Ending, Expanding, and Beginning

Bowler Business Review Wrap Up concludes after a year of great publishing, featuring the some of the most entrepreneurial residents of Second Life®—those defining a virtual world of commerce. PLEASE SEE SIM STREET JOURNAL that has the same creator, Eleanor Medier. Here are the past archives:

After a really great year of producing Bowler Business Review, the creator Eleanor Medier and publisher Jetman Bowler are moving into new directions. Their goal was to profile entrepreneurial companies (with preference to those who are traded on Capital Exchange) and help virtual commerce to gain more recognition and respect. Having reached this goal, and even profitability too, both are looking towards expanded goals.

Eleanor, with fascination continuing towards entrepreneurs, but wanting to add more cultural topics, is starting a new publication, The Sim Street Journal (loosely based on The real world Wall Street Journal). Her goal is to continue towards having the most respected publication within Second Life®, but that also has relevance to the real world. After all, everyone behind the keyboard is a person (hopefully) first. And there are many potential readers who have not engaged in virtual worlds, that can still gain what conclusions are reached, as a metaphor for real applications.

Jetman Bowler, who has always spent the majority of his time on managing investments, will devote even more time to this profitable pursuit. But, he would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the contributors who made this a special year of very special publications.

BBR Contributors:

Amy Nevilly, Second Ads

Angel Damask, Angel’s Heaven Wedding Chapel

Arkad Baxton, Arkad’s Products

Armany Thursday, DNA Fusion

Ashleigh Klossovsky, Act1

Bones Writer, Trax

Brandy (Kalli Birman), Graffiti

Carrie Snowpaw, Snowpaws

Casper Warden, CasperTech, Ltd.

DavidDM Therian, KK Foods

Dyce Underwood, DNA Fusion

Eleanor Medier, Sim Street Journal

Envy Melody, boat designer

Grizzly Mountain, Bukkake Blass

Isoldel Resident, model

Jayjay Zifanwe, University of Western Australia

Jan Maroon, Bletaverse

Jennifer Brennon, Luna Animations

Jillian Fairey, Fairey Angel Designs

Kaddan Yue, OMG! Inc.

Katya Dirval, WRE

Kaya Angel, The Rose Theater

Kurz Socke, Mobile Grid Client

Lillith Siamendes, event organizer

LustyLexxi Larimore, Hostcrate

Lynne Lusch, Fantastic Furniture

Marishka Ixito, Marix Properties

Mystic Handrick, Virtual Employment Agency

Netera Landar, journalist

Pamela Galli, La Galleria

Phelan Corrimal, Rockliffe University

Rah Rehula, Yavapai College

Ramirez Torrance, artist and designer

Robin Lobo, boat designer

Rosie Zimberman, The Blue Oasis

Sarah Nerd, virtual real estate legend

Sassy Romano, “Sassy’s”

Selina Greene, Book Island

Simulat Almendros, Thothica

Skip Oceanlane, Capital Exchange

SkyRanger Hammerer, investor

Stevie Cooperstone, Advanced Avatar Solutions and Galaxy

TronnixTairov, Fastronnix

Twirlin Merlin, TM Designs

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

See more graphics, photographs, and highlights!
Bowler Business Review #wrap up—download to view the magazine as seen in-world (view as book spreads). Examine business and entrepreneurialism from various viewpoints. Read what the pioneers of virtual industries share. Advice is given from those with the experience to know. Discover the practical, the useable, and the pearls of lessons learned. Through profiles and overviews, the potential and reality of virtual business is explored.

Visit one of the kiosks in-world at Capital Exchange or the Bowler Publishing Office

Bowler Business Review and Bowler Publishing are wholly owned subsidiaries of Bowler Enterprises:

http://www.bowlerbusinessreview.wordpress.com

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/products/search?utf8=✓&search%5Bcategory_id%5D=&search%5Bmaturity_level%5D=GMA&search%5Bkeywords%5D=bowler+business+review

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=welcome#!/pages/Bowler-Business-Review/347473125289437

Bowler Business Review Wrap Up

Published by Jetman Bowler

Creator Eleanor Medier

Senior Contributor Netera Landar

Find LMs in the Picks of Eleanor Medier or Jetman Bowler. 

