Startups

  • Most Topular Stories

  • What is an employee retention or M&A carveout plan?

    Startup Company Lawyer
    Yokum
    21 Feb 2010 | 8:30 pm

  • Google Results are the Measure of an Entrepreneur

    Startup Professionals Musings
    10 Mar 2010 | 5:49 am
    Starting a business is a lot like starting a marriage. At first, all parties are in dreamland, with a vision of changing the world, having lots of fun, and raking in the profits. But all too soon, reality sets in. Product development is stuck at that 90% mark, a key person leaves, and customers are talking but not buying.In his book Reality Check, Guy Kawasaki summarizes some of the key issues. I’ve seen them too often, and they seem to be the same for every company (and every marriage) no matter how great the team is. I challenge any startup to show me they have avoided all of these: One…

  • Sequoia Invests In Snaptu

    Silicontap.com
    12 Mar 2010 | 1:52 pm

  • A New Way to Advertise

    Inc.com
    Jason Del Rey
    12 Mar 2010 | 8:40 am
    How you are seen to protect your customers' personal information can have a huge effect on your brand – and your bottom line, according to a new report. Security researcher Ponemon Institute released its list of the "Top 20 Most Trusted Companies for Privacy", based on a survey of 6,627 US adults. Some 38,000 individual companies got mentioned, 229 of which were ranked more than 20 times. American Express was top of the list, followed by IBM, Johnson & Johnson, HP, and eBay. No small businesses actually made the Top 20 – could it be because 56 percent of small businesses don't…

  • PR for Startups

    Tony Wright dot com» Tony Wright’s Startup Front-End
    Tony Wright
    2 Mar 2010 | 11:49 am
    I don’t know a ton of important people. But as a founder of a venture-backed startup with some amazing investors and advisors, I do know a few. With Nivi and Naval preaching the gospel of social proof (can I get an “amen”?!) and with fundraising posts and articles espousing the importance of introductions, it’s no surprise that about once a week someone asks me to introduce them to someone else. It’s especially common around Y Combinator Demo Day, where YC groups shift from pure product mania to fundraising mode. I’m pretty sure that YC tells new crops of…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Fast Company

  • Infographic of the Day: How the Global Food Market Starves the Poor

    Cliff Kuang
    12 Mar 2010 | 9:35 pm
    How can 1 in 7 people be malnourished in the modern world? A beautifully illustrated video shows the causes. To understand the complexities of the international food market--and how traders in Chicago can cause Africans to starve--you could get a ph.D. in economics, or read a 400-page report from the World Bank. Or you watch this superb nine minute video, directed by Denis van Waerebeke. Though ostensibly created for a science show in Paris for 12 year olds, it's actually probably waaaay over a kid's head. Just watch--it's excellent, and very well illustrated: The video begins with a basic…

  • Behind the Music: Devendra Banhart's Visual Art Takes Center Stage

    Alissa Walker
    12 Mar 2010 | 8:16 pm
    The Us Weekly readers who know freak-folk musician Devendra Banhart as the hippie-haired beardo on the arm of Natalie Portman probably won't recognize him now. The Portman thing ended a while ago, for one. Plus he's wearing glasses these days, prescribed to him when he started getting headaches from poring over his miniscule drawings for a recent art exhibition, he explains in a call from his home in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles. Also, he'll begin a tour next week to support his latest album, What Will We Be, with a scandalously short-cropped do. "It's like a lesbian librarian,"…

  • Infographic: Tracking a Toxic Asset

    Cliff Kuang
    12 Mar 2010 | 2:44 pm
    NPR's Planet Money produces an astounding infographic that shows just how bad a bet the banks made when they went crazy for bundles of subprime mortgages. Toxic assets brought our economy to its knees. You remember those, right? They were bundles of sub-prime mortgages, which were sold to banks like bonds. As the bundled mortgages were paid off each month, they promised a steady portion of the cash. For the banks that bought these assets, the problems began when people couldn't pay the mortgages. NPR's Planet Money--which brought you the Giant Pool of Money story that explained the entire…

  • Only 10 Tickets Left to Innovation Uncensored!

    Noah Robischon
    12 Mar 2010 | 1:32 pm
    No joke: this is your last chance to get a ticket to attend Fast Company's Innovation Uncensored conference on April 21.Who will be there? Along with the editors and writers from this magazine (which is being honored as a finalist for ASME's Magazine of the Year), you'll get direct access to people from the inspired companies that you read about in Fast Company and FastCompany.com every day. Here's the lineup: Mark Parker, CEO, NIKESusan M. Lyne, CEO, GILT GROUPESean Maloney EVP/GM, INTEL ARCHITECTURE GROUPDave Stewart, SINGER, SONGWRITER, COFOUNDER, EURYTHMICSTero Ojanperä, EVP, NOKIAMcG,…

