Egypreneur – Vlogging Phase

Hey Everyone,

This is just to inform everyone that I started a new phase with Egypreneur – the project that was supposed to be active more than a year ago. And just like everything else you find yourself in need of a long list of requirements to proceed with it.

Egypreneur or (Egyptian Entrepreneur Support Network) was started on Ning http://egypreneur.ning.com with very limited interaction since June, 2008. That was the announcement (here)

The project is supposed to be a social business network for Egyptian young entrepreneurs just like myself, the network itself is still in the development phase, well, it’s just a matter of some free time to get it sorted out. Plus, till then the project is active on the following Social Media facilities + the project blog currently in the home page http://www.egypreneur.com :

Facebook Group: http://groups.to/Egypreneur

Facebook Page: http://facebook.com/Egypreneur

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Egypreneur

YouTube: http://youtube.com/Egypreneur

The new phase will include online videos, presented by myself and anyone else interested and have something beneficial to say. The first video had been live yesterday, well, check the last post if you’re wondering about the poor quality of the video!

Watch on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IsQ_lhYNc4

So, I’ll be seeking to make videos and get the project known and lead the interaction through these videos. Will be making contacts and some PR work with business professionals who might have something to say or some help to offer.

But as you know me, If I didn’t move no body will, so, I flaw with the pants of my seat as usual and will go for it.

Will keep you posted and you give me some feedback, please!

– Abdo

Lifestyle Shift, Can We?

Hi Everyone,

Had been a long while since I posted something on my personal blog here, may be I was active more on Twitter but my lifestyle and way of thinking was hindering me from giving sufficient concentration to things that’s supposed to matter to me.

I’m undergoing a major change in responsibilities and goals, that puts me on constant pressure and sometimes leave me with some guilt not giving everyone what he/she might expect either from my personal time or business performance.

I’m from that type who think and plan a lot in a very sharp, practical way and then execute the plan in a sharper more persistent attitude. Also, I’m considerably hard to satisfy as of the quality of things I deliver, clients get satisfied and leave amazing lovely testimonials, while I’m leaving my eye with the details that could be enhanced in some sort..

Since I’m down for business – which completed 3 years last October, I think I was going with that attitude. I think I need to stop and think now; reorganize my priorities and expectations from my own self.

Also, professionally speaking, I had a geeky attitude in business in the last 3 years, I was so much into technicalities and getting attached to my own stuff. I’m currently getting more into making deals and finding what works right for my goals.

I need to take a break, perhaps not a short one to come out with a new attitude, organizing my personal papers/goals and get to my goals with the required persistent.

I’ll be heading to Alex for a few days in a trail to be with myself, thinking and going through my experience in the last 3 years, extracting lessons and deciding on a new attitude and altered lifestyle I’ll continue the next few moths with Insha’ Allah.

Wondering if you can help me with situations from your own experience? Can you relate to that?

Have you tried something similar before?

Were you able to alter your way of thinking, attitude and daily habits and what helped you in doing so?

Will keep you posted .. deep thoughts regarding the issue might be coming, though!

– Abdo

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/txd/16266610/

Reaching Out (2) – Starting an Online Business

Hi All,

This speech had been delivered by myself July, 21, at Cairo ToastMasters club.It was my 4th speech at the competent communicator track where my objective was “How To Say It” so while preparing this speech my main emphasis was picking the right words and forming the right phases and getting away from using jargon or difficult words. This speech is supposed to be from five to seven minutes.

By the way, I’ll rewrite the content in more details and publish it and make Vlogs about it in the future, really delivering these speeches inspired me with some business ideas that I’ll be executing in the coming few months. here, on DeveloperMan and Al-Adham Web Solutions.

Introduction

Last time we stated general points in reaching out to people on the internet and gave basic steps you had to follow in order to be successful in your online communication using different social networks. Let’s remember, it was “Be there, participate, engage and then personalize” Last Speech

This time, we’ll explore a new model of what’s called online businesses, where there is no physical office and business is totally being ran online by a freelancer or a team of freelancers. The same ideas apply to a company trying to expand its client-base through the internet.

This business model is found to be convenient by designers, programmers, IT professionals, writers and consultants.

There is 4 major steps that you should follow to run a successful online business.

Present

The first obvious step in running a successful online business is to have a strong online presence, that’s a website; the idea about your business is being reflected through your website, putting a small investment on getting your website done professionally will save a lot of troubles on the long run.

Having your own domain name is essential; it’s strange seeing some people still seeking to run online businesses using a freely hosted blogs or websites, investing $10 and getting your own domain name and email, is an essential step to run a successful online business. So, present yourself professionally, chose the right domains and create the right email addresses.

I remember when I was having a “computer networks” course with participants who were elder than me, I was eighteen at this time and most of them were at their mid or late twenties. We exchanged our contact information, and I gave them my fancy email at this time which was abdo37_sk3, the next session I accidentally heard a discussion where someone was asking have you added them, not all, look at that email, what an idiot! Why should I add him!

