Microgrants Fund Creative Projects in Cities through Social Enterprise

This innovative micro-funding idea helps to generate money for creative projects in the city of Detroit and others like it. For the past two years, Detroit SOUP hosts a monthly dinner – soup, salad, bread, and pie – to raise awareness and funds for a local project. The entrance fee is $5 per person and anyone can attend the dinner, which takes place on the second Sunday of each month. Local community members and restaurants donate the food to keep costs really low.

During the evening, four creative projects present their proposals and dinner guests are then encouraged to vote on their favorite. Whichever project garners the greatest support receives the funds raised that evening – usually between $600 and $900. Find a guide for creating your own at crowdsourced funding project at SundaySoup.org.

Crowdfunding Start-up Provides Funds to Employ Americans Working for Charities

Yet another creative approach to crowdsourcing funds for charitable organizations, Giifa works to match private donors willing to provide funds for employee wages in nonprofits around the world. Not only does this approach help to solve crushing unemployment problems in the US, it also makes it possible to staff charities so that they can continue their good work.

Individual donors can give one-time gifts of $20 or more, directing it to a charity of their choice. The social enterprise is still in its infancy, but hopes to grow to help provide many jobs to member organizations in the coming months.

Calling All Eco Entrepreneurs, Social Entrepreneurs, Sustainability Consultants, Green Businesses Owners

Do you want to help me co-create the Ethical EcoBiz Toolkit? Not only will you get a chance to be featured in my upcoming book, you’ll get a chance to be featured in the Entrepreneurs for a Change podcast, which is awesome publicity.

More importantly, your story will serve to inspire thousands of aspiring social entrepreneurs. The Ethical EcoBiz Toolkit will be released with the launch of the Green Business Entrepreneurs Success Summit, this Earth Week 2012 – that is April 16-20, 2012.

I am looking for YOUR personal stories that illustrate the challenges and success of social entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs with the BEST stories will be featured on in our podcast, and highlighted in our Green Business Entrepreneurs Success Summit.

Here’s What You Need to Do

1. Share a story that fits into one of the 4 categories below in the comments section of this post. You will get an awesome DOFOLLOW link to your website just for taking the time.
   
2. Sign up to our private Ethical EcoBiz Co-Creators Email list using the form BELOW - this will help me stay on top of my conversations with the group.

Here’s What You’ll Get

• You & your company will be featured in a highlighted section in the book
• You get to pre-order the Ethical EcoBiz Toolkit at a rock bottom discount – if you want
• If decide you purchase the Ethical EcoBiz Toolkit, you get free upgrades to the product, FOREVER

If your story is really compelling & you are invited to the podcast, you’ll get:

• An audio MP3 of the interview
• A slideshow video, using photos & screen captures of your website
• 2 blog posts with links of your choice, one from Green Marketing TV & one from Entrepreneurs for a Change
• Social media promotion of the blog posts – great free publicity
• Inclusion in the Ethical EcoBiz Toolkit in a highlighted section in the book or as an audio download OR
• Inclusion in the Telesummit as speaker or in the bonus package
• You get to pre-order the Ethical EcoBiz Toolkit at a rock bottom discount – if you want
• If decide you purchase the Ethical EcoBiz Toolkit, you get free upgrades to the product, FOREVER

All just for sharing your story.

Here Are The Stories We Are Looking For

Please post your stories in the comments section of this post. DO NOT submit your story by email as this is too much for me to manage. Take advantage of our DOFOLLOW commenting system and get an awesome backlink.

1. Inspiration.

We want hear about your life changing moments that erased all doubt from your mind that you were meant to be a social entrepreneur.

My favorite story in this category is the story of Jacqueline Novogratz, who started the Acumen Fund, a nonprofit social venture fund that invests in companies that use entrepreneurial approaches to solving global poverty. When she was young, she traveled to Rwanda, where she started a microfinance organization. There, she was driving along when she spotted a small boy wearing a sweater that she recognized as her own – her favorite sweater as a child, which she’d given to Goodwill many years earlier. When she ran out of the car and checked the interior label on the back of the sweater, it still had her name on it.

For Novogratz, the blue sweater served as a symbol and reminder of the interconnectedness of all humanity.

What’s your story?

