Quick Presentation & Proposal ...

I was faced with multiple tasks today and it was quickly solved using several techniques that have been refined over the years ... again, the importance of having a framework to start from to keep the work consistent cannot be overstated ...

Here are the screen shots of the work, first the starting point for all my ideas is necessarily my MindManager library ... within it, I have created several maps that I use as templates that contain both the framework and helpful hints ... I have created this mindmap to flesh out a proposal for presentation ... needing to keep things simple creates a cleaner and far more effective presentation ... so the mindmap was done quickly to show my important points ... the export capability of MindManager is always handy as I exported the map to Word 2007 and quickly arrived at a look I wanted and I refined some of the information to create this final draft ... as the ideas are floating around in your head, by giving a framework to your communication, a quick and effective presentation can be accomplished in minutes rather than days ....

A Better Business Plan ....

Have been very busy on a project getting funding for our new project. In the process I am framing our new venture using my normal tool for any sort of work, MindManager ... I am using a form created by Guy Kawasaki and put down in his classic book, The Art of the Start, a plan that gives you what the guys on the other side of the table would appreciate and hopefully get you through to the next round ... I have included a look at what this will be composed of ... you need to make this the framework of the presentation and make it concise and short ... I used this process to make both a presentation (export to powerpoint) and the offering document (export to word) .. by using mindmanager I was able to focus on each point easily and move from point to point as my mind wandered, but still being able to see how the ideas were developing and how the flow of the document was progressing. Another valuable trait of doing a presentation and proposal from this framework is consistency and keeping everything tight ... when you are competing with people that all are worthy, you need to make sure your presentation is read and your idea realized ... this is essential in this day and age where information is readily available but new ideas and processes are few and far between ...

His book is great reading and the process works ... this is a great starting point to define the process and keep you on the road ...

Approaching the Perfect App ....

Today I tried a new app called Peepel ... It is very impressive and holds much promise ... this is an alternative to the web based docs and spreadsheets that promises soon to allow the use off and on line of the app and related files ... I have used the Google apps to much utility in the past month or so and find now that I fire up the web based apps first to do my work unless I need to really make a complicated doc or spreadsheet. Having the ability to work in one browser page makes this new application unique.

As you can see from the pic, I have both a spreadsheet and document open on the same "desktop", I like the speed and look of the app so far. Notice the toolbar floating above the windows, it changes like the ribbon bar on Office 2007 and more importantly changes as you change windows ... pretty nice interface ... I will be trying this more extensively in the near future and will relay my thoughts on it ... suffice it to say, the web application arena is heating up and the new generation of web based office alternatives are getting very very good ...