Sole trader, Sole Proprietor businesses with a global customer base.

I was researching the topic of sole trader/sole proprietor businesses to see if such businesses could have global reach and a global customer base. I would say that they can. It depends, however on what type of business is being operated.

My proposed sole trader business deals with digital products and services, consulting, training and coaching services. I may also offer select physical tangible products for sale in the future. One of these products would be the RI 22 Smart Pills. My business model would primarily be e-based.

Here is some info on sole trader businesses.

Can cater to the needs of local people - a small business in  a local area can build up a following in the community due to trust.

As a sole proprietor you can operate any kind of business as long as you are the only owner. It can be full-time or part-time work. This can include:

A one person consulting firm

My business would fall under the above definition.

Here are a few definitions for community.

A community lets people who share a common interest communicate with one another.

Virtual communities are an example of a large and extended community.

Since the advent of the internet, the concept of community has less geographical limitation, as people can gather virtually in an online community and share common interests regardless of physical location.

I am offering my services via my facebook f-commerce site. Facebook is a social networking site and it is also somewhat of an online community. When reading the above definitions for the term community, you can see that the business community can have a massive global reach thanks to internet technology.

Creating a Knowledge Base is a Worthwhile Investment.

In this post, I will be giving insight into a new and enlightening perspective I have gained for knowledge bases.



Here is a definition of a Knowledge Base.

A knowledge base is a centralized repository for information.

Here are a couple of definitions of the term 'Investment'.

A devoting, using, or giving of time, talent and emotional energy, etc, as for a purpose or to achieve something.

Investment in time, energy, or matter spent in the hope of future benefits actualized within a specified date or time frame.

I use the following devices to store my knowledge base into: External hard drives, DVD's, CD's, USB flash drives. I place articles and other pieces of information into my knowledge base. I create folders such as Research, My ideas etc. I am adding to the research folders on an ongoing basis. I study the research folder and other folders regularly. This is a good practice. I have spotted new things which I had previously missed, when I spend time studying my research files. Whenever I get new ideas through my studies, I make sure that I document these ideas and place them into the 'my ideas' folder. I back my folders up into the various storage devices I own. These ideas can blend in with other ideas in order to come up with a whole new idea based upon analysis of past data. In other words, as you keep adding to your knowledge base, new and powerful ideas will materialize.

When you think about it, the storage devices mentioned above, do not cost too much money. However, the data which can be stored in these devices can become future gold mines.I have been collecting articles and other forms of data for quite a few years now. I only recently found out about 'data collection'. I had implemented a form of data collection without consciously being aware of it. I usually store text based articles into my knowledge base. However, I have also started to add videos, audio files etc as well. I have come up with some creative business ideas through the work I have put into my knowledge base. If these ideas succeed, it will testify to the fact that gold can truly be discovered through knowledge bases. Knowledge bases are not limited to business alone. The sciences, arts and other fields can also benefit from the creation of knowledge bases.

I found an interesting segment from a research web site:

Collection of data from secondary sources is a treasure hunt and we are  skilled researchers with an eye for diamonds.

Source: datacollectionservices.net

In the past, great inventors, scientists, artists, entrepreneurs, would document their ideas, prototypes etc into paper based journals or large note pads etc. Nowadays we are lucky enough to have the internet and storage devices which we can use instead of paper based knowledge bases. We are saving trees when we store our knowledge bases into electronic platforms. The other advantage to electronic storage is that this method does not take up too much physical space.

My Views on Community Development and Community Learning and Development.

Through my ongoing research, I have come to realize that I have been instinctively incorporating elements of community development and community learning and development work as part of my own consulting work. Below, you will find a few definitions for the aforementioned terms:


Community Development.

Community development is a process where community members come together to take collective action and to generate solutions to common problems.

Community development seeks to empower individuals and groups of people by providing them with the skills they need to affect change in their own communities.

Some of the aims of community development are as follows:

Become more responsible, create employment and economic opportunities, achieve social, economic, cultural and environmental goals.


Community Learning and Development.

Community learning and development is learning and social development work with individuals and groups in their communities using a range of formal and informal methods.