2. Failure.

The most successful entrepreneurs have failed over and over again. My favorite quote about failure comes from Michael Jordan:

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

My favorite social entrepreneur failure story was the story of mountaineer Greg Mortenson, author of 3 Cups of Tea and co-founder of Central Asia Institute, a nonprofit that has built 171 schools in the remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, a region where few education opportunities existed. In 1993, Mortenson attempted to climb K2, the world’s second highest mountain. After over 70 days on the mountain, Mortenson and 3 other climbers had their ascent interrupted by the need to rescue another climber. After this 75 hour ordeal, Mortenson gets lost on his descent from K2 and arrives, alone, weak, and exhausted, not in Askole, where the porters awaited, but in the village of Korphe. He was taken in by the villagers, treated as an honored guest, and nurtured back to health. In order to repay the remote community for their hospitality, he promised to build them a school. Thus, in failing to climb K2, Mortenson discovered his life purpose – to bring a balanced, modern education to rural Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Do you have a story of an endeavor, project or business venture that went down in flames, only so that you would rise like a phoenix from the ashes?

3. Mentorship.

Successful entrepreneurs almost never succeed alone. Most have had at least ONE mentor steer guide them in their entrepreneurial journey. Sometimes these are long lasting relationships, other times, these may be brief, but memorable encounters. Is there anyone you would like to honor as having impacted your life purpose in a meaningful way?

4. Success.

Success comes in all forms. I was at the Hub SoMa, for an evening talk featuring different social entrepreneurs. Premal Shah, of Kiva, a nonprofit that enables microloans to entrepreneurs through peer-to-peer lending spoke of the day their web traffic “hockey sticked.” That is to say, after nearly a year and a half of low, steady traffic, suddenly, visitor traffic shot through the roof. Kiva has now enabled over $281M in loans with a 98.88% repayment rate.

Please share with some of your most amazing breakthrough moments.

AGAIN – Here’s What You Need to Do

1. Sign up to our private Ethical EcoBiz Co-Creators Email list using the form BELOW – this will help me stay on top of my conversations with the group.
2. Share a story that fits into one of the 4 categories below in the comments section of this post. You will get an awesome DOFOLLOW link to your website just for taking the time.

Thanks for collaborating!

Yes, the rules have changed dramatically over the past decade, and all for the betterment of “clean-tech” small businessmen. The “virtual” age has arrived, but one area that has become more challenging, however, is acquiring adequate financial funding, the primary reason that most startups fail early. The previous decade has literally “scrambled” the playing field. If you have substantial capital that you are willing to risk in your new pursuit, then you are well ahead of the game. If you are like most Americans that are under water on their home mortgages and struggling to find new sources of revenue, then the path to securing startup capital may prove more daunting than expected. Here is a list of potential funding sources, organized by increasing level of difficulty:

• “The 3-F’s” Friends, Family, and Fools: The people that already know and trust you offer the easiest path to obtaining early funding. This group includes any lines of credit or cash advance possibilities on existing family credit cards. Trying to sell friends on your concept is also a good training ground to prepare for the more difficult investor audiences.
• Vendors and Business Partners: These groups will naturally benefit from your success because you represent increased sales for them. Don’t be shy in asking for advances that will help you build inventory or for longer terms for paying bills. Everyone recognizes how slowly cash turns over these days. They, too, are waiting for new growth to fuel our economic recovery.
• Development Agencies or Incubators: Every state and major university has established one of these agencies or incubators in a region near you. Seek their support to gain access to their networks of financial and business support patrons. These groups can also assist in filing for grants, an “art form” that only the experienced hand can make work.
• Your Local Banker: Unless you have large deposits on account or an income level that will support new loan payments, your local banker will most likely shun any request on your part for a loan. Most banks have suffered heavy losses recently and credit rules are tight. If you do have home equity, they can help with an SBA loan application. They generally do not invest in the promise of an idea, but they do have broad networks of contacts that may be able to help you. Approach them with this intent in mind.
• Angel and Venture Capital Funds: This industry is still licking its wounds from years back, and most capital raised is used to shore up the poor performers in their existing portfolio. Each fund manager may see fifty or more potential “deals” in a month and may select only one a quarter for further study. They usually demand that you already have paying customers for your business solution. If you believe that you can compete at this level, then get prepared, but expect a four to six month timeline before any check is written.
• Online Funding Services: A number of online funding services and communities have sprung up to help entrepreneurs find funding outside their geographic area and existing networks. Some, like RaiseCapital.com, incorporate social networking features to help entrepreneurs connect with investors, others, like  Prosper involve peer to peer lending.  Others, like Small Business Loans Direct is provide merchant cash advances and small business loans.

When starting your new venture, be sure to leverage your local networks and seek small business loans directly from new “virtual” sources before approaching the more time-consuming and structured alternatives.