If you have questions about the magazine, please e-mail me at: eleanormedier@gmail.com. —Eleanor Medier, editor, designer, illustrator, Bowler Business Review— now is the same for The Sim Street Journal

Issue #12: Music, Money, and Merriment

Bowler Business Review #12 explores different facets of being a solo entrepreneur within SL. Brandy represents and promotes musicians, Skip reports to a board, and David creates a retail product. Each shares experiences of navigating successful through the virtual world of commerce.

• Skip Oceanlane has earned a reputation of being tough, fair, and ethical in his leadership of Capital Exchange. He grabbed the opportunity to transform a failing market into profitability and visibility. Devoted totally to helping traders and listed companies prosper, he dominates the information desk at his busy sim, Crystal Springs.

• Brandy (Kalli Birman) describes her journey promoting musicians, running a venue, events, collaborations, a shop, and charities. Blending almost all there is to do commercially in SL, Brandy’s five years make her experiences comprehensive.

• DavidDM Therian, as profiled by Netera Landar, has developed a successful food product business in a world with no taste!! But since people also eat through how the food looks, at least half of the pleasure is attainable through his KK Foods.

With two versions of the magazine (online and in-world/PDF), each format has strengths:

• Online accommodates longer articles, is scannable, and copyable to readers. It is less pictorial and pages are subject to choices by the reader, so they are less graphic.

• In-world allows a book format that can be worn or razzed, permitting highly graphic presentations. Shorter articles work better with large photo illustrations.

So this month, we are trying a new format. The in-world issue is more pictorial with highlights from the full article that appears online. This aims to use each format for what it does best.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

See more graphics, photographs, and highlights!
Bowler Business Review #12—download to view the magazine as seen in-world (view as book spreads). Examine business and entrepreneurialism from various viewpoints. Read what the pioneers of virtual industries share. Advice is given from those with the experience to know. Discover the practical, the useable, and the pearls of lessons learned. Through profiles and overviews, the potential and reality of virtual business is explored.

Visit one of the kiosks in-world at Capital Exchange or the Bowler Publishing Office.

Check out the issue in-world. It can be worn or rezzed, with tabs on the sides for included LMs and notecards. Please visit our offices (check my Profile Picks).

If you have questions about the magazine, please e-mail me at: eleanormedier@gmail.com. —Eleanor Medier

Issue #10: Managers of Innovation

Bowler Business Review #10

Once a new business gains momentum, needed skills to take from startup to growing are demanded. This month profiles two entrepreneurs of who manage innovative organizations. Establishing leadership, they use the best features of Second Life® to advance and continually evolve. The approaches they share are applicable to all business—nonprofit to retail to investment to artistic.

• Jayjay Zifanwe, University of Western Australia (Jay Jay Jegathesan, Manager School of Physics), pioneers the art challenges, attracting the best and brightest 3D artists on the grid with visibility and significant prizes. UWA’s most popular cultural activity draws visitors to explore the four sims—showing the diversity of activity, all growing under Jayjay’s leadership.

• Jan Maroon, Bletaverse, innovates the cone-jumping system to which many avatars owe their first earned lindens. A visit to Bletaverse HQ, strategically part of the sim jumping sequence, cross-sells several products while the jumper discovers new offerings around the grid. Master strategist and manager, Jan discusses how he stays maintains his edge.

• Eleanor Medier investigates past profiles for complimentary ideas and concludes seven characteristics of successful virtual management.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

See the issue as it first ran in the virtual world release of Bowler Business Review #10 (download PDF) with more graphics and photographs.

Contributions welcome, please send to eleanormedier@gmail.com.

Check out the issue in-world. It can be worn or rezzed, with tabs on the sides for included LMs and notecards. Please visit our offices (check my Profile Picks), our beautiful park, and our creative publication studio.

If you have questions about the magazine, please e-mail me at: eleanormedier@gmail.com. —Eleanor Medier

Issue #6 Property Pioneers

Bowler Business Review #6

There are those who love to move for variety. Then there are those who love to find great places, stay put, and make them greater. Every newbie in Second Life® has to make land choices—to belong somewhere—whether on the move or stationery.

