MarketHive: The Evolution from Social Network To Market Network

MarketHive: The Evolution from Social Network To Market Network

“Innovation is the specific instrument of entrepreneurship. The act that endows the resources with a new capacity to create wealth”, “while also, creating some enemies” ………Peter Drucker

Social Networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Reddit and countless others exploded globally and increased their influence in the way we communicate and interact act with each other.  Technology has impacted our daily lives and MarketHive is one of many participants that impacted those who are in the realm of entrepreneurship.  Now, Markethive is a social network for entrepreneurs and provides a blogging platform with the essential tools, training, traffic and resources to operate a successful online business.  Consider Markethive to be your bullet train versus an old Choo Choo train. 

Now, in the Digital Economy where research & development are the oxygen for business success Markethive has now evolved into the next level of business models for the 21st century and NO LONGER just a Social Network but, a Market Network.  Now, the assimilation and integration of "Marketplaces" (buyers and sellers conduct transactions on sites like eBay, Amazon, etc.); "Networks" (created profiles that identify Individuals or groups who communicate with each other on sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.,) and "Saas" (Software as a service.... is a software licensing and delivery model in which software is licensed on a subscription basis and is centrally hosted) forms a web-based collective specialising in a specific business industry.  The benefits of the Market Network are obvious as indicated by the following: facilitating long-term business relationships, enhanced consultation among experts, increased referrals, customizing solutions for complex projects and increase the desire to become an entrepreneur.  So, another revolution has begun (Digital) and people are adapting to the changes in the environment; otherwise, they become a Darwinian casualty that is certain in life called DEATH.

Unfortunately, with any new technology or innovative business model there are skeptics and “Old Guard” who have heavy and long-term investment in maintaining the status-quo.   Instant customized service is the new standard and failure to keep up means the immediate demise of a business or at least the way business has been traditionally conducted.  So, brand loyalty is increasingly moot and marketing or connecting is more Inbound than Outbound for consumers.  So, here's my shameless plug.... consider the unfair advantage given to members who have access to an arsenal of FREE Inbound Marketing tools and content creation resources within this blogging platform for serious minded marketers who bring value to their customers:

• Videos
• List Management
• Autoresponders
• Google Analytics
• Capture pages
• Blogging system
• Email Broadcaster
• Group Builder
• Forum Builder
• Campaign Builder
• Plus more to come because innovation is oxygen for this company
• Blog Sharing
• Blog swiping

If, you watched Rise of the Entrepreneur then, you would recognize that this company embraces change and adapts to the reality of the conditions of its customers so as to achieve a solution.  Ironically, many companies are resistant to making adjustments to satisfy their customers base.        

Contributor

Vaurn James

Colin Kaepernick: Traitor or Social Entrepreneur

                                      
                                Colin Kaepernick: Traitor or Social Entrepreneur

So, is Colin Kaepernick, the 49ers quarterback a Traitor to the United States of America or a Hero who is standing up for the principles that are supposed to exist, entrenched and embraced by those who supposedly believe in the US Constitution (Bill of Rights)?  Yes, that is the million or in Kaepernick’s case a 6-year $114,000,000.00-dollar question within this controversy.  Now, according to Kaep his refusal to stand for the American National Anthem is based on the issue of Police Brutality and Oppression of Black people and other minorities.  Let’s be clear famous athletes like Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Bill Russell, Tommy Smith and many others have also, taken similar stances against discrimination and violence committed by law enforcement authorities going back 50-years. 

Needless to say, they also incurred the wrath of society like Kaep who suffered immediate backlash and predicted derogatory comments that came in the form of emails and tweets calling him a "nigger", "monkey", "go back to Africa", "spoiled millionaire athlete half-breed" and other confirmations of racism that he accused police of practicing and executing against Non-Whites.  So, we have different perspectives about the American National Anthem and what it’s supposed to represent to all people. Kaep’s detractors perceive him as being privileged as indicated by living an extraordinary quality of life playing a sport, while getting paid millions of dollars.  Hence, if, America was racist then, he and the aforementioned athletes wouldn’t be on the upper 5% of the SES ladder.  Kaep’s supporters maintain his refusal to stand is an act of heroism that is designed to make America greater, while addressing acts of injustice that have been well documented and generational.              

