Going a little crazy....

Ok...I'm not going this crazy -->


I realize it's been a long time since I've made a post. I just posted a video previously of myself talking about Campus Helper and the Coop student I've been using for it.

So what's new?....hmmmm

Where to start?...

Campus Helper is going well. There was a change up in management, so the company has been more or less positioned into my hands. I still see my partners most days, but they are busy working their jobs right now. "When the going gets tough"... as the saying goes.

It's been a stressful couple of months. One note to all entrepreneurs is that if you have a business idea, you better be ready to work on it for a long time and NOT GET PAID. If you don't have the pockets for it, then you better think twice about what you're sacrificing. Even I have been looking for job opportunities here and there to keep me afloat. I still teach piano every week which pays for my gas, but I have been watching my bank account diminish every week without replenishing.

There's no shame in working as an entrepreneur. We all have to eat don't we? The issue comes in mentally sacrificing the time you would normally take to wind down, relax, watch TV, or work out, and spend it on your idea and business. If you can do this with a clear conscience, you're on the right track I believe. When there is doubt, there is loss in productivity (which happens to all of us)...it's how efficient you can get past those thoughts and get back on the ball.

Here's hoping my next post is a happier one :S

Best,

Justin

Campus Helper - On Cable 14 For the Record -Starts at '9:26'

Time for changes changes and more changes

Ok. Yah. Longtime no post. 3 months in fact.

Instead of relaying excuses again, let's summarize some updates quickly and look at what's next in the works for your local young entrepreneur:

1. Finished all my tollgates. I'm officially done the requirements for my Masters so MEEI will soon be behind me and there can be more focus on the businesses I've started and plan to start.

2. The company that I've been working with I plan on moving forward with in the new year. This will be one of the main ventures I see great success in

3. Campus Helper (www.campushelper.ca) has been progressing incredibly. There was a seriously great uptake in clients that we actually had to remove most of our marketing in order to deal with the current clients that were coming in. This will be one of my main focuses coming in the new year.

4. I will be launching a Women's Entrepreneurship in the new year. I've partnered with the McMaster Xerox Centre for Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation (XCEEi) program and with Ines Rios of St. Joseph’s Immigrant Women’s Centre. This will prove to be a great series to support the female (immigrant) entrepreneurs in our city.

5. I will be going to the Philippines from the 8th of December to January 1st...so I'm having a well deserved (if not poorly timed) vacation (^_^)

So the MEEI program is more or less over and done with. What's the verdict?

It was good.

Was it great?...it could have used some improvements, been better organized, had more resources, but in the end, it was an experience. I will take the benefits from it and move forward. I've bettered my network, obtained some "credibility" in entrepreneurship, and I've partnered with some great minds for businesses that will be my first great successes.

I feel bad I didn't make better use of this blog to show my steps forward, but through the success of my true businesses, I plan on updating this blog more readily and give hints / tips to help out some curious minds.

All I can say now is one thing. No more "fluff". What's "fluff"? Fluff is talk, and talk is cheap (free in most cases!). The time for action is now and decision making will be key for my future. I've got so many ventures in the pipeline, and I'm surrounding myself with the people that count.

I'm not sure if there will be a post again before the new year, but if not, HAPPY NEW YEAR, and it's time for changes changes and more changes!

You're Young and Upcoming Successful Entrepreneur,

Justin Policarpio

Not really a post...but I was in the newspaper today...so I thought I would share.

From left: Justin Policarpio, Salman Bawa and Pratheep Soundararajan, co-founders of Campus Helper


High-tech opportunities abound

Educated newcomers see infrastructure for knowledge-driven startups

THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR (Aug 18, 2010)

Access to opportunity is a relative measure. This becomes clear when you speak with Salman Bawa about the advantages of being a young entrepreneur sprouting roots in Hamilton.

Bawa is from Karachi, a city of 12 million in southern Pakistan on the Arabian Sea. He's in Hamilton completing a master's program offered by the Xerox Centre for Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation at McMaster University, and pioneering a new type of solar window.

"Canada, relative to current-day Pakistan, provides a greater degree of social stability and advanced infrastructure needed to start and grow a technology business," he says. "As a newcomer to Hamilton, I see a healthy environment for young people eager to seize opportunities."

