According to Business Insider what makes Facebook different from other big tech companies like Google or HP is Mark Zuckerberg’s passion for his mission rather than a passion for profits.

As Mark reportedly said to the Huffington Post ”I think the biggest difference between Facebook and other companies is how focused we are on our mission . . . Different companies care about different things. There are companies that just really care about having the biggest market cap. Or there are companies that are really into process or the way they do things. Hewlett Packard, right? The thing that you always hear about them is ‘the HP Way.’ . . . Google, I think, is very tied to their culture — they really love that. For us, it is the mission: building a company that makes the world more open and connected. The articulation of that has, I think, changed over time. But that’s really been, like, the belief the whole time.”

It’s a lesson we would all do well to emulate. Most business people are too busy chasing the buck to consider what their business is actually really all about.

One of the most oft ignored rules of thumb in business is that “income follows assets” Whether tangible bricks and mortar or your companies Intellectual Property, the greater your asset the greater your potential for income. The mere act of considering and consolidating your IP will significantly improve your potential for income and if you spend time building that IP your income is likely to benefit enormously. This is exactly what Facebook have been doing the past 8 years and at 28 Mark Zuckerberg is just about set to firmly establish himself as the world’s second youngest* billionaire with the Facebook IPO taking place this Friday.

So perhaps we should be adding a further twist to the maxim turnover’s vanity and profit is sanity which is simply this…

Max on the mission!

Everything else will just fall in line, believe me.

*Second youngest  to his ex college roommate and Facebook’s third employee Dustin Moskovitz

Launched in April 2012, Digital Business Brighton is the new way of doing business digitally.

As an independent business person  you understand the pressure to constantly keep up with the fast pace of change in a modern world. To know how best to spend what precious time you have in the most productive way. Trying to juggle all the aspects of running a business is tough and the demands just keep getting bigger and more frequent.

It all seemed so much easier before, when you first started or when you were still in employment and didn’t have to take responsibility for every little part of your business. More and more these days, we’re encouraged to take control and DIY every part of what we do and sometimes it feels like it’s all too much.

Of particular concern for many business people is how best to keep up with technology. Every day seems to bring another challenge and every month another method or another marketing avenue. The proliferation of networking sites just goes on and on and I constantly hear business people asking “How do I cope with this? What should I be doing?”

The good news is you’re not alone. Your competitors are all facing the same kind of doubts and dilemmas. The bad news for you is that some of them are already embracing the change and making the difference to their future business success.

Digital Business Brighton will help steer you through the minefield that is Social Media and Social Networking and give you a clearly defined strategy for the future of your business. From adopting a digital mindset to putting a Facebook campaign in place, Digital Business Brighton will help you make sense of technology, giving you more time, more money and less stress in your business and personal life.

Need a Facebook page? We can help you build one? Want a Twitter campaign? We can do that too. More importantly we’ll sit down with you and discuss why you think you need it in the first place and how best you can manage to fit it into your busy schedule.

For further information about how Digital Business Brighton will make a difference to your business why not drop us a line or give us a call.

We look forward to hearing from you

Mike Turner - Brighton’s Digital Business Manager

Mob: 07943 866973

Last week Penny Power published her white paper ”Exploiting the Future Potential of Social Media within UK Small to Medium Enterprises”.

In it she proposes that the future prosperity of Britain will be met by Small to Medium Enterprise, but that in order to meet the demands of the future we will first need to recruit an army of digitally savvy youths to help take us forward into the digital age.

Penny recommends the forming of Social Media Apprenticeships, the adoption of social media within the education system and investment in “digital” as being the answer to youth unemployment and the driver to an economic recovery but is this really enough?

The Summer of Discontent this country faced just a few weeks ago while the white paper was receiving it’s finishing touches suggests that the only “digital” our countries youth are interested in are Blu Ray players and flat screen TVs and new smartphones to help organise some rioting and looting in order to be able to obtain them for nothing.

In a world crammed full of X Factor, “reality” TV and lottery Euromillions, young people are encouraged to believe that luck, minor celebrity and dubious talent are all it takes to get on in life and that hard work and sacrifice are only for mugs.

Are today’s young people prepared to consider a low paid apprenticeship when their only knowledge of apprentices are the ones that stand to earn a £250,000 deal with Alan Sugar?

With university fees now set across the country at £9000 pa will next year’s school leavers be prepared to take on £50,000 of debt before they even leave full time education?

With unemployment rising amongst the 16 to 24 year old age group to 20% will there even be a job there for them when they do finish university and if there is will it ever earn them enough to repay their student loans?

From a global perspective where Britain stands so far behind the rest of the world from an economic and technological perspective that we’re practically a third world country do today’s young Britons even stand a chance of competing in a future world market?

These are the kind of questions I am hoping will be answered at The Big Debate

The Big Debate will feature a panel of MPs, educators, economists and others hoping to find a solution to the question…

Is there a Digital Future for Young Britons?

What do you think? Is even more investment in “digital” the answer to Britain’s woes? What are you doing to help yourself and your own business, let alone your community and your country to further your knowledge and build a digital future? Will a social media apprenticeship programme make a difference to Britain’s young people or is it too little too late? Does anybody even care any more?

Do you have the answer?

A brand new and exciting addition to the 2011 Brighton Digital Festival, Digital Business Brighton brings together the most passionate, engaging and relevant leaders in social networking in the UK for a one day multi venue conference in Brighton.

A day packed with inspiring presentations, brilliant hands on workshops, informative seminars and panel discussions and 1 to 1 coaching sessions from social media and internet business experts with an added measure of networking, creativity and fun.

Discover

▪                How to create a successful online networking strategy for your company

▪                How to make best use of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn

▪                How to best integrate social networking into your organisation’s marketing plan

▪                How to ensure the best possible return on investment in time and resources

▪                How to measure the effectiveness of your online networking activity

▪                How to increase your market share and increase your company’s profitability

Expert Facilitators

▪                How to master Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+

▪                How to use YouTube to drive customers to your website

▪                How to develop content strategy for better blogging for business

▪                How to sell online using low cost and freely available e commerce tools

▪                How to maximise your customer database for email marketing and online sales

▪                How to use Search Engine Optimisation to get your brand noticed

▪                How to reach your customers with mobile marketing

▪                How to measure your social influence and the value of social capital

Free Profile Analysis Clinic

▪                Analysis of your online profile to help you determine what your Facebook and LinkedIn profile says about you

▪                Free head-shots from professional photographer John Cassidy to enable you to immediately take the first step to improving your online presence

▪                Individual 1 to 1 coaching sessions to help you determine your future online strategy

Keynote Speeches

The launch of the white paper “Exploiting the Future Potential of Social Media within UK Small to Medium Enterprises.” written by Penny Power, author, speaker and founder of Ecademy, the UK’s largest online business network.

Blogging over Breakfast

A one hour special group blogging event to start the day and inspire both hardcore bloggers and beginners.

Cream Tea with Twitter

An opportunity for twitter addicts to meet together and network over a conference cream tea.

The After-Party!

With all this and a special after-party event Digital Business Brighton promises to be the most exciting networking conference of the year.

For further details or to be considered for inclusion in the programme or to discuss potential sponsorship please contact info@digitalbusinessbrighton.co.uk