Posted under Latest News, News on May 11th, 2012 by Philip Allen / 4 Comments

If you have encountered Open Source as a software product or Website CMS platform, you’ll know that the literal meaning is free distribution and access to the products design and implementation.

I am pleased to see the principle taken on by a local business group, where I recently became a member.

Last month I was offered the chance to introduce myself to the PLATO group through a brief talk on a subject of interest, and then the group would vote on whether I could provide value and fit in comfortably with the other members.

I have to confess I am sceptical of business groups and business networks.

I have dipped my toe in over the years and my feeling is people looking for an easy route to new business because their existing marketing structures aren’t working usually frequent these type of networks.

If they were working, they’d be back in the office managing the colossal pipeline their activities were generating.

These people all seem to be less intent on contributing, and more intent on seeing who can give them the next bit of business.

Sceptical though I was, this particular group is chaired by a long-standing client who is very successful and enigmatic to boot.

So I took up the invitation and chose to talk about the three phases of search behaviour. The talk went down well and a few of the members started to think differently about how they were approaching search.

I also learned a lot about the problems people are facing making decisions relating to Web.

One member paid several thousand pounds for a Website two-years ago that he had propagated and organised himself..

He knew he needed to optimise it for search engines and had received two quotes. One quote was a few thousand for SEO but not on his current site (because the vendor couldn’t work with the platform), and the other was a quote for £800.00 to build a brand new Website with full SEO.

In the members’ own words, “How am I supposed to make sense of all of this?”

Moving on, I was pleased to receive an Email from the chair the next day stating I was in.

I looked forward to attending my first PLATO meeting.

So the event went down yesterday and what an interesting experience it was.

Eight attendees, sitting casually around a boardroom table, drinking tea and eating cakes.

The agenda, is each member taking it in turns to share the details of a subject they are currently experiencing in their respective businesses.

Phil spoke about his experiences with a type of psychometric testing.

Tony spoke about his progress on a distance learning business management course.

Danny spoke about his problems with insurance renewal hikes (which set Dean off on a very passionate speech about the hidden problems of buying through comparison sites)

Dave spoke about his need to go to the next level of ISO accreditation and the challenges that bought, and Paula talked about the exploitation of discrimination laws by jobseekers on the gravy train.

I spoke about how Digital Agencies needed to become more agile and explained what we were doing to meet the fast changing needs of our customers.

The meeting lasted 2 hours and we all learnt something useful that would contribute to our own businesses.

We wrapped up by chewing the fat, discussing the prospect of a BBQ at the Chairs new house, and wondering if we should take Tony up on his offer to get us up in his glider.

So why do I find this concept so productive:

Well firstly, the environment was relaxing and open.

I didn’t have 30 people thrusting business cards in my face, and I didn’t waste an hour eating a three-course meal whilst watching the tone of conversation go down as more people got smashed on the free wine.

I didn’t feel obliged to trade services, in the style of, “Ok, so you need your Website, I suppose I have to buy some insurance.”

I also wasn’t asked to pay a membership fee.

What I did do, was learn some valuable information about subjects I didn’t previously know about.

I learnt more about where different businesses underutilise the online channel, and I learned more about the real challenges facing companies who are trying to make sense of digital.

It was the  “Open Source” philosophy in action and I can’t wait for the next meeting.

Thinking Of Setting Up Your Own Open Source Style Business Group?

If you fancy a setting up an Open Source Business Group in your region, here are a few Do and Don’ts based on what I have seen so far:

• Do have a business chair that has the energy to keep the group moving in the right direction.
• Do select your members carefully, because sometimes you are sharing sensitive information about business issues you might not air in an open business network.
• Do make sure you have members whose first priority is to contribute, and not to gain.
• Do make sure you all gel – you don’t want stiffs standing on their own at the next BBQ.
• Do keep the numbers manageable, 20 is probably a realistic maximum and this means 12 to 15 will normally attend each meeting.

• Don’t consider this approach if your primary focus is winning new business.
• Don’t consider this if you have nothing useful to contribute.

If you do start an Open Source Business Group;

• Don’t open it up to all and sundry, it will loose its focus.
• Don’t try and monetise it.
• Don’t use a Hotel for a venue – you don’t need free wine and a three-course meal to make this work – tea and cakes is fine.

Have you any experiences of similar groups or have got something relevant to comment on? Feel free and fire way.

Posted under Latest News, News on April 30th, 2012 by Philip Allen / No Comments

We are please to have helped the Insulate It Group launch an innovative internal insulation product onto the UK market.

AERO-THERM® uses Nano-technology to reflect heat directly back into an internal space rather than trying to stop heat transferring through an external surface.

After securing distribution rights for the United Kingdom and Ireland, Insulate It Group needed to publicise the product quickly so mwa Digital recommended a fast prototype exercise with a final build in xHTML.

Posted under Latest News, News on March 27th, 2012 by Philip Allen / No Comments

Early Symptoms Alzheimer’s, the online resource for patients, relatives, carers and just about anyone worried out the early signs of dementia has been nominated for the ‘Best Non-Profit’ Website built with Drupal in the 2012 Blue Drop Awards.

Built by mwa Digital in conjunction with London PR agency Tudor Reilly, Early Symptoms Alzheimer’s was launched on World Alzheimer’s Day 2011.

The site delivers valuable resource to users in five languages: English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

The Drupal CMS, which has been customised by mwa Digital allows team members at Tudor Reilly to add, edit and delete content in any of the languages.

www.earlysymptomsalzheimers.com