Not everyone shares Bawa's upbeat assessment.

A new study commissioned by the Hamilton Economic Summit documents how the next generation view Hamilton as a community of choice. Its methodology included focus groups and an online survey completed by more than 1,000 respondents. Attention was paid to understanding the values and perceptions of people such as Bawa -- highly educated and mobile individuals who have what it takes to thrive in today's creativity-driven knowledge economy.

Findings show that a majority of young native-born residents believe that a lack of jobs is causing a flight of next-generation talent from our city. The study shows that less than 40 per cent of local postsecondary students feel confident about finding employment in Hamilton that matches their education and career aspirations.

To an extent, perception is reality. Hamilton has shed its skin as a major provider of employment in mature sectors such as mass manufacturing and product assembly. Gone too are the many branch plants that once offered entry-level employment and a ladder for corporate advancement.

Some mourn the passing of a bygone era. Yet newcomers such as Bawa see things differently. They're among a cohort of young entrepreneurs willing to cocreate new wealth-producing opportunities from the ground up.

"Hamilton has the foundation to develop an entrepreneurial class that will generate jobs in growing sectors such as alternative energy, advanced manufacturing and biosciences," he says. "That's not true of all cities."

This foundation includes quality educational institutions, an acceptance of diversity coupled with a strong social safety net, high-speed data networks, and rapid mobility across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

Equally important is the growing culture of innovation in Hamilton. This has strengthened collaboration and led to several tangible assets. These include the West Hamilton Innovation District anchored by McMaster Innovation Park, new facilities and programs at Mohawk College, the Golden Horseshoe Biosciences Network, among others.

The inventory also includes the Walter G. Booth School of Engineering Practice at McMaster University. This houses the centre where Bawa studies and plugs into a network of local entrepreneurs. It's where relationships form, ideas take shape and new enterprises emerge. And it's where Bawa teamed up with two other student entrepreneurs to explore business opportunities in Hamilton.

Justin Policarpio is helping to market a new product branded Anoven, a portable instrument that enables the high-speed analysis of DNA.

Pratheep Soundararajan was born in Sri Lanka and followed his family to Canada in 1993 to escape sectarian violence. One of his entrepreneurial projects is to find new markets for an existing digital sign technology.

The three men have co-founded Campus Helper (campushelper.ca). It's an in-home tutoring service that matches university students with elementary and secondary school learners.

They hope their startup will one day help thousands more Hamiltonian and foreign-born students to complete their postsecondary education and join Canada's entrepreneurial class.

"We think Canada and its cities, in partnership with education and business, are ready to produce a new generation of entrepreneurs," says Bawa. "And we believe that newcomers who have experienced struggle and hardship will be among the first to access Hamilton's many untapped business opportunities."

//

If you are interested in having a Campus Helper tutor your child, go to www.campushelper.ca or Campus Helper at 289-700-5561

May --> August...a new business opportunity on its way: Campus Helper

Ok. So it's been abour 2.5 months since my last post. Yah I know. Trust me it's been busy.

So I guess might as well start with the updates.

1. Thesis project has been progressing well. I've been moving forward with some government support to move the project forward. It's been stressful along the way, but at the same time, a really great experience. It's so important to keep a positive outlook when trying to start your own businesses, especially at such a young age. The benefit is that I have so much support from mentors and advisers and contacts from my work at the Golden Horseshoe Biosciences Network.

2. Regarding the MEEI program, I just finished up my 3rd term last week, and WOW it was a busy one. There was so much 'school work' that it was actually really difficult to move forward with my primary project alone. Still, it had to be done, and now that it's August, I have 'some' time off, but if I want to get my 2nd tollgate done this month, I won't be getting much a vacation after all.

3. I honestly can't even remember if I mentioned the 2nd business I've started with two classmates on a previous post. Anyways, I've started a company called Campus Helper with two students in my program :)

It's a really neat business. We focus on matching university students (mcmaster students) to elementary, highschool, and 1st year university students in the Hamilton community. The benefit of the business is that we are community driven, and we really allow the city to better connect with the talented youth of their local university. The three of us have been working on this business a lot lately, and it's going great. We are again getting so much support from the people we know. We will be having the official launch in September.

We ought to be in the Hamilton Spectator this month. We actually had our photo shoot a couple days back...hahaha...yah...