To me, this question is very much like, “How do I find a husband / wife?”

Being a solopreneur is tough – too much work, not enough time. Somewhere out there, you know there is someone with complementary skills who could be your perfect match – kind of like a soul mate – someone to help grow the company and share the work.

But how do you find this person? More importantly, how do you find someone you can trust, especially with money.

Well, finding a business partner is a lot like dating. You never know where / when you might run into your “soul mate.” Finding “the One” could be totally random, like an unexpected encounter at the supermarket or at the gym. Maybe you are already connected on Facebook. Maybe you meet through friends. Or you may have to go on an online dating odyssey and play the numbers game.

And let’s say you meet someone or several compelling candidates. Then, there is the process of getting to know each other. Do you have similar goals? Similar values? Do you have complimentary personalities and can you work together? Is the timing right for both of you to get hitched? Most importantly, can you trust each other?

It’s extremely important to evaluate the reputation of your potential partner, no matter how talented or motivated they might be. If you are going to get hitched, you want to be damn well sure your partner isn’t crazy. This advice from Tristan Kromer, of GrasshopperHerder.com is golden:

Does his/her spouse support the project? Are they friends with their ex-coworkers and ex-wives? You’re going to go through some hard times and spend more time with your co-founder than a married couple and emotional stability is very important.

A business partnership is a lot like marriage – you will be spending a lot of time with your partner and making critical decisions together. You want to be sure this person has your back and isn’t going to turn around and betray you, rob you, or kill you.

One of the biggest mistakes I made was taking on a business partner who had no friends. Sure he had Facebook friends and random social engagements. But I noticed, over time, that no one really called him and he didn’t have any true, longstanding friendships. He had experience, motivation, and dedication to hard work. I had worked with him on another project before and based on this experience, thought the partnership had potential. A year and a half later when the business wasn’t doing so well, he turned around and ripped me off.

Never underestimate the amount of time it takes to truly know somebody.

That being said, finding a business partner, like finding a mate, has its challenges, but it certainly isn’t impossible. Here are some tips to finding the right business partner.

Questions to Ask Yourself on Finding a Business Partner

• Why do you need a partner? Is it to share the work load? Is it because you can’t afford to hire someone to fill a key role in your organization? Does VC funding depend on you identifying a Co-Founder? Is your business growing so quickly that you simply can’t handle it alone?

• What are the characteristics of your ideal business partner? Take the time to sit down and visualize this person. How many years of experience does he/ she have? What skills and expertise does he / she possess? Which industry influencers does he / she know? What is his / her personality like? What values does this person possess? What does this person like to do in their spare time? Really get specific about it and write it down.

Take the time to really get clear on your reasons for seeking a partner and what the ideal partner will look like. Once you have a clear idea, I recommend spending a few minutes each day visualizing working this person, imagining that the person already exists, that you are right now, in this moment, working with your partner, and the two of you are kicking ass and taking names. Allow yourself to tap into the Law of Attraction so that this person shows up in your life.

Where to Find a Business Partner for Your Social Venture

Just as with dating, it’s going to be hard to find a partner if you are home all day and night, staring at your computer screen. You know what it is to be a business, time starved entrepreneur, but you are not going to attract a great business partner, if you give off the vibe that you are busy and unavailable. This is just not sexy – you need to shift your mindset to be “Open & Available” immediately.

There are many places where you can meet a potential partner. At the same time you need to be realistic. If you live in a big city, your options are greater. If you don’t, you may have to consider relocating to a big city near you. In some cases, it may be strategic to relocate to another country – it will all depend on your industry and where the global hubs are.

Here are some places:

• Local and national industry events. For social entrepreneurs, it could be a conference like SOCAP, the leading edge conference on social capital markets. For green entrepreneurs, it could be Opportunity Green, the leading green business conference. Local events like the TEDx series are also great places to meet fellow change makers.

• Startup events. Startup events like Startup Weekend, Techcrunch Disrupt, and Startupfest are awesome places to meet bootstrapping startup entrepreneurs who are also keen to partner up. While these conferences may be tech oriented, you never know what tech startup is also serving your industry.

• Local Meetups and networking events. There are Meetup groups all over the world on any topic. While the list is small and events can be spontaneous, it may be possible find Tweetups organized around specific interests in your locale, especially if you live in a big city. The young but growing Green Chamber of Commerce lists networking events, and the Hub, a global social enterprise co-working space is a venue for many social entrepreneurial happy hours, presentations, and fundraisers.

