A study was recently completed by the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute into the smallest number of people that through exerting influence in a network, can bring about change. Apparently the number is slightly less than 10% – provided that the core base is highly committed and not prepared to change themselves. This has quite significant implications [...]
Everyone wants more sales. They want more revenue. And they want more margin. And they want it now. They think that this involves strategy. Actually what they are looking for is tactics, and when they adopt tactics without a strategy it will almost invariably fail. Tactics is selling canned tomatoes at retail in the supermarket. [...]
People invariably don't understand how marketing works. Even marketers don't understand. They think that if they buy more spots on TV, make a harder hitting ad, they will sell more product. They think that if they shout louder, they will get their ideas across more effectively. The reality is that they marketers are generally like [...]
I have done a fair bit of capital raising over the years (both for listed and unlisted companies) and every time one does it, it requires a new approach. More often than not I am asked to help with an unlisted company that is a start up. The general rules that have worked for me [...]
I wrote a week ago about buying Belgian chocolate, and talking to the chocolatier and finding out about what goes into the average chocolate bar. We all know about the Chinese milk scandals involving replacing milk solids with melamine. If you go to your local supermarket and buy garlic, you will probably find that it [...]
There are a lot of things to consider when starting a new business. And it is just as challenging to build an existing one. The big problem is that you have to do so many things yourself. And there just aren't enough hours. Last night I was at a dinner party and saw an old [...]
Pretty much everyone that I meet has a pet project that they want to take to market, or knows someone who has one. But almost invariably when the discussion turns to what needs to be done, the person at the center of the play – the entrepreneur if you will – has a misconception about [...]
I had a coffee with Laurel Papworth yesterday to catch up on life in general, but also to tap her brain with regard to a project that I am putting together. The project is in regard to a possible infringement action on behalf of a songwriter that I signed back in 1979. The first song [...]
Another Koltai Rant of a personal nature. It would appear to me that the Supreme Court in New South Wales is more interested in clearing it’s docket than ensuring that justice is served. This might be because yesterday, I lost my case (filed in March 2007) against Tricom Equities. Or it might be [...]
An anecdotal statistical examination of music industry potential income with no file sharing. The music industry have managed to convince global Governments that they should have special protectionist legislation enacted. No-one has bothered to have a look at the logic behind their claims. Forget file sharing for a moment. The question should be, [...]