Canned Air: Stupid Idea or Genius Invention?

Hello World,

One day, in the not so distant past, I was procrastinating on this genius invention called Facebook. There I was, just scrolling down my news feed, minding everybody's business but my own, when this post by a girl I'm not particularly fond of caught my eye (yes, I'm not fond of her but she's still my "friend" on Facebook, I'm sure you have some of those too). She was in disbelief about where the world was heading because this Chinese businessman who just happened to be a billionaire was selling... wait for it, cans of air. When I saw this my reaction was the polar opposite to hers, I was like "Omg! That's such a brilliant invention!"

I mean think about it, China is a hot mess. This rising super power may have America by the balls sack and keep world markets in sync buy who are we kidding, China is the most polluted place on this earth. If you have respiratory problems and just happen to be suicidal... go to China.

On January 29th 2013, Matthew Hilburn's article entitled "Pollution in China goes "off the charts"" was published on Voice of America's website. This articles explains that that the United States measures air quality by using this six-colour scale index measuring from 0-500. The higher the number, the more polluted the air. By the title, you can deduce that China has exceeded this 500 marker and sits comfortably in code red.

Now in steps Mr. Chen Guangbiao, a celebrity businessman and philanthropist who has been urging his people to adopt a more environmentally friendly and sustainable lifestyle. Not only does he own a recycling company but he as donated over 6,000 bicycles in an effort to urge people to reduce their carbon footprint. Some may say that he is exploiting the situation but at the end of the day, he is a businessman; an entrepreneur who saw an opportunity to make a profit.
People in China NEED clean air and good old Chenny boy is supplying this need in a convenient package and in a variety of flavours including Pristine Tibet and Post Industrial Taiwan. In this part of the world we may seem so perplexed at this idea because air pollution on such a wide scale is not our reality. Here, there is no market for such a product. In China, the markets are everywhere.

Millionaire Entrepreneur Chen Guangbiao shows off two flavours of his company's new and controversial product; canned air, at the Beijing Financial Street of January 20, 2013.

Photo via www.dailymail.co.uk 

The cans of air will be going for US$.80/ J$75. and Mr. Guangbiao has committed to giving a portion of the proceeds to charity. Despite the avenue for profit, he has stated that this is an exaggerated tactic to send a message that China needs to pay greater attention on the environment in order to preserve the future.

Here's a video that sheds some more light on the situation in China:

Chinese Billionaire sells cans of fresh air in light of China's increasing air pollution problem

On another note, we really shouldn't be too quick to judge the Mr. Guangbiao or even the Chinese who buy into this idea. We live in a place where clean water flows through our pipes yet we choose to go out and buy bottled water that comes in plastic bottles that are not labelled as BPA free. So we buy "purified" water that is full of toxins caused by harmful chemicals. Makes sense? No.

As they say, necessity is the mother of invention.
Mr. Guangbiao just happened to be the mastermind behind this invention... an invention that made his pocket just a few million fatter seeing that over 8 million of those cans have been reportedly sold as of February 1, 2013.
By the way, you know that saying "one man's trash is another man's treasure"? Yeah. Mr. Guanbiao made his $740 million fortune from the recycling business. Think twice before you dismiss ANY idea as too small or stupid.

That's all for now folks!
Janelle

Peeling back the Layers

So we meet again...

In my last blog post I shed some light... or gave a slightly depressing rant on my desire to not audition for the 8-4 gig that will slowly suffocate every creative cell in my body. I ended by mentioning a bit about my present self and this grand idea of becoming an entrepreneur but then it occurred to me that some of my readers may have but a vague notion of this whole Entrepreneurship shabang... so naturally I enlisted my good friend/ life saver Google to help out in this matter.

It seems to me that everybody and their grandmother's boyfriend has their own way of defining who or what is an entrepreneur. Despite this fluidity, there were some overlapping and reoccurring themes/ideas that arose.

Here are some of the ones I found to be genius.

1. "An entrepreneur searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity. Innovation is the specific tool of entrepreneurs, the means by which they exploit change as an opportunity for a different business or a different service"- Peter Drucker, Renowned Management Guru. 
2. "The entrepreneur is our visionary, the creator in each of us. We're born with that quality and it defines our lives as we respond to what we see, hear, feel and experience. It is developed, nurtured and given space to flourish or it is squelched, thwarted, without air or stimulation and dies" - Michael Gerber, Author and Entrepreneur.
3. "Entrepreneurs are risk takers, willing to roll the dice with their money or put their reputation on the line in support of an idea or enterprise. They willingly assume responsibility for the success or failure of a venture and are answerable for all its facets"- Victor Kiam, Former Owner of New England Patriots. 

Basically and in a less profound manner, an entrepreneur is an individual...but not just any old "individual", s/he is one of those creative and innovative ones who sees potential in what we, the masses, might disregard and  just push under the carpet. These people are gifted with foresight. We see a lemon, a regular green/yellow lemon and if we're in the mood we might make some lemonade... maybe even sell a glass or two. An entrepreneur sees this lemon, goes to the orchard where the lemons are grown, makes a deal with the owner and sets up an operation that churns out lemon tarts, lemon pies, lemon disinfectant and dish washing liquid,  lemon shaped stationary, lemon scented paper... s/he might even start selling lemonade wholesale if the lemon liquor deal doesn't go as well as s/he expected. 

Back to the point, an entrepreneur is this visionary who sees an opportunity that can be exploited monetarily. They set a goal to capitalize on that opportunity. They make a plan to accomplish this goal. They get others to buy into the idea and seek out the necessary resources. They dedicate time and effort into seeing this plan through. They reap the rewards/profits... or suffer the losses.

Of course it's not that simple. Entrepreneurs are gamblers. Regardless of how amazing the plan appears, there is no assurance that they will indeed be a success. They stand the chance of losing all they put in... and often times a lot more. Not only are they taking this financial risk but they are putting their reputation on the line. 

In addition to this whole risk factor and losing every penny I'm worth if my business fails, there are a few attributes that I'd need to possess if I decide to tread this path.

I can't be focusing/obsessing on the potential failure of my idea. I must be optimistic and have utomost faith in my the success of my idea. If I want others to jump on board, I can't be sailing a sinking ship and disclose this information to my crew. I must patch up the holes and re-assure my sailors that the shoreline is just a few miles out.

Now, I must not be so optimistic that I get myopic and start believing that it's my way or the high way. I must be able to adapt and make the most out of the worst of situations. 

I must also be a leader. A self motivated leader who, although may not be the most charismatic, is able to move the team to action through effective communication. 

I must have that triple threat factor. I must be able ambitious, determined and dedicated. Who cares about 18 hour shifts if that means that my business will reap rewards that are threefold? 

If I do decide to become an entrepreneur, these are some of the things I would have to come to terms with, qualities/skills and I'd have to possess. It might be my ticket to the good life or leave me a pauper. In any case, Life is a Gamble.