• Unconferences and BarCamps. Unconferences are a space for peer to peer learning and arose as a user generated alternative to expensive industry conferences. Unconferences may be organized in conjunction with an official event, or as the peoples’ alternative at a nearby venue. If you are unable to afford a official conference pass to to an important industry event, consider organizing your own unconference in a nearby cafe, bar, or event space. Check out Unconference.net for resources on organizing your own unconference. BarCamp is an international network of user generated unconferences. The first BarCamps were tech oriented, but now, BarCamps have been organized around a wide variety of topics.

• Entrepreneur co-working spaces. If you are a solopreneur, consider joining a co-working space. Not only will you meet other entrepreneurs, you can benefit from the ideas, energy, and creativity that permeate the space as well as the awesome networking opportunities. The Hub is my favorite, but there are many more out there.

• Your personal and professional networks. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your personal and professional networks for referrals to amazing partner candidates. Be sure to tap into the power of LinkedIn. You will probably need to upgrade your account to be able to send InMail to contact prospective co-founders directly. You can also post an ad in the job boards that indicates you are seeking a co-founder. Depending on the financial constraints of your startup, this may end up costly and there is still no guarantee that this method will land you a qualified co-founder or partner.

Business Partner Dating Sites

I am amazed at the number of online business dating sites that have sprung up to help entrepreneurs connect with each other. Here are a few:

• Partnerup is a social network for small business. here you can connect with other entrepreneurs, find a SCORE mentor, find partners, ask a question, and promote your business.

• Venturrocket is an entirely new way to quickly and easily find top talent or land your perfect job. There are no job posting fees and no “premium” resumes, and you only pay for results.

• StartupAgents is an online matching service dedicated to helping high-tech startup companies worldwide find the talent they need to build next generation products and services. The service provides both companies and individuals the ability to create detailed profiles that allow for a faster more successful matchmaking process. They focus on software, hardware, life sciences and green technology.

• Founder Dating is a US based offline networking organization that aims to bring together super talented entrepreneurs with different backgrounds and skill sets to start innovative new companies.

• Techcofounder is is an online directory of passionate developers interested in launching a new startup. If you are looking for a CTO, look here.

• Build It With Me is also another developer focused tool that connects design & development entrepreneurs. It exists to make creating apps easier by connecting like-minded designers & developers with the same goal: create cool & useful apps.

Much thanks to Tristan Kromer of Grasshopperherder.com, who posted awesome discussion threads on Quora on how to find good startup partners and how do you know if you’ve found the right co-founder .

Tips on Finding the Perfect Startup Business Partner

• Make sure your partners skills and experience do not overlap your own. Otherwise you may find yourselves forever butting heads over the same issues, while crucial areas of your business are ignored. For small startup tech companies, an ideal partnership triumvirate often looks like: 1. Business Strategist 2. Developer 3. Designer

• Avoid partnering with friends and family. Picking a partner outside of your immediate social and family circles is wise, because you put your personal relationship at risk if things don’t work out. Furthermore, it’s always healthy to avoid having family dramas seep into your business relationships. Or to have the drama factor forever taint your community long after your partnership is over.

• Define your roles clearly and early in the relationship. And don’t make it vague like, I’m the CEO and you are the COO. Then who does the Marketing? Who handles IT issues? Michael Gerber, author of The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It, recommends sitting down and mapping out all the roles in your organization, with descriptions on what each role will be responsible for. If you are a 2 person business, you and your partner can divide up the roles between yourselves equally. That way there is no confusion as to who does what.

• Don’t forget to do a background check on your business partner. And yes, since we are comparing biz partnerships with marriage, I would even go as far as recommending a background check on your soul mate as well.

• Hire a lawyer. If you are in business, be professional and make sure you and your partner have a legally binding agreement. Martin Zwilling, CEO of Startup Professionals Inc. gives this advice:

Especially when dealing with co-founders that haven\’t worked together before, meet with a lawyer with all the partners present and tell him what type of company you are starting, who is contributing what, and other relevant information. Get it written down. Later will be too late.

The most important thing about finding a business partner for your startup is doing your due diligence. Because splitting up is painful. If you are lucky, you part amicably, and no one takes anything personally.

If you are not lucky, your business divorce could cost a lot of money, a lot of time, and stress. A failed business partnership could leave you broke, destroy your reputation and ruin your health. Some entrepreneurs I know even go as far as to say they will never take on a partner again, because it’s not worth the hassle. But if you do find the right fit, the benefits of having a trusted team player can be amazing.