  • You Saw the Exhibition, Now Buy the Art

    Cliff Kuang
    12 Mar 2010 | 11:01 am
    The Guggenheim is auctioning off the works displayed in its recent exhibition, Contemplating the Void. Recently, we brought you a slideshow preview of a lovely exhibition at the Guggenheim, Contemplating the Void, which runs through April 28. In it, the Guggenheim invited 200 artists and designers to imagine radical installations for the interior of the museum--fantastical ideas for turning the famous central atrium into something entirely new. Well, if you liked a piece from the show, you might also be able to own it: The Guggenheim is auctioning off 95% of the pieces. The list of works is…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    VentureBeat

  • Apple fans estimate 120,000 iPads sold on first day

    Paul Boutin
    13 Mar 2010 | 3:59 pm
    A group of stock investors who hang out at the members-only AAPL Sanity Board forum got together to guesstimate how many iPad tablet computers Apple had sold on Friday. The group compared their own order numbers from the Apple Store, then extrapolated from the timestamps and confirmation serial numbers for 48 orders of 54 iPads. They calculate that Apple sold 120,000 of the touchscreen machines on Friday. Apple-watching journalist Philip Elmer-DeWitt, who has tracked the company for decades, believes the numbers are close enough to his gut instincts on the iPad’s popularity that he…

  • Week in review: Modern Warfare 2’s Stimulus Package, OnLive’s launch date

    Anthony Ha
    13 Mar 2010 | 1:49 pm
    Here’s our roundup of the week’s business and tech news. First, the most popular stories published in the last seven days: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 announces Stimulus Package for Xbox Live — Activision announced during the Game Developers Conference that “the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package will strike worldwide on March 30.” The name Stimulus Package is a potentially confusing tie-in to President Obama’s economic plan — sorry, you can’t get paid to play Modern Warfare yet. But the downloadable content package for Xbox consoles includes…

  • Spawn Labs lets you play your console games on the run (video)

    Dean Takahashi
    13 Mar 2010 | 10:49 am
    Call it Slingbox for games. Spawn Labs lets you take a console game and play it over the web on a laptop or a computer. As the Slingbox does with video, you can place shift your games and play them in high-definition on any computer, said David Wilson, chief executive at the Austin-based company. While the game is actually running on a console, you can interact with it and view it on a display on a far away laptop, as long as you have a broadband connection. You have to buy a $199 Spawn HD-720 box to make it work. Inside the box are digital signal processing chips that can take game images,…

  • EC Roundup: Splitting equity and the entrepreneur retirement trap.

    Chris Morris
    13 Mar 2010 | 8:00 am
    Here’s the latest from VentureBeat’s Entrepreneur Corner. Ask the attorney: What’s the best way to split equity? — Working on a new venture, even with friends, doesn’t necessarily mean everyone deserves an equal part in the company. Attorney Scott Edward Walker runs down factors you need to consider when it comes time to split equity. Entrepreneurs and the retirement trap — Too many startup owners actually view their business as their retirement plan. Retirement planner Rick Rodgers points out the danger in that, and offers some alternate ways to save for your golden…

  • Quotes from Sid Meier’s keynote GDC speech

    Douglass C. Perry
    12 Mar 2010 | 11:59 pm
    Veteran game designer Sid Meier delivered the keynote speech at the Game Developers Conference today and during his hour-long session on the “Psychology of Game Design: Everything you Know is Wrong,” the creator of the Civilization franchise produced a series of key points, mantras, and worthwhile quotes captured here. Meier is the creative director at Firaxis and director of this fall’s Civilization V. (You can catch the full news story here.) “Gameplay is a psychological experience: I base my games on things like railroads, pirates, and history, and I try to make the…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Inc.com

  • Why You Should Make Privacy a Priority

    Courtney Rubin
    12 Mar 2010 | 9:41 am
    How you are seen to protect your customers' personal information can have a huge effect on your brand – and your bottom line, according to a new report. Security researcher Ponemon Institute released its list of the "Top 20 Most Trusted Companies for Privacy", based on a survey of 6,627 US adults. Some 38,000 individual companies got mentioned, 229 of which were ranked more than 20 times. American Express was top of the list, followed by IBM, Johnson & Johnson, HP, and eBay. No small businesses actually made the Top 20 – could it be because 56 percent of small businesses don't…

  • A New Way to Advertise

    Jason Del Rey
    12 Mar 2010 | 8:40 am
    iPhone apps that will help you get through conference season. For the small business owner or entrepreneur, springtime often equates to conference season. From booking flights and accommodations, to finding out what's going on in the local area, there are plenty of apps that will ease your stress, Mashable reports. For the procrastinating businessperson, Priceline's Hotel Negotiator app is free, and will allow you to find last-minute hotel deals within a radius of your current location. Also free of cost, the Free Wi-Fi Finder app will use your location to find local spots that offer free…

  • Social Media Trends Among IT Workers

    Curt Finch
    12 Mar 2010 | 7:42 am
    A survey of over 3,000 IT professionals recently showed that they consume more social media content than other types (editorial, vendor) and that they consider this to be a good method not only for staying informed, but for networking with peers as well. According to the study, IT professionals at all levels spend an average of 4.59 hours a week on social media sites, and they report that it has helped to increase their level of expertise in their field. Aside from LinkedIn, some IT workers use Slashdot.org for up-to-date “news for nerds” or IT Toolbox to keep in touch with other…

