So it's been nearly 30 days since I started this weblog, and not much longer since I decided to endeavour on the journey of learning about the world of sound + food and retail, and eventually opening a business there. The posting-rhythm on this blog has been going relatively well, I pretty much always have ideas on what to write about and, right now, already have material for the next 20 days (1 month of blogging), which is crazy!
I want to make it a monthly tradition to recap, both for my own benefit, because my topics tend to be very diverse; and for the benefit of the few readers that are passing by, because I think that blogs navigate terribly.
I will start with a recap of this blog, and then go through what I'm currently thinking about, and what the future will bring, both on- and off-line.
Previously, on Sounds + Food 'N' Retail...
So far, I've tried to approach the fields from different angles and relating pretty much any material I could find to it. User-response has not been great and the cause is probably that I need more focus, but let me attempt to bring together what I've thought about so far.
There are several issues, I felt I needed to focus on. One were my own vision and ideas about the business I would like to start, and initial thoughts were phrased in my posts on:
- My vision and inspirations part 1 and 2;
- Music venue scenarios.
- P&G's approach to shopper-marketing;
- NBC's disassociated relationship with Apple's iTunes and customers in general;
- Starbucks and how it works with 3rd parties to create a better space;
- Platforms - how Facebook does it.
Tschibo and LaPlace; NBC; McDonalds; Starbucks, as well as the country of China and its explosive growth.
Coming up, in Sound + Food 'N' Retail...
So, so, so much! If this enterprise were climbing Mount Everest, I would say that I'm still planting my tent. So far, I have looked at a number of topics and formed some understanding of the principles of people-organisations, as well as some understanding of my own values towards running a business. That will continue for some time.Generally, for this blog, I've decided on some regular features that I want to hold in the future, including:
- News from the hive - where I discuss stories of note about retail and/or food;
- Media-interludes - which really is just an excercise in taste;
- Strategic discussions - like the HBR-discussions, where I discuss issues of how to structure business-activities;
- Personal development - where I discuss methods of improving both yourself and your staff;
- Personal vision - where I discuss my own plans in the industry (much of this is also engrained in the material that I write about);
- Inspirations - where I highlight people and businesses that I admire and discuss their sites / books / work etc.
I have to admit that, at this stage, anything can change. I am looking for a relevant job, and have a number of considerations regarding this, which I will write about in the near future. I think that being in the right place at the right time can accelerate a lot of things, alternatively, I may love my job so much that I could decide to stay for a while longer. I'm also composing a list about what people I want to talk to and what places I need to visit. One event is still on my agenda, visiting a workshop for entrepreneurs in this field, next month in Amsterdam. I hope to meet a lot of interesting people there.
My passion for this field has been with me since I shopped for food with my parents as a teenager; or went on holiday, or ate at restaurants and danced at clubs. It is part of me, so this blog, in whatever shape it may develop, will continue for a long time to come.
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