So fundamental is the land business, and so large, that examining the factors that go into its success will take more than these pages. However, this issue bravely jumps from the diving board of observation into the pool of activity. The issue introduction discusses the viable approaches this month. Two real estate entrepreneurs represent the spectrum of the real estate industry:

• Katya Dirval is a big player with hundreds of sims, parcels, and homesteads for sale and rent. Management is her full-time job assisted by eight employees. Additionally, they sell landscape packages, furnishings, and tools in their comprehensive showroom. Katya gives a realistic portrayal of life in the fast lane.

• Marishka Ixito, on the other end of the land spectrum, develops complete boutique homes that the busy and aesthetically inclined can move right into. Although the market is wide, her offerings are clearly defined. She talks about what is means to maintain creativity and profitability.

• Netera Landar represents the renter who is at the base of the economic chain. Residing at Azure Estates, she queried those around her.

Another form of movement is be truly mobile. Essentially, doing business in a virtual world is inherently mobile. Now there is a new level of workstyle laid on top of the in-world: the connected professional. These people may not spend much time logged into SL on a PC. Their work primarily uses Skype and mobile phonetechnology. Connected all day long, they can monitor activity, manage staff, and serve customers continuously. Sleep may be the biggest challenge, so any sizable operation hires staff to cover 24/7.

Mobile business tools are so fundamental to professional productivity that they are very profitable suppliers. Kurz Socke from Mobile Grid Client discusses how he built his company on innovation. Never planning to even start a business with his idea, his break-through in turn gave his real life career a direction.

The interplay between virtual and real experiences is another way to compare these three contributes. Katya does not need to earn in real life because the virtual is profitable enough. Marishka balances a contrasting real life profession with her virtual one—giving her a creative outlet. And Kurz found his calling within SL that affects his real life career direction.

All of these contributors have one major factor in common: they all make it work. They demonstrate how there is no one way to do that. There are harder ways to achieve profitability—go up against too much competition, found with no experience, or build it hoping “they will come.” Or there are easier ways to choose a business direction—provide essentials, innovate new tools, expand what is already in motion.

These path blazers generously share what they have learned and clearly define the business considerations that make virtual commerce so challenging and so rewarding.

Finally, discover how those profiled in Bowler Business Review build community as they build enterprises.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

BOWLER BUSINESS REVIEW #6 can be downloaded to enjoy the original publication that contains more photographs and graphics.

Check out the issue in-world. It can be worn or rezzed, with tabs on the sides for included LMs and notecards. Please visit our offices (check my Profile Picks), our beautiful park, and our creative publication studio.

If you have questions about the magazine, please contact Quistis Shippe. If you would like to contribute, I will love to hear from you: eleanormedier@gmail.com. —Eleanor Medier

Issue #5: Differences as Similarities

Bowler Business Review #5 (Please download the PDF for Bowler Business Review #5 of the whole issue to see more graphics and photographs.)

Last month took a look at similar businesses with very different approaches. This month looks at very different businesses with similar approaches. The message is that strategy is like a buffet—going down the line, an empty plate soon fills up to overflowing with things to do. It is easy to feel overwhelmed because entrepreneurs have to know and do everything it seems. So to see the variations in what works can help to select the best techniques instead of having to do all of them!

Stevie Cooperstone is an entrepreneur who knows what she does not know. She grows within Second Life® in areas that are new to her, though she brings a wealth of real life (RL) experience. Learning about publicly held companies provides her a leap forward. Stevie is the CEO of Advanced Avatar Solutions, Galaxy Inc., and models professionally.

Selina Greene pioneered a now living legendary literary community. She extends her wealth of RL publishing experience in-world. Helping writers to gain visibility, increase professionalism, and have a home are all achieved through building Book Island. And she has fused her SL and RL to where there is little difference.

Bones Writer can’t help but see and seize opportunity. His professional experience as a musician is balanced by enterprises that support musicians in-world. The two worlds contrast, though both center around music. Bones is the founder and director of Trax Live Music Resource Center that offers listening booths, streams, stages, and assistance.