 Well, was his approach right or wrong if, he's concerned about Police brutality, which is real?  Now, symbolically refusing to stand is POWERFUL but, long-term useless from my point of view because America isn't about right or wrong it's about Power and Control.  The current Presidential election supports my position because both Trump and Clinton are corrupt but, one of them will occupy the White House as the Moral compass of America...oh, the irony.  The National Football League is one of the most powerful corporations on planet earth that portrays itself as All American and pays its player several millions of dollars to entertain the masses, while selling everything on the open-market because business is business.  This doesn't mean symbolism isn't important because the Stars and Stripes with the Eagle illicit passion and emotions to millions throughout the country but, symbolism doesn't pay the bills nor provides a permanent solution to any problem…just ask any lobbyist with $$$$ on Capitol Hill.

Perhaps, Kaep and other athletes should use the so-called White Supremacist dollars and resources to invest (tax deduction) in the Black community to fund scholarships for Law and other Professional schools so as to help create an economic infrastructure within the Black American community (giving back).  Such an approach also, helps to create political and economic POWER, which is a great deterrent to Police abuse.  Hey, America is a capitalist nation and money with influence seems to have a certain magic when solving problems.  If, you don’t have the cash then, in the immortal words of feminist and attorney, Gloria Allred, “In America, you get as much justice, as you can afford” (cannot believe I am quoting a feminist).  Clearly, the Black Community could use an infusion of cash which individuals like Kaep could assist but also, engage in social entrepreneurship along with partners (entrepreneurs, businessmen, academic scholars and others) to provide a blue print for success to those who have given up hope.   It seems honest critical thinking outside the box is the approach that’s urgently needed.       

So, as an entrepreneur do you see yourself as wanting to provide a solution to a problem, while using an entrepreneurial, business techniques to develop, fund and implement innovative ideas and solutions to solve social, political and cultural problems?  I presume your response will be in the affirmative; otherwise, why are you reading this article and not functioning like a mindless automaton?  Yes, social entrepreneurship involves getting out of your comfort zone, which Kaep is doing to try to remedy or start a discussion about an issue.  Well, you take the same approach in your business and that’s why you are here as a marketer/social entrepreneur.  

Oh yes, one of the lasting legacies of Muhammad Ali was his push for what is called “Ethnic Entrepreneurism” (cultural economics) within the African American community.  Ali often shared about the need for blacks to build their own banks, schools, theatres and overall, economic infrastructure to sustain its own community due to economic deprivation resulting from historical barriers (Slavery, Jim Crow and Anti-Poverty Laws) that continue to impact the black familial structure.  Since, wealth is a generational game but, your community has been systematically denied opportunity to participate and grow due to an uneven playing field then, it’s of the utmost importance to invest your resources with others who look like yourself.  Indeed, charity begins at home or more accurately, in your community

Contributor,

Vaurn James

Entrepreneurship: New Threat to Government Sponsored Indoctrination…I Mean, Education.

Entrepreneurship: New Threat to Government Sponsored Indoctrination…I Mean, Education.

 

“Education must serve politics, must be combined with productive labor”.  “The primary concern of education is not acquisition of knowledge, but the remodeling of behavior, attitudes, emotion and thoughts” ...Theodore Chen in Communist China, 1949-1969.

Sounds like something right out of the Manchurian Candidate back in 1962 and you would be correct.  Today’s educational institutions are an extension of state control both in and out of the classroom with increasing authority over children who are being programmed to function like mindless automatons to eventually, replace the current workforce, while working for the greater benefit of the state without question.  Yes, Brave New World, Animal Farm and 1984 have already arrived with increasing state authority over its most desired segment of the population the young (children/adolescents/young adults).  Indeed, children have become the property of the state through Orwellian means (China and North Korea sound familiar).  Let’s remember this expansion of government power and control over the masses was aided by the 911 Attack (September 2001) and since then, forfeiture of civil liberties and adherence to the Constitution/Bill Rights have become marginalized in lieu of safety.  What did Benjamin Franklin, once said, “he who gives up a little freedom for security deserves neither”.  Guess what, it doesn’t stop and government wanting more control over your child’s personal life increases.  Seems J.D Rockefeller, was right when he said, “I don’t want a nation of thinkers, I want a nation of workers”.  Yes, the Borg is real and the assimilation process starts in school; however, parental control and influence are gradually diminished with little objection from them.

