Russ: Good morning, this is The BusinessMakers Show heard here and online at theBusinessMakers.com and this is that show that features entrepreneurs.
John: That's right Russ. These are the people who, in spite of everything that's going on in this country, they're still making it happen, they're creating businesses, they're creating jobs the way you wanted things to be created.
Russ: Alright, and here's what we've got lined up for the show for today. First up for the Aflac BusinessMakers Flashback, the topic is Microsoft's Imagine Cup, the global competition focused on challenging young software developers to apply their imagination, their passion, and their creativity to technology innovations that can make a difference in the world. This is the 8th year of the competition and earlier this week I sat down with Hilary Pike, academic evangelist with Microsoft. And then we were joined by two teams from the University of Houston who are finalist in the U.S. Game division championship to be held in D.C. later this month. That's Reggie Tye talking about his teams game Antitoxin Squad and then Daniel Biediger telling us about his teams game, Robo Recycler. And then for our featured guest segment, also earlier this week I was in Dallas TX at the headquarters of Entrust the company focused on securing digital identities and information, in fact they are right there at the top in online security companies in the world. And I spent time with Bill Conner, CEO of Entrust, a real cool company, and of particular interest to our audience, we spend time talking about "The Man In The Browser" the latest security threat focused on online banking targeting small businesses. But first... That's right. It's time for the BusinessMakers School of Business.
John: That's right.
Russ: And this is not your business as usual school.
John: This is not anything like that.
Russ: That's right, and we kick off the School of Business each Saturday morning with a quote of the day.
John: Quote of the day, yes.
Russ: And boy, here's an original author that we've not quoted before, Arthur Godfrey.
John: Alright.
Russ: "I'm proud to pay taxes in the United States. The only thing is, I could be just as proud for half the money." (Laughter)
John: I know. (Laughter) There ya go!
Russ: Alright. That brings us to this week in business history. What happened during this April week in business history?
John: This week in business history in 1775, the British discovered that there were munition stores in Lexington and Concord and they were gonna go to these places and destroy the munitions.
Russ: Okay.
John: Fortunately for the revolutionary forces like Paul Revere and William Dawes learned that the British were coming and there they rode from Charleston to Lexington that won the militia.
Russ: Telling everybody about it.
John: That's right.
Russ: That wasn't exactly like social media or Facebook or Twitter, but it was very effective.
John: Well it was social media, but it involved getting on your horse.
Russ: Horse? Yeah.
John: And (Laughter) - and getting out there and yelling at people man.
Russ: (Laughter) That's right. That was the beginning of it right there I think.
John: That was their social media.
Russ: Alright.
John: Paul Revere, "Follow me on my horse named Twitter."
Russ: Right, right. Alright.
John: This week in business history in 1836, a good time for Texans, the Battle of San Jacinto is won by the Texas revolutionaries. It took about 18 minutes.
Russ: Yeah, it was really fast.
John: And at Santa Anna, the Mexicans -
Russ: Were defeated by Sam Houston and his bunch.
John: Right, and as a result, Texas became a Republic.
Russ: Okay.
John: This week in business history in 1888, Eastman Kodak forms.
Russ: Wow.
John: Yeah, that's a rather long time.
Russ: One-hundred twenty-two years ago.
John: I know, I know, and they're still in business.
Russ: They're doing great. They are in the digital age now. We had Jeffrey Hayzlett, their CMO, on the show only about three weeks ago and I was impressed in that boy, they've turned the corner.
John: That' right. This week in business history in 1880 - this is unbelievable - one year after Eastman Kodak formed, Adolf Hitler is born in Braunau, Austria.
Russ: (Laughter) Wow. So He would be 121 this week.
John: Yeah, right, but I don't think he made it past the bunker.
Russ: No, he didn't. (Laughter)
John: Yeah, right.
Russ: He didn't.
John: As we move right along, 1897, the first Boston marathon was won by John McDermott of New York.
Russ: Cool
John: This week in business history in 1902, Denmark is the first country to adopt fingerprinting in identifying criminals.
Russ: Wow.
John: Here we go; 1936, this week in business history's a birthday of Roy Orbison in Vernon, Texas.
Russ: Wow.
John: He's known for a lot of songs like Pretty Woman and Only the Lonely, but my favorite song is one of his last ones before he died. It's called You Got It.
Russ: Cool.
[Music: "You Got It"]
John: This week in business history in 1946, the League of Nations dissolves three months after the UN starts.
Russ: Yeah.
John: Some people wish that the UN would dissolve.
Russ: (Laughter) Right, right. But it is true, is that the UN was more powerful and effective than the League of Nations. Isn't that true?
John: Oh yeah. Well the League of Nations was, you know -
Russ: A social club.
John: It's a social club and I'll never forget that news reel of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie in getting up in front of the League of Nations to say, "Please help me. I'm being invaded by these factious," and everybody just laughed at him because it looked silly with that stupid uniform.
Russ: Now this is it, the League of Nations or the United Nations?
John: This is the League of Nations before World War II started, so -
Russ: Wow.
