Marcel van Marrewijk's Blog, page 150

Giving a new purpose to public phones

There are 19 thousand bus stops in Brazil, 15 thousands buses and in São Paulo only 25 thousand public phones. The 4G internet in the country is extremely expensive and bad, in that case when you are wondering the city you can’t check the time and which bus to get.

Thinking of all this data Redbull created a number where you can call for free from a public phone. In that way you can check the times without internet. There is a new use for the public phones. And is all for free. Check out the video here.

This action comes in a moment when technologies become decandent and we can give new use to it. Look at it in a different way. Not only that, but give it actual use for the people around it. Consequently people are helped by it works as marketing strategy at the same time, once the government wasn’t the one who had the initiative – although it should have been.

So, when you look around you in your city is there anything that used to be used and it’s not anymore? How about giving it a twist? What do you look around and know that it could have a different – better – purpose? If you start questioning the possibilities are inifinite.

 

 

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Want to Change The World?

Verbeter de Wereld (Dutch for ‘Improve the world’) is thé traineeship for ambitious young professionals wanting to use their talents for a better world!

Tell me more! Verbeter de Wereld are a group of professional trainers and coaches who offer their expertise through the Traineeship for World Improvers. This program is specifically designed for idealistic Young Professionals who just want more.

The Traineeship takes four months which include two training weekends, and special a closing day and personal coaching throughout the entire Traineeship.

What will I be doing?

Execute a project: within 4 months you will execute an extraordinary world improving project, together with other trainees. The project groups are formed during the first weekend. You decide what cause you will be working on and how you want to shape your project.

Personal growth: you will learn about mission-based project management and communication skills. On top of this frequent feedback will be provided to you learn about yourself as team player, leader and enabler.

Practical idealism: your daily choices have a direct impact on the entire planet. Which choices do you make, and why? We inspire you to take the next step.

Unique: Apart from just focusing on implementing projects that improve the world, this program is about giving meaning to the things we do, personal growth and developing of competencies. Alumni state this is what makes the program unique: next to making a difference there is room for the big questions facing us in life. Through this Traineeship you will become a catalyst for a better world!

Which theme makes your heart beat faster?

Sustainability: future energy supplies, waste management, cradle to cradle

Poverty reduction: education, microcredit, solidarity

Peace and Safety: unity, understanding, democracy 

Human equality: acknowledging each other, diversity, love, living together in peace

Something else? In this traineeship you can start making a difference!

When can I start :

First weekend: Saturday morning 24 – Sunday afternoon 25 September 2016

Second weekend: Saturday morning 26 November – Sunday afternoon 27 November 2016

Closing day: Saturday 28 January 2017

Apply via:  www.verbeterdewereld.org

Follow us: https://www.facebook.com/verbeterdewe...

Questions & answers: Rene Sellmeijer: 06-41489289 / rene@verbeterdewereld.org

Unfortunately we currently offer this traineeship only in Dutch

 

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250 cool workspaces and growing!

It has been 4 months since we launched the cool workspaces at the global meetup. A map where digital nomads, freelancers and flex workers can pin their favorite place to work. The places go from coffee places, to gyms and hotels. We already covered all the continents but oceania – aussies, we need your help here, guys!

This is 250 places where people gather and work. They go from coffee places to gyms and hotels. In the consequence of having more and more people that are self-employed there is more demand on spaces to work. We already see people crawling to starbucks, opening their notebooks, talking business and drinking coffee. So why not go to the places where locals go?

How about you? Is there any secret place where you love to work? If so you are more than welcome to pin it in our map here: coolworkspaces.seats2meet.com If you are looking for a place you can also find the closest to you. Let’s go together 500 cool workspaces!

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Permanent Future Lab volop in beweging

De beweging Permanent Future Lab is, volop in beweging.

Successful expansion? Start growing your business in a different way

Does Size Really Matter?

Sure, big capital can break into export markets, but success is not about how big your capital is, it’s how you use it. Get savvy, stay agile and leverage disruptive technologies to your advantage.

Bootstraps of Disruption

There is no better time in history to be starting out an export business on a shoestring. Businesses can access foreign sales expertise, use cutting edge financial technology, rent co-working spaces, hire freelancers in all professions, and use video link ups at low cost. Disruptive technology gives small business the leverage to swing like the big boys, without the overheads.

Turbo Charge your Business

Big corporates are finding new ways to catch the next big fish, by funding their own hatcheries. Globally, there is a $1billion start-up born every month and corporate accelerators prove that the big end of town knows the power of disruptive technologies and they want to be ahead of new trends. Also known as incubators or seed accelerators, there are 116 corporate accelerators worldwide, with monoliths like GE, Intel, Microsoft, Coca Cola and Disney nurturing standout start-ups with innovative ideas in exchange for a slice of the action.

Catalyst for Financial Growth

Financial Technology or FinTech has mobilised payment strategies for business, speeding up transactions via unprecedented connectivity and software ingenuity. In the last decade we have seen the rise of crowd funding, secure global payment networks, and cryptocurrencies. New start-ups are spoilt for choice and by grasping disruptive FinTech, they can leapfrog over competitors stuck in old business paradigms.