Though these three may seem very different, they all have come to similar realizations and advice to give:

• Learn the ropes. None of these entrepreneurs came into SL with concrete goals. Getting to know the landscape, building basic skills, and getting through the newbie “learning experiences,” all prepared them for discovering a direction.

• Provide the modular. For Stevie’s companies, it is creating products. For Selina it is sponsoring regular events and rentals. For Bones it is providing streams and rentals. These are approaches that simplify experiences for their constituents.

• Build community. Stevie does this through a product developed for networking—buy using one of Galaxy’s HUDs, SL activities can easily be managed. Selina started from scratch creating a cultural center of writers, publishers, readers, designers, and journalists. Bones innovated new ways for musicians to interact with SL and an anchor to career development. Each provides ways for customers to better use SL.

• Focus on questions. They all love to help people. That takes a special kind of patience that few highly creatives possess. SL is a social medium above all, and if this aspect is not used, it is like missing the boat and having to swim instead.

• Determine scale. Stevie may be the most growth-oriented in building a large customer base. Both Selina and Bones have discovered the right size to serve their markets, maintain profitability, and ride with the seasons.

• Flexible to change. While the pace may be fast in-world, the stable basics provide a foundation for evolution. Each of these entrepreneurs maintain goals that do not change. Yet all make business decisions based on customer responses.

• Accessibile and responsive. To keep communication flowing while buidling is like trying to swim and fly at the same time. This is one of the fascinations that propels these interviews of such achievers! How can they do all that they do?? Especially answering messages quickly and always being helpful?

Additionally this month, the publisher and the editor each get our say:

• CHOICE: Jetman Bowler loves to recommend his favorite places so Netera Landar interviewed Ashleigh Klossovsky from Act 1. Bowler particularly enjoys the relaxed atmosphere, themes, and observing the crowds that this hostess is so skilled at attracting.

• TRENDS: Taking an opportunity to expose one of my favorite soap boxes, I write about the economic relationship between the profits, nonprofits, and artists: Money and Meaning.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Bowler Business Review #5 to see the original publication that contains more photographs and graphics.

Check out the issue in-world. It can be worn or rezzed, with tabs on the sides for included LMs and notecards. Please visit our offices (check my Profile Picks), our beautiful park, and our creative publication studio.

If you have questions about the magazine, please contact Quistis Shippe. If you would like to contribute, I will love to hear from you: eleanormedier@gmail.com. —Eleanor Medier

Issue #4: Faces of Furniture

The most exciting moment of any project is the unveiling. After anticipating for weeks or months of development, envisioning how it will hopefully turn out, and finally arriving at the finish, that day comes to take a step back and see it as a whole completed. Some projects, the best ones, even take on a life of their own; instead of having to push it into form, it seems to dictate what it needs to come alive.

This issue of Bowler Business Review #4, seemed to dictate what it wanted to be from the moment fingers hit the keyboard! Now that it is finished, it is the exciting moment of unveiling—when it appears, as if by magic, in the kiosks all over the grid in Second Life®. With a mere click, readers can rezz the magazine in the virtual world or “wear” it to comfortably fit their screen. (It will appear here online in the form of a downloadable PDF that can be viewed outside of SL. And the articles most relevant to real life can be read here shortly.)

The previous three issues of Bowler Business Review carry a variety of articles, though all are about the experiences of running virtual enterprises. Part of collaborating on a publication is to be open to many creative approaches. Netera Landar, senior contributor, chose to interview Kaya Angel of The Rose Theater; her manuscript was the first to come in. Not realizing that Kaya funds his enterprise through having a furniture design business, the article by Twirlin Merlin was already in the works. Suddenly there were two lead articles both on extremely talented and successful furniture designers! Bingo! A theme!!

Bowler Business Review #4 Contributors: Arkad Baxton, Arkad Products; Kaya Angel, The Rose Theater; Twirlin Mirlin, TMS Designs; Jillian Fairey, Fairey Angel Creations; Lynne Lusch, Fantastic Furniture.

Turning then to this magazine’s mandate to support Capital Exchange traded-companies, two names jump out: Arkad Baxton, who creates home decor, and Jillian Fairey who designs furniture. Also Lynne Lusch came to mind and she was kind enough to answer a few questions that round out the editorial offering. The theme really formed itself!!

