Internet fluency training session

Yesterday I spent seven hours talking to about ten people at Nia Technique, Inc. about the current state of the Internet. I covered everything from "what is open source" to "how to track your brand online." What I think was the most powerful segment of the day was the discussion we had about how a lifestyle business like Nia can reach new communities online through blogging. I explained how links are the currency of the blogoshere and that the more they link to complimentary sites, ideas, and people the higher their value will be online and the more people will link back to them.

I have to say that I have never spent so much time with such a limber group of people!

My first blog conference

This weekend I made the drive north to Vancouver for Northern Voice 2006, my first blog conference. For me it was one day and five blog related sessions on journalism, education, the law and just plain old story telling. The fact that the conference's 250 spots sold out with demand for another 100 tells me there are more people out there craving blog knowledge than I ever thought. What is probably going to happen is a bifurcation of Northern Voice into a business and user conference or at least two different major tracks. As someone who attended with more of an interest in the business of blogging than in the technique, I would have appreciated a focus on the business models being used to support blogging.

While I am promoting a split of the conference I should also say that the most powerful feeling I am left with from this year's conference is a renewed commitment to develop my written voice. Blogging is a power vehicle if not excuse for me to work on learning to write in a style other than business professional.

Speaking of the business of blogging, I did pick up a card at Northern Voice promoting a business blogging conference this October. Its called the Blogonomics Blog Cruise and unbelievably it appears to put blog business people together on a boat from Ft. Lauderdale to Cozumel for four days. Sounds surreal, but it also might be just what I am looking for.

Angel Investors 101

One of those basic components of any entrepreneurial venture is funding. This is a component we didn't spend much time on in business school, however I think it might be one of the more important points next to a strong pro forma income statement or pithy elevator pitch. Chris Allen gave me some of the missing education with his essay on his experience both being a recipient of angel investments and being an angel investor himself.

A nice complement to Chris' essay is the one from Gifford Pinchot on Angel Philanthropy. Gifford explains the challenges with getting social enterprises funded by angels.