  • Tips On Streamlining Accounts Payable

    Christine Lagorio
    12 Mar 2010 | 6:42 am
    If you're feeling bogged down by the busywork of tracking bills and payments, or if you've found yourself being a less-than-ideal client to your providers, then there's a good chance your accounts payable system isn't up to snuff. For businesses in their early years, often a trusty Excel file and a business check-writing system are enough to keep accounts payable adequate. But if your business has grown and you're now spending more than a few minutes a day (or an hour a week) on managing payments, experts say you should look to tweak a few things. And doing so will not only save you time in…

  • Advertisement:

    12 Mar 2010 | 6:42 am
 
 
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    TechCrunch

  • Twitter Launches A Site So You Can Stalk Twitter Employees AT SXSW

    MG Siegler
    13 Mar 2010 | 5:48 pm
    While a lot of the smaller startups like Foursquare and Gowalla are getting much of the buzz at SXSW, Twitter isn’t sitting idly on the location sidelines. Sure, they launched location integration on their site a few days ago, but they’ve also apparently set up a sub-site totally around location for SXSW. But here’s the weird thing: It’s only for stalking their employees. As co-founder Evan Williams tweeted out earlier, sxsw.twitter.com shows you a Google map of Austin, Texas (where SXSW is held) with tiny Twitter logos overlaid on it, showing Twitter employees at the…

  • Danah Boyd: How Technology Makes A Mess Of Privacy and Publicity

    Jason Kincaid
    13 Mar 2010 | 2:20 pm
    Today at SXSWi, keynote speaker Danah Boyd took the stage to talk about privacy and publicity, and how they intertwine online. Boyd is a Social Media Researcher at Microsoft Research New England, and has studied this space extensively for years. It was a compelling talk that challenged the notion that personal information is on a binary spectrum of public or private. To help underscore her points, she recalled and discussed a number of major privacy blunders from Facebook and Google. You can find my notes from the presentation below. Boyd says that privacy is not dead, but that a big part of…

  • Pixelpipe Gets Into The Location Game With Foursquare Integration

    Leena Rao
    13 Mar 2010 | 2:00 pm
    Pixelpipe, the service that lets you syndicate text, audio, video and image files to 120 different social networks, blogs and sites, is adding geolocation functionality to its site with a Foursquare integration. The true virtue of Pixelpipe’s service is the fact that it lets you publish all types of files to various social networks and sites from a centralized place. And the startup offers its service on mobile devices, including a nifty Android app, as well. Using Foursquare’s API, Pixelpipe now allows you to add check-in to a location with a link to media captured at the venue,…

  • Foursquare Opens Up Its Firehose A Bit. Social Great Takes A Drink.

    MG Siegler
    13 Mar 2010 | 12:09 pm
    There’s been a lot of hoopla over the past couple of years about Twitter’s so-called “firehose.” Essentially, it’s an open stream of all their data that is provided to developers to use for third-party apps. Foursquare has a firehose of its own, but access to it has been on lock down. Today, for SXSW, Foursquare opened up its firehose a bit more. Social Great, a service which tracks trending places in cities back on location data, has just gotten access to this firehose of data. This allows them to show in realtime the trending places throughout Austin, Texas,…

  • Rushin’ For Fiber, Baltimore Appoints A “Google Czar”

    MG Siegler
    13 Mar 2010 | 9:20 am
    A couple weeks ago, we noted the city of Topeka, Kansas’ humorous attempt to get Google’s attention: by rebranding their city “Google, Kansas.” Why would they do such a thing? Because they want in on Google’s fiber action — the search giant’s proposed plan to sell 1 gigabit-per-second broadband to consumers. Now Baltimore, Maryland is getting in on the fun as well. The city has appointed a “Google Czar” — yes, that’s the actual title — to lobby the company to put Baltimore on the list of cities in the initial trial. Tom Loveland, CEO…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Startup Company Lawyer

  • What is an employee retention or M&A carveout plan?

    Yokum
    21 Feb 2010 | 8:30 pm
    I was speaking at an event last month to a group of CEOs and was surprised by the number of CEOs that were worried about the value of their common stock in a M&A transaction.  Due to aggregate liquidation preferences that may exceed the acquisition price in an M&A deal, common stock may be rendered worthless.  For example, if a company has raised $20M in venture financings by issuing non-participating preferred stock, the holders of common stock will not receive any proceeds from an M&A transaction unless the transaction value exceeds $20M.  If you can’t figure this out…

  • What is a convertible bridge note with a price cap?

    Yokum
    11 Jan 2010 | 12:11 am
    I seem to be doing a lot of pre-Series A convertible bridge note financings these days. As I have written previously, I think that convertible notes with even large conversion price discounts (e.g. 50%) or warrant coverage are typically more company-favorable than a Series A financing where a valuation is set.  After completing a lot of convertible debt deals over the last year on behalf of both companies and investors, I have refined some of my thoughts about pre-Series A convertible debt terms. Observation 1 — Convertible debt is a bad deal for angel investors I think many…

  • How do you find federal and state government funding opportunities for clean tech and other companies?