Then it became clear that through the lens of furnishings, the various approaches to SL business could be compared. Each of these five creative entrepreneurs have different blends, attitudes, and techniques. All share in dedication, longevity, business savvy, and innovation—though each is unique.

Bowler Business Review Team: Netera Landar, senior contributor; Angel Damask, photographer; Quistis Shippe, production manager; Eleanor Medier, creative director; Jetman Bowler, publisher.

It will take a few days to get all of the articles live here for online reading, but please check back because they are coming!!! In the meantime, please check the kiosks in-world and get your issue now! All feedback and contributions are appreciated too! Always inspired, Eleanor Medier

Listening to Advice

Life is too short to learn everything the hard way. Bowler Business Review seeks to uncover shortcuts and wisdom for how to build a thriving virtual enterprise.

Coming up this month, the quintessential entrepreneur Arkad Baxton of AP Products will reveal in Bowler Business Review #4 how he grows a profitable business selling creative products. After the interview, he was kind enough to offer comments about the magazine so far. Listening carefully to his feedback has inspired some changes in this publication.

Arkad suggested putting the articles online here so that they are more convenient for you. But I can’t just export the articles into another form without considering the features of that form.

Knowing that there are also readers from outside Second Life® who have interest in the growth of virtual businesses, the articles that I am adapting to publish here are only the ones that are relevant to an out-world reader. Articles such as ones on weddings or boats or fashion are all primarily based on in-world culture, unless used as market research for a real life application.

Starting with Bowler Business Review #1, the articles relevant to the real world are now online. (To read the issue in its original, please download the PDF.) These articles are adapted and do include some photographs not in the original. Please enjoy:

“Advancing Virtual Business” by Jetman Bowler

“Creating a Financial Foundation” by Eleanor Medier
Featuring Skip Oceanlane

“The Science of Cultural DNA” by Charmer Dreadlow
Featuring Armany Thursday and Dyce Underwood

“The Future of Virtual Business” by Eleanor Medier

Next I will post articles from Bowler Business Review #2 and #3. Then after #4 appears in the in-world kiosks, articles will be posted here.

Watch for the upcoming interview with Arkad Baxton that will not disappoint! We thank him for his feedback on the magazine and are excited to try some new approaches. When considering the source of advice, none could be better!

Always inspired, Eleanor Medier

———–

See these articles where they first ran in the virtual world release of BowlerBusinessReview#1- download PDF here.

Issue #3: Visionaries Respond

Entrepreneurs in the virtual world thrive on meeting real marketing needs. Most have defined personal formulas that work for them—arriving at techniques and wisdom earned from the crucible of hard experience. This month:

• Read about Mister Mystic Handrick’s adventure in looking for a job that led him to look for all jobs.

• Explore nautical navigations and what it takes to create the most fantasy-filled yachts and speedboats.

• Find out how Netera Landar has mastered media both inworld and out.

• And finally, consider the debate on virtual business’s relevance to real life business through the eyes of two experienced entrepreneurs, Lillith Siamendes of Metaverse Music Expo fame and Eleanor Medier who has to voice an opinion as editor and designer.

Here is that debate in summary to encourage you to consider and hopefully share your own ideas and responses.

Lillith Siamendes and Eleanor Medier debate the relevance of SL to impact RL professionally.

The Realist versus the Idealist (see full article by downloading Bowler Business Review #3)

For those with businesses in a virtual world, that existence parallels real life. Integrating the two takes many forms. Some entrepreneurs pursue disciplines totally unlike what they do professionally in real life. Others mimic. And a few find complimentary ones. All wrestle with relevance. Both Lillith Siamendes and Eleanor Medier share views on this query in Bowler Business Review #3:

What is the business potential of SL to impact RL? 

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The Realist: This is not a Game by Lillith Siamendes, director of Metaverse Music Expo

In looking at all sorts of business endeavors in Second Life®, I don’t find it viable for RL because the numbers are not there. You just can’t earn enough in SL right now—not saying people have not done it. However, SL is a good tool to integrate media.

So if you can earn a little money, and have fun doing it, I say: ‘Go for it!’ I do what I do for fun—and for the friendships that I have developed.

