TED Talks is a nonprofit organisation that is devoted to spreading new, interesting, inspiring, and usually entertaining ideas in short powerful talks.
We’ve put together the top eight TED Talks that every franchise owner, franchise holder and aspiring franchisee should watch. So put the kettle on, dig out your headphones and use your next break to get motivated!
The Power of Small Ideas - Dave Duarte
Duarte, a South African edupreneur, is founder and CEO of Treeshake. His company provides a range of learning solutions for companies and entrepreneurs, to empower them to respond to the lastest digital opportunities and trends. He’s a globally recognised expert in social business, and a pioneer in the field of digital leadership. In this presentation, The Power of Small Ideas: In Praise of the Side Project, at the TED Talk World Design Capital in Cape Town, Duarte looks at how engaging in small, side projects in this digital age can lead to the creation of brand new industries and businesses. Watch and be inspired!
A Bath without Water – Ludwick Marishane
Ludwick Marishane is the founder and CEO of Headboy Industries. He’s also South Africa’s youngest patent-filer - he invented DryBath® at just 17. If you had to walk a mile for a jug of water every day, as millions of people do, it’s unlikely you’d use that precious water to bathe. Young entrepreneur Ludwick Marishane tells the amazing, funny story of how he invented a cheap, clean and convenient solution: DryBath, the world’s first bath-substituting lotion. It’s a beautiful story of success and will definitely motivate future South African franchisees.
The Real Origin of the Franchise - Sir Harold Evans
So you probably think that McDonald’s was the first giant franchise to take over the world? Well, you’re wrong. In this TED-Ed lesson by Sir Harold Evans, we find out that a chain of beauty salons were actually the first to use the incredibly successful business model. Evans describes how a beauty salon allowed hundreds of women to own their own franchise. “So the next time you enjoy a McDonald’s hamburger or a good night’s rest at a Days Inn, think of Martha. Because these franchises might not be the same without her inventing the model, over a century ago.” This is excellent if you want to know how franchising really got started.
8 Secret of Success - Richard St. John
What leads to success? Passion. Hard work. Practice. Focus. Ideas. Persistence. These are just a few of the things you need as a franchisee. Ten years of research and 500 face-to-face-interviews led Richard St. John to a collection of eight common traits in successful leaders around the world. Richard St. John, author and success analyst, fits his results into this very high-impact 3-minute video. With quotes from industry leaders such as Bill Gates, Goldie Hawn and Rupert Murdoch, Richard presents to you the real secrets to success. So whatever your aspirations for your future career, listen to Richard St John’s 8 steps to success and be on your way!
What it takes to be a Great Leader - Roselinde Torres
Roselinde Torres is a senior partner and managing director at the consulting firm, BCG. The world is full of leadership programs, but the best way to learn how to lead might be right under your nose. In this succinct, candid talk, Roselinde Torres describes 25 years observing truly great leaders at work, and shares the three simple but crucial questions would-be company chiefs need to ask to thrive in the future. Starting at the 4-minute mark, she dives into ways you can be a successful leader and open yourself up to new business opportunities. Create relationships with people who share different ideas. Let go of an old process even though it’s familiar and comfortable. Dare to be different!
How to Make Work Life Balance Work – Nigel Marsh
As he was approaching the big 4-0, Nigel Marsh realised that he had become a “classic corporate warrior,” working very long hours and neglecting his family. He knew that it was time to start making changes. In this TED Talk, Marsh talks about what he’s learned about work-life balance. Why do we feel the need to work long hours, at jobs we hate, to buy things we don’t need, to impress people we don’t like? It’s up to us along to take control of our own lives. If we don’t, somebody else will. He tells us to avoid the “I’ll have a life when I retire” mentality. Make small changes in your working life and your quality of life with surge too.
The Single Biggest Reason Why Startups Succeed – Bill Gross
Bill Gross attempts in this TEDTalk to uncover why one startup might be more successful than another and why a business might fail. As a serial entrepreneur and a mentor for other startups, Gross has serious experience in the business world. He’s seen great businesses fail and questionable businesses succeed, and this experience means that he’s come to conclusions about why these differences exist. Gross evaluates every startup in terms of the strength of the idea, the timing of the company launch, the team leading the business, finance and the overall business model. What he found was that one factor led to success more than any other — and that’s timing. This is a must watch for any franchisor or franchisee.
Leaning in: ‘Why there are not enough women leaders’ - Sheryl Sandberg
Facebook COO and author of Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg’s TED talk attempts to answer the eternal and probing question ‘where are the women’ in leadership positions? In her talk she encourages this generation of young women to reassess the way they look at their careers. Her talk has been watched more than five million times and it’s a powerful call to action from one of the technology industry’s most prominent female role models. Don’t miss it!