    Yokum
    22 Dec 2009 | 9:44 pm
    [I know it's been a long time since I posted anything, but I was recently accused of having a dead or dying blog and felt compelled to post something.] Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati provides a powerful online tool that provides clean technology entrepreneurs and companies with a searchable, easy-to-use source for federal and state government funding opportunities and guidance on how to apply. The publicly available tool aggregates and frequently updates the numerous financing opportunities, such as grants, loan guarantees, tax credits, and other programs, being offered by federal and…

  • When do I need to incorporate a company?

    Yokum
    20 Jul 2009 | 11:53 pm
    [It's been awhile since I wrote anything.  I am giving a presentation to some of the founders in TheFunded Founder Institute on incorporating their companies, so I thought I would recycle some thoughts.] Founders of startup companies often wait to incorporate a company until they are confident that their concept is viable or fundable.  At some point, however, an entrepreneur will need to formally incorporate a company.  Several reasons exist for taking the step to incorporate. More than one founder.  If there is more than one founder, the likelihood of an argument about how the equity…

  • Obama proposes no capital gains tax on qualified small business stock

    Yokum
    13 May 2009 | 8:37 pm
    This week, the Obama Administration released the first comprehensive summary of its budget proposal. The budget proposal is wide ranging, and includes, for example, proposed changes with respect to the taxation of “carried interests” in partnerships, as well as sweeping reform of the international tax area. One proposal would dramatically improve the treatment of “qualified small business stock” issued after February 17, 2009. The budget proposal would modify IRC Section 1202 to provide for a complete exemption from capital gains tax for qualified small business stock…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    How to Change the World

  • Pictures from my trip to the Winter Olympics

    GuyKawasaki
    17 Feb 2010 | 3:32 pm
    Having a great time in Vancouver. If you want to see how great, check out my pictures from Day 1 and Day 2.

  • How to Avoid Gullibility

    GuyKawasaki
    8 Feb 2010 | 3:45 pm
    We’ve all been sucked into doing something stupid, right? Fortunately, Steven Greenspan has written a book called Annals of Gullibility. In its conclusion he explains how to avoid gullibility, and I’ve provided a synopsis for you. Read the full story at the American Express Open Forum. More on psychology if you need the advice.

  • How to Be Empathetic

    GuyKawasaki
    4 Feb 2010 | 10:24 pm
    By definition, good marketers are empathetic. That is, they have a capacity to understand and care for the needs of others. Bruna Martinuzzi explains how to be empathetic over at the American Express Open Forum.

  • How to Not Be Annoying on Twitter

    GuyKawasaki
    4 Feb 2010 | 10:19 pm
    Amber MacArthur explains how to not be annoying on Twitter over at the American Express Open Forum. Sage advice for you to develop a great reputation and following on Twitter. More Twitter tips.

  • The Elements of Guyle: British Blogging

    GuyKawasaki
    27 Jan 2010 | 10:06 pm
    Want to make your blog classier? You should blog like a Brit. I explain how to do this in ten easy steps.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    VatorNews.tv

  • China chastises Google days after CEO speaks

    12 Mar 2010 | 12:35 pm
    Minister of Industry and Information Technology says Google must obey law or "pay the consequences"Well, Eric Schmidt was right. Just two days ago, the Google CEO, speaking at a media conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, said that though "there is no specific time table" in regard to when Google and China will come to a decision about their relationship going forward, the time will be soon.If China is to stand by the statements of its top Internet regulator, which it undoubtedly will, there will no compromise between the search giant and China over the issue of censorship.At a press…

  • Anatomy of a social gamer

    12 Mar 2010 | 12:30 pm
    GDC 10: A student, two unemployed, and a BART operator share their social gaming habitsI witnessed an interesting panel at GDC in San Francisco this week, in which four social gaming enthusiasts sat on stage and shared what it is exactly that keeps them hooked on one of those social games, like Farmville, Mobsters, or Sorority Life we've all become familiar with.An overview of the gamers - Two of them were unemployed, one was a full-time student, and the last was a BART train operator.  The BART train operator was a married man in his late 50's, the student- a single young man probably…

  • Online video use continues to rise in U.S.

    12 Mar 2010 | 10:05 am
    CNN, MSN and AOL seeing largest month-over-month gains, says NielsenNow a days, it feels like almost any major event aired on television will either be streamed online or clips will end up showing up all over YouTube.  That's why if I miss an episode of say, my favorite show, "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia,"  I know it will end up somewhere on the Web for me to watch.  And that simple notion of thinking is starting to catch on.  In the month of February, year-over-year online video usage was up 10.5% in the U.S., according to reports released by Nielsen this morning.

  • When's the best time to raise funds?

