.
In the meantime, you are more than welcome to contribute to the growth of the database, and I hope that this will be the first step to building a new, complete Toolkit for business start ups. You are welcome to upload your innovations, or business contact details to the following page:
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BxBc5hecrgEfTFJDQm11STM3TVE#list
The link is: https://plus.google.com/108660978572646258999/posts
Best Regards
James M
Founder
Very good news.
ReplyDeleteGorilla Opportunity has now had over 6,000 views! In the space of a few months, this is fantastic. And the messages I have received so far from business people confirm that it has real potential.
So if you would like to start a new business, or have innovations or contacts to share, you are welcome to use the following links:
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BxBc5hecrgEfTFJDQm11STM3TVE#list
The link is: https://plus.google.com/108660978572646258999/posts
Best Regards
James M
Co-founder
Several months on, and the database has now had an amazing 10,000 views! If you'd like to use it, please try:
ReplyDeletehttps://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0BxBc5hecrgEfTFJDQm11STM3TVE#list
https://plus.google.com/108660978572646258999/posts