In July of 2009, I announced the Netweb Event for that month with a video give away sponsored by Missing Link. Little did we know that the prize would go to an amazing project I had been following for a while.

One Matchstick, a concept where the founder is trading a single matchstick till she gets to offices through a series of trades, is a lesson in innovation.

It was simple for us – start a competition that benefits small business and give it to the most deserving company after our delegates have voted. From that simple definition came being an MC at the premiere in Johannesburg, being in Cape Town for another and making interesting contacts along the way.

The lessons

- You are as big or small as you think you are.

It ‘s because one matchstick that I went over 1000 kilometers away and made contacts I wouldn’t thought of on my own.

- Small has to do with efficiency than size.

The size of this project meant all we needed was a notebook, a DVD Player and a room of 30 people for it to be successful.

- Naming is very significant

We called the prize a corporate video when we gave it away, but Telana referred to it as the “One Matchstick Movie”.

You are invited to the “One Matchstick Movie Premiere” sounds better than being invited to the “Launch Of The One Matchstick Corporate Video” any Sunday afternoon. Yes, the Johannesburg premiere was packed on a Sunday afternoon.

If a single matchstick can make it happen, that changes the whole game.

Please view the One Matchstick Movie below.

Image by: Clarky The Lion

Being an influential entrepreneur has been a target of mine for a while. When you are an influencer; people listen to what you have to say, act on it and that changes your company’s profitably.

What makes you influential? What makes 4000 people retweet your posts? Why would people knock down your down because you are selling a product? Not the next guy.

At first I thought it was:

-         Money

-         Friends in high places

-         That huge contract

All of them are misconceptions. These guys make money because they influencers, which spills over to the contracts and other benefits.

I have been fortunate enough to meet quite a few agents of change, through NetwebTv and the NetWeb Event. The common things among most of them are:

• · They share freely – lessons, experiences and contacts
• · They focus their attention on you and drive conversation toward you not themselves.
• They always leave you with a new lesson.
• · They never talk about their accomplishments unless asked.
• · They are connectors – most contacts I got, were through them.
• · They want to build you.
• They get more business because they are influential, not the other way.

This is the brief list of attributes that connect the non-conformist agents of change. The ones I’ve been following at least.

What makes you influential? Add to the list.

Photo by: leahwithaspoon

Okay! So 2010 is here at last and no longer will I say – 2010 – whenever someone speaks of a seemingly impossible feat.

We have been working on a few things over the holidays, which will be unveiled in the next few weeks.

A sneak preview

• The NetWeb Event website goes live on the 11th of January.
• NetWebTV launches on the 26th.
• We are doing a startup of the year contest.

Happy landings.

The Netweb Event in Johannesburg this past Wednesday was very informative and got us talking till long after we had to leave. I’d like to thank everyone who made it exciting and worth the long chat we had afterward.

I would like to especially thank:

1. Noto Modungwa of NM Consulting – for delivering a current and relevant talk on knowledge management and how small business can improve the circulation of intellectual property in their companies.
2. Afromedia who sponsored the website we gave away.
3. The great guys at Cappello in Ghandi Square.

To all the remarkable people who attended and made it one of our most remarkable Netweb Events yet, you are all rockstars.

Congratulations to Infinity Learning who won our website give away, as one of 4 finalists.