    12 Mar 2010 | 9:53 am
    Advice on building a business from someone who sold $340M worth of companies before the age of 25Gurbaksh Chahal is all of 27-years-old, and he's already made a significant mark as an entrepreneur. At 18, he sold his first company, Click Agents, for $40 million to ValueClick. At 25, he sold another, Blue Lithium, to Yahoo for $300 million in cash. (Editor's note: Be sure to catch Gurbaksh at Vator Splash. He'll be sharing advice on how to build a startup. Click here to register for tickets) Now, he's onto his third, gWallet, a monetization platform for social networks. In this segment of…

  • Hearst pumps out 70 iPhone apps

    12 Mar 2010 | 8:59 am
    "Unlike the web, we've always trained people that everything on the mobile device costs money."Steve Jobs thinks he can save media, and Hearst hopes he’s right. The publisher is pumping out iPhone apps—70 so far—that aggregate news around topics and celebrities with the aim of finding a revenue stream as print sales and advertising income dwindles. The apps, developed by Hearst’s LMK division ("Let Me Know") generally cost $1.99, with a few going for $0.99.  All of them bear the same cookie-cutter LMK thumbnail image,and bring together blog posts, pictures, news stories and other…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Small Business Labs

  • The New Entrepreneur Presentation

    Steve
    11 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am
    I was forwarded a link to a really interesting presentation on small business trends called The New Entrepreneur.  It is from Grasshopper, a company that provides virtual phone systems for small businesses.  They worked with the market research firm Trends Spotting to develop this very professional and visually appealing presentation.    The New Entrepreneur covers a number of trends and includes information from a mix of sources such as the Kauffman Foundation, IDC, GEM and others - including several references to studies done…

  • Outlook for Jobs, Small Business Hiring Improving

    Steve
    10 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am
    According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. unemployment held steady at 9.7% in February.  This was a positive surprise because most economists thought the east coast blizzards would cause the unemployment rate to increase.  According to T.R. Price's chief economist as reported by NPR, the economy probably would have added jobs in February except for the storms.  Floyd Norris of the NY Times concurred, saying: The decline in overall employment, of 36,000, was almost certainly caused by the weather.  As I have noted before, there were…

  • Great Quote on How Chinese and Americans Respond to their Leaders

    Steve
    9 Mar 2010 | 12:58 pm
    The quote comes from Hongmei Zhang, deputy general manager at the center for technology strategy and development at Chinese power supplier ENN Group.  She was speaking at a MIT energy conference, explaining why nuclear power was more accepted in China than in the U.S.  The quote is from a CNET article: "There are some cultural differences. To be honest, Chinese people tend to listen better. When our president Hu says something, we say, 'Yes, sir,'" she said. But in the U.S., people respond to directions by saying "Says who?" or offering second thoughts,…

  • The Shrinking Venture Capital Industry

    Steve
    9 Mar 2010 | 8:43 am
    The Wall Street Journal covers the hard times in the VC industry.   Key quote on the number of VCs able to raise new funds: Last year, 125 venture funds in the U.S. collected $13.6 billion, down from 203 funds that raised $28.7 billion in 2008 and down from 217 funds that raised $40.8 billion in 2007, according to data tracker VentureSource. The article goes on to say there were 794 active venture capital firms in the US, down from a peak of 1,023 in 2005.  Venture capital returns since the dot com bust have been miserable, so the decline is not at all surprising.  We…

  • Great Quote on Seniors Working Past Traditional Retirement Age

    Steve
    8 Mar 2010 | 10:09 am
    The quote comes from an article on outsourcing IT operations to rural U.S. locations instead of overseas.  The quote on working in retirement comes from the head of the Fanin, Georgia Chamber of Commerce.  The small town of Fanin has a lot of retirees: "Frankly, there’s only so much golf you can play. And the retirement funds that some of these people had have been cut in half. If we had some jobs they could do for four or five hours a day, they would love that. Nobody wants to wilt away. And in some cases, they’re forced to look at their retirement a little differently…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    DEMO Conference Blog

  • DEMO Spring 2010: Spotlight on Mobile

    DEMO Staff
    2 Mar 2010 | 3:52 pm
    Leading up to DEMO Spring 2010, March 21-23 at the JW Marriott in Palm Desert, we’ll rollout more information about the key themes and panelists featured in each of  the 7 DEMO Tech Segments - Cloud, Social and Media, Health and Life Science; Clean and Sustaining Tech, Enterprise, Mobile and Consumer. DEMO Spring 2010 Spotlight on Mobile. Read more

  • DEMO: See the big trends (and speakers Dharmaraj, Fenton, Wong and Chien)

    Matt Marshall
    2 Mar 2010 | 3:49 pm
    We’re shaking things up a bit at the upcoming DEMO conference in Palm Springs, Calif., on March 22-23. The consumer Internet remains exciting, but we’re seeing more action around the edges of the Internet going forward. Read more

  • DEMO Spring 2010 Tech Segment: Spotlight on Cloud

    DEMO Staff
    25 Feb 2010 | 9:20 am
    Leading up to DEMO Spring 2010, March 21-23 at the JW Marriott in Palm Desert, we’ll rollout more information about the key themes and panelists featured in each of  the 7 DEMO Tech Segments - Cloud, Social and Media, Health and Life Science; Clean and Sustaining Tech, Enterprise, Mobile and Read more

