Sunday, December 21, 2008

Season Greatings


Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2009!

Janne and Tatjana

Monday, December 15, 2008

What should older generation teach to younger generation?

I asked in LinkedIn people to answer to the above question and share their comments and thoughts. I got 32 answers, pretty many.

I decided to choose answer by Kay Wallace as best aswer:

"I believe we need to teach family history with our ancestors trials and tribulations. Honesty, integrity, values and respect have become part of our history instead of part of our future. I try to teach my children the value of self worth through hard work and loyalty. Teach them to give instead of take."

Thanks Kay, it was a good answer!

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Exiting boxing match

Exiting boxing match was held in Helsinki Hartwall Areena on last Friday.

Famous Finnish boxer, Amin Asikainen and an Armenian in origin with German citizenship, Khoren Gevor
met each other for the gaining a title of European champion.

The difference in the techniques between these two guys was obvious: beside of high technical skills and very dynamic mode Khoren showed of high
intelligence using strategy and tactics to protect himself and attack in the right moments .

These qualities lead him to win- situation at the 7th round ( out of 10).

Please enjoy the video with the boxing!

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Top 100 Best European Software vendors




The latest version of the Truffle 100, the leading ranking of the top 100 software vendors in Europe, has been published. German SAP ranks first.

Total revenues for the Truffle 100 are 29 billion euros and revenues from software activity are 24,4 billion euros. The top 25 vendors account for 80 % of the revenues.

From Finnish companies Digia ranks 38th, F-Secure 41st, Comptel 45th, Aldata Solution 48th, Basware 51st, Proha 70th and Tekla 74th.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Innovations ahead

There are lot of innovations ahead says Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos in this video clip.
Enjoy!

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Successful Domino

Check from this video amazing domino efects. Enjoy!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Executive Summary for Investor Search

The Executive Summary has been designed by BIG in cooperation with FinRusGateway

The idea of the Summary is to help Entrepreneur to make a first step for implementing his Idea into the Reality. Please feel free to use the Summary via searching for Investor.



Thanks and Good Luck!

Saturday, November 1, 2008

LinkedIn Applications, new way to utilize LI network

LinkedIn has introduced new applications, which are very useful way to utilize network:

Company Buzz made me to register also to Twitter. Twitter is tool to share “What you are doing?”. Company Buzz is collecting from Twitter stream everything what is dedicated to your interests and company activities.

BlogLink is showing all blog items of your network. It’s very interesting to follow what other people in your network are writing.

MyTravel is allowing to share your upcoming trips with other networkers or people in your network. You can check if anyone is going to same place at the same time. You can book meeting with persons you already know, but earlier you didn’t know that you are traveling to same place.

LinkedIn Polls is giving opportunity to ask anything from your network. It’s showing statistics of answerers and people background. It’s very easy to use and you can share results with other people in your blog.

Amazon Reading List is providing information to your network about the books you have read, which you recommend or which you are thinking to read.

Enjoy LinkedIn with applications!


Thursday, October 2, 2008

Wiki for Entrepreneurs - KookyPlan

A "kooky plan" is an unusual, innovative, and original new idea.

KookyPlan is like a "wikipedia" for entrepreneurs. The goal with this site is to create a resource for startups to use when researching new opportunities. In here you will find a wealth of information on management skills, strategy theories, and practical financial applications.

This is Great Idea. We in BIG would like to support this kind of marvellous tools.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Real entrepreneur spirit

I want to share video about guy with huge archive of records.
He is real entrepreneur spirit. Enjoy!


The Archive from Sean Dunne on Vimeo.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Arhipelag GULAG

Perhaps many of people are thinking that Arhipelag GULAG by Al. Solzenitchyn is a book about the Russia (or Soviet Union) in 30-50-tees.

However, I have found this book as a philosophical book in a way. The philosophy in here is about Good and Evil and these issues are irrelevant to the time and place. The Russia in this case is coming as a country-sample where these powers of Good and Evil (unfortunately mainly of Evil) were affecting people’s lives.

¹" Who is an evildoer? What is this? Is there anything like that in the World? For us it would be closer to answer that they are not existing...
The great world literature is blowing and blowing thickly-black characters of the evildoers- Shakespeare, and Schiller, and Dickens- for us they look partly farce, embarrassing for the modern perception..." ²

Now, lets have as sample a corporation world in nowadays and a process of the decision making in it.
Is decision making based on the human factor or direction of the business?
Is making his choice manager following needs of the people or corporate policy?
Is CEO of a company seeing alive people or just numbers at the balance sheet?

