This blog will be merged into Netura’s blog

From now on I will be writing Netura’s blog. For some time it will be in Finnish, but soon I will change the language to English.

Mirable Manager goes Open Source

We at Netura have decided to make Mirable Manager (our web content management system) mostly open source. Some modules will still remain commercial (such as the webstore module and other, more special tools), but the core features, such as the text page module and the news module will be made available to the public.

Future commercial development of Mirabe Manager modules will concentrate on e-business tools and the Mirable API.

For open source developers, we hope to show our view of the most functional user interface of a content management system, then discuss it together with the community and, when necessary, make the decisions.

We wish to be of help to all those noncommercial users, who are unable to purchase Mirable Manager, refine the existing web publishing software and also serve better quality commercial modules for Mirable Manager.

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Building the functional social network

Fuzz or what?
Social networking is one of those hot must-do things of the modern entrepreneur. An encyclopediaful of contacts sure looks impressive and seems like an endless source for anything you could ever ask for. But is it really worth it? Could just a handful of right kind of contacts be more useful than an undetermined mass of people?

There are millions of ways to expand your network. Basically it’s just communication. You can start by stepping out of the door and starting to talk to people. Active blogging, for one, will gather you a flock of likeminded fellows. Even a t-shirt can speak for you, if you are too shy to say anything.

Becoming a polar point in your network
Getting what you want begins with determining what you want. To gather a social network of your dreams, you will need to define the people you would like to have within your reach. Write a detailed description of your dream contacts. Let your imagination weave your network crew as perfect as you could possibly ever tolerate. Draw the figures of your future friends, draft their life stories and place them somewhere in this world. How do these people help you on your way? What skills they have that you need? How would you co-operate? What do you offer in return?

Determining what or who you want will help you aim your attention and communication to the right direction. You will be consciously and subconsciously observing the possibilities more accurately. It’s essential to be able to recognize the people you are looking for.

Declare your desire to the world
Speak your mind in any way you can. You could, for example…

• Make an advertisement, for example “looking for entrepreneur partners”. Print it out and stick it to every wall you come across.
• Create a web page, and link to it at the status message of your instant messenger or Facebook.
• Talk to your friends and see if they know anyone matching the description in your wishlist.

Use any means and medium you can think of and ask your pals for extra supplies when your idea stock runs out. The key is to let the world know what you want

If you want to build a network that is actually helping you to gain your business goals, I suggest that you take some time to draft your ideal social network. I bet you could gain more with some professional collaborators. Think out of the box – don’t limit yourself to the status quo, or let pessimism determine your possibilities. Have multiple ultimately wonderful scenarios to choose from.

Books that inspired this post

• Seminar by Tom Peters
• Benchlearning by Bengt Karlöf
• Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim, Renée Mauborgne
• Creating a company for Customers by Malcolm McDonald, Martin Christopher, Simon Knox, Jane Simms
• Blogit ja Bloggaaminen (in Finnish) by Tuomas Kilpi
• Many-to-Many-markkinointi by Evert Gummesson, Taija Haapaniemi

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Why people choose brands instead of anonymous products

Today I went to a music store to ask for information on a midi drum pad device (such as Roland SPD-S, Alesis ControlPad or M-Audio Trigger Finger), and it led me to think about brands and their meaning to a wannabe-customer.

Why would one buy a branded product instead of a no-name one? For starters, a brand represent an opinion – a potentially enthusiastic vision of how things ought to be. But a brand is not just a vision, it’s something that has been cooking up for some time. An old brand has seen a lot of mistakes, and probably learned a lot too. No-name products do not have much to back up their package taglines.

I’m going to use Roland as an example brand, as a Roland product brochure brought up these thoughts. So why should I buy a Roland product instead of some unknown producer? There are quite a few reasons (bear in mind that these are based solely on my personal views, and that they are highly exaggerated to illustrate my point).