  • Register by 3/1 to become a DEMO VIP

    DEMO Staff
    23 Feb 2010 | 12:25 pm
    DEMO VIP Registration remains open throughout the year... but the comp hotel offer benefit goes away on March 1. Register to become a DEMO VIP and attend both DEMO Spring and DEMO Fall. Read more

  • DEMO Spring Preferred Registration deadline extended to 2/12

    DEMO Staff
    2 Feb 2010 | 2:27 pm
    Attend DEMO in 2010 and get involved early with the next round of companies shaping the industry. DEMO's focus on seven sectors: Social and Media, Health and Life Science, Clean and Sustaining Tech, Cloud, Enterprise, Mobile and Consumer has generated interest from hundreds of companies around the world looking to launch at DEMO this spring.  Read more
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Bootstrapping a Startup - Business Exchange

  • The Essence of Evaluating Expenses « Bootstrapper Handbook for Startups

    Business Exchange
    In bootstrapping, entrepreneurs are often too focused on their financial situation that they tend to neglect other important things that must be considered. While it is indeed important to find for your personal resources to start your business in a...

  • Save Money in your New Office

    Business Exchange
    In bootstrapping, you must always find ways on how you can be able save money. To save money is very essential for bootstrappers, every single cent must be spent wisely and accordingly. Let’s take a look at your new business office first.

  • Starting Your Business? Be Smart, Sacrifice, and Avoid Shortcuts

    Business Exchange
    The majority of us chasing the dream are in a permanent catch 22. We can’t make enough money because we don’t have the time and we need to make money in order to have the time to make money, one big vicious cycle. So how do I plan on breaking this pattern?

  • Employed with a side of startup

    Business Exchange
    Most people start their first company while they still have a day job. It makes sense: You don't need loans, and you don't need funding. If you "fail" all you've lost is time, but considering the fun, the stories, and everything you'll have learned, that's hardly a failure. But you've also placed yourself in a hazardous, potentially legally ambiguous situation. If managed improperly, you're unnecessarily risking lawsuits and worse. Here are my tips for how to pull this off.

  • In Today’s Difficult Economy, Businesses Now Save Over 45% on Broadband and Phone Service Expenses

    Business Exchange
    In Today’s Difficult Economy, Businesses Now Save Over 45% on Broadband and Phone Service Expenses As the nation continues to struggle with a difficult economy, companies of all sizes recognize the importance of gaining value from every dollar spent.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Sophia Perl of Wisdom

  • No one stole your idea, deal with it

    Sophia
    5 Mar 2010 | 10:47 am
    How many times have you heard your friends say, “we should start this business, we should start that business…”?  (or maybe it’s just my friends hehehehe)  Empty goals with no action.  So I was reading a Mashable article on a new startup that delivers your favorite toiletries to your hotel room when you travel, so that you don’t have to lug it with you in pint-size containers on your carry-on.  The first thing that popped into my mind was that “hey my friend wanted to start this business too”. If you are a smart person, you would know by now that…

  • Want to give away your lifetime earnings (%) for money upfront now?

    Sophia
    4 Mar 2010 | 1:26 pm
    I was reading a VentureBeat article on entrepreneurs giving rights to a percentage of their future earnings for an upfront cash investment for their business.  The website is called Thrust Fund.  You can think of it like giving money to a promising filmmaker who may have the next Star Wars movie.  I’d like to get in on that for sure except that usually 9 of 10 business fail.  Also, is there any guarantee that the entrepreneur will find a job after so many failures?  I definitely like the twist on finding a new way to fund startups.  Would you sign up as an entrepreneur and/or…

  • Fun time at Stanford E-Week E-Mixer

    Sophia
    3 Mar 2010 | 9:21 am
    I am embarrassed to admit that of the whole time that I’ve been in the bay area, I have not made it to a single e-week event.  I saw this event called Reverse VC Pitch and thought hey I’ll go to that, it’s free what is there to lose.  It just so happens it was during Stanford Entrepreneurship Week and the organizer Larry wanted to piggy back with the E-Week E-Mixer which was also free (yes!).  I showed up two hours before the Reverse VC Pitch event to attend the E-Mixer.  It was in the lower cafe area of the Graduate School of Business.  Every attendee received a list…

  • Why I love living in the Silicon Valley area

    Sophia
    15 Jan 2010 | 8:57 am
    I want to say first that I went to school down in southern California and I still love it down there however for my industry, technology, I love it up here. Let’s talk about the cons of San Francisco Bay area: Expensive housing Besides San Francisco, very spread out, made up of many cities like Mountain View, San Jose, Palo Alto, etc For you single men, there are not a lot of women No good public transportation for the whole area Sometimes it’s really cold and windy in SF city Now the pros: There are a ton of technology companies in the area If you love outdoors, this is the place…

  • Did you do DECA in high school?