Honestly answering on the questions above we should better understand WHY prosperously looking corporations are collapsing and WHY there is no stability in the globally established business.

However, please remember ¹"... there is also a threshold for the evil deed. Yes, human-being is hesitating, rushing from evil to good, slipping off, go wrong, clambering up, regretting, again going darken, but until he crossed the threshold of the evil deed - he has a chance to come back, and he himself is still in the volume of our hope. However when the thickness of the evil acts or certain degree of them he suddenly would cross the threshold-he is gone from the mankind. And perhaps - without return."²

¹Aleksandr Solzenitchyn, Arhipelag GULAG I-II , Part 4
² Translation from Russian by Tatjana Torkel

Saturday, August 30, 2008

All the Top sites

Featured in Alltop

If you want to follow News or Information from the specific Industry or genre there is one well-organized site where to check it.
Guy Kawasaki is one of the founders for Alltop.

Alltop is gathering all the best sites.
For example you want to follow news about the Venture Capital
or if you want to check Real Estate news.

The Alltop founder Guy Kawasaki has strong marketing background in Apple Computer.
He is one of the leading gurus to help startups, he is also partner in VC company Garage.
Guy has a very interesting blog How to Change the World .
I strongly recommend to have a look (!)

FinRusGateway, in the cooperation with BIG has organized a new service, called Find investment .

The BIG provides a tool, Executive Summary template, for entrepreneurs looking for the investment. The Executive Summary headlines and content are based on ideas and structure introduced by Guy Kawasaki.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

How to use LinkedIn to increase your productivity


What is LinkedIn? from LinkedIn Marketing on Vimeo.


In this video is good hints how to use LinkedIn to increase your productivity.
Enjoy!

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Amazing Success of Russia in Sport and Music!


1. Great success of the Russian singer in EuroVision Song Contest competition 2008.

Dima Bilan with his song ""BELIEVE" has won the first-ever title for Russia in this competition.

*"Russia believed in our victory," Bilan said at a press conference after the show. "Dreams can come true."

The Russian won 272 points from viewers from 43 countries who picked the winner by phone calls and text messages.

Ukraine's Lorak was second with 230 points, followed by Greece's Kalomira with 218.

*Article by Herald Tribune: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/24/arts/EU-A-E-MUS-Serbia-Eurovision.php

Check the song with YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoqLdPgXMiE&NR=1

2. Russia has won the ice hockey World Championship!

It is Russia's first world title since 1993.

* Ilya Kovalchuk scored on the powerplay 2:42 into overtime as Russia claimed the gold medal with a 5-4 win over Canada.

Check the final Goal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5USmHNvRgw&feature=related

*More details: http://www.hockeycanada.ca/index.cfm/ci_id/21256/la_id/1.htm


3. Russian football club Zenit wins UEFA Cup!

Igor Denisov scored in the 72nd minute after an exchange with Andrei Arshavin, cutting through the defense and beating goalkeeper Neil Alexander. Konstantin Zyryanov got the second goal in injury time, tapping the ball over the line off a pass from Fatih Tekke.*

Check details by BBC SPORT:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/7393752.stm

*By USA today: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/europe/2008-05-14-uefa-final_N.htm


We are Proud of You, Russia!

Keep like that!

FinRusGateway Team

- We Are the Gateway To Your Success!

For Friends of Russia Link to Gateway to Russia Group in LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/52009/0AAFEC5E124F

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Reply to the comment. Should You recommend the book "Secret" to children


We got an interesting comment* on my Article: Should You recommend the book "The Secret" to children.

*Note: please find the comment bellow

-------

Reply by Tatjana Torkel:

Some people who are keeping in touch with philosophic / esoteric matters became disappointed by reading the bestseller book "Secret" by Rhonda Byrne.

The "secret" things described in the book are not new at all and described by many spiritual people through the centuries.

However, what is the percentage of the people who are reading the philosophy daily or have knowledge about the spiritual matters? I would positively surprise if 1% of the Earth population have ability or interest to do it. And what about the rest 99% of the population? The rest of the people including children are potential readers of the "Secret" (!).

There is a clear demand for the books of the level of "Secret" and media has a good nose for these things.

My attitude that the "Secret" by Rhonda Byrne written by simple language with easy stories and practical advisers is one step towards to higher spiritual things and matters for the average level of the people+ children.

Even if only one guy would move from soap-opera to the movie "Secret" it already made a progress for the society and if the guy would got new HOPE and breath for a new challenge out of the "Secret” it’s already a Win!

