Older Workers – An Opportunity Created from Danger

/in /by

StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Older Workers|OLDER WORKERS – AN OPPORTUNITY CREATED FROM DANGER.Older workers are facing profound work challenges.

Almost all areas of commerce have been impacted by the health crisis. How we respond will define our business and personal lives for years to come.

Among the groups that will feel a lasting effect will be our older workers.

Most companies, organizations, and governments will come back to life as smaller, leaner entities with a focus on cutting costs to survive. Older workers, typically representing the higher salary ranges, will be under significant scrutiny.

Long held biases like ageism will still be in place when work life recovers, this time with many notions accentuated by misinformation. The reality is that these long-standing, harmful prejudices will find new names and rationales.

With the changing nature of the workplace, older workers may be seen as less technology-savvy, and by inference, less trainable. The health crisis itself has painted a patina of vulnerability on our older workers. Many may be seen by their employers as people who are no longer worth the actuarial risk.

While it is clear that within any population group, there will be specific challenges and issues, what is also clear is that those assumptions don’t fit entire demographics. Older workers possess knowledge and skills that are crucial to organizational success. They have faced significant challenges, developed business solutions, overcome business obstacles.

We as older workers face a choice: Do we accept this situation, or do we build better alternatives?

In fact, this situation is a good opportunity for people in the second half of life to explore entrepreneurship. The need for skilled, resourceful people to solve problems is widespread. You have the knowledge, know-how, and networks to provide unique solutions.

This is not a recommendation to quit your day job. It is a suggestion to reevaluate how you interact with the world of work. It is a proposition which suggests that you create a phased retirement from your current job if possible, using that time to build and develop a small business of your own that you can utilize going forward. If you are going to be let go, you might as well do it on your terms. If that option isn’t available, take steps on your own to build your own enterprise with the time you have available.

You have knowledge, know-how, and networks that are highly valuable to organizations and industries. These attributes combine to create effective solutions.

You know where the problems are most acute in industries and communities you are passionate about. You don’t need the levels of supervision typical of most workers. You have worked on solving problems your entire career. In many cases, you have experience working remotely, while delivering solutions.

Creating a business entity and support infrastructure can be done for a few hundred dollars for most people. Doing so sooner than later will give you the chance to experiment with your new business platform and hone your value proposition.

A direction I recommend is to begin reaching out and networking with other entrepreneurs and small businesses. No individual has all the answers. Effective solutions emerge from curated teams. You can build these teams of like-minded entrepreneurs to take on specific projects together. As these are completed, you can recreate new teams to meet new challenges. The more people in your network, the more opportunities there are for good, meaningful, valuable work to come your way. Nurture your networks. Grow your new small business.

As older workers, we have a choice. We can accept that we are stuck with working around misguided employment assumptions, or we can create smarter, newer options that serve your own purposes and goals.

Creating your own small business is not a prescription for quick riches or fast results. It is an approach to life that highlights your own passions and puts in place effective tools and policies to help that effort – and the communities and industries we love – succeed.

Start Small. Start smart. Start right now. It’s not hard. It’s just new.

About the Author

StrategyDriven Expert Contributor | Rick TerrienRick Terrien is the author of Ageless Startup: Start a Business at Any Age. He has been awarded Fast Company Magazine’s Fast 50 Award, representing the 50 most innovative companies in the world. He was also awarded the United States Small Business New Product of the Year Award, as well as AARP’s Purpose Prize.
For more information please visit www.ageless-startup.com.

The Evolution of Computers

/in /by

StrategyDriven Editorial Perspective Article | The Evolution of ComputersComputers have come a long way from the first models unveiled in 1940. Through the decades, thanks to improved engineering as well as advancements in separate computer parts, modern computers accomplish tasks that were mere science fiction five decades ago. Here is a brief look at how computers evolved.

The Beginning

Modern machines have lightning-fast components thanks to innovations such as silicon wafer dicing. Several generations back, however, computers looked and worked much differently. Far from the lightweight laptop you use today, first generation computers used vacuum tubes and magnetic drums to store information. John Presper Eckert and John Mauchly invented the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, or ENIAC, and the first model weighed 30 tons and took up about 1800 square feet.

The ENIAC required a team of technicians to maintain it around the clock. Reprogramming it took weeks. These first computers were costly to build, and they generated a great deal of heat. They also used up a lot of electricity.

The Second Wave

By 1956, engineers developed computers that used transistors, which transformed them into more manageable machines that were smaller, lighter, and less expensive to build. These computers were more efficient to run than first-generation models, although they still generated self-damaging heat. Symbolic language came into use with this generation. The first types of programming languages were COBOL and FORTRAN.

The Third Generation

By 1964, computers began to look more like machines modern people know. Integrated circuits were the stars of the new semiconductor technology. Transistors were miniaturized and placed on silicon chips, making the machines lightweight as well as faster. Keyboards and monitors took the place of punch cards and calculation printouts. Numerous applications could run on a single machine. The price also went down so more people could buy computers.

The Revolution

Microprocessors were developed in 1971, ushering in the fourth generation of computers. We are still in this generation, though changes have come quickly in the last four decades. The Intel 4004 chip was the first microprocessor, allowing thousands of integrated circuits to fit onto one silicon chip. The industry never looked back.

In 1981, IBM introduced the first personal computer. Three years later, Apple unveiled the Macintosh. Computer networks developed, and Tim Berners-Lee is credited as the inventor of the World Wide Web and the necessary protocols and programming language, paving the way for the internet. Vincent Cerf also worked to develop the language and structure of what would become the information superhighway we know today.

