Must Reads

News around the dojo...

• Portfolio Life Alignment - Sohodojo founders Jim Salmons and Timlynn Babitsky are pleased to announce the rebranding and focus-narrowing evolution of our nanocorp. JFS Consulting is now Sohodojo Business Services! Our new small business services website is located at www.Sohodojo.BIZ. This name change aligns our personal business services with our social and small business research and advocacy activities here as founders of Sohodojo. [ Go to Sohodojo.BIZ ]

• Grassroots Changemaking - Sohodojo Timlynn is pleased to announce the publication of Wind Project Community Organizing - A Handbook for Community Organizers, Activists, and Project Managers. Available in both print and e-book editions, this case-based instructional guide details the strategies and tactics Timlynn developed and applied during her immensely successful grassroots changemaking experience whipping up "wind fever" in rural Montana. Concurrent with the publication she has launched a companion web site, WindPowerHandbook.com, where you can get more information about the handbook, her workshops, and consulting services. [ Click to go to WindPowerHandbook.com ]

• Community Ecosystems - Thank you, Jelal! Jelal Younes was Sohodojo's Summer Intern from Grinnell College. Jelal was awarded a competitive grant by the College's Center for Experiential Education. His winning proposal described Jelal's interest as an economics major to work with Sohodojo on a project to develop a web-based exploratory learning environment to help people learn about the impact of their participation in local food economies. Jelal worked diligently on the development of an agent-based simulation model of the Jefferson County and Grinnell farmers markets. [ Visit LocalFoodEconomyGame.com ]

• Flat World Times - The future of entrepreneurship in the Flat World of Globalization 3.0 is more like making independent films than it is about building movie studios. This is why we need an Innovation Incubator rather than a traditional business incubator. It is yet another piece of the entrepreneurial community ecosystem that can revitalize rural communities and small towns. [ View the Innovation Incubator presentation ]

• BIG IDEAS (small world) - We initially launched Sohodojo's Omidyar.net Blog as a way to get more Omidyar Network content into the blogosphere. Alas, the Omidyar's decided to change the direction of their Foundation's support of social entrepreneurism and the ONet is no more. Follow this link to learn where the creative changemakers who met and evolved their agendas on ONet have gone. [ Go to the Sohodojo Omidyar.net Blog ]

• Social/Business Ecosystems - Sohodojo presented Entrepreneurial Community Ecosystems: A Community Capitals Framework for the Flat World at the Community Capitals Framework: Research, Evaluation, Practice Workshop hosted by the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development, Iowa State University, Ames. The article linked here provides an overview and reference source for our presentation. Follow this link, Entrepreneurial Community Ecosystems: A Process Perspective on Community Capitals, to view the slides of our actual workshop presentation. [ About the Workshop ] [ Read the article ]

• Creatively Speaking - Revitalizing and repopulating post-Katrina New Orleans dramatically showcases the challenges of nurturing community economic ecosystems. We've updated Thoughts on Self-employed Health Insurance Reform in light of these lessons learned. Making afforable, quality, portable health insurance available to the self-employed and contingency workforce can be a powerful incentive to attract the best and brightest creative, independent workers and entrepreneurs to your community. [ Read the article ]

• Grassroots Changemaking - Sohodojo's Timlynn Babitsky and Jim Salmons have contributed a chapter, 'Affecting Change from the Grassroots: Making a Difference without Power, Prestige, or Money' in the newly published book, 'Empowering Marginal Communities with Information Networking', edited by Hakikur Rahman of the U.N. Sustainable Development Networking Program (SDNP). Our chapter moves Cohen and Bradford's theory of influence without authority (see Must-Read at left) from the corporate world to the domain of grassroots community organizing. [ More book info ]

• MicroAid News - Fellow co-founders of the Small Is Good World Working Group at Skoll's Social Edge, Toby and Richard Beresford are making progress at MicroAid bringing the work of international aid into the one-on-one domain of empowered individuals. Richard reports, "We are still travelling relentlessly on the 'Small Is Good' winding road. I have the advantage of some refreshment en route as I see in Aceh the impact of small amounts of cash and resources delivered directly to disaster affected communities, in accordance with their specific needs. The French Indonesian association started the ball rolling. The Global Giving LISTEN Project is now active and donations are coming in online." [ Read MicroAid in Aceh empowering Tsunami recovery (PDF) ] [ Read Lampisang Community Profile (PDF) ]

