Communityism

Communityism, that's what marketing and brand people would call it, or more simply, the man in the street doing the right thing. No matter what you call it, there is a large ground swell behind corporates, businesses and ordinary individuals to contribute back to society, a charity or the planet in one way or another. This giving can only benefit the world around us and the people that live in it. The editorial team here at The Espresso are very mindful that when we write about something we need to be able to back it up.  

Since 2007 when we started the Tour de Cure, it was to do just that, to give back to the community and to leave a legacy of some sort. Since that time we have raised just over $4 million dollars in cash contributions towards research, support and prevention of cancer in men, women and children. Using a lot of the tips, tools and processes we have described in the The Espresso over the last couple of years, the Tour de Cure is helping lots of people in lots of places to either find a cure or to assist them in their own personal battle whilst living with cancer. In two weeks time on the 1st of April, the 2011 Tour de Cure will leave the Channel 7 studios in Martin Place. The Channel 7 breakfast program Sunrise will kick us off on the journey from Sydney to Melbourne over the Snowies. 

So far we have raised $1 million dollars for this year's ride, but we still need more. The more we have the more we can help. We are putting our hand out to ask for your assistance. If you click the link below  you can contribute to the 2011 Tour de Cure and help men, women and children in the battle against cancer. if you are able to donate we promise to fly 100 kids who are currently living with cancer to Sydney for a camp with their parents, provide funds for research equipment for cancer cell and gene research, upgrade accommodation facilities for 18 patient home away from home units, plus a whole bunch of other initiatives that are to aid in the curing of cancer. We are committed to the cause and we hope you'll also join the fight.

The 2011 Tour De Cure

A Dollar a Day

Of all the ideas we have seen this year, this one has really captured our eye. For just $1 a day (literally) you can help hundreds of charities around the world via the website www.philanthroper.com . Rather than encouraging you to buy something every day, Philanthroper hopes that you will donate a single dollar each day to a highlighted charity on their website. Chicago based Philanthroper continuously scans the world for not-for-profit charities that are worth promoting. Then each day it picks one to feature and promote. It then hopes that you or I will go onto the website and via a secure payment system donate just one dollar a day to the profile of charities. The site believes that their preference for charities is for the ones that are still young and need help. Naturally these guys are always on the lookout but for a dollar a day with the notion of doing good for someone, somewhere around the world and with the variety of causes yet to support, this is surely a winner for everyone let alone the beneficiaries. 

Lets Face it. I've Got an MBA

Is there nothing you can't do with Facebook? Launched in late October last year, the London School of Business & Finance now offers an MBA program conducted entirely through a Facebook application. The LSBF in London has set up a full time recording studio on their campus that records material daily to students abreast of new content and the latest news. Developed by former Google employees, the LSBF allows people to study online through Facebook. If you are able to offer an MBA through Facebook, the mind boggles at what else could be done to bring new information, education and products to market through Facebook. It surely has to open up the creative side of our business and look at how we too can offer education through Facebook. It's worth checking out. LSBF founder Aaron Etingen said, 'Our new product uses the Facebook platform. We expect to get over 500,000 users in the first year, but that is a conservative estimate.'

My Weekly Hit

We are time poor, there is no doubt about that. So Toronto based WeeklyIndie have come up with an way of bringing you the latest indie music in order to keep you abreast of whats going on, expand your knowledge of new music and feed the appetite you have for discovery - yet all the while, saving you time. WeeklyIndy is a curated subscription model delivering ten hand picked indie songs to you (the subscriber) every week. They invite Indie artists to submit their songs to the WeeklyIndie website. They go through them, pick the ones they like and deliver it to you, the subscriber. Each week you receive ten new songs. It costs you $7.00(US) every month. There are a lot of upsides for the consumer in that you get to hear the latest music but it is also hand picked and delivered to you without you having to spend time sitting in front of the box or tuning into radio stations trying to find the songs yourself. It also saves you risking your hard earned, by buying or paying for an album where you may actually end up with a bunch of dogs. This could be a new mode for artists and record companies to talk to you and I...the music lover.