MBR: Clint Eastwood, Cash Mobs and Genius in the Workplace

This Friday’s Micro Business Roundup features Clint Eastwood, mob mentality and geniuses. Intrigued yet? We’ve compiled five articles we think you’ll find interesting — take a look and let us know what you think in the comments section!

Super Bowl 2012 Commercials: Watch Them All Here — It’s fair to assume that most of you know what happened during the Super Bowl. We’re still trying to forget it in New England. The best part of the game for us (and we’re sure many of you) was the commercials. Whether your favorite was Clint Eastwood’s “Halftime” spot for Chrysler, Bud Light’s beer-fetching rescue pup, or David Beckham in his skivvies, thanks to YouTube, Mashable has all the buzzed-about ads in one spot, for your re-viewing pleasure. What was your favorite? Tell us in the comments section!

Seven Ways to Get a ‘Cash Mob’ to Shop at Your Small Business — You’ve likely heard of flash mobs…but have you heard of cash mobs? The idea is simple: Encourage a large number of people to spend money at the same time, at a local business that might be struggling. Sure, it’s not a long-term economic solution, but it does provide positive momentum in a tough market. A great example of a cash mob at work is the story of Chagrin Hardware store in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. Jim Black, a local resident, challenged 40 of his friends to spend at least $20 at the store, all on the same day. The idea caught on, a ton of people showed up ready to buy, and the rest is cash mob history. If you’re ready to get mobbed, take a peek at this piece from Entrepreneur.com — it has a list of seven ways to get a mob to YOUR business.

The Fortunes Of Solitude: Susan Cain On Introverts, The “New Groupthink,” And The Problems With Brainstorming — What do Bill Gates, Craig Newmark, and Mark Zuckerberg have in common (besides the whole ground-breaking tech company, lots-of-money thing)? They’re introverts. In this article, Fast Company interviews Susan Cain about her new book, QUIET: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, which focuses on being an introvert, a personality characteristic that according to her is “vastly misunderstood and undervalued.” She also talks about solitude’s impact on motivation, and how brainstorming might not be the best way to get creative. Are you an introvert or extrovert? Do you think it impacts how you run your business?

Cultivate In-House Geniuses to Inspire Innovation — According to this American Express Open Forum article, being a small biz doesn’t mean you can’t be as innovative as a larger company like Apple.  The piece features tips on how to stimulate your own in-house innovation. One idea we like is finding a customer genius:  “Have key customers or clients visit your team to talk about the challenges and issues in their business, the new trends in their industry, their competition and problems they are facing…sometimes just getting a clearer picture of how the client does things can inspire your employees to come up with new ideas for serving your customer better.”

Taking Back Your Business —The New York Times takes an interesting look at what happens when an entrepreneur sells his or her business, and then, after watching it struggle, decides he or she wants it back. According to the article, there has been an increase in buyback interest over the last three years, which isn’t atypical in a down economy. “The reasons usually seem straightforward: the companies are worth less now, other investments for the money you made offer little return, and for many people the desire to be back running a company — ‘being relevant’ as one adviser put it — is stronger than ever,” it reads.  The article also explores a few real-life deals and features entrepreneurs who went through the process.