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Hotelier Chip Conley shares with TED audiences how his company embraced happiness in its business model. Inspired by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need and a Buddhist king, Conley learned the importance and value of “the intangible of happiness.”

Last 7 July, the IMF updated its World Economic Outlook and is now expecting the world economy to grow at around 4.5% in 2010 and 4.25% in 2011. That is, increasing by 0.4 percentage points its growth estimate for 2010 and leaving 2011 intact.

This better short-term outlook for 2010 is product of a rosier picture in emerging economies (especially in Latin America and Developing Asia).

• Manage the information that’s publicly available about you as professional
• Find and be introduced to potential clients, service providers, and subject experts who come recommended
• Create and collaborate on projects, gather data, share files and solve problems
• Be found for business opportunities and find potential partners
• Gain new insights from discussions with likeminded professionals in private group settings
• Discover inside connections that can help you land jobs and close deals
• Post and distribute job listings to find the best talent for your company

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Best business schools according to the FT

The Financial Times (FT) publishes its ranking of global MBA programs every year. Its ranking attempts to “assess the effect of the MBA on … subsequent career progression and salary growth.” Consequently it draws its data from the schools themselves and from surveys of graduates at least three years after earning their MBA degree.

In building its rankings, FT analyzes “alumni salaries and career development; the diversity and international reach of the business school and its MBA program; and the research capabilities of each school.”

In comparison to the traditional rankings by Bloomberg BusinessWeek and U.S. News and World Report that focus on U.S. MBA programs only, the FT Global MBA Ranking includes international MBA programs as well as domestic U.S. schools together.

The top five business schools according to the FT global ranking and its three-year average rank are:

1. London Business School
2. The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania
3. Harvard Business School
4. Columbia Business School
5. Stanford University GSB

Recently, I heard about Fred Wilson and I wondered who he was. He is a New York-based venture capitalist and a very famous blogger. Wilson is the co-founder of Union Square Ventures, a venture capital firm with investments in Web 2.0 companies such as Twitter, del.icio.us, FeedBurner, Boxee, foursquare, tumblr, zynga, among many others.

Wilson has a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from MIT and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Fred Wilson: 10 Ways to Be Your Own Boss from 99% on Vimeo.

1. Know the sweet spot. VCs have types of companies and industries they tend to invest in, as do partners. If you do not match their investment criteria or fit into their area of expertise, you need to find another VC. No matter how good the idea. Do your homework, just as you would do before a sales call. Find out what they like to invest in and why.
2. Reach out and get connected. Your company’s ability to communicate with the outside world is directly related to a VCs willingness to fund you. Get the word out about your personal brand and the company’s efforts and manage the information about you from the start. This means more networking, attending conferences, engaging industry leaders, blogging, tweeting and generally be active in the social media world. Your ability to network and publicize your business is directly related to how well you will be able to sell your product. And remember, VCs view cold-calling as a sign of weakness. Emailing a partner directly with no introduction from a connected contact just screams “desperate.” Navigate to a strong, warm introduction every time.
3. Think like a risk manager. Every salesperson will tell you: sales 101 is getting inside the head of your target customer. For a VC, a funding decision revolves around minimizing risk and maximizing profit. Don’t make them uncover the risks. Feature them as part of your pitch and lay out your plan for managing the risks. Provide realistic assumptions—nothing kills a deal faster than when a VC rolls their eyes at the hockey stick charts that promise great profit margin than a monopoly like Microsoft! Project the image of a confident executor, not a dreamer.
4. Read the rest of this entry »