Tech giant Google already has been credited with changing the way we think about, search for and process information. So why shouldn’t it have a go at shaping the way we work, as well?
In recent years, an ever-growing effort called Google for Entrepreneurs has used programs, partnerships and Google products to empower entrepreneurs in 100 countries. From offering free online courses to establishing tech hubs — with mentoring sessions, workshops, accelerator programs, immersion opportunities, competitions and more in between — Google for Entrepreneurs (www.google.com/entrepreneurs) has been sharing wisdom, insight and encouragement across the globe.
OK, so maybe you haven’t thought about the way a Google app might help your car wash startup. Or whether Google AdWords could help drive business through your website. Perhaps you think there would be nothing you could learn from a North American Google Tech Hub — one of the seven cities Google designated in 2013 as a natural home for developers and the wider tech community to engage directly with companies and training partners like Google.
But perhaps you’re wrong. In many ways, business is still business, no matter what that business happens to be. And the emerging themes of collaboration, innovation, creativity and support paramount to the Google efforts might be worth a closer look.
Don Ball, founder of CoCo coworking and collaborative space in Minneapolis, Minn., and Chris Plunkett, director of media relations for Communitech in Waterloo, Ontario, took a moment to share best practices from this ever-changing entrepreneurial community. CoCo and Communitech each have been named tech hubs, along with other partners in Chicago, Ill.; Nashville, Tenn.; Durham, N.C.; Detroit, Mich.; and Denver, Colo.
And then there are Google’s accelerator programs, which tend to provide seed capital, expert and market-based feedback and extensive mentorship in bringing businesses to life. The programs are highly competitive, and they may be focused according to industry, sector or even under-represented population. They also will likely require giving up some equity in your company, so it may not be the best fit.
But since the start-ups of today will likely be the grand-scale successes of tomorrow — not to mention the gold standard by which all businesses may be run — why not get in on the ground floor, no matter what the industry?
Plunkett and Ball, who rub shoulders with entrepreneurs in collaborative work spaces and programs regularly, offer the following entrepreneurial business suggestions for the most to the least tech-aware:
In many areas, collaborative work spaces are popping up. Think of them as the step beyond networking with your laptop at the local coffee shop. In these areas, entrepreneurs from a wide variety of industries may rent space, hold meetings or take advantage of bumping into other individuals with their sights set on success.
“This kind of space allows for grabbing a cup of coffee with someone and thinking things through together,” Plunkett said. On an even more practical level, it can lower overhead for the office space — and allow the business owner to expand or contract as needed. Such a place may not be available in your area — yet — but have a look online at the events section of the Google for Entrepreneurs page; a networking session might well come to town soon. In the meantime, check out your area chamber of commerce for opportunities, or join entrepreneurial groups through, for example, LinkedIn, or a Google+ community. Just join the conversation.
This is especially so for those in under-represented groups (including, for example, women, Latino and/or African-American business owners); Google’s accelerator efforts with these groups again focus mainly on tech start-ups, but it can’t hurt to seek out and share with others facing challenges unique to the population. Ball’s organization has a goal of increasing its female membership, for example, to 50 percent; at current it’s 32 percent. The focus is on tech there, too, but with both genders, diversity of business lines abounds; the clientele includes a new distillery and an ice cream shop.
Today’s entrepreneurs are by and large a young lot; there’s a whole generation, Ball said, that missed the past “requirement” of working for a corporation before going off on their own. As a result, he said, “as this younger generation jumps into business, they do so without a whole lot of real-world experience. They might have great programming skills, they might know their way around social media, but they know nothing about having a business plan, or financing, or how to do accounting, or even how to understand the cost of doing business.” As a result, entrepreneurs willing to be part of a collaborative environment may find opportunities to both learn and teach, based on their skill set.
In the car wash industry, investing in the right equipment is an important step on the road to success — as is knowing when to upgrade or diversify. Beyond what just gets the cars clean, however, what about being able to store your documents securely in the cloud, or handling your calendar more effectively?
Those in different fields offer different viewpoints and may provide a key to infusing new life or creating new directions for your business. What about new ways of using social media or online marketing, for example, to drive customers in? Again, taking from Google, free online learning includes topics such as raising your first million and building your team, in addition to the more tech-based offerings.
The Google Tech Hubs cater mostly to tech start-ups, but the basic principles still apply: Plunkett noted that many tech entrepreneurs, for example, lack skills in areas such as marketing, sales and human resources. It could be the same for those opening a car wash. “Now, more than ever, people need to learn some kind of business fundamentals,” Ball added. “A lot of people jumping into business aren’t very business-literate. Anybody can start a business, but there can be gaps in knowledge. My hope is that we can help fill in those gaps as soon as possible so they don’t end up as roadkill.”
In many ways, starting your own business is easier than ever before. “But that also means there are many new businesses that don’t turn out to be great ideas,” Ball said. “There are a lot more people who will try but also a lot more who are failing.” In Silicon Valley, the birthplace of digital technology, the folks tend to be much less risk-averse; chances are, they’ve seen success and failure in the past, and they know how to continue moving forward regardless.
Whether the first business or the 50th, however, the willingness to take advantage of all resources available — even from the tech industry — helps entrepreneurs continue moving forward toward success. Plunkett’s organization currently has about 120 start-ups working in the space, in addition to representatives from larger companies. As a result, he said, there’s plenty of opportunity for learning at hand — including from direct competitors.
“There are times you can learn from each other that it doesn’t have to be cutthroat,” he said. “You can learn best practices from others in the industry. …We very much believe in collaboration. Working together raises all boats.”
The Communitech Hub, 44,000 square feet dedicated to world-leading collaboration and innovation, is located in the Kitchener, Ontario, historic Tannery District.
Tech hubs like this one in Waterloo, Ont., are vibrant communities for networking.
Google Tech Hubs, announced in September 2013, are all about supporting entrepreneurs, wherever they may be. The location of the seven hubs is an indication that innovation is not just limited to Silicon Valley — and that community is where you find it. Each partner is, according to Google, a top-notch space fueling entrepreneurship. Those partners and their cities include:
• 1871, Chicago, Ill.
• American Underground, Durham, N.C.
• CoCo, Minneapolis, Minn.
• Communitech, Waterloo, Ont.
• Galvanize, Denver, Colo.
• Grand Circus, Detroit, Mich.
• Nashville Entrepreneur Center, Nashville, Tenn.