TALENT HUB WEEK TWO

P R E S E N T E D BY W

O R K F O R C E CO N N E C T I O

N

& CO L L E G E O

F CE N T R A L F

LO R I DA

W E E K T W O – S E C T I O N T H R E E 1

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THE T21 SOLUTIONS

STORY

DECEMBER 30, 2009: RE-READ "4-HOUR WORK WEEK"

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MARCH 9, 2010: GAVE 3 WEEKS NOTICE

H T T P : / / M Y W I F E Q U I T H E R J O B . C O M / 4

MARCH 12, 2010: LAUNCHED T21 SOLUTIONS, LLC

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THE FIRST WEEK

• Set provisional goals for the business• Did a personal inventory of my skills, strengths,

experience and opportunities• Set up Florida limited-liability corporation (LLC) on

SunBiz.org • Established separate checking account for my business,

and "loaned" $10,000 for start-up costs• Purchased a dedicated computer for managing business• Downloaded OpenOffice suite for free office productivity

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THE SECOND WEEK• Updated all social media channels (Facebook,

LinkedIn, Twitter) with new business info• Let my trusted business colleagues, friends and

family know what I was up to - led to a project in the first month!

• Refined business model to focus on specific trends and areas where I could add value

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THE THIRD WEEK• Decided to focus on "crowdsourcing" as a way to

blend creative services, project management and human resources into one business

• Registered as a customer (or "hiring manager") on oDesk.com, Elance, Guru.com

• Tested my concepts by having my own business projects crowdsourced

• Launched www.t21solutions.com website for credibility purposes

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THE FOURTH WEEK• Began part-time work on a key client project that

proved the business model for social media management and crowdsourcing

• Recruited and hired an intern to support routine tasks and research support

• Invoiced for the first phase of my first project, gross profit of $8,500

• After paying contractors, online service fees, and other operational business costs, net profit was $5,000 which was reinvested back into the business

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CROWDSOURCING … HUH?Crowdsourcing is the act of taking a job traditionally performed by a designated agent (usually an employee) and outsourcing it to an undefined, generally large group of people in the form of an open call.

Jeff Howe, WIRED

5 RULES: THE NEW LABOR POOL

1. The crowd is dispersed2. The crowd has a short

attention span3. The crowd is full of specialists4. The crowd produces mostly

crap5. The crowd finds the best stuff

MY TOP TEN LIST (1-5)

1. Tell everyone you meet what you're up to ... this is why the elevator pitch is so important!

2. Take advantage of the free social media tools, integrate them and get visibility.

3. Don't try to do it all! Know what your blind spots are, and negotiate a deal for help!

4. Develop a statement of qualifications (SOQ) or professional summary, this is your small business resume.

5. Get involved with relevant professional associations and networks - yesterday!

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MY TOP TEN LIST (6-10)6. Actively share with your network and across the social

media channels - establish thought leadership!7. Volunteer in the community, showcase your skills and

capabilities and make a difference.8. Get your finances under control and keep business

expenses and accounts separated from personal - always!

9. Take advantage of free learning resources - they are literally everywhere!

10. Delight your customers, communicate proactively, do what you say and follow through!

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RECOMMENDED FREE LEARNING RESOURCES

• Inc. Magazine - http://www.inc.com/• American Express OPEN -

http://www.openforum.com/• Startup Nation - http://www.startupnation.com/• Small Biz Daily - http://smallbizdaily.com/• The Solopreneur Life -

http://www.thesolopreneurlife.com/

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RECOMMENDED FREE LEARNING RESOURCES

• Stanford University - http://ecorner.stanford.edu/

• SCORE - http://www.score.org/• Florida Trend Small Business Toolbox -

http://www.floridatrend.com/small_biz.asp• Entrepreneur Magazine -

http://www.entrepreneur.com/• Florida Department of State - http://sunbiz.org/

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BREAK!