You have a good advice for the following a “natural, God-given ability to think for yourself”, but people have to start from something (!). They have to START thinking about THESE matters. And “Secret” is one of the easiest and low-barrier step towards to this.

Why wouldn’t you, dear commenter, write your own book and market it to your "perfect world"? Maybe you would get the better results on it?

Written and Published by Tatjana Torkel, 20.05.2008

-----------------
*The comment on my article by April 24. 2008: Should You recommend the book "Secret" to children:

jcurtis said...


The Secret is the latest and by far the worst example of a HIGHLY profitable trend where self-help gurus with fabricated new age titles and little relevant education, credentials or legitimate expertise brainwash us into believing that they know what is best for us, our marriages and our families.
Often their only contribution to society is introducing some exotic sounding, new age philosophy. However, they often cleverly form an incestuous group of like-minded “experts” who cross-promote each other by swearing their success is due to following the beliefs of another member of their “cult!” All the while, they ply the airwaves jockeying
for an ever-larger audience by appearing in the national media to garner third-party endorsements.

The Self-Help Movement has become the Self-Destruct Movement by diminishing or destroying our critical thinking skills to choose and evolve on our own. We have given up the freedom to build healthy lives, marriages and families based on our unique history and life experience. Instead many victims, blinded to the value of their own life experiences, are attracted to the latest secret in self-help, in an attempt to find out what they should think, feel and how they should act... this is the definition of a cult.

The solution is a return to our (common) senses! The best way out of this learned “self-helplessness” is to go cold turkey. Stop following ALL self-help gurus now. Begin, instead, to reclaim your natural, God-given ability to think for yourself. The common sense that was once readily available to all of us is still there free of charge and waiting to be applied to just about any challenge we might face in life… all you have to do is use it.

Please, let's all work together to stop the flock of "sheepeople" who blindly move from one UNPROVEN concept to the next, looking for the answers to life's challenges that you already possess and that is the OBVIOUS!

April 24, 2008 7:04 PM

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Happy 1st of May!


Hauskaa Vappua!
Happy 1st of May!
С праздником 1-го Мая!


Thursday, April 24, 2008

Should You recommend the book "The Secret" to children

I was in the middle of the reading of the book “ Secret” when Wei Luo asked the following question on LinkedIn:

“Should I recommend the book "The Secret" to children?”

I decided to share my thoughts with Wei and LI readers. Please find my answer bellow.

-----------------------

The core of the book is how powerful our ideas and thoughts are and how these immaterial things make a big impact on our lives.

Based on my observations I have done several conclusions:

1.The world is much more sophisticated than a perception of average person. The world consists not only from material but also immaterial elements

2. We (human beings) supposed to take care not only about our acts and deeds but also about out thoughts

3. The believe in a power of immaterial such as thought, idea, dream is a very positive and healthy thing for all of us, because this is a believe in our capabilities to be (become) CREATORS (!!!)

4. This power is not disturbing, it is giving us a HOPE and BELIEVE. Hope and believe that any situation, challenge or problem can be solved by the power of our WILL.

Making conclusion: children are our future and we hoping them the best.

As sooner we provide the idea of their (his or her) power as quicker we shall get return on our investment – a solid person, responsible not only for actions, but also for the thoughts, the person with high ability for the creation, challenge and change in the benefit for the society and Universe!

Photo: Antti Erolainen

Monday, March 31, 2008

Free Will: Hard obligation or Inspiring challenge? is coming soon...




Please have a look at the next topic and take a part in a discussion via LinkedIn questions and Answers.

----------------

Being in the philosophical moods I've being wondered: what is a most valuable thing that my parents gave to me? And I got the answer: Freedom.

Freedom to make my own decisions is one of the most valuable things for me.

If to assume that there is a God existing in the Universe and assume that he gave a Free Will to us
( the will to make our OWN choices) how valuable should be this treasure?

What do you think?
What is Free Will for you: Hard obligation, Inspiring challenge or... something else?

Please share.

All opinions are appreciated.

Thank you!

Power of the Choice or How to set up the right Values?


Thank you to All participants to my LI question:

Power of the Choice or How to set up the right Values?*

Please find a summary of the discussion bellow.

----------------
Everyone has been experienced with the situation when he/she supposed to make a choice. Smaller choices we make every day and bigger ones more rarely.

Our choices from smaller till bigger are affected by our life’s values. Following the values we make our decisions and move on to the direction chosen.

A choice you make is based on a certain pallet of values that you have at that time.

It’s not easy to build or formulate the life’s values especially in the younger age. In some cases people are making choices spontaneously picking up the success of neighbor as a reliable path. The usage of someone’s pattern is not always bringing a personal satisfaction of the life.

