The Grass….
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Tag: People
Yesterday, it was announced that Toyota would invest $500m into Uber.
Was does this mean?
Well, firstly… It means, Uber is now estimated to be worth around $72bn. Quite a jump from the recent valuation of $62bn.
Secondly, It means… Toyota are certain this is the future because they also invested $1bn in Grab (Uber equivalent/competitor/rival in South Asia).
Thirdly, It means.. self-driving cars will be on your roads sooner than we think.
Yes there have been problems, especially when one of Uber’s self-driving SUV’s killed a pedestrian in Arizona, USA. You could call that a big problem.
Uber have been investing… but, being honest, it’s been a struggle for them. Expensive lawsuits… the fatal accident… etc… and sometimes, what you need is, someone to come along – to confirm what you’re doing is right… to ensure you keep going… keep experimenting.
Toyota is doing that. They know that car ownership will be a thing of the past. We can see trends of that in certain cities… where it’s easier, cheaper and quicker to use the train/underground/subway… or even a bike. Why own a car? – there’s so much expense that goes with it… the insurance, road tax, MOT, etc…
It’s very much similar to the ‘Estate Agent’ industry. They’re going through a massive shake-up. Country-wide, who own 50 Estate Agent brands and employ over 8,000 people, have about £200m debt and yesterday had to raise £140m ’emergency funds’ – which they did, with the help of their board.
Go back 3 years… and look how their share price has tumbled….
Why? well… On-line estate agencies have become more popular and more and more people are using them. They’re less and less going to the high street. Countrywide own all the high street estate agents.
Technology is enabling customers to do things quicker and easier.
Toyota know this. They know self-driving technology will, one day, be the norm. We’ll have self-driving cars. There’ll be phases of it… as the technology gets better and better. People won’t want to own cars. They’ll just summon a vehicle to them… use it to get from Point A to Point B.
We kind of do that with taxi’s, right? Summon them to pick us up from Point A and take us to Point B.
Uber made it easier via an App.
Toyota know a thing or two about cars.
Combine the two together…
It’s all about collaboration.
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Bal’s Friday Thought…
Real is…
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We all need to get away…
Bal, where have you been for the past few weeks? – no new activity on your blog…
Well… I did mention I was going to jet off for a few weeks in the sun and copious amount of food. Which I did. And thoroughly enjoyed.
This was my view for the past few weeks…
I didn’t realise how much I needed the break. I was going at 100mph. I had so much going on, both at work, my personal ventures, startups I’m involved, institutions I’m working with… and on top of that, lots going on at home!
It was only a few days into the holiday, that I was able to totally relax and reflect.
It was at the moment, I was floating on a pink lilo that I realised how fast I was going… and that not only did I really need this break, but needed to slow down and reflect.
We’re all guilty of it. Working. Head down. Moving forward. Not stopping.
But we need to.
So what did I do on holiday… well, I relaxed. I read a book (which was excellent by the way, and I recommend it!) – it was ‘The subtle art of not giving a f**k’.
I was also able to reflect… on everything that’s going on. Able to re-position, able to re-adjust some of my priorities, able to… re-fine my long term plan.
‘Bal… you have a long term plan?’
Don’t we all? – as I was taught at Kodak… Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail.
I do always have a Plan B. Courtesy of Mr Mike Tyson, who reminded me… ‘Everyone has a plan, until they get punched in the face’.
So all in all…. great holiday, great book, great to re-energise myself, good to slow down and reflect and best thing… re-focus.
Firstly my apologies. I know I usually publish a ‘Throwback Thursday’ on the first Thursday of every month.
However, recently, you may have noticed if you follow me on social media – I’ve been traveling a lot (and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon!)
That’s right, last week I was in Berlin, and didn’t have the opportunity to prepare, write and publish my blog post for my monthly Throwback Thursday.
However, I did want to ensure I published one for the month of July!
So, here we go… Throwback Thursday to a time when I met up with James Caan….
James Caan is a successful business man. He’s worth over £100m and he’s appeared on TV shows such as Dragons Den and many others…
When I met up with James, the important thing I wanted to hear from him was how he started… what did he do, to become so successful!
Well… believe it or not, his family business was leather jackets and garments. They were successful and the natural route for James was to go into the family business.