• Roland has specialized in electronic musician’s instruments, which in my case, is of great value.
• Roland represents a strong and contiguous vision of how electronic audio products should work and look like.
• Device usage design is consistent within all product lines. This lowers the product learning curve, since the same logic can be applied to multiple products. I am probably going to need more musical equipment, so I’m also evaluating the general feel of Roland products.
• Roland has a long experience in combining functionality, durability and design.
• If a problem should ever occur, I believe I could solve it with Roland’s customer support.

What if a no-name product seems to have all the properties I need? It could actually be better than the one with known breed. How can one ever trust any device producer? A strong brand is not born in a vacuum, it has been earned. A known brand has kept it’s promise. It has given an unforgettable experience – something that kills the need for comparison.

For the user, a brand

• is a sign of quality awareness
• is something that anyone can have in common with their idols
• gives credibility, peace of mind and comfort
• is a mentor of sorts (as it represents an opinion of how things should be done)

More than just a dream
Today companies are hugely investing to “brand building”. I wonder if that is just a disguise for advertising and design management? The strength of a brand is earned by exceeding customer needs, it’s not just something that builds over time.

Books related to this post
(linking to awesome Google Book Search)

• Nicholas Ind – Living the brand
• David A. Aaker & Co. – Brand Leadership
• Arvomyynnillä kasvuun – Kari Kaario

Folder-based image archiving with keywords

For a very long time, I’ve been looking for a software solution for image archiving with tags/keywords. I sure like the way Lightroom or Picasa handles tags and other metadata, but it’s not enough. I cannot rely on a single software. I need a software-independent archiving system. For now, I’ve used a folder-based archive, which is not too handy, but at least it’s reliable and can be interpreted by any operating system or program.

Yesterday, I found a program by Microsoft. By Microsoft? Could it be of quality? I had my doubts, but had to try it, since it could potentially support folder structure. And for my surprise did use a database AND folder structure – wow! I’ve been looking for this all these years and finally found it from Microsoft? Well, I’m still testing it, but for now it seems like the only solution offering the kind of archiving I’m after. Plus, it has a good viewer and basic editing functions. The free version seems to offer everything I need, but if I get addicted, I’m willing to buy this program.

If you’re after a folder-based image archiving program with keywords, I suggest you take a look at this sweet little program.

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How to use your network to sell

I want to share a few thoughts about selling. Based on my latest adventures in my network.

About what we (at Netura) do
We find out how a company’s business could be expanded or started on the web and make it happen.

How does one sell a (consulting-based) product?
Basically, it’s just about talking to people. We want to do business with a company in need of fresh ideas on how to boost their sales with web-based solutions.

1. Search actively and call people
   People are not offended if you tell them about a possible solution for their problem. If you genuinely have something of value to offer, the person you’re calling will probably understand that it is an opportunity that could actually boost business. The worst thing to happen is to get rejected. The more contacts, the more clients.
2. Be where companies are and open your mouth
   Every company needs to do things better. If you know something they don’t, they are probably interested if they could use your knowledge and skills. Show some examples of how valuable you could be to them. Show them that you care and know ways to improve their business.
3. Explain and demonstrate
   Sure you have a good website, but even people who can read, might not understand what you’re saying. Or maybe they’re just too busy to listen, even if they should be. When tell about your product to someone, in a live situation, use your own website to demonstrate. This way anyone can get back to the information whenever they please. Client testimonials, demo of your service, videos and all will do a good job telling about your services, but nothing beats a personal contact.
4. Check your network for opportunities
   It’s important to know who you know. Make a map of who you know and see if there are people who might need you, or who you might need. LinkedIn is a good tool for making your network visible.

Those who speak from the heart, will sell and become happy delivering what they love.

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The importance and art of goal achieving

For me, life is about contrast. About feeling the speed and the friction. I tend to think about my dreams as projects, because they are usually big plans with long (mostly indefinite) time spans. I prefer dreams which have risks involved – I don’t find a well-lit path interesting.

Dreamers, while gazing at the stars, tend to keep their dreams among the stars – somewhere far away, safely out of reach. Dreams, while tempting, are also scary because they entail change. I courage dreamers to pull those dreams out from the sky. The world is being lead by dreamers, but not just any dreamers, they are courageous dreamers. I give you a few thoughts on how to get closer to your own ideal of life.