So, entrepreneurship is a threat to the status-quo but, how you ask?  Seems contradictory because it’s Age of the Entrepreneur and governments are more than willing to invest funds into new ideas to yield innovation and new technology to generate money, jobs and tax revenue.  Like any good mercenary government plays both sides of a conflict, while exercising Free Market Capitalism (accepting donations from corporations, while taxing everyone else).  Yes, it’s about cash, power and control.  Government recognizes that entrepreneurs are renegades and better to join than fight them; however, the masses can be controlled by manipulation via social welfare benefits, education, grants (single mothers), media and legal changes (e.g., V.A.WA., women given greater authority over children).  Nothing like good old divide and conquer tactics designed for safety reasons and also make vulnerable sectors of the population to feel good about themselves.  However, when you accept gifts from government there’s cost you have to pay.          

Now, let’s seek assistance from British author and public speaker David Icke, who has written many articles, lectured and shared his concern about schools functioning as “Programming Prisons” for your kids.  Alright, what’s the connection between entrepreneurship and children being programed (brainwashed) to serve the state?  Well, Mr. Icke shared the answer is found in neuroscience or more specially in our right and left brain hemispheres.  The left-brain controls rational thought (logic, structure, discipline, conformity), while the right-brain hemisphere controls creativity (originality, uniqueness, emotions).  Now, both hemispheres are dependent upon each other and connected through the corpus callosum, which facilitates interhemispheric communication between them.  Now, if you wanted to control a society of people what part of the brain and segment of the population would you manipulate?  You got it, left-brain and children.  As Mr. Icke coined the phrase, Left-Brain Prisoner is programmed through the educational system.  The power elite recognized long ago they could profit by getting people to “buy into the system” by encouraging society to invest in higher education, home-ownership, joining social/political groups and other structured organizations that reinforce ideals, ideologies and values generally embraced by the greater society.  “The aim of public education isn’t to spread enlightenment at all, it is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same level, to breed a standard citizenry to put down dissent and originality” (H. L., Mencken).  In truth, the goal is to monetize and program the public starting from cradle to grave in real time.

No doubt, you can see how entrepreneurs could cause disruption for the power elite due to the fact, the traits/qualities of an entrepreneur are primarily right-brain and contrary to the indoctrination process found in almost all educational institutions.  Don’t believe me, Texas Board of Education in their platform opposed Critical Thinking as being disruptive threat to parental authority (they later modified their platform).  Additionally, they also, voted against fact checking of textbooks by university professors.  Talk about maintaining authoritarian control at all cost but, power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.  Here’s an example where government (Court) ruled in favor of Police Departments can refuse to hire intelligent people.

It is no coincidence that school days are getting longer, because the state is centered on reducing a child’s time to Free Think on problem solving.  Sadly, it’s about conditioning children to self-regulate or produce a specific response or reaction that suits the state.  Entrepreneurship is the diametrical opposite of today’s educational system because problem-solving is a primary motivator of today’s social entrepreneurs.  Creating products/services that bring value to the free market, while solving problems for their target market.  Free Thinkers who pursue innovation and new technology are creative and critical in their thought process.

Traditionally families have been sending their children to school and then, later university because of their belief in education and more importantly, post-secondary education teaches young people how to be financially self-sufficient.  Unfortunately, higher education and its costs continue to escalate beyond the reach of the middle-class and those on the lower tier of the socioeconomic ladder.  So, what options do parents have to give their children a better quality of life?  Well, in a global economy that is based on information/knowledge designed to make things more efficient and most importantly, profitable for companies I suggest entrepreneurship/home business as the solution to the problem.  Knowledge is P-O-W-E-R but, applied knowledge is P-R-O-F-I-T-A-B-L-E because a Solution to a problem generates a high monetized value for those who successfully provide an answer to a problem.

        

Contributor

Vaurn James