Anyways, I'll be trying to keep up with the blog...but no promises...lifes busy as a budding entrepreneur.

Best,

Justin

BIO 2010 Convention Chicago - An experience unlike any other

Wow. Just Wow. The last 5 days in Chicago for BIO (Biotechnology Industry Organization) has probably been the most inspiring experience I have ever had. The amount of people, companies, representatives...it was literally overwhelming.

The first day I got in was Sunday night and I attended the Canadian Kick-Off event. The event was good, and I caught up with some colleagues from back home. The next morning was the first official day of BIO. I registered, looked around McCormick Place, which was a HUGE venue, then I attended a few talks. I headed out into the city, and was pleasantly surprised at how much I LOVE Chicago. It's so clean, big, the people are nice, and the architecture is just beautiful. I walked the waterfront, through the parks, and through the entire downtown city for a good 3 hours.

Tuesday was the opening of the exhibit. The exhibits were huge (apparently past years were even BIGGER). You could visit pavilions based on technology as well as based on country.

I must say, I was most impressed by technologies in India, Singapore, and Germany. I was able to Network for both the Golden Horseshoe Biosciences Network and my biotech startup. It was an ability for me to really learn the international competition for molecular diagnostics, as well as offer the Canadian support of a biosciences network. The international representatives were so interesting to talk to.

I'm so privileged to have gotten this opportunity to go to BIO. If you ever have the same opportunity, I really suggest you take it. You will not regret the experience in the least.

Some Tips if you ever attend:

1. Have REALLY comfortable shoes...you'll be walking a LOT

2. Have PLENTY of business cards. Don't underestimate the opportunity of networking, and even entering draws for neat stuff (ie. iPAD)

3. Have a comfortable bag to carry brochures and promo material. It gets pretty heavy after awhile, and a 1 strap bag will literally make your shoulder fall off.

4. Confidence is key at events like this. Everyone is there for the same reason. Networking and seeing if an opportunity will arise for potential deals.

5. Get ready for a plenty of Food / Fun / Booze nearing the end of the exhibits and the Opening and Gala receptions.

I can't wait for my next BIO experience, but I know I'll never forget my first one. I'd like to thank GHBN, specifically my boss Darlene, for supporting me and giving me this opportunity to attend BIO.

~Justin

Tollgate 1 - Passed...and other random updates...

Hello Everyone,

yah yah yah...I know...it's been awhile again :S

Some updates from my recent doings. This will again be brief but sweet.

1. I passed my tollgate this Monday. I'm 1/3 finished on my way to getting my MEEI masters. The experience was good. I prepared a lot, but at the same time, I still felt like I could have prepared a little better. In any case, it's done, and I have a lot of work to do to make sure I'm ready for my next one (hopefully in August...)

2. My biotech startup has been progressing well. We have been getting some very strong endorsements from individuals and organizations for the technology. Lots of meetings, so little time :)

3. I'll be attending the 2010 BIO convention in Chicago this year. I'm SUPER excited about that. I've never actually been, but this will be an unbelievable experience for me to say the least. I've talked a lot to people regarding BIO, and everyone agrees that it will completely change my perspective on global markets. This is a really great learning experience for me, plus I'll have some time away from the norm for awhile.

4. My coop student for GHBN has been great. He's been helping a lot with Campus Helper (www.campushelper.ca and www.twitter.com/campushelper). We're having our first orientation night on May 20, 2010, and the company itself has been progressing RAPIDLY. ummmm....I'm not even sure if I already blogged about Campus Helper...but in any case, it is a service company that will be using University Campus students as tutors for the Hamilton District School Board. We'll likely be in the newspaper in May from an interview I did with the industry education council last week.

All in all, life is progressing, so are my business, and I'm grateful for all the support, mentors, partners in business, family, and friends that have been helping me along the way

Till Next Time,

Justin

Social Networking - Don't Fear, It's Hear, Just get used to it

Wow. So I just came back today from an unbelievably inspiring event from a local Hamilton organization called Kitestring (www.kitestring.ca).

The event was strictly on the benefits of Social Networking in your business, career, and literally to stay in the loop as to how communication is advancing forward.

