Social Entrepreneurship is working its way into more and more local communities within the US. Spokane, Washington is one of a growing number of communities taking part in a changing global model of how non-profits do business. For those who are not familiar, social entrepreneurship is the business model is based on creating sustainable, profitable companies that are then used to create social change. Two traditional examples of social entrepreneurship in action in the United States are the Salvation Army and Goodwill Industries. Both provide jobs and training, integrate within their communities, and are sustainable, taking more than 50% of their revenue from local patrons. In tough economic times, other non-profits that normally fund most of their work through contributions from donors are seeing that funding dry up. Additionally, they are seeing a drop in volunteer numbers. No longer able to rely on the prior way of doing business, smaller non-profit organizations are looking past the old models and trying to view social impact through the lens of the entrepreneur. For example, the Christ Kitchen started with taking donations to help impoverished women get back on their feet. They quickly learned they needed to focus on putting these women to work [...]
By Ja-Naé Duane
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Also posted in Business Tools, Uncategorized
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Tagged changing global model, christ kitchen, cup of cool water, local communities, non-profits, salvation army, social change, social entrepreneurship, spokane, what is a social entrepreneur, what is social entrepreneurship, Who are social entrepreneurs
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Game Changer, homeless hotspots, caused controversy at SXSW this year. Check out my Pulse Network segment on the topic: Despite what you think about the project, it has opened up the question of, “now what?” Here are 3 projects and next steps to consider: Street Treat: Though overshadowed by the SXSW Homeless Hotspot story, Street Treat is plugging away as an alternative to giving a homeless person the opportunity to make money by selling iced cream. Mark Horvath just wrote a great article on the program. Check it out. Partner for Employment: Many individuals who are homeless want to work. Some have the skills you’re looking for and some may not. Either way, they are just lacking the opportunity. Have your company partner with your local homeless shelter to create that opportunity and a training program. Community Gardens: Community Gardens are a fantastic communal focal point and an effective crime prevention strategy. Why not employee the homeless to help tend the garden and run a farm stand? This is a great way to pay someone, feed them, and make your neighborhood safer. What ways do you think we could employee the homeless? Do you know anyone who is working on something [...]
March 22, 2012 – 10:30 am
The satisfaction one feels after donating to and supporting a cause is inherent. In fact, two recent studies suggest that giving to others makes us happy, even happier than spending on ourselves. It may not be bold to state that giving is a key to happiness. And with today’s technology and rapid social media growth, the internet can make it even easier to do. Did you ever think you could increase your happiness with a click of a button? Through my work with Our Revolution, I’ve come across some great services and resources that help with social activism. Check them out: Endorse For A Cause – Endorse for a Cause is an exciting new online community where Members are able to recommend products and brands to their friends over social networks and earn money for their favorite non-profit Social Vibe Gives – Social Vibe is the leading social media utility connecting people with brands, empowering them to engage with sponsors and share branded content to benefit a cause of their choice Rec.fm – Rec.fm is a tool that allows you to make recommendations to your friends about brands and products and help your favorite charities by integrating with popular social networks like [...]
By Ja-Naé Duane
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Also posted in Our Revolution! Project, Strategy, Uncategorized
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Tagged charity with, donate with, endorse for a cause, for charity, increase your happiness, Ja-Nae, janae, one cause, our revolution, rec.fm, social activism, social vibe, to charity, what is a charity, you can donate
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Yesterday, I had the pleasure of being a guest on The Pulse on Business. We chatted about what people should expect from SXSW, as well as two companies within New Orleans who are doing great stuff to change the city in their own way. Check out the video: Are you going to be at SXSW? Is this your first time going the conference? I would love to connect and tell your story. Touch base. I would love to hear from you. Related Posts The Leaders: 3 Lessons from the Girl Scouts How to Start a Startup (Complimentary Ebook) How to Freelance
January 24, 2012 – 9:43 am
As a freelancer, it can be hard to know where the market is for your skill sets. Many of the freelancers I know continue to market towards what has worked for them in the past. And why not? If it’s not broke, then don’t fix it. Makes sense, right? Though that may work as a short term solution, even freelancers need to look towards trends. Freelancer.com, the largest outsourcing marketplace, has recently released its list of the top 50 freelance job trends for the fourth quarter of 2011. Freelancer.com has gathered stats from 134,820 online jobs that were posted over the last quarter of 2011, which represent a 18.3% increase from Q3. Here are the important trending freelance jobs: According to Freelancer.com: Android takes off again in Q4. After a slow Q3, Android jobs rocketed up 33% (to 2,454) in Q4. Apple iPhone jobs grew 18% (to 3,682). By the end of 2012, Android should be close to overtaking the iPhone for the rate of development of new applications. Apple iPad jobs rose 22% (to 1692). Blackberry jobs were flat, up 2%, but with volumes too low to register on the Fast 50. As reported before, Symbian and Windows phone [...]