• Small Is Good World Marketplace - The artisans of the Life in Africa WE Center celebrated great success with the initial auctions of their Invisible Children Solidarity Bracelets. This is a prime example of the story-driven, transparent, multi-impact point marketplaces that will empower the Small Is Good World. [ Life in Africa and the Small Is Good World ]

• Social Change Strategies - Sohodojo's Small Is Good Business Revolution was showcased in Change Insurgency In A Shamrock World, a feature article in the Making Changes theme issue of The Permaculture Activist journal in the Fall of 2002. Why not have a second look... or enjoy it for the first time. [ Read article reprint ]

• Rural Entrepreneurism - Sohodojo presented the opening night keynote at the National Model Entrepreneurial Communities Workshop sponsored by Iowa State University's Community Vitality Center and the Farm Foundation. The three-day event featured a rural entrepreneurial communities' best practices forum and social networking events. Sohodojo's presentation – "Entrepreneurial Community Ecosystems and the Small Is Good World" – is now on-line in streaming audio/slide format and explores the potential of microenterprise networks and alternative markets as an engine for rural and small town economic and community development. [ View Sohodojo's Presentation at the Workshop ]

• Social/Business Ecosystems - After more than a year of mutual self-support via long-distance, a core of Social Edge members were able to get together at the Skoll World Forum to launch the Small Is Good World Working Group. Read this short article to learn more about the Working Group, the shared ideas and values that bring us together, and to find out just who are the wacky kindred spirits in this photo taken at the Forum! [ Launch of the Small Is Good World Working Group ]

• Monica's Laptop - In the first Sohodojo – Life in Africa Laptop Exchange, Christina Kirabo Jordan connects Jim and Timlynn with her invaluable assistant, Monica Nankoma. In the process, a laptop makes its way from rural southeast Iowa to Kampala, Uganda via historic Oxford, England. Part One showcases the idea behind the program, and Part Two documents the first exchange during the Skoll World Forum. [ The Small World and the Small Is Good World ] [ Monica's Laptop and the Small Is Good World ]

• Social Entrepreneurship - Sohodojo Timlynn and Jim were in Oxford in 2005 as Social Edge delegates to the Skoll World Forum for Social Entrepreneurship. The theme was "Making Networks Really Work" – most appropriate for our launch of the Small Is Good World Working Group. Check out our on-site blogs, interviews and articles. [ Forum News/Reports ] [ More on Forum ]

• Social Entrepreneurship - Sohodojo Jim and Timlynn's posts to the forums at the Skoll Social Edge on-line community for social enterpreneurs give voice to the Small Is Good approach to social enterprise. Don't miss our latest musings about social/business network ecosystems, scale vs. coverage, and funding Small Is Good network enterprises. [ Apr'05 - Present Social Enterprise Blog ] [ Jan - Mar'05 Social Enterprise Blog ] [ Apr'03 - Dec'04 Social Enterprise Blog ] [ Dec'03 - Mar'04 Social Enterprise Blog ] [ Sept - Nov'03 Social Enterprise Blog ]

• Microenterprise Networks - Congratulations to Sohodojo Advisory Board member Stuart Rosenfeld, President of Regional Technology Strategies Inc., recognized with a Lifetime Achievement award from The Competitiveness Institute for his work on the roles of networks and industry clusters, and policies for implementing cluster-based economic development initiatives. [ More at the TCI web site ]

• Micro-entrepreneur Education - Selma Wassermann, case method education expert and Professor Emerita of Simon Fraser University, has taken a seat on the Sohodojo Advisory Board. [ Read press release (PDF format) ]

• Creative Economy - No that's not Ant-Man preparing to do battle against Taskmaster or the Scarlet Beetle. It's Richard Florida ready to tackle the naysayers poo-pooing him and his ideas. Read Revenge of the Squelchers, in The Next American City. [ Read article ]

• Creative Economy - Two Sohodojo Advisory Board members on one dais in one day!? Folks at the Maine Creative Economy Conference at the Blaine House got an earful from both Richard Florida and Stuart Rosenfeld. [ More Maine info ]

• Project Announcement - Sohodojo and MicroAid have launched a collaborative applied R&D and social action project to envision and develop a story-driven, game-oriented e-Commerce engine for the MicroAid Manager platform. Read MicroAid: International Aid in the Small Is Good World for a project prospectus and background. [ Read the January issue of the MicroAid newsletter ] [ Visit the MicroAid Projects web site ]