• Did I miss any tips on finding a great business partner for your startup?
• Do you think its better to have a partner for your business or to go solo?
• Do you have a partner nightmare you care to share?
• Do you have an awesome love at first sight story about your awesome business partner?

Please share your thoughts below!

Social Enterprise Makes Empty Commercial Buildings Available to Charities

Finding affordable, short-term office space from which to operate can be a real challenge for cash-strapped charities, but no longer with the help of 3Space. This fantastic idea comes out of the UK where 3Space makes it easier for charitable organizations to operate by offering them temporary housing in vacant properties.

This organization matches landlords who have short-term properties available with charities needing space for short contracts. 3Space takes care of all the administrative details – advertising the property, finding users, and getting legal documents signed – which reduces the burden on landlords. In exchange, the charitable organizations get the space they need for the time they need it. Projects like The Big Empty Shop Experiment and Foodcycle’s pop-up restaurant have both taken advantage of this option.

Artists Find Homes in Empty Buildings through Social Enterprise

Another great project, Renew Australia, connects artists and community projects with commercial spaces sitting vacant on a temporary and/or low-cost basis to ensure they’re used until a full-paying renter comes along. This helps to revitalize downtown communities while giving starving artists and other creative groups a place to do their magic. Their stated mission is “to catalyse community renewal, economic development, the arts and creative industries across Australia.”

The great news is that Renew Australia will be expanding to America to spread the social enterprise idea far and wide. Both Canada and the US will benefit from this expansion in the next couple of months. The site also includes DIY resources that help you put together a creative space reuse program in your own community.

After enjoying his first cup of guayusa, Tyler identified a lucrative gap in the market – here was a highly caffeinated drink that didn’t yet exist on the shelves of US grocery stores. Tyler wrote the business plan for Runa while he was still in university. After he graduated, he and his business partner / class mate / and best friend, Runa Co-Founder Dan MacCombie, flew to Ecuador and spent several months there researching the feasibility of their business idea. Once they determined that their concept was viable.

While I didn’t have time to do a full blown interview with Tyler, with the help of video nomad extraordinaire Shae Frydenlund we were able to film Tyler answering some key questions on what it took to get a social enterprise – one that works with indigenous farmers in Ecuador to provide US markets with sustainably harvested guayusa – off the ground.

Runa means, in the Kichwa language, “a fully living human being”. It’s a term of immense cultural pride for the Kichwa people and something we, as change makers, can all aspire to be.

Working almost like a dating service for mentors and college students, StudentMentor is a nonprofit organization that helps to match people up to enhance the education process for anyone interested. Ashkon Jafari is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of StudentMentor and has tons of wisdom to impart to those interested in discovering the ins and outs of establishing an innovative nonprofit organization like this in the US. Listen in to this interview between Ashkon and Lorna Li for a glimpse into his thoughts on:

• The importance of having a mentor and how it can increase your earnings and boost your overall success
• The career benefits of serving on the board of directors for a nonprofit
• What it takes to start a nonprofit organization like StudentMentor.org
• Knowing whether you need to establish a 501CS in order to start a nonprofit social enterprise
• How to procure sponsors and donations as a new nonprofit organization
• How to attract volunteers to your nonprofit enterprise
• How to advertise your work and attract more members

You’ll also learn about how beneficial having a mentor can be for your earning potential and future career success.

Watch the Full Program

Audio Only

About Ashkon Jafari

Ashkon Jafari is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of StudentMentor.org, a nonprofit organization leveraging technology to provide mentorship to college students across the country. Previously, Ashkon was the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Making a Difference for Good USA, a nonprofit working to improve the lives of rural Cambodians through rural development and education. Prior to that role, he worked in finance for NVIDIA and was a key player on their philanthropic team. Ashkon is the creator and host of Social Innovation Live, a talk show where he has interviewed a Nobel Laureate and many leaders from around the world, and sponsored by the Stanford Center for Social Innovation. Ashkon graduated in the top 1% of his class and has a B.S. in Finance from Santa Clara University. He is a StartingBloc Fellow.

Connect with Ashkon on Twitter and Facebook.

Resources

• StudentMentor.org
• Social Innovation Conversations

Tools

• Google AdWords
• Google Grants

Companies Mentioned

• Making a Difference for Good USA
• NVIDIA
• Uprinting.com

Valentina from Spain, asks us:

I am a freelancer “officially” working as a social media consultant for green companies. On the side I run my blog on sustainability and minimalism (http://valedeoro.es) and do workshops on sustainable living / simplifying your life  (http://valedeoro.com)

One is income, the other is passion and thus comes much easier to me.

