Survive Like a Small Business

For every small business that goes belly up, there are dozens more that are thriving. Here are three lessons for how you can operate like a small business to survive even the deepest of downturns:

- Agility: Small businesses have a great advantage in fast-changing world: they adapt quickly. Without layers of bureaucracy slowing them down, they can react quickly to changing circumstances.

- Rapid testing and refining: Social Media and online marketing tools allow even the smallest of businesses to do real time market testing. They can also engage customers and build a community around their business.

- Planning: Plans are often outdated as soon as they come out of the printer. Small businesses tend to focus more on planning and less on plans. They watch their surroundings and act accordingly.

Advani upset with Top BJP Leaders?

The rift within the BJP is now open at the party's national executive meeting as senior BJP leader LK Adani is likely to skip a rally on Friday reportedly being upset with the party's top leaders.

A day after Nitin Gadkari was given the second term as the party President, Advani decided not to attend the party's public meeting, which will be organised after the national executive meet today.

Reports said that Advani was upset with the leaders over former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa's episode. He thinks that the issue was not handled in an effective manner.

He is even unhappy with the RSS over the manner the organisation backed Gadkari to get the second term as the party president. With the extension of Gadkari's term, now Advani finds no important post for him in the party.

Sources said that Advani was also upset with Yeddyurappa when he praised Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Advani's absence in the rally revealed that leaders are not united. It can be noted that the national executive meet has been dogged by controversies before the meeting began on Thursday when BJP National General Secretary Sanjay Joshi resigned from the party.

Joshi was the big critic of Modi and finally he had to pay the price for criticising Modi, who had decided not to attend the party meeting in Mumbai.

However, Yeddyurappa lauded Modi for good governance in Gujarat. He backed Modi saying he should be the party's Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

He said that the national executive meeting should deliberate on the issues rocking Karnataka, Gujarat and Rajasthan and Modi should be the prime ministerial candidate. However, Advani got annoyed with BSY for praising Modi.

Microsoft launches Social Networking Site So.cl

Finally Microsoft also entered into the zone of social networking with its recent website So.cl that should be pronounced as social. Although, it is a site identical to Facebook it is not exactly the same, as it mainly targets to the students.

So.cl is designed to give students the ability to network with peers to share information.

One can share information, such as websites and articles through this site. You need to type in the topic of your interest in a search bar, which in turn will bring up a list of material on that subject at So.cl. One can discuss with friends on So.cl while strangers with similar interests can also join in.

In the head “video party”, videos can also be added to a chat in So.cl. Microsoft further describes that through So.cl users can also be introduced to some subject areas they were previously unfamiliar with.

In the words of Microsoft “So.cl combines search and social networking for the purpose of learning and is the latest experiment from FUSE Labs.”

How to enter the zone of So.cl: one can login to the site with his Windows Live or Facebook account details. After being logged in, he will be presented with a bunch of suggested topics of interest to move forward.

So.cl has options such as 'share' or 'recommend' buttons like Facebook with something called "bookmarklet" that adds a "Share on So.cl" button to users' bookmarks toolbars, which allows them to share Web sites with other So.cl-based users.

Along with the entire usual features one can also "riff" on the post, which is something Microsoft describes as a new way to interact and improvise on content. So.cl is available at the website www.so.cl.

So go and get logged in to the new site of Microsoft and tell us in the comment box about your experience of the new web voyage.

Why Pakistan may attend NATO Summit on Afghanistan ?

Pakistan is likely to attend the NATO Summit, which will decide the reopening of the US and NATO military supplies heading to the war-hit neighbouring country Afghanistan, this weekend in Chicago.

It has been reported that President Asif Ali Zardari will attend the summit that is going to be held from May 20 at Chicago, US along with a delegation.

Pakistan closed the route in protest against the killing of 25 soldiers of its troops by the US warplanes. This had made the diplomatic relation between Islamabad and Washington bitterer.

However, Washington expressed regret for the incident and has been urging Islamabad to reopen the route.

In the meantime reports suggest that Obama administration could send Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Pakistan soon to end the deadlock in relations with Islamabad over the reopening of NATO supply lines, which is facing a delay owing to Washington’s refusal to express a public apology over the November incident.

Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, is also expected to attend the meeting, where NATO nations will work on their plans to withdraw most of their troops by the end of 2014.India has also been invited in the conference.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is the world’s strongest military and political alliance.

CREATE STRATEGY WITH STORIES

Too often the strategy-creation process produces options that aren't any more interesting or creative than the current strategy. If you find yourself agonizing over which of your carefully crafted strategic options is the right one, chances are you are taking the strategic planning process too seriously. 

Give up being right and sensible. Instead, tell a story about the future. Make it inspirational and envision your organization in a happy and successful place. Have everyone participating in the process tell his or her own story, and together you'll have created a list of options. Then start the real work of strategy creation: ask yourselves, for these stories to come true, what would have to happen?

Pranab Mukherjee as Next President of India?

While Vice President Hamid Anasari was getting thumbs up from all quarters for the post of next President of India, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee emerged as the top contender for the top job.

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee has extended full support to Pranab Mukherjee. The Left Parties in West Bengal are in favour of Pranab becoming the first President because of the good rapport he kept with them. They also want a person from West Bengal to occupy the top post of the country.

Even some of BJP's allies like the JD(U) and others are not opposed to Pranab Mukherjee's candidature. The BJP has lagged behind in the race, as it failed to garner support for former Prez APJ Abdul Kalam.

The Congress is in a dilemma whether to field Pranab or not, as he has been the backbone of the UPA government. It would be difficult for the UPA Government to fight the crisis situation without Pranab Mukherjee.