• Microenterprise Networks - Stuart Rosenfeld, cluster business and microenterprise network expert of Regional Technology Strategies, Inc. and author of The Montana Business Cluster Study, has taken a seat on the Sohodojo Advisory Board. This collaboration will focus on Sohodojo's applied research in the development of business models and supporting software technologies to create alternative marketplaces for microenterprise networks. [ Read press release (PDF format) ]

• Creative Economy - The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs recently asked Sohodojo for ideas to help shape this progressive state's Creative Economy initiatives. Read "Iowa Arts and Entertainment Districts: Pathway to Gentrification or Engine for Microeconomic Community Development?" to see how 'crafts' could be creatively folded into state's strategies of Arts, Crafts and Entertainment programs as a means to grassroots community economic development. [ Read Our A&E District Position Paper (PDF) ]

• Creativity Rules - Richard Florida, distinguished professor of Regional Economic Development at Carnegie Mellon (then, now The Brookings Institution and George Mason U.) and author of The Rise of the Creative Class has taken a seat on the Sohodojo Advisory Board. This collaboration significantly strengthens Sohodojo's focus on the exploration and support of Creative Class 'in the small' dynamics for rural and distressed urban communities. [ Read press release (PDF format) ]

• Social Entrepreneurism - Sohodojo Jim and Timlynn were recognized as 'Members of the Week' for their thoughtful and constructive content contributions to the Skoll Foundation's Social Edge on-line community for social entrepreneurs. In her award notification note, Skoll's Anne Perlman said, "Our members very much respect the experiences shared and teamwork reflected in your posts." Thanks Anne and Social Edge! Such recognition gives us an energy boost in our efforts to envision and advance the re-emergence of the Small Is Good World. [ Our archive of posts at Social Edge ]

• Social Entrepreneurism - Sohodojo's Jim and Timlynn were among keynote presenters at the Wired.org conference. Their presentation, Cross-Sector Partnerships: New Perspectives in Social Entrepreneurism, and a transcript of the associated discussion are now on-line. [ View the presentation and read the discussion ]

• Small Is Good - The U.S. Census Bureau sees the Network Society and its Network Economy coming. Learn more in Nanocorps in Micropolis: Small Is Good in the Network Economy, our latest article describing the Sohodojo research and social action agenda, and our evolving collaboration with The Richard Florida Creativity Group. [ Read article ]

• Microenterprise Networks - Sohodojo's Timlynn and Jim are featured in a front page story in the Havre Daily News! Tim Leeds writes about the new twist on medieval craft guilds, Richard Florida's creative class and rural entrepreneurism in his excellent article about the Chandler Guild, a microenterprise network of soybean wax candlemakers. [ Read Modern institute turns to medieval business model ]

• Creativity Rules - When Richard Florida speaks, we all need to listen. In his latest article, 'The New American Dream', in the Washington Monthly, the distinguished Carnegie Mellon economic development prof lays out a powerful and simple truth, "The economy will prosper again when more Americans can do the work they love. The party that realizes this first wins." [ Read the full article ]

• Advisory Board Blogging - Check out Sohodojo Advisory Board member Andrew Cohill's Design Nine web site and blog for up-to-date news and insights about networking and technology developments affecting community economic development. Highly recommended. [ Visit Andrew Cohill's Design Nine blog ]

• Rural Issues - Montana's U.S. Senator Max Baucus asked Sohodojo and the North American Rural Futures Institute about our thoughts on the problem of rural depopulation. As you might expect, we see it in the context of the creative opportunity of the Small Is Good Business Revolution and the evolution of the Network Society. [ Read 'Creatively Rethinking Rural Depopulation' ]

• BIG Ideas - Democritus was among the first to have BIG IDEAS about small things, read The Nanocorp, Atomic Theory and the Network Effect to learn more. Part 2 of this article includes a scenario-based look at the Squirrelfeeders.com Small Is Good Business Web. [ Read revised article ]

• LifeSIG Health - The Director of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs asked us to put on our thinking caps about ideas for the reform of self-employed health insurance. [ Read our Open Letter Response ]

• LifeSIG - For a bit of nostalgic fun, check out Sohodojo Jim's personal reflection, The US Festival 1982 - Birth of the Creative Class with its never-before-seen images of rare US Festival artifacts! :-)

• Media Exposure - Sohodojo founders, Jim Salmons and Timlynn Babitsky, are interviewed on A World of Possibilities radio program. Learn more and follow a link to this half-hour streaming audio program that is part of the show's Redefining the American Dream: Living Better and More Lightly on the Planet series. [ Radio interview info ]