Is it feasible to focus on both business “branches” at the same time?

I don’t want to abandon the social media quite already, because it pays the rent. On the other side I don’t want to abandon my blogs either, because they bring so much satisfaction (only not paying the rent yet).

But I feel they are competing for my energy and conventional wisdom tells me not to focus on too many things at the same time. What are your suggestions?

First off, I want to commend you, Valentina, for your dedication to your passion. It’s not easy balancing work and “play” especially when “play” doesn’t bring a sustainable income yet.

Online Audit of Proyecto 333 and ValeDeOro

Here’s my analysis of your websites and recommendations on how you can get these websites to generate more business for you. When your websites start generating more income, it will be easier for you to let go of your “job” and focus more on your passion.

Here are action items for you, Valentina:

1. Create an opt-in giveaway to entice visitors to sign up to your email list
2. Install a light box pop up opt-in form on your sites –  the PopUp Domination WordPress plugin is great
3. Test subscription forms in different areas of your websites – try the Subscribers Magnet WordPress plugin by MaxBlogPress
4. Use your blog to link to your business services pages. Run ads on your blog that link to your business services pages.
5. Get Buy Now buttons on your services pages
6. Get an online scheduling app on your website so people can book time with you right away- try Tungle.me
7. Do your keyword research and make sure you create blog content that is optimized for intent to buy keywords

The Twitter management software I mentioned that is helpful in automating Tweets, in addition to finding and following people in your niche, is called TweetAdder.

The online scheduling application I mentioned is called Tungle.me. It syncs with Google Calendar, syncs across time zones and you can easily indicate multiple time options for meetings.

Online payment is as easy as getting a Paypal button up on your services pages. Paypal also let’s you do drop down price selection as well, if you have different payment options. Check out the Business section of your Paypal account.

Is it Feasible to Focus on Both Business Branches At the Same Time?

Yes, it is feasible, and many entrepreneurs do this. You keep doing both until the other generates a healthy enough income for you to take the plunge. But you need to understand its a time versus money thing. If a significant portion of your time is focused on the money making side, the time it takes to scale your passion based business stretches out longer. You can offset this by hiring people to implement for you, like offshore virtual assistants. But this is a double edged sword. It’s still you that needs to make the important strategic decisions, so unless you can really step in and ensure your passion based business is moving towards financial viability, you can easily spend a lot of money on contractors who are not impacting your bottom line.

If the time frame to monetization is taking too long for you, you may feel that you need to create the space to focus 100% on your passion based business. In this case, you will need to assess your finances, your burn rate, and determine how long you can go with zero income before you have to “get a job” again.

Identify Points of Synergy Between Your “Job” and Your “Passion”

The great news is that you do social media consulting for green companies, and the green market is also your target audience. You can find all kinds of juicy points of synergy here. For example, if one of your green business clients requires you to compile a list of all the Twitter users who are into eco shopping & fashion, is there a way you can parlay that into relationships for your eco consulting business?

If you are using your own Twitter account or accounts to promote your clients work, there’s no reason why you can’t keep the relationships. Your social media is another “list”, so to speak. You can promote your services to your social media network just as if it were an email list, though having an targeted email list is better.

Get On Top of Your Online ADD and Multiple Website Personality Disorder

Online attention deficit disorder is the biggest challenge for Internet entrepreneurs. Ever find yourself on embarking on an unplanned hyperlink journey? Every day? Every hour? You need to learn to focus.

Not just your attention, but your online activities. How is your contribution to your different websites – be it your blogs, or social media profiles –  bringing you closer to your goals? Are you blogging for the sheer pleasure of it? Are you doing keyword research and creating content that captures valuable search engine traffic for your niche? Is the content you produce targeted towards the resolving the pain points of your target audience? Enough so that they would hire / buy from you?

Watch Out for the Burn Out Factor
One of the dangers that entrepreneurs face when trying to grow your side hustle at the same time as your “job” is the burnout that comes from burning the candle at both ends. You will need to carefully manage your time, and make sure you get enough rest, otherwise your productivity will go down the tubes, as you push yourself to squeeze more out of your tired body and mind.

Once your websites start bringing in more income, it will be a natural transition to shift more of your focus to your passion. Until then, unless you have the luxury of coasting for a while, you will need to carefully manage your priorities and balance your work and your play.

What do you think? Do you have any other suggestions for Valentina for monetizing her passion? Let’s hear it in the comments below.

Now, it’s one thing when you are dealing with unsavory business “out there”, in the world at large, where there’s a hell of a lot of unethical people roaming the streets. It’s another thing if the betrayal occurs closer to home – from your employee, colleague, boss, or your most trusted ally – your business partner.

