• Wharton has invited the country's aspiring entrepreneurs to compete in its Business Plan Competition. Though your group may not have the funding of a VC firm, see if you can gather enough corporate and community donations for a $500 contest. Recruit entrepreneurs in your city (local colleges may offer a good recruiting ground) to particpate in your own CoF VC contest. Invite them to present their business models at a future group meeting and award a winner. Invite local venture capitalists to critique the proposals and weigh in on the voting. Are there any ideas you would invest your money in?
• In a separate or joint activity, have five local charities come in and present their fundraising pitches. Critique and compare the pitches and question the participants on their Charity Navigator ratings. See if you can raise a cash prize to donate to the 'winning' pitch.

Go on a hunt to find businesses or organizations making buzz in your community. Ask your group what charitable acts they would commit in the name of a brand and what about the brand inspires them to the extent that BellyWashers affects children? See if you can start your own buzz campaign. First identify a product your group feels is worth promoting. Then work on finding 'bees' to spread the word; where do you look for them? What else is required to obtain tangible results, and how can you manage the lifespan of the buzz?

Businesses may always be searching to improve teamwork, but in sports it might be more essential. In the spirit of Suzanne Pogell's sailing school and Paul Schaye's historic ride, organize a group outing on the water (sailing, canoeing, even paddleboats) or a bike trip. On the boat take mental notes of the required duties of each member of your crew. Who is dependent on whom, and can you draw any parallels to corporate divisions? If cycling, take note of the recent Tour de France. In professional cycling a whole team strategically rides to bank their chances on one member winning an individual prize. While your ride through the park may not work like that, are there comparable situations in your industry -- where a whole team wards off the competition so one person can excel? How do you decide who that one person is, and how do you reconcile any jealousy that may arise?

Daniel Richards contributed this month's Next Steps.

August 2003 Connexus | Flash Points | Next Steps

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