In the “perfect world” the easiest way to make a choice would be to follow our heart and inner. However in the reality we are facing obstacles, which are preventing us to choose the right direction. In this case we need external help, advice or talk with someone who is capable to mentor us, who is close to us or who can think about us: friends and family.

Evolution of value system is not hypocrisy. By making a right choice we are increasing the Potential of our values, which gives us a chance to make a better choice in the future. By making the right choice we are gaining self-confidentiality, strength and power and assurance that this is a right direction.

Making a wrong choice is bringing a feeling of a personal non-satisfaction, regretting of the deed done and loosing the sense of the “right track”. As an end result: emptiness and frustration.

To start a building Your set of values is never too late.

What would be help to set up the right values?

· Try to know who you really are, and the culture you are working in

· Try to step out of yourself and evaluate your present choices and actions

· Take the time to get clear of the direction you want to go

· Talk to people you respect, maybe admire, people you value for what they do and have done

· Follow what you really want to do and release as much fear as is reasonable

Reference readings:

The Power of Full Engagement, the Tony Schwartz & Jim Loehr book

Good People Make Tough Choices by Rushworth Kidder

-------------------

*Note:

Please find subquestions of th main topic bellow:

-Have you got an experiences in your life when the right (wrong) choice has dramatically changed your life?

-Which values were affecting your choice?

-What you would do differently?

-Any advisers for " dummies"?

Friday, March 21, 2008

Happy Easter 2008!


Happy Easter time to all blog readers!

Best wishes
FinRusGateway Blog team

P.S Please check also other blogs:
Extra Energy
Blue Butterfly - Gateway to Art
Gateway to Russia

Friday, March 7, 2008

Introducing Jaakko Pesola new release




I am very proud to introduce Jaakko Pesola's new release: "Kaikki laulut rakkaudesta".
The release title is in Finnish meaning "All songs about love". All songs written by Jaakko Pesola who is lead vocalist as well.

Songs are melodic pop-rock songs, with touching rhythm in it. Of course if you know Finnish, the lyrics are very important part in it. Even if you don't know Finnish you can feel the good spirit and touching expression in each songs.
I have known Jaakko 20 years and like his music very much.

If you want to check more information there is mySpace site in English and also Jaakko Pesola homepage in Finnish.

The best way to enjoy the music is of course on live concert. If you like the
songs you might also like to see band live. Check from this link next opportunity. Personally i saw one album release concert in Helsinki Tavastia club January 15th 2008. This picture is from Tavastia concert.

Enjoy great music of Jaakko Pesola!

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Excellent Sales Manager


I asked in LinkedIn question about "3 Qualifications for excellent Sales Manager? "
I decided to give best answer to George F. Franks III. George makes good summary of qualifications.

The best sales managers:
- Have excellent leadership and motivational skills
- Have excellent analytical skills (quota, territory management, compensation, profitability)
- Have an organizational vision. They are able to look to the needs of the business and their sales team beyond the next sale and the next quarter.

Keep the best sales people selling. Take leaders at any stage in their career with these skills and make them SALES leaders. "

Let's continue with sales theme later.
Have a succesfull sales and good spirit in your sales team!

Friday, February 22, 2008

A purpose of the life of a True Leader


Thank you ALL who have contributed to the answering on my question!

Its so great that 27 people wanted to discuss about the topic. There are many various opinions came up.
Few answers were very good, so I couldn't choose the ONLY Best one.

I have made a Summary of your thoughts.

Please find it bellow.

A purpose of the life of a True Leader*
--------

A true leader is a "model" of perfection. His purpose is:

  • To provide a space for the people: Leadership should not be an ego trip
  • To play a role of a 'facilitator' rather than a 'director'
  • To allow people to own their true power as leaders of their own destiny
    • To add direction and purpose to his associates
    • To create a vision and achieve a goal with the help of the team
      • To determine if the other people share this vision or
      • To attract people whose direction is the same as his
    • To support and guidance of his or her followers
      • To have moral responsibility to be a valuable guide
      • To put his or her followers in a position to win/succeed
    • To see the unique potential of each individual
      • To open the doors of opportunity for them
      • To inspire them to step into the opportunity
      • To make their followers 'independent' and responsible for their decisions and act
    • His personality is portable, easily transposed on others
    • To take a commanding in the very critical situation
    • To positive influence the followers
    • To catalyze the people’s motivation

*Note: the original question:

A purpose of the life of a True Leader is to give a direction/purpose of the life to following him people.

True or false?

All opinions are appreciated.