There is viability within SL for education and for performances. By scaling expectations, you don’t fall on your face or are disillusioned because of return. With that knowledge, this is a great place to be. You never know what can develop!

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

The Idealist: This is a Laboratory

by Eleanor Medier, editor and designer, Bowler Business Review

Second Life® is a business tool, even a platform, perhaps a medium. It has untapped uses. Many of the same business rules apply in SL as in RL; the two parallel. SL has RL relevance. Inworld, there may not be huge market numbers but they are big enough for products and services that serve the culture.

If viewed as a way to try new ideas—like a sketchpad—there is great value. It is a place to develop new skills and confidence. A business that exists just to make money is not sustainable. It needs to have relevance and connect to a purpose. There is progress in evolving from game origins into real contribution.

How do you think SL can enhance RL experience?

Download Bowler Business Review #3 or visit one of the kiosks inworld at Capital Exchange or the Bowler Publishing Office.

Find LMs in the Picks of Eleanor Medier or Jetman Bowler.

Learning from Experience #1

by Eleanor Medier, Editor and designer, Bowler Business Review

The sun sets on the launch of BowlerBusinessReview#1 (download PDF) with the first issue. Filed, but not forgotten, it now moves to the “archives” slot. What good is a first issue—to strike out on paths unknown—if not to learn and adapt? Listening to feedback, trying various promotional techniques, learning from the topics, the goal is to profile the state of inworld business. This goal is being met along with new insights:

• The five article approach strikes a balance between categories: in-depth owner profile, sector overview, cultural contributor, publisher’s choice, and focus on relevance to real life. Context is created when the profile viewpoint blends with the author’s experience.

• The editorial approach has stirred up arguments about media definitions. As the editor of BBR, I maintain parameters to dictate the style of writing appropriate. It is controversial with some authors who defend the first-person style that they feel sounds like their voice. They should remember that their personal musings are more appropriate in a blog. A magazine requires formal journalism—not timely events like a newspaper, not brief reporting like a newsletter, not critical opinions like a blog, not personal pictorials like Facebook, not in-depth topic investigations like a book. A magazine is investigative journalism through the lens of a narrator who gives a story context.

• Advertising and promotion work. Building awareness through Facebook, placing billboard ads around the grid, trading kiosk placements for free ads, and tying into the traded companies in Capital Exchange, the magazine is being seen by a wide audience. The first issue collected over 600 readers.

Overview of Bowler Business Review #1

• The magazine needs deep resources. The collective experience of the contributors is vast; each brings a background of several years and all those people known and befriended along the way come in very handy when investigating stories or looking for those to interview. If SL is a social media, then this magazine is an expression of that—taking snapshots along the way and assessing where we are at and who is doing what.

• Support those who support us. All Old Timers in SL have stories worth telling. It is impossible to be inworld for several years without running into all kinds of people, those with very different motivations and styles, riding a financial rollercoaster, taking on a series of jobs and initiatives, all until finding what is sustainable while building up a great list of friends and contacts. Anyone who has run a virtual business for more than two years is worth learning from. So an advertising deal requested for editorial consideration does earn our attention. It shows that the considered company believes enough in us to want to be included while doing so contributes to our sustainability.

Moving on now to Bowler Business Review #2. Keeping it scaled is the challenge as topics can be viewed so easily from many eyes. As SL is a parallel world, to cover a sector topic comprehensively would take up a whole magazine with one article! At best we can take snapshots of a sector corner, talk to those who know more, and capture wisdom from the experiences of those who lead.

Suggestions are very welcome for topic approaches. Contributions are also welcome but only with one of the five categories designated: INVESTMENT, PROFILE, SECTORS, INTEGRATION, CHOICE. If you wish to send in an article for consideration, please email to: eleanormedier@gmail.com.

Location Times Four

by Eleanor Medier, eleanormedier@gmail.com (Please see my inworld Profile Picks for LMs to each location).