We define community-based learning as the broad set of teaching/learning strategies that enable youth and adults to learn what they want to learn from any segment of the community. By community, we are including the schools, formal and informal institutions in one's neighborhood, and the entire world through such resources as the internet.

As you can see from the above definition, the internet is now recognized as a learning and development tool. The amount of information available online is mind boggling. Sites such as Facebook and Google plus pages are excellent platforms through which learning can be delivered. With these two platforms, community learning and development initiatives have colossal reach. For example, I have a Facebook page for my School of The Remote Influencer concept. Through this page, I have students from countries as widespread as Africa and the USA. I have shared knowledge with these students while being separated by vast geographic distances. Google plus pages offer the ability to create video hang outs. Other tools can be used also: Skype, e-mail instant messaging, even traditional phones, mobile, cellular phones - which are commonly used by e-consultants and e-life coaches.

To conclude, the internet is a powerful tool for community development and for community learning and development initiatives.

Lifelong Learning - LLL and valuing Informal, Non Formal Learning.

I am following my own independent research, learning and training through my school: School of The Remote Influencer - SOTRI. I know I've mentioned SOTRI in this blog before. Sorry if I have repeated myself. There are two main aims at SOTRI. The first aim is to add to the Remote Influencing (RI) body of knowledge. The second aim is to use what I have learned through SOTRI to help society and the world at large.

Through my learning at SOTRI, I came to realize that the RI body of knowledge is vast. There is much to learn when it comes to RI. I am adding to the RI body of knowledge through my own independent, informal and non formal learning, which includes elements of Self Directed Learning - SDL, unschooling and DIY elements also. I could have followed a traditional educational path to aid me in my quest of adding to the RI body of knowledge. However, I found that the traditional methods did not work for me. They were too limiting, rigid and inflexible. That is why I chose the methods as previously mentioned above.

I found some interesting information on the benefits to society for Lifelong Learning. Here is a segment from an article I found via a Google search:

Across Scotland, learning is provided by:

Further education colleges
trade unions
employers
professional bodies
voluntary and community organizations
private training firms
community learning and development centres
secondary schools
higher education institutes

We believe in investing public money in lifelong learning because investment in knowledge and skills brings
direct economic benefits both to individuals and to society as a whole.

I noticed a gap in the above literature. Did you? In the list of learning providers, I see no listing for independent scholars, independent researchers, home educated students. Why aren't these forms of education listed or even valued for that fact? The interest in Self Directed Learning is growing on an exponential basis around the world. We will be seeing more and more students learning through these methods over the next few years and way into the future.

My learning is a blend of informal and non formal learning. I did some research into educational providers and private training organizations. According to the information I had read through, SOTRI is in fact an online school and it is also a training organization. I am providing my learning and training services via my web site and my facebook page. You will find these sites if you go to Google and type in: School of The Remote Influencer.

The learning attained through informal and non formal methods are sometimes hard to quantify. I am working on some unique projects through SOTRI. Some of my work revolves around creating an online business which can help many people. This idea is in beta test mode at present. I aim to help students to excel in their lives. The proof of whether SOTRI works or not will be in the concrete, real world, tangible results we obtain. There is value to SOTRI. Over the course of time, our results will testify to this fact.

Here is a link to article on Lifelong Learning and it's benefits:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2003/02/16309/17778

The above article is from Scotland. It still applies to many countries however.

My New Product/Invention: Portmag Keyholder.

I came up with a unique idea for a magnetic keyholder in 2011. I recently decided to actualize this idea and to turn the idea into a tangible, physical product: Portmag Keyholder - Portable Magnetic Keyholder. Here are a few photos of Portmag:

It is not always a good idea to store your house keys in one set place. If one day you accidentally place your keys in a different spot without being aware of it, you will have lost your keys. This would mean that you would gain stress and you would lose valuable time looking for your keys. Portmag is a backup solution for key storage. I used to place my keys solely in my bedroom. I found this quite limiting and time consuming. I have and I still do occasionally order items online. I have visitors on occasion also. In the past, if I had a delivery, or if I had visitors, I would had to have gone into my bedroom to find my keys. Now, I can place my keys onto my Portmag product which can be placed on my fridge, the mortise plate on either one of the doors closest to my front door. This makes answering my door quicker and more efficient. Portmag does what the product name says it can do: It is a portable, magnetic keyholder.   

