As an entrepreneur, you may at times question your sanity : long hours, uncertain outcomes, energy drain on the rest of your life. And yet you keep on going. You have to. The thrill of successfully launching a new endeavor, whether to make a living, a difference in the lives of people, an impact on the health of the planet, or all of the above is too great not to.
And yet, there may be times that nothing’s coming to you. You’re either stuck for a new idea, or having doubts about or missing pieces to what you’re currently working on. In steps Springwise. Springwise is free hub for new emerging ideas to be seen, and is smartly designed for rapid skimming, by category, keyword, and country.
Now, you may say, what’s new about this? There are lots of business and entrepreneurial blogs and publications out there. Fair enough. Amsterdam based Springwise puts it well when they say, "Springwise scans the globe for the most promising business ventures, ideas and concepts that are ready for regional or international adaptation, expansion, partnering, investments or cooperation. We ferociously track more than 400 global offline and online business resources, as well as taking to the streets of world cities, digital cameras at hand."
They also enlist the eyes and minds of an additional 8000 "Springspotters" in 70 countries to keep an on the ground perspective on what’s going on.
What does this look like?
One idea that stuck out to me is the MyHab. In the UK, where music festivals and rain are both abundant, they have created temporary shelter that is durable, waterproof, raised, and recyclable. Rather then have to lug, set up, break down, clean (or perhaps throw away) a tent for the festival, you reserve one, similar to a hotel, and can have them visually customized.
Then when you’re done, you leave, nothing more to do, while MyHab breaks them down and recycles them. Now it might be said why don’t they reuse them, but still, this is a step ahead towards reducing waste and increasing the quality of experience for festival goers. Or you might say “Hmm, I have an idea to improve upon this service. I’ll do it myself, modifying it for the US. Or help consult with MyHab to further strengthen their offer.”
The ideas here, no matter the category, seem skewed towards the sustainable and the social ventures. But there are others that are nonetheless intriguing, like the pedestrian friendly laser created "virtual wall." Perhaps impractical, but definitely food for thought.
Fuel for your Entrepreneurial Mind - To learn more about this author, visit Paul Smith's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
|
|
Paul Smith
(Visit Paul's Website)
I help forge truly sustainable businesses
at GreenSmith Consulting. I bring to the
table a wide range of skills and
knowledge, an have an extensive network of
resources to further extend the scope of
what we offer, as needed. For both
existing companies wanting to push the
needle greener, and startups needing help
effectively and authentically getting the
message out and navigating the operational
and strategic considerations involved, we
can help.
Getting an MBA in Sustainable Management
from Presidio considerably strengthened my
green business skills, helping make me
attuned to how to do business in a way
that's more profitable, well managed, and
ecologically sound. I see possibilities
where others don't. I make connections
that others haven't yet. I help people to
see them, and know how to best take
advantage of them.
My overarching talent is "bottom lining"
complex ideas, in a way that is
understandable and accessible to a variety
of audiences, internal and external to a
company. After all, if you have the
greatest idea/product/service ever, and
your employees or customers don't see the
relevance to them, it doesn't really
matter, does it?
|
|
 |
|
|
Paul Smith's
Complete
List Of
Going-Green
Articles
|
|
|
If you enjoyed this article, get Paul Smith's Complete List of Going-Green Articles For FREE!
|
| |
|
|
|
![[Get Copyright Permissions]](http://license.icopyright.net/images/icopy-w.gif){kind=small}