Sure, it sucks when an acquaintance or stranger betrays you. But it feels downright awful when it comes from someone who’s supposed to have your back, someone who’s part of the home team. And given that a business partnership is very much like a marriage – it has to be based on a deep level of trust in order to succeed – when that trust is broken, it can be an incredibly hurtful and damaging experience.

So What Happened?

To make a long story short, my former biz partner took advantage of my travel plans to:

1. Steal from me while I was in Brazil
2. Break into my house while I was in Spain

And then vanish.

Stopped returning voice mail and text messages. Total drop out. Nada.

No conversation around, “Dude, are you OK? Do you need help? (Obviously he does). WTF happened to you while I was gone? Can we work this out?”

Nada.

The Massive Head Trip

This was the person I spent the most amount of time with over the past year and a half, so I am reeling from the betrayal and the shock of seeing who he really was. I discovered he was a pathological liar, having completely fabricated stories about his past, and was likely suffering from bipolar disorder.   I pride myself in being a good judge of character, and am  dumbfounded by my inability to see his true nature. I knew him for a year before we started working together, and we even worked on a 3-6 month project to test the water. He was all about spirituality & really into Zen Buddhism. So he must be a decent fellow, right? How long does it take before you really “know” someone?

We worked together. We shared hopes and dreams. We ate together and watched movies together. We tackled the challenges of our projects, argued, made up and kept forging ahead. We had an agreement that if things didn’t work out, we’d handle it as mature, rational adults.  More importantly, he promised, assured me he’d take care of things while I was gone.

The Collateral Damage

My biggest regret is that the total waste of time, energy, and money I invested working on projects with my ex partner over the past few years. I’ve also been discovering the limitations of our legal system, the time &  expense involved in pursuing personal injury suits, let alone filing a restraining order. I’ve been reeling under the cost of jacking up the security around my home from a lock and deadbolt overhaul, to enhanced security system, motion sensor lights and privacy drapes on every window. As I’m going through this, I have been cycling through:

• Rage
• Desire for revenge
• Depression
• Lack of energy, focus, and motivation to work on my Internet business
• Anxiety over how much valuable time is being consumed by dealing with the physical and emotional aftermath of his actions
• Rinse, lather, repeat

What to Do When Your Business Partner (or Lover, or Friend, or Family Member) Betrays You

If you consider yourself to be an enlightened entrepreneur, planet saver, spiritual warrior, etc. scouring Craigslist for thugs for hire so you can take out his knees is NOT right action. It did cross my mind, however.

It’s been about 5 weeks since this all went down, so I apologize for my silence on this blog, I was, erm, busy. And I am finally recovering. So here are some tips on how to handle betrayal from someone who you trusted to have your back:

1. Give yourself the gift of rest. Betrayal is one of the worst forms of energetic attack, because it strikes directly at your heart. Whether or not it was deliberate and planned, or the consequences of poor choices and acts of desperation, betrayal is a destructive force that can sap your vital energy. So if the experience leaves you feeling tired and depressed, allow yourself the time to sleep, rest, and recover.
2. Allow yourself to feel like shit for a finite period of time. It’s totally human to experience situational depression when dealt with a grand betrayal by someone you trusted at a deep level. I do think it’s healthy to fully process the emotions that come up and grieve, rather than shove it to the side and get on with it. Allow yourself to feel, acknowledge, and process the myriad emotions that will arise – anger, sadness, grief, glimpses of the good times, the bad times. Don’t dwell, or fixate on the emotions. Let them arise, feel them completely, and let them dissolve. Set a date for recovery, so you don’t find yourself mired in the past.
3. Engage in inquiry. Why do you think the person did what he / she did? What was their emotional state when they engaged in the betrayal? What life experiences led them to make such choices?  What responsibility did you have in allowing the situation to unfold the way it did? What would you do differently in the future? What did you learn?
4. Get perspective. I also get a lot from the online communities where I belong, and occasionally I put something personal out for community feedback. I put a question out to Dynamite Circle, an awesome private network of Internet entrepreneurs I belong to [- “What do you do when a business partner betrays you?” Given that entrepreneurs are risk takers, I wasn’t surprised to hear that betrayal stories abounded. One member’s former business partner defrauded him of $120K, and “while his ass chapped” at the loss, he was grateful that he cut loose from the guy sooner, as the ex is now doing life without parole for the murder of his subsequent business partner. Another member’s con man business partner defrauded him of his life savings, left him broke in a 3rd world country, caused him to be questioned mercilessly by Argentine authorities and the FBI, but ended up beheaded on the Paraguay Argentine border. I feel much better now, thanks guys.
5. Engage in talk therapy. Not trash talk therapy. Talk with people you trust about the situation and your feelings, in a way that deepens understanding rather than stirs up draining, negative emotions.
6. Get real therapy. I believe everyone can use therapy. If you feel like you need the help of a professional, then give yourself this gift.
7. Nourish yourself. With good, organic food. Yoga and exercise. Walks in nature. Stand up comedy. And the company of good friends who care about you.
8. Practice forgiveness and compassion. Again and again until it’s real. This is the best gift you can give yourself. Forgiveness actually frees you from pain of the situation, and opens the door to healing. See how you feel in your body, when you fill your mind with thoughts on all the ways you are going to give your betrayer some major payback time. Now what does it feel like when you feel compassion for the individual, when you take into account whatever caused him / her to make these choices, the pain / suffering / delusion they are going through and forgive them. Doesn’t that emotional quality feel a hell of a lot better?