The Ultimate Water Cooler Conversation

Co-working space is a creative way of building strong networks in prime locations at an affordable cost. There are over seven thousand co-working space providers in major cities over the globe. They allow start-ups to set up shop in big league locations of New York, London, Hong Kong and Singapore without the risk of committing to a fixed term high cost lease. What’s more, taking advantage of these spaces gives direct access to other innovative start-ups where you can forge collaborations, increase trade and grow your network of experience.

Get Disruptive and Get Heard

✤ Communication via video uplinks, conference calls and file sharing are all at your fingertips. Be anywhere in the world with these applications.

✴ Skype

✴ Google Hangouts

✴ Jitsi

✴ VoxOx

✤ It is a brave new world of investors. Think outside the box with capital raising and promotion via crowd funding.

✴ Indiegogo

✴ Fundable

✴ Angellist

✴ Crowdcube

✴ Crowdfunder

✴ Equitynet

✴ Kickstarter (for creative projects)

✤ Hire freelancers and get the expertise you need without the HR hang-ups.

✴ Fiverr

✴ Upwork

✴ Guru

✴ Crowded99Designs (for creative design)

✴ Toptal (for software engineers and developers)

Are you Expansion-Ready – Do you want to learn from your peers?

Growing your business abroad as a SME Company is hard to achieve. It has become more challenging than ever. Benchmarking your business’ performance is one of the best ways to help overcome this challenge.

We are launching a Global SME Benchmark Study and together with our partner Seats2Meet we would like to invite you!

Joining is easy! Click on this URL to start: http://surveys.functionalscan.com/s3/...

Your take away:

Every participant* receives an individual overview with the questions and their answers and a summary of the global benchmark report in November this year. And armed with valuable insights you can set the right priorities for your next step for expansion!

Fast, Reliable and Cost-Effective Diagnosis

2Sherpa are the experts in establishing your readiness for expansion abroad. With customised assessment tools our clients are confident in the wide world of international trade. Evaluate your organisation’s readiness to export with Ready2Expand online tools. And hit the ground running using a vendor or business partner in your target market with our Global Partner Network.

*Data protection:

As for all our services we respect the privacy of the participants. Because the survey and the study is anonymous, the respondent needs to fill in the email address if he wants to receive a report. We will not share individual data with third parties.

August 15, 2016

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Perspective for absentees by S2M

Is education fun? In The Netherland there are about 20.000 students at home, students that are supposed to go to school and have no access to the education system for various reasons. They are not being taken care of. We, that is the Advice Center of Absentees (in Dutch: Adviescentrum voor Thuiszitters, ACT) feel the need to act on this to offer this group a new perspective. They really would like to learn, and of course they would love to get in touch with people their age. We help the parents of these children with advice and actions. That is why we have initiated ‘Holland’s GOT Talent’. The GOT stands for ‘Good Education for Absentees’ (in Dutch: Goed Onderwijs voor Thuiszitters). Children can follow workshops, realize their own learning goals and – if they want – get ready to get a diploma. This project only needs 5 ingredients:

Absentees
Parents of these children
Motivated teachers
A place to get together
An (online) learning environment

Great news: Seats2Meet will provide us with the physical space, for free! Next to that we have eyes on an interesting online learning environment, that will also be free, in exchange for testing this tool. We are talking real co-creation here!

 

Call

Do you know or are you

an enthusiastic, parent with an absentee full of initiative?
a teacher who really wants to choose a different course?

please contact us to form a group like that.

Info at lex.hupe@gmail.com or 06 3867 9713

To understand more of what we do (in Dutch): click here

 

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Social Capital Explained

 

Working in seats2meet you probably already heard about social capital. But what the hell is that? As a new concept in any business model we know that it might be confusing, that’s why Lenneke van Rossum from seats2meet international, developed a business model canvas solely with social capital. In that way you can see in a more tangible way what is it and what are its advantages.

In our last vlog she explained every piece of it so you can understand it even better. If you want to understand more about social capital let us know by e-mailing us!

Check out the business canvas here.

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Perspectief voor thuiszitters bij S2M

Is onderwijs leuk? In ons land zitten ongeveer 20.000 leerplichtige kinderen thuis. Ze worden aan hun lot overgelaten. Wij, dat is het Advies Centrum Thuiszitters (ACT) zijn in actie gekomen om hen perspectief te bieden. Ze willen heel graag  leren, en ze willen natuurlijk graag met leeftijdsgenoten in contact komen. Wij helpen de ouders van deze kinderen met raad en daad. Maar we willen hen ook graag perspectief bieden. Daarom hebben we het initiatief opgezet “Holland’s GOT Talent” waarbij GOT staat voor Goed Onderwijs voor Thuiszitters. Dit houdt in, dat deze kinderen workshops volgen, hun eigen leerwensen realiseren en – als ze dat willen – opstomen naar een eigen diploma. Er zijn maar 5 ingrediënten nodig:

thuiszitters
de ouders van deze kinderen
gemotiveerde leerkrachten
een plek om samen te komen
een (online) leeromgeving

Seats2Meet geeft ons alle medewerking voor de fysieke plek! Dat is fantastisch. Gebruik van S2M is gratis! Daarnaast hebben we perspectief op een interessante online leeromgeving, die ons ook gratis (!) ter beschikking wordt gesteld, in ruil voor het uitproberen van de tool. Echte co-creatie dus.