By Ja-Naé Duane
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Also posted in Business Tools, Uncategorized
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Tagged freelance, freelance freelance, freelance it, freelance jobs, how to freelance, i freelance, Ja-Nae, janae, live anywhere, start a startup, the freelancer, what is freelance
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January 10, 2012 – 10:11 am
Yesterday, I was asked when the revision of How to Start Your Business with $100 would be out and what I will include in this one. Though I do not have an exact date yet for when it will be released (I’m still finishing up my book on social change), I can tell you that besides all the goodies that are in the first version, we will include: * Social Media 101 * Social Media ROI * SEO 101 * Top Mobile apps for Productivity and much more! Until then, I am happy to give you guys a complimentary copy of the book. Download Your Complimentary Ebook Now. Please feel free to pass it on and share it with people. This 120+-page ebook gives you access to: Over 197 resources and tools to help you start your business Guide to branding your business Marketing tips to use in a B2B and B2C market Budgeting and Financial research Joint Venture Contract Template Proven negotiating techniques How to build a website with very little money Integration of email and social media Step-by-step guide on how to start your business within 30 days If you know a budding entrepreneur, small startup or freelancer, [...]
By Ja-Naé Duane
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Also posted in Business Tools
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Tagged business plan, how to open business, how to own a business, how to start a startup, ideas for small business, social change, social media 101, social media roi, software startup, start business, startup america, startup companies, startup company, startup programs, startups, the startup
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October 25, 2011 – 9:38 am
On Saturday, I had the pleasure of giving a keynote speech at Tech Day Camp. What was great about the event was that most of the attendees were new to technology and were eager to have more information on how to use it in their daily lives. Here is my presentation from the keynote: How Technology Can Work for You View more presentations from Ja-Naé Duane What about you? How do you use technology? How has it made your life easier? I would love to hear your success stories. Send them my way! Related Posts The Power of Letter Writing 7 Ways to Help Women in Technology Social Media used for Classroom Learning
By Ja-Naé Duane
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Also posted in Business Tools, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized
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Tagged duane, Ja-Nae, janae, keynote speech, new technology, speaking at an event, tech day camp, what is technology, women in technology
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October 5, 2011 – 9:57 am
New adventures and opportunities do not always show up at your door step. Sometimes, you have to break the rules and get out of your comfort zone in order to find them. Here’s how.
September 14, 2011 – 8:32 am
Sometimes, it is not always easy to lead a team or turn the other cheek when someone does something to hurt or offend you. I don’t know about you, but my first instinct is to defend and protect myself. However, that does not always solve the issue. Instead, ask yourself the following questions: How can I best handle this situation? If I respond by doing X, what will the outcome be? How do I want this to be resolved? By taking the time and thinking it through, you may find a resolution that you were not expecting and one that opens up other opportunities. Related Posts How to Fail The Secret to Flexibility How Leaders Can Make the Best Decisions
Recently, I have been asked by my clients on how they can use Google Plus for their businesses while waiting for the business pages to be opened to the public. Here is my post for Overdrive Interactive giving my thoughts: In just one month Google+ has continued its exponential growth reaching 20 million users last week. A few days ago, Google removed several business accounts from Google plus (such as Ford and Sesame Street), but left other brands such as Mashable (because it transferred the brand to a person – Pete Cashmore) to play in beta. Though there has been an announcement that Google+ will be open to the public shortly, many businesses are wondering when they can create their own proper business page. Let’s explore the importance of preparing your brand for that eventuality and some things you can do in the mean time to prepare. The Importance of Google+ for Brands So why should your brand really care about being on another social platform anyway? Is this just another channel for engagement? Well, if you care about your company’s online reputation and its search ranking, consider these things: Google Plus VS. Facebook Facebook faces a major challenge from [...]
By Ja-Naé Duane
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Also posted in Business Tools, Marketing, Strategy, Uncategorized
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Tagged google blogs, google chrome plus, google earth download, google plus 1, google plus one, google social, google social network, google tools, social network google
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