After that, I got my emails sorted out professionally, so having your own domain and emails will not only give your audience the smell of professionalism, but will save you from being labeled as an idiot too.

Seek

It’s not hard to get a professional online presence, it’s usually very quick and affordable, the difference is made by the marketing plan this online business will utilize to reach out to people.

Having a few pages about your business, won’t be more than getting some other pages stuck on the already dense internet, if it’s not backed by a strong marketing plan. The ultimate goal from marketing an online business should be putting your website in front of interested prospects’ eyes. The most famous techniques are:

The regular PR work: building relations with other already popular sites, adding the site to business directories

Paid advertising: where you can seek to show your website to a specific group of people filtered by age, gender or location interested in something specific.

SEO or search engines optimization: is helping your website being found by prospects searching for a certain keyword that you chose to optimize the website for.

Involve

The next step would be getting the visitors involved with the site the moment they see it to ensure it won’t be just a onetime visit. The repetition of the marketing message is what will convince those visitors to become interested and finally use your services. Some tools that are being used to involve visitors with the site are:

Newsletter: Is collecting visitors’ emails and sending them regular Email updates about your business, which is being considerably replaced by the next point.

Business blogs: Where articles and updates are being posted regularly on a part of the website and the audiences get involved with that content, by commenting and interacting.

Widgets: Involving people would be by finding where they frequently are, for example if they’re using Facebook regularly why not to make a Facebook page to your business and interact with them on it, you’ll find these widget things that will help you connect your site or blog with other famous networks where it’ll be much more easier for people to involve with you.

Manage

Congratulations, you’re now winning projects, and people are asking you to get their projects done. There is a lot of online communication and project management tools that will help you manage your projects effectively, starting from an IM and VoIP service like Skype, through which you can chat and talk with your clients to full project management tools and client management applications, where the client can check all the information about his project on a certain part of your website.

Conclusion

Through these four steps professional presentation, seeking the right audience, involving and engaging visitors and getting them interested in your service and finally managing the projects and the client communication the right way.

We could now, congratulate you on joining the league of successful online entrepreneurs.

Thanks

– Abdo

Sharing Link: https://www.abdomagdy.com/dzv9gb

Trust & integrity in business ..

Recently, I got disappointed with a few individuals and organizations who did what would normal people call preaching trust, but I’m really wondering what’s that called in the entrepreneurship sphere.

Don’t we speak day and night about the positive energy entrepreneurship brings to society and that everyone and anyone involved with such positive energy activities should be a reliable, trustworthy person or organization; while you can practically see a completely different image in your day to day dealings with different people and organizations

Understanding what “shit storm” might start referring to exact events and individuals. While I was advised that I don’t mention it at all, believing that such actions will go no where, I find it a good opportunity to learn a few lessons from.

Calling it “business”; individuals and organizations alike are expected to behave in their best interest. Starting a partnership can be really tricky and deciding what to mention and what not to mention at every communication can be really a hard job especially for those new to the “game”.

Getting information about something struggling to become can present an extremely valuable opportunity to pursue and if you have the opportunity to, come on why not to start this already, probably unethically pointing the middle finger to someone but who will ever know, let alone proving this.

“Claims” and “disputes” are usually the word to be used in such situation and let’s find away to be nice and work together leaving this aside would be a typical response. But still such experiences affect values like truthfulness, trustworthiness and directness that’s extremely hard to regain as it goes away and it’s a direct testimony about how a person or an organization behaves.

A straight forward approach and direct response when you’re faced with such allegation would be the solution if you have something to say, wouldn’t it? But provided there is nothing to respond with a generic response would be the only possible choice.

Finally, sometimes in life we find ourselves getting back to basic values we had been taught as kids, doing business is no different than any other human behavior and it’s governed with the same ethical principles, the value of what’s being done and what the dispute is all about is usually less important that the human experience.

And you find yourself saying: whatever things will turn out to be; at least, I won’t be unoriginal!

Do not wait ..

do not wait
FreeRangeLife on Flickr

قد حان الأوان .لا تعلق بناء حياتك على أمنية يلدها الغيب فإن هذا الإرجاء لن يعود عليك بخير . الحاضر القريب الماثل بين يديك و نفسك هذه التي بين جنبيك ، و الظروف الباسمة أو الكالحة التي تلتف حواليك ، هي وحدها الدعائم التي يتمخض عنها مستقبلك ، فلا مكان لإبطاء أو إنتظار

Inspired by the above statement by Sheick Mohamed El-Ghazaly and my recent life experience:

Don’t wait; don’t wait for investment to get your business rolling; just do it ..

Don’t wait; don’t wait to relocate to live the lifestyle you want; shift your mind ..

Don’t wait; don’t wait for this special moment that will transform you spiritually; live it  ..

Don’t wait; don’t wait for “credit” or “gratitude”; make it a part of the “deal” ..

Don’t wait; don’t wait to be understood and then respected; make it the only option ..

Do not wait .. do not wait .. do not wait ..