Finnish Municipal Elections 2008 -- Kuntavaalit 2008

Haluaisit lukea jutun suomeksi? OK, klikkaa tätä.

In the election, yesterday, Helsinki got a city council in which, among others, there are 10 entrepreneurs, one former entrepreneur, one free lancer actress, one non-fiction author, and one wife of an entrepreneur. The council makes a total of 85 members. I’ve gathered this information mainly in the Yle Election Results; additional information comes from Helsingin Sanomat Election Machine. It is possible that the information that I’ve gathered is not complete.

In my opinion, one can say that the entrepreneurs are well represented in the city council. However, if one takes a closer look on the parties from which these people that are familiar with entrepreneurship come to the council one has, as far as I’m concerned, a reason for concern.

Of the representatives that are also entrepreneurs seven (7) come from the National Coalition Party, one comes from the Green League of Finland, one is a Social Democrat, and a party card of the Christian Democrats can be found in the pocket of one of them. The free lancer actress is a Social Democrat, the non-fiction author and the wife of an entrepreneur come from the ranks of the communists. As I add that the former entrepreneur is a coalition politician, it’s easy to see that the coalition contingent, eight (8) councilors with the background of an entrepreneur, is remarkable whereas the entrepreneur candidates of the other parties have only rarely made it to the council.

How will the conditions of entrepreneurship be developed by a council that has one party group within which there is such a strong group of entrepreneurs while the other party groups are without such a group? As far as I know, a politician isn’t supposed to make decisions independently but to yield to the common opinion of the party group. How favorably does a party group see entrepreneurship if it has only one member that is an entrepreneur? I think that one has a good reason to misgivings: it might well be that, in the party group, the opinions of that one person will have low impact, if any.

Kuntavaalit 2008 -- Finnish Municipal Elections 2008

You would like to read it in English? OK, click this.

Eilisissä vaaleissa Helsinki sai valtuuston, jossa on jäsenenä muiden muassa 10 yrittäjää, yksi entinen yrittäjä, yksi freelancer näyttelijä, yksi tietokirjailija ja yksi yrittäjän vaimo. Yhteensä valtuustossa on jäseniä 85. Nämä tiedot olen koonnut pääasiassa Ylen vaalitulospalvelusta; lisätietoja hain HS:n vaalikoneelta. On mahdollista, että näistä lähteistä saamani tiedot ovat puutteellisia.

Yrittäjien edustusta valtuustossa on mielestäni syytä pitää hyvänä. Aihetta huoleen minusta on kuitenkin, kun katsoo lähemmin, mistä puolueista nämä yrittäjyyttä läheltä tuntevat ihmiset tulevat.

Yrittäjäjäsenistä seitsemän (7) on kokoomuslaisia, yksi on vihreitä, yksi tulee demareista ja yhden taskusta löytyy kristillisten jäsenkirja. Freelancer näyttelijä on demari, tietokirjailija ja yrittäjän vaimo ovat kommareiden riveistä. Kun vielä lisään, että entinen yrittäjä on kokoomuspoliitikko, on helppo havaita, että kokoomuksen osuus, kahdeksan (8) yrittäjätaustaista valtuutettua, on huomattava, kun taas muiden puolueiden yrittäjäehdokkaat eivät ole juuri päässeet valtuustoon.

Miten yrittäjyyden edellytyksiä kehittää valtuusto, jossa yhden valtuustoryhmän sisällä on näin vahva yrittäjäjoukko, kun muiden puolueiden valtuustoryhmistä ei vastaavaa ryhmää löydy? Poliitikon kun ei itsenäisesti odoteta päätöksiään tekevän vaan myötäilevän valtuustoryhmän yhteistä kantaa. Miten yrittäjämyönteinen on sellaisen valtuustoryhmän näkemys, jossa on vain yksi yrittäjäjäsen? Minusta on syytä epäillä, että tämän yhden ihmisen näkemyksille ei ryhmässä juuri anneta painoarvoa.