It can be like the turtle trying to keep up with the rabbit. As Jetman Bowler races ahead with visibility, he opens headquarters, sets up promotional campaigns, builds relationships with business leaders, and invests in companies. He thinks fast and he moves fast. In contrast, I race to keep up with him on short little legs—my job is to create the magazine and provide promotional materials and displays. He doesn’t discuss what he is going to do—he just does it. Suddenly there are more items on my Development List! But the good news is that strategically, it all works together.

Bowler Business Review inside Capital Exchange is a display and promotional area to demonstrate the latest and past issues. It will
give information on authors, contributors, submissions, and advertising opportunities. As a place to meet and be part of SL commercial action, the office is located at the heart of the investment community. The landing point is at the entrance of Capital Exchange; find the office through the left trading floor in the back. Visitors get a taste of both the magazine’s and the exchange’s vitality.

My current preoccupation is to synchronize four locations. Design always begins by defining purposes and parameters:

• Present signs of entrances for promotion. Visitors will recognize where they are. As one who easily gets lost, it helps to know what to look for when landing in a new location. Some sites, like the office park, have a lot going on that visually competes.

• Define purposes and descriptive notecard for each, so when the visitor clicks on signs, information is dispensed. This really helps position each location, determine benefits, and inspire interaction. If there is no reason for visitors to go to each except to see a magazine they can get through kiosks or online, why have offices?

• Identify the most visible spots to put information and signs. Each office must contribute to visual clarity. It has to be easy to get from one place to another.

• Design modular images where each location can present the others. A visual harmony and consistency allows signs to carry the Bowler brand but also to appear individually. Each location can express the purpose for which it was created. Signs will contain LMs and location information.

• The visual style must reflect the developing corporate look and feel. The signature color is green, horizontal stripe patterns are used to emphasize content, photographs are bold and descriptive.

• Flexible sizes and formats of information, promotion, and publications allow for range of use. Each location has different presentation topics and content placement parameters. They must compliment and speak to the constituent audiences of readers, contributors, advertisers, entrepreneurs, traders, and CEOs.

The Bowler Publishing Building was designed by Marishka Ixito who’s Marix Group is traded at Capital Exchange. The sleek and graceful headquarters houses a growing business center. Located in a high-traffic sim, a beginning helicopter pilot had an accident and crashed into the corner of the office. Driving virtual vehicles takes skill and practice.

Bowler Publishing in the Hoorenbeek Office Park is the most formal and the largest of the four locations. Not knowing what Bowler will do next, it is large enough to encompass whatever he is scheming. I, however, have commandeered the ground floor to be a presentation and resource center for our constituents:
• Current issue presentation and features that enhance the magazine.
• Reading Room of back issues and related publications.
• Advertising Support Room that displays supporting companies.
• CEO Resource Center that provides opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors. Preference is given to the companies that trade at Capital Exchange but business leaders are recognized and promoted.
• Offices and conference room are upstairs where Bowler can contemplate his growing empire and make strategic alliances or deals. He can be busy picking office furniture while I get the displays set up on the ground floor.

Book Island is the premier place within SL to display publishing activity. Covering the range from novels to education to vintage to periodicals, this center of literary development feeds the creative cyber renaissance underway. A stroll around the stalls reminds the visitor of a classic book fair—the age-old atmosphere of craftspeople peddling their wares. Having my spot since September, I try to update the content monthly and now give it over to Bowler Business Review current issues. Adapting the patterns and the colors, the display is modular and does cross-sell to my gallery because it has a personal spin.

For more information, please email me at http://www.eleanormedier@gmail.com

Bowler has defined the spaces well but it is my task to make them have value. Trying to design from the visitor’s point-of-view, I don’t believe in the myth of “build it and they will come.” Potential visitors have to know about it. As Bowler continues to expand visibility like a rabbit darting around the virtual landscape, I will continue to crawl behind, setting up an effective physical structure to a growing enterprise.

Bowler Studio is where the current issue of Bowler Business Review and advertising are being formed. Now collecting ads for the second issue, visitors can see who has gotten their contributions booked. Maintaining an 8/3 ratio of editorial to ads, each issue contains 40 pages of editorial and 15 ads. Visit here to find out the current issue line-up. Also see what stories are under development. This is a great place for authors to have interviews or presentations, meetings with me and/or with Bowler, and as a place to
write or conduct research.