Here are some benefits and features of Portmag:

• Portmag is a neodymium magnet with a black covering (Which can protect painted surfaces)
• No need for set up or installation etc
• Just stick it to the place of your choosing and you're set
• The black coloring makes it easier to spot
• You will be less likely to lose your keys
• It is a good idea to have different places to store your keys at
• Portmag can stick to metal mortise plates on doors, it can stick to a fridge (You can see a mortise plate in one of the above photos)
• The human brain associates doors with keys
• If you place Portmag on one of your doors, you will be able to find the keys quickly

Neodymium magnets are very strong. You will have to be a bit careful when you place the Portmag onto a mortise plate or a fridge. I have some more info on Portmag in PDF format. If you would like to read the PDF, please contact me and I will be more than glad to e-mail the file over to you.  

Here is a link to my Facebook ATO Consulting store link to Portmag:

http://www.atoconsultingdotcom.aradium.com/3lhgl https://aradium.com/3lhgl

Facebook pages and F commerce - Facebook web sites.

I believe facebook has great potential as an e commerce platform. The fact that facebook has over 1 billion users is food for thought when it comes to envisioning the potential for f commerce. A few months ago, in my local area, there were some road works in progress. I noticed a large sign posted on the main street which provided more info on the road works situation. I was surprised to see that a facebook web site was listed as the web site to contact if anyone wanted further information and updates etc.

I had contacted the above facebook page to ask them why they had chosen to use a facebook page instead of a regular web site. They told me that they were impressed with the functionality of facebook and at how easy it was to create facebook pages. Facebook pages can be accessed just like a regular web site. They are also available to be viewed around the world by anyone with internet access, just like regular web sites. Facebook pages are also very easy to update.

Last week I bought a bottle of Budweiser from my local shop. I read the label and I was taken aback when I noticed a facebook page listed on the label instead of their main web site. The label read: ' join us at', and then the facebook web address was listed. Through my research, I recognized that facebook pages can be of benefit to small businesses which are just starting out and/ or that are not generating huge amounts of revenue.

I have a facebook web site which has my digital products and services available for purchase. I have recently opened a facebook page for one of my new projects: RI 22 Smart Pills. I did not have the funds to create a separate web site for this new project. I therefore decided to create a facebook page instead. In this page, I have placed my facebook web site address as a contact web site. I have listed one of my consulting services related to RI 22 for sale in my facebook web site. These two pages compliment each other. I have to say also that I am impressed with google. When I type in: RI 22 smart pills or RI 22 pills, through Google, my facebook page comes up on the first page under the first few headings. When the page comes up, RI 22 smart pills comes up first and then the rest of the facebook url appears.

Self Directed Learning is making its way into therapy.

Through my on going research conducted under School of The Remote Influencer - SOTRI, I have come to discover that self directed learning is becoming very popular not only in education, learning and development; it is now also being effectively utilized in psychotherapeutic interventions as well.

Here is a link to an interesting article which provides more info on Self Directed Treatment:

http://www.wsps.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60

The self directed treatment which is described in the above article, is geared more towards mild or moderate mental health issues. In self directed treatment, the client or patient is given assignments to complete at home during their own time. These interventions have proven to be equally or sometimes even more effective than purely therapist controlled sessions.

In the UK, patients with mild to moderate mental health issues, may be given a prescription to read self help psychology books which can be obtained from local libraries, instead of taking prescription medication. This unique programme is called: Books on prescription. Here is a link to site which provides more info on this subject:

http://www.booksonprescription.org.uk/about-the-scheme

For people outside of the UK, you could research your area and find yourself suitable books to read through your local libraries As you will come to notice, the two web sites which are highlighted in this article, have incorporated self directed learning elements within them. New ideas can sometimes be modifications or improvements upon existing ideas. The books on prescription programme is based in part upon bibliotherapy.