I've never been to an event that was run so professionally, yet so outlandishly different. I met some really interesting people, and local businesses, and the kind of networking that was done this afternoon was unlike any I've done before. I probably made more contacts through Twitter than anything else.

We hope a lot of the people who attended the event were able to see the #snowballsocial posts on Kitespring judging the Entrepreneurship 101 Quick Pitch competition.

I just wanted to write a short blog post on the event. I hope some of the contacts I met today will be beneficial in at least one of the many projects I'm working on right now. Great Time all-in-all.

~Justin

TieQuest is a No Go...

So some updates for everyone.

1. Program is going well. Work with my industry partner is going smoothly and he's even indulged me with some really cool stories from his past as a serial entrepreneur. Those were really Enjoyable.

2. I have an official Business Mentor. He has a great background in a number of areas, specifically the biotechnology and medical device sector. His experience is very broad, and he is a person that will give my biotech startup the attention and mentoring it needs to progress.

3. Sad News. I applied to the TieQuest competition (TIE = The Indus Entreprenuers), but I was not accepted:

"I am sorry to inform you that, following a review of your Project Profile (in case you submitted), your entry has not been selected by the judges to move forward to the next round of the competition. This is not to be viewed as a reflection on your venture, rather on the highly competitive environment of TiEQuest, which has attracted entries of very high caliber."

It's unfortunate, but I guess it just means less work for me............................

Oh who am I kidding....I would have totally relished in all the work, and I'm a little peeved. I had a perfect product for it, but perhaps it's still just too early stage for them...who knows.

What's really interesting is that TIE didn't accept a single student in the MEEI program. In 2008 an MEEI student won the TieQuest competition ($100,000)....but this year, no one made it past the 2nd round (writing a 1 page project profile).

We're not sure how to think about this, but I guess all we can do is keep working on our projects and not really worry about TieQuest anymore...who needs $100,000 anyways?

I'll get my funding another way, and maybe it won't have to be squeezed into a little box on a single page and read for 10 minutes....But one can only wish

=P

~Justin

Lessons Learned - Adaptation

So following up from my last post, I've found my industry partner. It was a bit of a fiasco, but I've decided to continue (diligently and open minded) with my project.

The point of this post is really to emphasize that in the MEEI program you have access to your supervisors for important decisions such as this. I personally had access to my own personal mentor as well who plays a big role in the decisions I make in my forward success.

Recently I met with my supervisors and my mentor to discuss my predicament. I honestly was feeling a lot of emotions (frustration/anxiety/cautiousness/etc.) at the time, and they all agree that my emotions are clouding my business judgement towards possibly leaving a very substantial project and potential business. I agreed to this, but the person that I am is not going to allow an event like this to occur without learning from the experience.

Now, as far as communication goes, it is VERY important in this program, and especially important to me. I was guided by my supervisors and mentors that with my industry partner, I may not have been clear about the importance of communication for this business, and it is technically fair that since I did not emphasize this from the beginning (I assumed from the way we were working that both parties felt this way) he was not obligated to stay in contact with me, and so he had the right to not check and respond to his emails and voice mails. Although all this may have been assumed, in a business perspective, it's fair that I give him a second chance and work through our differences.

This is still a touchy subject, but in the end, this is an experience for me that I can learn from. I need to arrange things with my industry partner in order to move forward, and by me working through these differences, I'll only become a better business person for it.

You won't always get to progress down the road of success without hitting a few road bumps along the way. Even though I have (many) options to change my project, join other groups, or join a new industry partner, I'm going to continue working with my current project, and create a positive change in the way we communicate and do work.

In any case, I'd really like to again emphasize the point that going through this program, you are "unknowing"....therefore, use the resources you have to really get a professional opinion as to how you should operate. I was told many times that:

"Things don't always go as you plan, but your ability to adapt to change is a strong trait in your development as a business person."

I'm taking this as an opportunity for me to develop my adaptation skills.

An unforeseen issue...

Hello Everyone,

I realize it's been awhile since my last post (again...). I've been pretty busy with MEEI. My new term for classes has begun, and it's been going well. It seems this term is going to be much more academic than the last, which I'm not exactly too thrilled about.

I'm taking Project Management, which seems interesting. I'm sure it will add a lot of value and skills for myself if I'm ever managing a team and given a specific project to manage them with. I'm really just not a fan of classes where its 3 hours of a professor talking, and we listen, and that's the end of it. I really prefer interaction.