We tend to think that forgiving someone means we are letting the person who wronged us off the hook. That’s not true. They still have to answer for their actions. Deep down inside to themselves. And karma can be a big, bad, bitch as well. Let karma do her job.

And if you’re still stuck on revenge, then, heck, why not take best revenge of all?

The best revenge is to be a great success

and live a fabulous life.

So these are some of the things that helped me recover from betrayal. I am now at a place, where, amazingly, I have gratitude toward my ex partner who has given me my greatest test in forgiveness and compassion in a long, long time. For, as spiritual warriors, we are here on the planet to teach each other compassion, are we not?

I want to give a plug to Stacey, of My Lifestyle Max, another awesome member of Dynamite Circle,  who inspired me to write this post. Now for the group healing & perspective:

• Have you ever had a business partner betray you?
• What lessons did you learn?
• What would you have done differently?
• What helped you overcome the impact of being cheated / de-frauded / robbed / betrayed?
• How do you assess a potential partner? How long do you need to have known them before you decide to tie the knot.
• How do you negotiate a divorce from your business partner – any tips / recos?
• Are you done with partners, or still open to partnership?

Funded by the International Development Enterprise (IDE), the Human-Centered Design (HCD) Toolkit was created to help social enterprises and NGOs working in impoverished nations by providing practical guidance for achieving success.

Defining Human-Centered Design for Social Entrepreneurs

So what is human-centered design? Starting with the people for whom products, services, processes, and strategies are being developed, the human-centered approach always keeps the human factor in mind in order to produce actionable, transformative change. They use three lenses in the human-centered design approach:

• Desirability: Examine stakeholder needs to find out what they really require or design.
• Feasibility: What solutions can be used to overcome challenges that are technically and organizationally feasible?
• Viability: What approaches will be financially viable?

To give you a bit more insight into how their approach works, here’s the three phases used in the human-centered design:

1)      Hearing the needs of the stakeholders. This involves listening to peoples’ stories, observing the reality faced by the constituents, and seeking a deeper understanding of the needs, barriers, and constraints they face. There are several steps in this phase, including:

1. Identifying a design challenge
2. Recognizing existing knowledge
3. Identifying people with whom to speak
4. Choosing research methods, such as group interviews, in-context immersion, self-documentation, community-driven discovery, expert interviews
5. Developing an interview approach
6. Developing a mindset (beginner’s mind or observe versus interpret)

2)      Creating innovative solutions to meet their needs. During this phase, there is synthesis of research and interpretation as well, in order to narrow, cull, and translate your insights into a set of opportunities. The goal is to make sense of the data, identify patterns, define opportunities, and create solutions.

1. Develop the approach, such as participatory co-design or empathetic design
2. Share stories
3. Identify patterns
4. Create opportunity areas
5. Brainstorm new solutions
6. Make ideals real by prototyping
7. Gather feedback

3)      Delivering solutions with financial stability in mind. This involves identifying required capabilities, creating a model for financial stability and an innovation pipeline, planning pilots, and measuring impact.

1. Develop a sustainable revenue model
2. Identify capabilities required for delivering solutions
3. Plan a pipeline of solutions
4. Create an implementation timeline
5. Plan mini-pilots and iteration
6. Create a learning plan

The toolkit is an extremely useful resource for any aspiring social entrepreneur used by groups like the Acumen Fund, Heifer International, Micro Drip, and VisionSpring. Check it out and tell us what you think.