John: - and now we - what's happened is the UN has morphed into the League of Nations -
Russ: Okay.
John: This week in business history in 1955, the first "Walk" and "Don't Walk" lighted street signs were installed.
Russ: Wow! So there's a little innovation right there.
John: Okay, this week in business history in 1956, Elvis Presley's first hit record Heartbreak Hotel becomes number one.
[Music: "Heartbreak Hotel"]
John: Good tune.
Russ: Good tune, you bet.
John: Alright. This week in business history in 1963, the Beatles meet Rolling Stones for the first time. They get into a tussle and Paul McCartney ends up with a fat lip and John Lennon goes running home to his mommy.
Russ: (Laughter)
John: No, just kidding.
Russ: Alright.
John: Alright.
[Music: "Sympathy for the Devil"]
John: This week in business history in 1977, one of the best Woody Allen films Annie Hall premiers.
Russ: Oh yeah. I loved Annie Hall.
John: Everybody loved the guy back - this is before he molested his daughter and married her.
Russ: Married her, yeah.
John: Okay yeah.
Russ: Right, it was.
John: This week in business history in 1982, Sally Ride is announced as the first woman astronaut.
Russ: And after she was announced, she became the first woman astronaut -
John: That's right.
Russ: - and successfully flew, yeah.
[Music: "Mustang Sally"]
John: That's right, yes, yes. Okay. This week in history in 1985 the new Coke debuts.
Russ: Those are huge.
John: I know. It was a big disaster.
Russ: Absolutely it was. As a Coke drinker, I hated it.
John: I know. Okay, this week in business history in 1993, the web browser Mosaic Version 1.0 is released, wow.
Russ: Oh man, that was huge.
John: That's ancient.
Russ: That's when we started saying, "Wooo, this Internet thing's offering some cool stuff."
John: That's right, it's catching on -
Russ: Yep.
John: This week in business history in 1997, Titanic opens at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York. That's right, they made a musical out of this disaster.
Russ: Yeah.
John: Okay, and fortunately or unfortunately, we didn't have that subplot of Leonardo DiCaprio getting screwed over by Kate Winslet.
Russ: I know. (Laughter) Oh my goodness. Alright, so that wraps up this morning's history lesson.
John: Hey, that's enough.
Russ: I think it was a good lesson for this week in business history.
John: Alright.
Russ: Okay, and that brings us to the jargon challenge round.
John: The jargon challenge round.
Russ: You bet. Also known as our vocabulary lesson; and I go out and find a word or make up a word.
John: And/or make up the word, yes.
Russ: And then I say the word and then John attempts to guess the meaning.
John: And I've been doing pretty good.
Russ: Yeah, yeah.
John: I'd say I've had a pretty good batting average, I'd say all year long.
Russ: You've been doing well, you've been doing well.
John: Yeah, right, mm-hmm.
Russ: Alright, and this morning's word is "thumbo".
John: Thumbo.
Russ: Thumbo.
John: Hmm. Thumbo. Okay, a bow is something you wrap up and wrap a present up in, so a thumbo is something you tie around your thumb so you don't forget to -
Russ: (Laughter) Wrong!
John: - install your thumb drive.
Russ: Sorry. You're a loser today.
John: Alright.
Russ: It's an error made while using the thumbs to type, particularly on a mobile device keyboard. It's kind of like a blend of thumb and typo - thumbo.
John: Alright.
Russ: Alright, and before we wrap up this morning's school of business, it's time for the very popular PKF Texas Entrepreneur's Playbook.
Greg: This is Greg Price with PKF Texas' Entrepreneur's Playbook.
This weekend the Rice Business Plan Competition will be held and over 36 schools will be vying for $1 million in prize money. Given that backdrop, I thought it would be good to consider some key tidbits for start ups.
Three bits of advice that I think can benefit all startups:
- Have a great team working with you,
- Don't give up, and
- Articulate the value of your product or service.
I have seen much written about the subject of startups, but I feel that these three areas are the key ones that help move you closer to success.
With the long hours and tough roads to be navigated, it important that the people you work with have the experience and moxie to take on the world with you. Second, you will face rejection and the word "No" quite often. Bill Gates experience with starting up Microsoft can offer no better example of not giving up on your idea.
But the last point is the key. Make sure you know the value of your product or service to your potential customer. I have heard lots of great ideas and plans at Houston Technology Center, and the Rice Business Plan Competition. But eventually one of the evaluators or judges asks the question, "What problem are you solving?" Some of the answers are quite interesting. A great idea does not always guarantee successful funding, or for that matter a successful startup.
To read and comment on the PKF Texas' Entrepreneur's Playbook, visit my blog, fromgregshead.com. And be sure to check out the new mobile ready website at PKF Texas.com - PKF Texas, The Fit That's Right!
Russ: Okay and that wraps up this mornings School of Business. Stay tuned into the Aflac BusinessMakers Flashback where we will be featuring the Microsoft Imagine Cup competition. Followed by our featured guest, Bill Conner the CEO of Entrust, the company that is securing digital identities and information. You're listening to the BusinessMakers Show heard here and online at thebusinessmakers.com.