Priorize by personal values
You may already have loads of goals, and each of them might be evenly big and important to you. Either you have goals of same priority (which is great), or you have not priorized them. Evaluate your goals – which ones are good for you to accomplish and in what order. Which of your desired accomplishments would create the optimal feeling? Often the most unpleasant of tasks is the most important.

Concentrate on one goal at a time, but have multiple processes going. Parallel goals generate ideas to each other – while you are working on something you find important, you might get an idea for another, perhaps hibernating project. It’s like teamplay.

A clear vision will help you choose the right things to do
The first priority in achieving anything is to clarify and declare the desire. When you know it, tell it to someone. It means you’re serious about it and actually willing to put some effort in it. A deadline is also a motivator of sorts. It is crucial to choose a goal you can believe in.

People tend to ask “What do I have to do to become succesful?”. Every dream requires different deeds, so there is no single common concept for becoming succesful. Someone may have become rich by some seemingly simple method, but yet it is impossible to copy. And the copier is always heaps behind the pioneer. In each case, the starting point is different.

Start living your dream
People you admire are made of exactly the same materials as you are.
The only difference between the people who have become what they’ve wanted and those who have not, is that succesful people have dared to start living their dream. Whatever you decide to be, circumstances will start supporting what you want to become.

Imagine yourself in a situation where you’ve achieved the things you wanted – as specifically as possible. Feel the pride of your efforts. When you feel this, you know what choices will take you towards that feeling. The road might be curly and illogical, but it’s still going
your way.

How would you feel if you had gotten what you wanted? Get close to that feeling. Do whatever makes you feel like you are already there. Taste the pride of getting what you went for. If you want to have a certain job, go where it could be located and take a glimpse on your possible future – is that what you want? If so, then you will start seeing the possibilities that take you there. You also have a concrete goal to compare your choices to.

If your mind is reluctant to change or fearful, show it alternatives. Act first, and the mind will tune in to the new frequency. For example if you are busy and think you don’t have any time for yourself, and you violently tear yourself out of the situation, you suddenly have all the time in the world. Most of the strains are in your mind. I dare you to challenge the opposing force and do what you really need to do. Be courageous enough to take a look outside the rules you’re bound by.

Ignore the counterarguments in you, if they want to keep you in a familiar, unfruitful situation. The need for familiar things is often a numbing force that slowly sedates desire. We tend to go for the things we already know, even if they’re destroying us. We’re hooked to the current situation. Change takes energy, and will be painful if you fear it. To move forward, let yourself change.

Don’t plan too far
Everyday you are offered an infinite number of possibilities. You can choose now to do anything you want. You will not choose just anything, your will choose the option that takes you toward your goal. It’s of no use to plan too far, because circumstances change immediately after you make the first move. After you’ve made the first move, you’re faced with new situation and new choices, and by remembering your goal, you can choose again and you’re one step closer to your dream.

Concentrate on success instead of risks
It’s good to know the risks, but it’s important to concentrate on what you want instead of what you don’t. Imagination is a strong force – it will take you where you imagine. So beware of concentrating on the things you don’t want. When you know the risks, imagine yourself going safely around them.

Goals take all the energy they can get
Your #1 goal is likely to drain all the energy it can get. It’s important to have more than one goal to maintain balance in life. Commitment is required for any dream to come true, but it can easily become an obsession. If a goal becomes an obsession, it will take you as a hostage and will not let you go without some serious negotiations with other objectives. If you choose to work on a single project around the clock, it is likely to weaken your quality of life.

Sometimes a retreat is required to win a battle. Dare to leave your foremost dream alone from time to time, and your energy cells dedicated to that objective will recharge while you are having fun with other goals.