My little, black notebooks -- Pienet mustakantiseni

Haluaisit lukea jutun suomeksi? OK, klikkaa tätä.

As I told the reader earlier, back then, when I started with the pondering whether to become an entrepreneur or not, the idea was to start a business with my friend K. I met her many times, and we discussed our ideas. It was only after our third meeting that I figured out that it would be a smart move to take notes. From 29.4.2008 forwards, I've been carrying around a notebook.

Since that date, I've already filled one book and a half of another. For countless times, I've thanked myself that I got started with the notes. Without my little, black books, I would've forgotten too many good ideas and pieces of useful information.

It's almost time to get a new notebook. Maybe, this time, I should look for something more cheering than a book with black covers?

Pienet mustakantiseni -- My little, black notebooks

You would like to read it in English? OK, click this.

Kuten kerroin jo aikaisemmin, alkaessani pohtia ryhtyäkö yrittäjäksi vai ei pohdiskelun kohteena oli yhteinen yritys ystäväni K:n kanssa. Tapasimme useita kertoja, ja keskustelimme ideoistamme. Vasta kolmannen kerran keskusteltuamme tajusin, että oli tarpeen kirjata ideoitamme paperille. Aloin pitää mukanani muistikirjaa 29.4.2008.

Tuosta päivästä lähtien minulle on kertynyt muistiinpanoja jo puolentoista muistikirjan verran. Olen ehtinyt jo lukemattomia kertoja onnitella itseäni, että tulin alkaneeksi muistiinpanojen tekemisen. Ilman pieniä, mustia kirjojani olisi moni hyvä idea ja hyödyllinen tieto unohtunut.

Kohta minun pitää hankkia uusi muistikirja. Pitäisiköhän tällä kertaa etsiä jotakin vähän pirtsakampaa kuin mustakantinen kirja?

The Hair of the Display Mannequin -- Mallinuken tukka

Haluaisit lukea jutun suomeksi? OK, klikkaa tätä.

Yesterday, I decided on the colors and on the hair-do for my new mannequin. She'll be something special. Nothing naturalistic, since I think that, in a very little shop room, it's somewhat spooky to spend time with a human looking thing that isn't a human being. I would fly out of my pants ten times a day!

Anyway, for the decision making on the colors and hair, I bought a fashion magazine. Then I cut out the pictures I liked. The next thing, I spread them on the floor and picked out the least interesting picture. I did that again and again. At the end, I had just onepicture left. So, who says I can't make decisions!

Mallinuken tukka -- The Hair of the Display Mannequin

You would like to read it in English? OK, click this.

Eilen päätin, millaiset hiukset ja värityksen haluan mallinukelleni. Hänestä tulee jotakin erityistä. Ei mitään luonnonmukaista, sillä luulen, että pienen pienessä myymälähuoneessa olisi jotakuinkin aavemaista viettää aikaan ihmiseltä näyttävän olion kanssa, kun olio ei olisi kuitenkaan ihminen. Minä saisin p-halvauksen kymmenen kertaa päivässä!

Joka tapauksessa, jotta saisin päätettyä värit ja hiustyylin, ostin muotilehden. Sitten leikkasin lehdestä kuvat, joista pidin. Seuraavaksi levitin kuvat lattialle ja poimin pois vähiten kiinnostavan kuvan. Tein sen uudestaan ja uudestaan. Lopulta jäljellä oli vain yksi kuva. Niin että, kuka vielä väittää, etten osaa tehdä päätöksiä!

Display Mannequin -- Mallinukke

Haluaisit lukea jutun suomeksi? OK, klikkaa tätä.

A couple of days ago, I made an order of a display mannequin. I'll open a shop after the turn of the year, in February, and it wasn't my intention to make this kind of shopping just yet. But, I happened to find just the perfect mannequin, and the sales man, Jouko Kinnunen from Decogalax, took me and my tiny, fledgling business seriously enough to give me really good service. He persuaded me of the fact that, actually, it is the right time to start with the mannequin shopping. In the following, I'll tell the reader why.

