New Industry Trends

Of all the new trends that I see developing, the most significant is probably the new wave of mobile media.  The most effective way to communicate is through video and the technology continues to reflect the new consumer mind state of on demand programming.  When TV recording capabilities were first introduced, it changed the landscape of media and entertainment.  

Not long after that revolutionary breakthrough, we are beginning to see the first signs of an on-demand world on mobile devices.  With the mobile device screen sizes getting larger and the Networks getting faster, the sky is the limit.  There are already programs that all ow you to watch a live television program on a mobile device.  As the cellular infrastructure continues to improve, we will see better resolution and faster connection speeds.

While in the Entertainment Business Masters program at Full-Sail, I have learned a great deal about the many ways that the Entertainment industry can be impacted by breakthroughs in technology.  

I plan on using my new expertise, to exploit the mobile advertising wave that is on the horizon.  The small screen size was a major issue for mobile advertiser in the past but the new wave of tablets have eliminated many of the restrictions that prevented mobile advertising from being a viable option for many companies.  Having gained the knowledge of digital advertising and marketing principles can now advise companies and develop strategies for successful mobile marketing campaigns. 

Funding Sources

This week I looked at the web sites of a couple companies that serve as sources of funding for small businesses.

The first of which is a company called the Opportunity Finance Network.  The aim of the company is to offer affordable and responsible financial products to low-income, low-wealth and disadvantaged people and businesses.  The products that they offer help capital flow to opportunity markets outside of the economic mainstream.

The OFN requires qualified companies to fill out a detailed application along with  a host of supporting documents ranging from a mission statement to balance sheets to resumes of management.  

The site also serves a knowledge resource offering its members a wealth of information on the industry.

The other site that I looked into was The Association for Enterprise Opportunity.  The AEO markets itself as a company for micro-enterprise in America.  They help underserved, small business entrepreneurs contribute to their communities through business ownership.

The criteria for this program is not quite as narrow at the OFN.  However, their aim of helping entrepreneurs and improving low income communities is similar in nature.  They also help entrepreneurs find development organizations to assist in their business endeavors.