The second class I'm taking is our second module course, Breakthrough Technology Development . I'm not going to lie, after speaking to a number of senior students in this course, I was told that this one is quite a load of work, and it wasn't exactly a favourite amongst the crowds, but I'll leave my judgment for after the term is finished.

So if you've read my previous posts, I bet your asking yourself how my Enterprise Project is going...well to tell you the truth...it's not...yup....no progress so far for the New Year. So what's the deal?

Well, it turns out my industry partner has more or less fallen off the earth...

It's really weird. I emailed him a few times over the break, but I never got a response from him, but I assumed it was the holidays, so no biggie. But then the New Year came, and again, no response from emails. I called his phone, and his voice mail is full...so now...what do I do? It's gotten to the point where I'm actually not too worried about the work, but it's more so that I'm worried about his well being. I'm sure he's going to show up somewhere, but honestly, it's been more than a month since I've heard from him. I'm getting really worried/stressed/

Finished First Term $5000 Richer!

Hello Everyone,

So it was a LOT harder to keep up with this blog as much as I wanted to. I think I should be able to update you all with my success so far though, because I finished the first term of the MEEI program last Friday.

1. Our group project went great! I really like all the people I was able to work with. I feel like we built a friendship and partnership with the 6 of us. We got along very nicely, and we were very productive and efficient when we worked. It was interesting to note that we all had strengths and weaknesses as individuals, but together we built a very strong team.

2. My final presentation for my class I think went quite well. Everyone seemed to like it. It got to the point where I could go over my entire presentation without ever needing to have anything memorized or rehearsed. I made the slides so that I could literally just talk about what I've done so far, and that seemed to be something everyone really liked. The rest of the class did very well in their solo final presentations. It was neat learning about all the other projects more deeply.

3. On Friday of last week I participated in a TecNet Waterloo / McMaster Business Innovation competition. It was a GREAT experience for me. We were all asked to prepare a 90 second pitch, as well as an optional poster for presenting and networking at the beginning of the day.

The first round I presented my pitch, I think I did ok. Apparently the judges thought I did very well because I made the first round cuts. There was a total of 25 students presenting between McMaster and Waterloo. The top 7 students from each school were selected, and then asked to present again. After the second presentation, we were asked a number of questions about the business / technology / market. The questions were equally difficult for each group, but I think I handled mine well.

My biotech startup was awarded 2nd out of the McMaster University projects. We received $5000 for our business. I'm not going to lie, this was a total ego boost for myself. I've been working pretty heavily since then. I don't want to lose pace.

I hope to be able to update this blog more often, but time will tell. I'd just like to finish off by saying so far, I'm really enjoying the MEEI program. There is a lot I've learned, but the best part is that I've been able to learn by "doing" instead of just learning and reading.

~Justin

The Balances of Life: Enjoying the Little Things (Nov 16, 2009)

So I realize it's been a number of days since my last post. Unfortunately a lot of work in the MEEI program has snuck up on me, and it's taking up a LOT of my time. I've slowly been progressing with my enterprise project, and my mentors are more or less confirmed. I have a number of presentations this week with my class group, and I'm rather optimistic about those. The issue is that my time has been invested more in that project than my enterprise one. The balance of time is something that you will definately have to deal with and get better at in this program.

The point of this post (and I hope down the road prospective students will be reading this) is that you HAVE to make time for the little things in your life. School and work will always be there and in your life, but family, friends, and the time spent with them is something precious. Those memories cannot be learned by going to numerous lectures, or by spending endless hours at your desk. You have to give yourself a break now and again to just relax and enjoy the people in your life.

This weekend I made sure to spend some time with my parents because I feel I've been living more at McMaster than at my own house, and the time used to visit my parents at their house has diminished as a consequence. My parents were able to describe to me their trip to the Philippines, and we were able to get into a couple of debates that are always a constructive use of our time, as well as good exercise for the brain. Just spending the time to sit down with them with a cup of tea while discussing our lives was without a doubt more valuable than anything I can think of.

I truly hope that things progress smoothly for me in this program (I will likely hit road bumps...), but I know (and hope that you discover) that in the end, the people in my life are always going to be the most important part of me.

~Justin