In my opinion, a display mannequin should be more than just a clothes hanger; it should remind the viewer of the woman for whom I design the products. About the mannequin I ordered, its character captured my attention, if one can say that a mannequin has a character. The mannequin seems to me like a strong and confident, mature and capable woman. I think that, on that mannequin, my designs will be at their very best.

According to Mr. Kinnunen, mannequins like that, with a personality, aren't produced as assembly line work. The production of such items contains a lot of hand-work. For example, the face of a mannequin, in particular the make-up, will be painted by hand, using as a model a picture the client has sent. Also the hair, actually a wig, will be made following the guidelines the customer has given. I understood that, contrary to my expectations, the mannequins can be rather unique. I understood also, that such unique mannequins would take some time to produce; the delivery time will be quite long.

Since I don't need unnecessary expences, I'm not willing to pay too much for the transport from Italy to Finland. I can spare a remarkable sum just by letting my sole mannequin to be tranported along with a bigger order of another client. Of course, also that will lenghten the time of delivery. Fortynately, I went to see Mr. Kinnunen as early as I did!

The mannequin I found comes from the collection of an Italian firm, Almax, and it's quite pricy, but I believe it'll be worth every cent.

First impression and business attire -- Ensivaikutelma ja bisnespukeutuminen

Haluaisit lukea jutun suomeksi? OK, klikkaa tätä.

The article to which I referred in my previous post contains more thoughts that deserve the attention of a person dressing for business. The thoughts in question come from Shaun Golden, a Fox Television basketball analyst. They're about first impression and self respect:

"I put this cap on this young man and you see it is straight,” Golden said [to his audience]. “This shows simplicity. People say this is a simple, straight-forward person. But if I move it to the side just two inches it totally changes the way people look at you and if I move it six inches the perception gets even worse.
"Raise your pants one inch and people notice you. Lower them two inches and it changes that person’s perception. Make the right choices in how you dress, walk, sit and eat. You have to respect yourself before others will respect you.”

Also in a business attire an inch is a big deal. Are the pantlegs too long or too short? In both cases, the attire tell the viewer negative things about the wearer. Too busy. Quite liberal. Careless. Indifferent. Via the care I give to my appearance I can, in an indiscreet manner, tell my clients and other business associates that I am capable of taking good care of the things they trust in my hands.

Business attire, appropriate or personal? -- Bisnespuku asiallinen vai persoonallinen?

Haluaisit lukea jutun suomeksi? OK, klikkaa tätä.

Surfing the net, I stumbled on a thought that I think we all would be wise to keep in mind when dressing for a workday:

“Character will separate you from all the others. It can propel you to great things or drag you down.” (DeKalb County Schools Superintendent Dr. Crawford Lewis)

What does 'character' mean? Among others, 'mind-set' and 'temperament' are words that come to my mind. Our character exposes us in great deal: it shows our way of thinking and our other abstract features.

In Finnish, 'character' translates into 'olemus'. That word means not only 'character' but also 'phenotype'. Thus, in our clothing, we realize our character. We give a tangible and visible form to our mind-set and temperament. So being, why wouldn't we pay the due attention to our clothing?

I agree with Dr. Lewis when he says that our character can help us make good career moves or become a hindrance. For example, I wouldn't hire a person even as a dressmaker to my firm if, in the job interview, in her or his attire, the person showed that the person didn't appreciate the rules of dressing in business. After all, my business strives to help people in the matters related to business attire. If a job applicant would be inappropriately clothed because of incomprehension I could remedy that, but I have no time to try or even interest in trying to fix a problem with one's attitude.

So, it's a good idea to modify our appearance according to our circumstances; it's a good idea to know the rules and norms and adhere to them. However, too strict following of rules and norms can be as unfavorable thing to do as to give them up altogether.

