The wisdom of others

In her weekly post, Enterprise Nation founder Emma Jones reflects on a variety of options expressed by business experts and entrepreneurs during three talks and events  she's attended this week.

It's been a busy week when it comes to listening to people with a point of view; not all of them the same, writes Emma. Monday - to British Library to hear advertising man, Trevor Beattie, deliver a view on the The Art and Business of Persuasion.  He outlined the FCUK story (it's aim was to encourage young people to wear stuff that shocked their parents - it worked!), offered guidelines on how to become a modern day dictator (happy to offer his view on this if you would like to know) and, when asked about his campaigns for government and big brands, replied on how much he preferred governments as they knew their view, made fast decisions, and campaigns did not suffer from 'death by a thousand cuts'. Tuesday - a lunch hosted by The Foundation saw envirnonmental champion Jonathan Porritt as the key guest who had an opposite view in saying how little governments were doing when it came to sustainability, and how large corporates were stepping up to provide solutions. Jonathan has just written a book about life in 2050 in which he talks about virtual tourism (you enjoy all the benefits of a beach in Brazil without travelling there) and 'de-materialising status' so consumers no longer seek out brands as a status symbol. Food for thought.

"I was left wondering if a business should have partners; one who is remarkable, and the other pre-loaded with common sense."

Speaking of food, skip to Thursday and the all-day StartUp Food event which was a flavorsome array of entrepreneurial speakers. Two themes were repeated: how you should stand out, be remarkable and have a story, whilst having common sense. "Business is all about common sense," said food entrepreneurs Luke Johnson and Tim Roupell. "Be Remarkable!" said trends analyst Cate Trotter. I was left wondering if a business should have partners; one who is remarkable, and the other pre-loaded with common sense. Today sees a trip out of town, so time to take this in and consider its application to my own business - followed by a weekend of putting it into action! Emma Jones is Founder of Enterprise Nation

Have a coffee and conversation with the MOO.com's head of branding

You can join us at MOO HQ in mid-July for coffee and conversation with MOO.com's head of branding Simon Goble. The event, open to Enterprise Nation Club members only, will give you the chance to talk business and branding with Simon and colleagues while also meeting the faces behind likeminded small enterprises. Club membership is just £20 a year and gives you access to networking events, great offers, discounts on books and workshops, and more. Join the Club!

Photo credit: H.Koppdelaney via Compfight cc