BUT… he didn’t. He wanted to do something different. So he started a recruitment company. The interesting thing here is, it was all about the address. Location… yes, we’ve seen the TV show…. Location, Location, Location.
But it really matters!
So, in Pall Mall… he found a small location. It wasn’t big at all.. James told me, it was so small…. you wouldn’t believe but the great thing was the address. So when he was talking to clients and customers, and he was providing the address – it’d set a precedent. To be in this location, you’d have to be worth something…
James is a great guy. During our chat (which was a few years ago now…) there were some great hints and tips I picked up…
1. Don’t follow the crowd – Now, you may have seen or heard this before, but for me, it’s so important. James natural progression was the family business, it was all there for him… but no.
2. Be strong – be confident – When in business, you have to be careful you don’t come across arrogant. But at the same time, you have to be strong and confident. And I took this away from James. He was polite… but also strong-minded.
3. Hard Work pays off – He told me a story, of how he takes time out to relax and enjoy life. Now admittely not everyone can go off on their own yacht or take a holiday to the Caribbean but you can, if you work hard… put the hours in and then reap the benefits.
These are the 3 of the many things I took away from our conversation…. There was so much James shared… maybe I’ll dedicate a blog post to some further insights and maybe more about how he started up… and the struggles he had.
You may see all the glitz and glamour but it wasn’t always that easy….
Many people will see the big house, big cars, etc…
…but starting in the smallest of rooms, with just enough space for a telephone… and working hard, has paid off.
And that’s what it comes down to… hard work.
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Bal’s Friday Thought…
Thinking of giving up…. don’t.
This is my 50th Bal’s Friday Thought, many a times I’ve thought of giving up… but for some reason, kept on going.
And now proud to announce, that you can purchase a selection of my Friday Thoughts on canvas! I’ll be providing you further information on which ones, sizes, how, etc… over the next few weeks.
But as a strong believer in ‘Progress over Perfection’, if there’s one you like and you want it… message me, with which one… and I’ll provide you with sizes, prices and payment details.
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Why should I read your blog, Bal?
Just before Christmas, I shared a blog post, within which there were a few items/suggestions, that you could buy as Christmas presents for loved ones.
These were centred around technology items, gadgets… for the home.
Now, whilst I don’t often do this (saying that, I did it again for Valentines!) – I will only share the best, and what I’ve actually experienced and/or tested with you. I wouldn’t be sharing any old thing, or something I feel does not hold value.
That is one reason why you should read my blog. For what I share, will have some value. And if you can read in-between the lines, there’s more value for you, than what you may realise.
Let’s take one of the items that I mentioned, it was Ring.
What is Ring? – well, to remind you… it’s a door bell, with a camera… which can communicate to your phone or tablet device, and you can see who’s outside. Great in so many ways…. for the older folk, the lazy folk, for those who are not at home, etc…
I also mentioned, how a number of these devices are all connectable making your home, a smart home. They can connect with the Amazon Echo, for example.
And this morning… what did I hear…
That’s right. Amazon… paid $1billion for Ring.
Now, 2 things here…1) Imagine you’d never heard of Ring, read my blog and thought – this looks good, might buy some shares in it…. 2) All these connected devices, surely they’ll come under one company one day… I should look into investing in them.
Either way, you’d be very happy this morning.
Now, I want to make it very clear – i’m not in a position to advice you.. in what to invest and what will provide you with great returns.
The position I am in, is for you to read my blog, have conversations with me… and then assess for yourself, what may work and what may not.
I too, have invested my money into various companies, businesses and start-ups. Moreso, to help them grow… and for them to help my pension pot to grow. Let’s be honest… who wants to be working when they’re well into their 50’s and 60’s… mind you, there’s even possibilities for many folk to be clever with their money and retire earlier! (On which point, I know some folk who have just done that).
So, you’re probably wondering… when will I be sharing my next ‘top things to buy for a particular occasion….’ well, I’ve nothing scheduled right now. But what I might do, is share individuals whom I’ve met, working with, listened to… who’ll be successful. Becuase at the end of the day, it’s the people that make the businesses work.
Oh… on the conversation of investment – there’s various places you can look and research, where you can invest your money… anything from Kickstarter (the potato salad was my favourite) to various websites & organisations. I would however, encourage you… to do your research. And continue to read my blog.