Topic

proposals

A collection of 118 issues

World Cup Host Bids

The Machiavellian world of sport geopolitics dealt a harsh lesson through England’s shattered 2018 World Cup hosting hopes on Thursday. It’s not about the bid. You can write the best Proposal document. You can deliver the most “remarkable” presentation. Yet you can still lose your ‘sale’. One particular

Tech-heads un-Cloud tips

One of my coders enthused about something he called Digg Reel the other day. (There’s a handful on vimeo [http://vimeo.com/digg] by way of example). It’s a collection of video snippets where those at the helm of the technocracy share their wisdom. I was helpfully informed

Main Gate Decisions

Are there any procurement decisions more complex and costly than within military circles? The UK Government this week suggested it’s considering deferring Britain’s £20bn ‘Trident’ nuclear submarine replacement project from 2014 to 2015, for both political and pecuniary ends. As a result of the significant local media coverage,

Curbing Wastrels

There’s a big difference between spending money, and wasting it. How often do you discuss a prospect’s previous investments with a buyer? Hopefully they’ll be able to trot out a long list of wonderful projects that helped make both a ton of cash and everyone’s lives

Talk With Sensitivity

Demonstrations of definitive thinking can enrage me when it comes to presenting figures. My recent work helping to craft business plans reminds me that the kinds of projected costs and revenues they deduce ought not be presented as absolutes. This also holds true for their sibling data, any sales proposal’

Briefing Notes

The British press are all over new PM David Cameron and the honeymoon period has already thrown up features on ‘Cam the Man’. I caught his biographer Francis Elliott explain how he works, with my ears pricking up with specific interest around briefing notes. Apparently, he is adamant about how

Following 'Here's The Idea'

I’ve spent much of today honing three different types of exec summary for a business plan I’ve helped craft. Inspired to check the web for any extra pointers, I came across the NY Times’ Corner Office. In particular, a 4-page interview [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/15/

5-Star Aspirations

I finally caught up with a pop-business reality show I’d been meaning to devote an hour of my downtime to. When the voiceover announced The Hotel Inspector [http://www.five.tv/programmes/lifestyle/the-hotel-inspector] as being born into the Forte dynasty with over 20 years of luxury hotelier experience,

Funder Project Success

A delightful morning had me facilitating a workshop aimed at understanding different potential funding agencies’ viewpoints. The venture support varied among the six participants, from a few hundred thousand dollars, right through to multi-millions. One session looked at what business plans must exhibit for them to feel comfortable that success

Your Attitude Dish

I spent twenty minutes R&R last night reading the always entertaining AA Gill [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/eating_out/a_a_gill/article7030781.ece] review a recently opened London foodie haunt. It was partly because a friend had recommended it to