Specialisation is survival

With the arrival and huge hype around the new iPad, everyone is talking about Apple (again). But Apple is huge, with an uncanny ability to produce shiny new gadgets that are game changing. So how do you get a slice of this pie? They may seem to be engulfing the whole market, but there are a lot of people doing very well in specialising on products which feed the disciples of these products. So what is the big idea? For Twelve South it is all about specialising. They make sexy gadgets for your laptop, but only if it is an Apple. They have chosen a juicy market; people who are willing to pay more for a design led product that enhances their gadgets. There are thousands of people making accessories for iPhones, toys for iMacs, face book bolt ons, iTunes apps and other products that enhance already very popular products. They have a large market and are thriving.

So what can you do, that benefits from another products immense success?

Powerpoint is dead, long live Prezi

Powerpoint is great, it is however massively overused and often used badly. The programme that has sent a million people to sleep and created the phrase: 'Death by PowerPoint', might now be coming to its own resting place. Because, there is a new kid on the block: Prezi.
Prezi is an exciting new online system that takes you around a large sheet of paper, rather than flicking through slides. The smooth animation zooms in on details and takes you seamlessly from one area to another. It really is breathtaking. It also is set up for you to imbed it into blogs and web pages. Presentations just got creative again.
Millions of people will keep using PowerPoint, but I have seen the future and it’s Prezi and what’s more, it looks pretty hot.

Can clicks survive without bricks?

Clicks and mortar, the balance of online and real world. Chains of retail stores and the phenomena of online shopping, coupled with a global recession, means we are at real risk of loosing not just the shops we love, but also of decimating the high street. The 3/ 50 project is aiming to help save the independent shops that we love and the communities around them. The big idea is simple, look at three businesses you would miss if they went bankrupt and pop in, say hello and buy something. If half the population of the US spent $50 each month in local independent stores it would generate more than $42.6 Billion. More importantly, of $100 spent, $68 comes back into the local community, with a chain it is $43 and if it is online it is probably $0. Some villages in Devon have implemented their own currency to help keep local money local and this is another way to help keep the money flowing back home, rather than into the distance. So buy local, support your community and if there is a shop or service you would miss, support it. If you don’t, it might not be there next year.

Draw anything for $2

This is a great idea from a graphic artist going by the name of: Yirmumah. Unfortunately it is so popular now that he has suspended it while he works through the back log. I saw it at the end of last summer and back then the dollar was nearly two to the pound, so it was even cheaper. I asked, not surprisingly for a picture of a Big Idea and here it is. But all of that aside, why is it a big idea? Well this guy is drawing anything you want for $2. He says it lets him practice and due to the random nature of the subjects he gets better at drawing lots of different things. He is doing some great marketing for himself as well. By giving away quality work for next to nothing, he is getting a lot of exposure. His work is really good, so it is a great way to reach a new market who might want some work done and to sell his existing work. By reaching out to people and giving them something for free, he suddenly becomes the place to go. So I wish him well and when he starts taking orders again (and hopefully the dollar weakens a bit), the place to go is: http://yirmumah.com/will-draw-anything/