    Sophia
    13 Jan 2010 | 8:52 pm
    Back in the days of high school, I joined a marketing club called DECA.  I credit the club in shaping my passion for business.  For DECA, I managed the operations of my high school’s espresso coffee cart covering sales and purchasing of coffee and snack products.  For DECA competition in a written business plan category, I placed first in the state competition and top eight in the national competition. You are probably thinking what exactly do you compete in because this is a marketing club.  I’m glad that you asked.  For majority of the categories, students do a role play…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Venture Hacks

  • I’m speaking at SXSW + Holding a SXSW MEETUP

    Naval Ravikant
    12 Mar 2010 | 2:26 pm
    Naval here. For those of you going to SXSW, I’ll be on the Seed Combinators Panel on Monday March 15 3:30pm. I’m joining Paul Graham, David Cohen, Marc Nathan, and Joshua Baer to talk about YStars, TechCombinators, SeedBoxes, and the like. Here’s the Plancast if you want me to “count you in.” I’m also throwing a SXSW Venture Hacks Meetup on Sunday March 14 5-7pm in the Four Seasons Lobby Lounge at 98 San Jacinto Blvd. If you’re coming to the meetup, please RSVP on Facebook xor Plancast so we can get a headcount. If you’re a Venture Hacker, please…

  • Give tweet a chance

    Nivi
    12 Mar 2010 | 1:22 pm
    According to Google Reader, we write 2 blog posts a week. And according to TweetStats we write 73 tweets a week. If you only read our blog, you’re missing the great links we post on Twitter. We take the same care with our tweets that we do with our blog posts and we try to keep the quality stratospheric. You can follow us on Twitter but maybe you’re already following too many people. So we’ve created a daily digest of our tweets that you can get via email or RSS. 600 people have already subscribed to the digest and it looks like this: But wait there’s more! First, we’re working on a…

  • It takes more than one intro to get a meeting

    Nivi
    8 Mar 2010 | 8:16 am
    Don’t be afraid to get multiple intros to a single investor. Fred Wilson: “One of my favorite VC quotes comes from Bill Kaiser of Greylock. He once said, “when I hear about a company once, I often ignore it, when I hear about it twice, I pay attention, when I hear about it for the third time, I take a meeting”. “It happened to me this week. I met with Reshma who runs seedcamp, the european version of Y Combinator, on Monday and she told me about Zemanta which came out of last year’s seedcamp. Then I saw this blog post about Zemanta on Techmeme the next day.

  • More diligence and less capital coming for startups (and their investors)

    Nivi
    4 Mar 2010 | 8:03 am
    Thanks to George Zachary, a partner at Charles River Ventures, for sponsoring Venture Hacks this week. If you like this post, check out George’s blog and tweets @georgezachary. – Nivi In my first post, A brief history of your investors (and their investors), I wrote about the history of venture capital. I described how the economy and stock market drives investments into venture capital and startups. I also covered how the basic incentive structures are affected by these drivers. I ended with a suggestion that cash is gaining power relative to other assets and a suggestion that this…

  • [Startup Digest]: “The best startup events in 27 cities”

    Nivi
    3 Mar 2010 | 8:01 am
    Every day (literally), I get an email from someone asking me to introduce them to investors, advisors, and co-founders. We’re building StartupList and AngelList to handle the intros to investors. For intros to advisors and co-founders, I always tell people to sign up for [Startup Digest] — a weekly curated list of the best events in 27 cities — and start going to lots of events. Good things happen to you at events I don’t go to a lot of events anymore because I “wouldn’t be here working.” But I went to a lot of events when I moved to Silicon Valley 5 years…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Tony Wright dot com» Tony Wright’s Startup Front-End

  • How to Ask for an Introduction

    Tony Wright
    9 Mar 2010 | 11:33 am
    I don’t know a ton of important people. But as a founder of a venture-backed startup with some amazing investors and advisors, I do know a few. With Nivi and Naval preaching the gospel of social proof (can I get an “amen”?!) and with fundraising posts and articles espousing the importance of introductions, it’s no surprise that about once a week someone asks me to introduce them to someone else. It’s especially common around Y Combinator Demo Day, where YC groups shift from pure product mania to fundraising mode. I’m pretty sure that YC tells new crops of…

  • PR for Startups

    Tony Wright
    2 Mar 2010 | 11:49 am
    My startup (RescueTime) has enjoyed some pretty ridiculously good PR (online, print, and video). It’s not a surprise that the most common questions that we get from other founders are about PR. How do you get press and the blogosphere talking about your product? When you research this topic, you’ll see lots of technical and how-to articles that talk about how to build relationships with writers, how to use services like PRweb, how to format a press release, and more. In a lot of ways, this reminds me of SEO (search engine optimization). Research SEO and you’ll find a bunch…

  • Considering Y Combinator (or any seed funding)?

    Tony Wright
    22 Feb 2010 | 12:20 pm
    [Timely note! We're hosting a Y Combinator Meetup in Seattle on Thursday Feb 25... details here!] March 3 is the deadline for YC’s Summer 2010 session. I figured that I ought to throw my thoughts out there on the decisions that lead up to the application, the app itself, and the interview process that follows (if your app makes the cut!). Making the Decision to Apply First off, I think the most important thing to emphasize as an entrepreneur is that you should optimize for your chance of success a meaningful exit, NOT the magnitude of it, should it happen. It may seem like selling for…

  • Freemium Founders: Start Charging for Things Today!