• Microenterprise Networks - In Two Small Is Good Business Webs Compared we take a feature-wise look at Squirrelfeeders.com and 3RBuilders.Net. [ Read article ]

• Business Development - Sohodojo launches 3RBuilders.Net, a Small Is Good Business Web to construct innovative affordable Green housing in rural and distressed urban communities. Academic partner sought for NSF Partnerships for Advancing Technologies in Housing (PATH) grant proposal. [ Visit 3RBuilders.Net ]

• Nanocorp Ideas - Whorf (the linguist, not the StarTrek TNG character ;-) would understand the implications of The Nanocorp Vocabulary. What do you think? [ Read article ]

[ News archive... ]
 

BIG IDEAS for small business

Sohodojo is an independent, non-profit applied R&D lab researching and developing the legal and technical infrastructure to support the nanocorp business model.

Our focus is serving the needs of solo and family-based entrepreneurs in rural and distressed urban communities. Our goal is to help our constituents create sustainable independent livings without the need for full-time, career-oriented jobs that are disappearing from our communities.

Nanocorps are 'ruthlessly small' businesses run as diversified corporate conglomerates... only way smaller and more dynamic than our Industrial Era counterparts. By 'ruthlessly small' we mean a nanocorp's founding owners are forever its only employees.

We do our 'real work' through active, role-based participation in our 'dejobbed' subsidiary businesses. We diversify our business portfolios through strategic involvement in dynamic projects which complement our business ventures.

We're 21st Century, global, virtual Portfolio People using the ideas and technologies associated with the nanocorp business model to support ourselves in a Brave New World where Small is Good.

Our TechSIG in Brief

Rather than exist as 'cogs on call' for somebody else's 'machine', the nanocorper is vision-driven. We'll need a new generation of Internet-based software technologies to live the elastic networking, e-lancing, portfolio worklife.

Our TechSIG (Technical Special Interest Group) is actively working on the development of executable business model collaboration technologies.

Our LegalSIG in Brief

Thinking like a business rather than a worker, even when buttressed by appropriate 'elastic networking' collaboration software, is of little advantage in a 'business as usual' world.

Our LegalSIG (Legal Special Interest Group) is working on creative approaches to self-employment and dejobbed small business that level the playing field too long tilted in favor of Big Business. We are especially interested in urban and rural economic development in U.S.-based Enterprise Communities, Empowerment Zones and HUB Zones.

Our LifeSIG in Brief

There is more to the nanocorping Portfolio Life than technical and legal stuff... basic life issues, choices, resources, community member reflections and all the rest of the 'Small is Good' experiences that are not easily pigeon-holed into the TechSIG and LegalSIG sections of the Sohodojo web site. It's all this 'other stuff' that you will find in our LifeSIG... your contributions are welcome!

Nanocorp Buzzzzz...

• We're the mouse that roared! Read about Sohodojo in the N.Y. Times! Fred Andrews gives an insightful report on MIT's Inventing the Organizations of the 21st Century Conference. Sohodojo was there pitching the Home as the Enterprise Zone for the 21st Century.
• Sohodojo Jim and Timlynn's portfolio life, which involves funding their entrepreneurial social action through high tech contract work, is featured in a Customer Success Story at eProject.com showcasing our eXtreme Tech Writing project method.
• Sohodojo's R&D vision for 'Small is Good' business webs was noted in the April 15 2001 Internet World magazine! [ More info ] [ Read the article ]
• Sohodojo was profiled in a 1999 'Success Stories' feature at Monster.com. We're particularly pleased that the article describes how nanocorping free agents live in a world of all business-to-business relationships... the ultimate 'dejobbing' of the workplace.
• Dan Pink, the leading journalist chronicling the rise of free agency in the workplace (at Fast Co. etc.) and Master of his domain at Free Agent Nation, had this to say about our Rants and Raves newsletter in the article, 'A Few of My Favorite Zines', in the September '99 issue of his excellent Free Agent Nation eNewsletter:
  
  "Jim Salmons and Timlynn Babitsky have fashioned a provocative zine about what they call nanocorps, businesses that are ruthlessly small."
• Bill Machrone, PC Magazine columnist and steadfast Champion of small and independent Internet businesses, gave us our first big break with a profile of Sohodojo in his July '99 column, 'Web Success Formula'. (This article is no longer on-line.) The spike in visitors to our site due to this exposure, together with the introduction of our Rants and Raves newsletter gave us our first sustainable boost in building our community.