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October 2014

I recently had the opportunity to travel to a rural district of Uganda where my friend Nick Smith founded and now operates the Buseesa Community Development Center (BCDC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to community development through microcredit loans. As president of BCDC, Nick has been helping Ugandans improve their lives since 2009. In the agricultural district of Kibaale, the average annual income is $300, making a seemingly small loan of $90 go a long way.

Businesses at every stage – from ideation to launch to scale – can benefit from the resources at the public library and the expertise of librarians. Libraries give companies access to data, market research, testing and opportunities to scale. Librarians also have an extensive knowledge base to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses.

Libraries are mobile and forward-thinking

#1 – It’s easy to spot a business that isn’t thinking about the customer. Look for the big banner that boasts, “Under New Management.”
Being committed to your business makes it hard to let go of your own biases. But remember, in the end, advertising is not about your business. It’s about what’s in it for your customers. Understanding who you are as an organization and what unique offering you provide your customers are the focal points of your business.

For modern businesses, an online presence is as fundamental as a phone number. As websites become more ubiquitous in our lives, so too grows the number of options to build one. Where to start?

Should I hire a developer, or should I try doing it myself? How much does it cost? What features should it have? Here are some pointers to help answer these common questions.

Creative work is an asset to any organization, but breaking into the creative fields comes with its own set of challenges. What’s the best way to start freelancing? How do you continue to foster your creative energy? We asked some of Anythink’s Artists in Residence to share their advice. 

Caption this!

What subtitles or plot summary would you give this book based on its cover? 

We received a lot of great (and strange) responses, but this was our favorite: