A busy week

It's been a hectic week here at Synergy Centre - what with hosting the iFactor finals on Monday night (www.innovationfactor.blogspot.com); welcoming John Green for a Franchising Juice on Tuesday morning; and spending Wednesday with our EPP participants making their parting pitches! As if I didn't have enough on my plate I had to run the gauntlet of Vincent Browne last night (http://www.tv3.ie/shows.php?request=tonightwithvincentbrowne). Now I know how our entrepreneurs feel when grilled on their business plans! The Juice was particularly interesting though as John took us through the pros and cons of being both a franchisee and a franchisor. For our client companies I noted the necessity to have been in business long enough to have acquired a track record and ideally to have trialled the franchise concept once in a "safe" environment before selling on.

From Bunker to Boardroom

Okay - I've twisted his arm, but I honestly think it will be fascinating! Martin Toner, golf guru and mind-man will visit us on the morning of Tuesday, 21st of July for the next Juice session on balancing your work and your life. I've been aware for some time that the myriad of concerns - all the things that you have to do, and all the things that might possibly go wrong - can become paralysing for entrepreneurs. The mortgage payment competes with the technology prototype; the search for a plumber with the search for a funder, networking (IT) with networking(in person). If you stop to think about it all you might never get started again. And bizarrely, when I wondered what to do about this Martin popped into my head. You see, playing sport is a lot like this - when you stop to think you lose your momentum. And yet if you don't play smart, you will never be the best. Martin gets in the minds of athletes and helps them to do both - think, be smart, but don't get paralysed. Hope I'm not overselling it but really looking forward to the 21st.