The Business of Life - a blog by Alan Eason

My concept “The Business of Life” actually came into being in the 1980’s, after getting a book by that title written by the Forbes people (of Forbes magazine).

The book is a scrapbook of sorts, filled with sayings, proverbs and good advice about living. Business comes in, but not all that much. The book is all about succeeding in life, whether private, business, public, or whatever.

In 2001, a wealthy friend and I decided to start a company which would help new entrepreneurs get started, all over the world. It would help line up investors and match them with entrepreneurs.

While that idea is nothing new (thousands of years old in fact), the methodology we were planning to use was pretty radical - at least for the industrial age.

While the goal might seem to have been the same as thousands of other similar groups, the methodology would be quite different. The focus of the investors would be personal and direct involvement in the lives of the entrepreneurs, based on building them up spiritually, emotionally and educationally - in addition to financial investment.

It would have to be made up of people who, although they were successful in business, were also very successful in life and saw their role as servants of humanity and mentors of human beings.

Fortunately, in today’s world, there are thousands of such individuals - especially in Christian communities.

This organization was to have a foundation based on Christian principles.

We were not able to get the company started, for reasons totally unrelated to our concept. We parted, both feeling that the concepts were sound and strong.

With this blog I would like to continue to explore those ideas.

A lot has changed as well in the world since 2001. The idea of “business” “marketplace” and “life” (at least in society) are undergoing dramatic changes worldwide. I find the ideas we had 7 years ago to be more relevant than ever in the Internet age.

The possibility of networking oneself on a worldwide basis, sharing ideas, feedback and support is evcolving very quickly. 

Entrepreneurs can develop a strong network all over the world, and becoming financially successful without having to go through traditional business gatekeepers is growing stronger by the hour.

I am presently involved in a class at Georgetown University about Social Networking, and am exploring all of these amazing changes through some great readings, discussions and lectures. Part of this blog is also dedicated to sharing that experience, both with the class and with other readers.