Oproep

Ken je of ben je

een enthousiaste, initiatiefrijke ouder met een thuiszittend kind
een onderwijsmens die echt een andere kant wil inslaan

neem dan contact met ons op om zo’n groepje op te zetten.

Info bij lex.hupe@gmail.com 06 3867 9713 en lex.hupe@gmail.com

Meer informatie over wat wij doen: klik hier

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6 do’s and don’ts when connecting to the coworking movement

1. Don’t be afraid!!

Probably it’s new for you to do it in the Seats2meet style. And we all know that new things can be scary. But you’re not alone and you have nothing to lose by asking help in the S2M ecosystem. The worst thing that can happen is you get a no and what I like about no’s is that they are never definitive.

2. Expect Social Capital in a indirect way

Social Capital is based on A-synchrone reciprocity. You have to trust that you will receive when you start with giving. To make this trust part easier: it’s a law of nature, when you give you’ll receive. The more you give, the more you receive. But you don’t know when, where, from who and how much. Give your abundance, then there is no lost at all.

3. Keep the community open

The strength of the coworking movement is diversity. Like an ecosystem in nature, a community like this needs new resources: people, knowledge, events and other activities, etc.

4. Don’t ask money for a coworking seat

If you ask coworkers to pay money, you can’t ask them to pay in social capital as well. If they pay with money, it means they don’t have to be open to meet you and the others. It kills the diversity and immediately the ecosytem.

Note: that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make money. You need it to stay alive and keep the ecosystem going. Create a business model with both social and monetary capital.

Now here is the biggest tip of the day.

5. Don’t. Only. Facilitate.

Showing your hospitality is good, but you have to connect yourself too. Otherwise you’re still not connected to that movement and taking part in that ecosystem. And you won’t receive your added value.

Oh no, this is the biggest, biggest tip

6. Have fun

Enjoy the adventure, because that’s what it is

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7 Places which got creative to attract people

Attracting people somewhere is no easy task. Even in places like Amsterdam, although it is ALWAYS full of tourists, there are always places that are empty and other that have one hours waiting. What is the trick of those places that are always full? Well, there is marketing and a hype that goes around it. Make the king go once to eat your apple pie and there you have it. A place that is always full.

Some places don’t have a lot of money for marketing or for some reason the king just didn’t go there, so they get creative. See a list of places who got very creative when it comes to attracting people.

Hawaiian Lions

If there is one thing we learned from the internet is that people love cats. This shelter in Hawaii went extreme and filled the place with 500 cats. There they walk free, there are no cages and people can visit from 10am to 3pm. The result? People go there from all over the world to be surrounded by the cats. They can adopt any cat or sponsor one of them. I am buying my ticket right now! A similar place is Cat Café Nekorobi in Japan, where you can go to sip a tea and cuddle kittens at the same time.

2. Huge Café

The cafe/lab from the creative agency huge bought pokemon incenses so the people who are there can catch em all without moving. As we can see with a lot of examples pokemons do, indeed, creates a traction of people. Until this cafe place bought incenses, people weren’t really diggin it. But those guys knew how to take advantage of the game.

3. De Kas

A greenhouse in Amsterdam was scheduled to be demolished, instead a michelin star chef saves it. What is it right now? The freshest restaurant in town. The differential in that restaurant is that every dish is made with ingredients that were collected that same day in the their own farm, next to the restaurant. As Beyonce would say, fresher than you.

4. Het Arrestuhuis

Another dutch place that used a building without use to a totally different purpose. The hotel in Roermond is located in a old prison and transformed all the 150 cells in room for guests that are going to the town or are curious to stay in a hotel. It worked both as a reuse of a place and as a marketing strategy.

5. Ristorante Grotta Palazzese

If we take advantage of the structures that we already have and don’t use anymore, why not take advantage of the nature as well? This restaurant in Puglia, Italy used a cave as its space. Now peple can sit in a table, inside a cave and have diner there. The restaurant got it the news worldwide when it opened.

6. Ice hotel

You might remember this one from the James Bond movie “Die another day”, where he goes to a hotel entirely made of ice. This hotel exists and you can book it right now. People go there not only because of the ice, but James Bond also helped it a lot.

7. Airbnbs rooms

There are a lot of airbnb rooms that take advantage of their out of route location, architecture or themes. Airbnb did this top 40 places wishlist where you can stay in a Downton Abbey country house style in the country side of England, inside the watch tower of the St. Pancras station, a seashell house in Mexico, a container home in Spain or an astronomic hotel in Chile.

In the end there are people who do the extraordinary to attract a lot of people to their place, but there are some other who just use what is in their reach and that can be extraordinary too. Take a detail and make a twist!

 

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