The evolution of the computer is a fascinating journey. Looking at the earliest incarnations of this ubiquitous machine reminds us that everything began at some point, and development continued due to curiosity that drove innovation. The next time you grab your laptop to send an email, take a moment to remember those pioneers who started the digital age.

How Music Artists Use Strategy-Driven Tactics to Rise to Fame (And What Businesses Can Learn from It)

/in /by

StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Strategy-Driven Tactics|How Music Artists Use Strategy-Driven Tactics to Rise to Fame (And What Businesses Can Learn from It)Artists are in the business of themselves and it is exceptionally difficult work. Showcasing and creating art and then making a thriving business model out of it is not something anyone can do, especially if they don’t have a big-name label leading you through the process.

Artists are the ideal business to look to when searching for new, innovative ways to expand your business and grow an audience.

Narada Rose, stage name Dertee, is a UK dancehall artist who has continuously pushed for his music to reach greater audiences, and his strategy-driven methods towards fame are something every business can and should take note of when designing their own expansion and marketing efforts.

Reinvention and Creation

One of the biggest lessons that businesses can learn from artists like Dertee is that to truly innovate and grow one must pursue their art again and again. Resting on your laurels is a sure-fire way to become innocuous in the future and to fade from the public eye as a result.

Only by trying new things again and again, and by creating work after your big hit even if it doesn’t succeed in the same way, can you push your business towards greatness.

Dertee did this after his successful EP, “Defeating Gravity”. Though his follow-up and first album, “Breaking Barriers”, did not see the same recognition, it did not stop him. Only a year later he collaborated with Bramma and they produced a song that received over 1 million views on YouTube (on a personal account, no less).

Once again, even with this success, he has continued to push and create and has only just recently released yet another single, even during lockdown. Businesses need to take this sort of perseverance to heart and lead forward with the goal of building a better tomorrow.

Building Recognition

Artists build recognition in a multitude of ways and that sort of diversification is exactly what businesses need to build the necessary trust signals.

For Dertee, it was winning the Best Male Artist Awards from the REYAC panel in Birmingham, as well as establishing his own account and publishing his own music. On top of digital success, he has also played at a variety of events throughout the UK.

This sort of encompassing approach is essential for businesses of all types. By aiming for rewards, certifications, and by partaking in events that increase your national and international infamy, you set the right groundwork for expansion and success.

Connecting Through Art

People respond to artists differently than most businesses because art, especially mediums like music, is evocative. Its entire purpose is to take the listener from one state of mind into another — to connect with them through the power of sound even if it only lasts a moment.

Businesses need to use art and this connection when trying to appeal to their customers. It is only by becoming living and organic can businesses effectively market to their audience.

How To Thrive In A Co-Working Space As A Business

/in /by

StrategyDriven Practices for Professionals Article |Co-working Space|How To Thrive In A Co-Working Space As A BusinessCo-working spaces have certainly become more popular over the years for their affordability and opportunities that it provides for businesses of all sizes. Whether it’s a temporary space in between offices or a permanent one, this is an environment that can work for you. Here are some tips to thrive in a co-working space as a business.

Use All The Features Available

Co-working spaces have a lot of benefits that come with the package you pay for. Depending on the type of co-working space, it will also depend on the number of amazing benefits that can come with your membership and the level of packages that are available. Some of the best ones might include a personal gym for members only, coffee and tea-making facilities, and even a bar. When you’re paying for this space, you might as well to take full advantage of all the features available because it’s a package that is worth utilizing, especially if it can help your business in a variety of ways. Working in a coworking environment certainly has it’s perks and in some cases, can be better than non-serviced buildings.

Network With Those Around You

Networking is a great way of meeting new people, and you can certainly get this when it comes to co-working spaces. There will be lots of people from all different backgrounds, and with these spaces, you usually get a lot of different businesses, start-ups, and individuals. You want to take full advantage of meeting these people and creating connections. You never know how they might be able to help you on your journey as a business. The influence that some might have could be life-changing, so start shaking hands and making small-talk!

Alternate Locations

There is usually a lot of different spaces within a co-working space, and it can certainly be beneficial to alternate between different locations. This can help your productivity, and it’s not something you would always get with a non-serviced building. You’ve got the freedom to go wherever and enjoy different setups whether it’s a sofa with a coffee table or a traditional desk area. It can also be great to do when you’re feeling particularly unmotivated to get anything done that day. Switch it up every couple of days or even every day if you prefer.

Keep The Productivity High For Team Members

Keeping your productivity levels high is important, especially for any team members that you might have who work with you in this co-working space. As much as it can be great for meeting new people, it can also pose as a distraction. Make sure you have a schedule that you can stick to and not deter from too much when it comes to your working day. Taking regular breaks is important, but it’s good to keep to a schedule in order to keep yourself motivated and productive.

A co-working space is definitely something worth considering if you think it’s the right fit for you. Use these tips to help you thrive!

Honoring Those Who Secured Our Freedom

/in /by

StrategyDriven Announcement | Honoring Those Who Secured Our FreedomOn this Memorial Day – and indeed, every day – we thank those whose sacrifice secured for us the freedoms and liberties we so enjoy. May we honor them through our purposeful exercise and protection of those freedoms they gave their lives to protect. May we never forget and always be thankful for their sacrifice.

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

Ronald Reagan
40th President of the United States

May you and your family enjoy a happy Memorial Day.

All the Best,

Nathan Ives
United States Naval Academy Class of 1992