Books that helped me compile these thoughts

• Nicholas Ind: Living the brand
• Norman Vincent Peale: Sen teet mihin uskot (in Finnish)
• Stephen R. Covey – First Things First
• Bengt Karlöf, Kurt Lundgren, Marie Edendfeldt Froment – Ota oppia parhaista (in Finnish)

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Creating a brand without a crew

I just read Thomas Gad’s book “4-D Branding: Cracking the Corporate Code of the Network Economy” – a very straightforward and simple book on brand building. After reading the book, I got more convinced that a likable brand is built by one person, or a very small team with a clear, unified vision. Good ideas lose their true potential if they are torn by too many differing opinions and interests.

I looked at my own brand and it seemed to have very little personality. How can anyone be interested in us if we don’t represent anything? Until this day, we’ve been just a combination of our skills, while we should be a unique composition of skills and vision. I believe it can be achieved by taking more control over our brand, and I want to be the responsible one. This is a quest to take the identity out in the open, to represent something.

Thinking my own brand lead me to a question – what does it take to create a brand? I think it takes only one mind to make a brand. A good brand is a personality, it’s got something to say and it wears a unique outfit. A strong brand is an ideology that can either be loved or hated. I’m afraid creating a brand is as simple as declaring a goal, telling about it and living the brand ideology. A determined mind will draw attention and gather followers. Those who like you will become your crew.

Living the brand is crucial. The brand of your dreams will come alive when you start living it. As long as you see it as a dream, it will remain a dream.

It’s quite odd how minds sometimes drive the same routes. This might be a bad example, but I tell it anyway. After I had this thought of brand personification, I googled up Thomas Gad and found out that he had written a new book a few years ago: “Managing Brand Me — How to Build Your Personal Brand“. Now would probably be the perfect time for me to read this book. Check out his website.

From now on Netura will be presented in a more personal way. I will concentrate on carving out the complexion. It will look more like me.

I am hugely interested in future web technology – it seems to have very few limitations. The thirst for latest technology also reflects in Netura’s services. We serve meeting areas for brands and people. Almost anything imaginable can be done, the hardest part is to imagine. That is also something I want to do – first imagine and plan, then connect the people who can make plans reality. Juoni.net began in a similar way.

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Am I a slave for my own dreams?

I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I have freely chosen the things I want to do, but it seems like every option leads to a tremendous workload. James D. Brausch says something about this too. So am I a slave for my own dreams? When I chose, did I choose something that I didn’t want to do? Should I start leaving boring deeds behind and do only the things that feel good? Maybe, but right now I think I need to finish what I started and then start on a quest for freer life. Is that something that can wait? I don’t know, but for now I’m too scared about the consequences to find out.

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A way to get rid of problems

I just got this idea while doing the dishes. It might be stupid, but hey, at least it’s simple. A perfect way to get rid of problems! Just follow these four easy steps and you’ll be happy! This will be silly for you everybody who’s “got it straight”, but listen to what Poets of the Fall have to say: “You cannot learn a thing you think you know.”

All you need to do to resolve problems:

1. Face
   Stop carrying the burden. Say it out loud. Make it visible. When you know it, you can eliminate it. You might be pushing to get something done that you should not be getting done. You are the first priority – you need to maintain your happiness. No matter the cost.
2. React
   This means making a war plan. Reserve time for solving your problem. Make a schedule. If you fall behind, postpone the things you were supposed to do. The time you had reserved is only one window of opportunity. If it got passed, make another one.
3. Keep track
   Any progress? Did you address your energy right? Do you feel better? If not, face again.
4. Enjoy
   Done! Time for another challenge.
   

Optimistic? Yes. Utopia? Maybe, but nothing happens if you don’t do anything. One can only be on the right track if one is truly aware of the current circumstances. Demons grow while you turn your eyes away from them. Open your eyes and start blasting off the bitches standing in your way.

For me this means making a list of things bothering me and then addressing them by scheduling. I need time and space to get the things out of me. In silence I can be truly honest for myself and it’s easier to face things when being alone, though some things can only be dug out by a companion. When the problems are “out in the open”, they are almost solved. When you see the problem, you see the plan. The hardest part is to take action.

For scheduling I use Google Calendar, because I can easily move the unfinished deeds to the future, this way they don’t get buried under everything else.

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