We shouldn't forget that our appearance tells the viewer about our mind-set, about our way of thinking, and about our temperament. If we follow too slavishly the rules and norms of business attire, it's only too easy to end up with an appearance that no one will find interesting. It's like the person had nothing interesting inside that appropriate shell: no mind-set that would kindle one's trust, no way of thinking that one might find fascinating, and no temperament that one could find adorable.

In good business attire appropriateness and personality are in balance.

Dr. Lewis' wise words you can find here in the article Character Education Summit draws audience of over 850

The kick off of Lainesh Collection -- Lainesh malliston alkulaukaus

Haluaisit lukea jutun suomeksi? OK, klikkaa tätä.


Last spring, one Friday night in April, I met a friend of mine, K. Clearly, she was bothered by something. Before long, she told me about the shopping spree in which, earlier that evening, she had indulged herself. It didn't yield the results she hoped for.

I can't recall K:s words exactly, but the nucleus of the matter was that she was dissatisfied with the business wear offered in clothing stores. K can't stand the dress suits; she thinks that they are only suited for "Aunts". Such suits were all that, according to her claims, could be found in the stores. Frustrated, she wanted to know why I didn't make clothes even though I know how. I told her that, sometimes, I had been thinking about setting up shop: a store in which I would sell my own business wear creations. Well, K bit her teeth into the idea like a pig bits its teeth into a loaf. Just a few hours later we had completed our first version of a business plan.

In this early discussion, K expressed an interest either to invest in the business or to become a partner. Later in the process, because of a change in her circumstances, she had to give up that plan, but for me our discussion was the kick off of my process of setting up shop.

Mallinukke -- Display Mannequin

You would like to read it in English? OK, click this.

Tilasin tänään mallinuken, siis sellaisen myylälän somistuksessa käytettävän. Kaupan pääsen avaamaan vasta vuodenvaihteen jälkeen helmikuussa, eikä minun pitänyt aivan vielä ruveta tällaisia ostoksia tekemään. Mutta kun. Löytyi kovasti mieluinen nukke, ja myyjä, Decogalaxin Jouko Kinnunen, palveli minua, vaikka piskuisen aloittelevan yrityksen omistaja olenkin, todella paneutuen asiaani. Hän sai minut vakuuttuneeksi siitä, että on itseasiassa aivan oikea hetki ryhtyä nukkeostoksille. Seuraavassa kerron miksi.

Mielestäni mallinuken tulee olla muutakin kuin pelkkä vaateripustin; sen pitää muistuttaa naista, jolle vaatteita suunnittelen. Pidän tilaamassani nukessa sen luonteesta, jos nyt nukella voi sanoa sellaista olevan. Nukke vaikuttaa vahvalta ja itsevarmalta, aikuiselta ja osaavalta naiselta. Sille puettuina olettaisin vaatteitten olevan parhaiten edukseen.

Tällaiset luonteikkaat nuket eivät kuulemani mukaan valmistu liukuhihnatyönä, vaan nukkien valmistuksessa on runsaasti käsityövaiheita. Kasvot, varsinkin meikki, maalataan käsin asiakkaan lähettämän kuvan mukaan, ja hiukset eli peruukit valmistetaan nekin käsityönä asiakkaan ohjeitten mukaan. Ymmärsin, että nuket ovatkin yksilöitä. Tällaiset yksilölliset nuket eivät valmistu nopeasti, tilausaika muodostuu varsin pitkäksi.

Koska haluan säästää rahojani, enkä halua maksaa ylimääräistä siitä, että Suomeen tuodaan yksi ainoa nukke minua varten, tänään tilaamani nukke tuodaan maahan useita nukkeja sisältävän kuljetuksen osana. Myös tämä pidentää tilausaikaa. Onneksi olin liikkeellä hyvissä ajoin!

Löytämäni nukke on italialaisen Almaxin mallistosta, ja aika hintavahan se on. Uskon kuitenkin, että nukke on hintansa arvoinen.