    Tony Wright
    12 Feb 2010 | 12:14 pm
    I tend to disagree with 37Signals on a mess of things. Like a lot of successful internet pundits, they deal in absolutes and hyperbole. There’s no middle ground and there’s no “…well, it depends”. That’s just not as linkbaity. It’s probably not as fun, either. But there’s one place where I wholeheartedly agree with ‘em– if you’re in the Freemium game, start charging for your software. Right now. Yesterday, in fact. Should you put a price tag on just any web service? Absolutely not. Kayak shouldn’t charge to find you a…

  • Design your Blog like You’d Design a Product

    Tony Wright
    8 Feb 2010 | 10:28 am
    When I decided to take a weekend and focus on my blog I realized one big thing: Most blogs are crappy products. And most of my favorite bloggers (the ones that espouse taking design, marketing, testing, and iteration have largely blown off the designs of their blogs To be clear, I think the quality of the blog is almost entirely measured by the quality of the content and not the theme. But blog success is a function of content quality and the ability to turn readers into people who retweet, comment, subscribe, or follow. Success (whether it’s a blog or a product) is looks a lot like…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    The Businessmakers Radio Show

  • With Mobile Apps, Coopetition Benefits Everyone

    The Businessmakers Radio Show - Russ Capper
    13 Mar 2010 | 12:30 am
    Russ visits with Whurley, a cult hero among open-source aficionados. Whurley speaks of “the interwebs,” he uses words like “coopetition” and “augmented reality,” and talks about open innovation. His company offers services like content publishing, application resurrection and custom development. It’s all about the chaotic rise in mobile phone applications and sharing innovation among developers. And Zen. On steroids.

  • In Search of the Perfect Drumsticks

    The Businessmakers Radio Show - Russ Capper|John Beddow
    13 Mar 2010 | 12:30 am
    Fifty years ago, Herb Brochstein, a professional Big Bands drummer, could only find one set of drumsticks that sounded the way he wanted. In this segment, Brochstein describes his worldwide search for The Perfect Sticks. Of course, he ultimately started making them himself and the rest is history. Today, ProMark sells 3-4 million pairs of drumsticks annually. (Elvis makes a guest appearance in Brochstein’s story.)

  • PKF Texas: The Entrepreneur’s Playbook® - Our Blended Workforce

    The Businessmakers Radio Show - Greg Price
    13 Mar 2010 | 12:30 am
    Gen X-ers are working with Boomers and Millennials and, as the world shrinks we’re spending more time multitasking with the Europeans… we’re all statistics. So, where do you find your talent? Greg Price suggests a collaborative strategy.

  • School of Business 03/13/10

    The Businessmakers Radio Show - Russ Capper|John Beddow
    13 Mar 2010 | 12:30 am
    Russ and John present the show that celebrates those that work for the company, but features those that make the company work—the entrepreneurs who have no fear of failing. Includes: the BusinessMakers Quote of the Day—wise observation from pop psychologist Dr. Joyce Brothers; This Week in Business History includes the Ides of March, Gov. Sam Houston, the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted List and Eliot Spitzer; and the Jargon Challenge Round—acronyms, technospeak and trendy new stuff you should know.

  • Cultivating a Positive Company Culture

    The Businessmakers Radio Show - Carl Kleimann
    10 Mar 2010 | 12:30 am
    How would you describe your company’s culture? Carl Kleimann gives tips to help you define and, perhaps, redefine your company culture to better fit your mission, vision and values.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Up and Running

  • Small Business Summit 2010

    Tim Berry
    12 Mar 2010 | 6:55 am
    Rats. I was hoping to be able to get to New York for this year’s Small Business Summit 2010, but I’m here now and have to leave today to return to Oregon. This means that I may have tickets for you, for free, if you want to e-mail Palo Alto Software (e-mail hello at paloalto.com) with a request. I have a limited number of tickets I won’t be using. The normal admission is $199. E-mail that company e-mail address above and it will be first come, first served. This year’s summit, the fifth annual for this event, is headlined by a talk by Seth Godin, author of Linchpin and…

  • Escape Workshop in a Box Now Available

    Tim Berry
    11 Mar 2010 | 7:32 am
    Pamela Slim is releasing her Escape Workshop in a Box today. That’s a very interesting productized version of Pam’s one-day workshop based on her best-selling Escape From Cubicle Nation book. I’m proud to be part of this project. I connected with Pam as I got started in social media because she’s a gifted writer. When I heard she was doing one of these workshops in Portland, Ore., near where I live, I volunteered to join her and do the business plan section that day in the afternoon. And I’m glad that a recording of that session is included in the product. The…

  • 6 Solid Business Lessons From a Doctor’s Office

    Tim Berry
    10 Mar 2010 | 7:18 am
    I just read Lessons Learned As a Result of Running a Business on Pediatric Inc,  written by Brandon Betancourt, who runs his wife’s pediatrics practice. This is obviously a practice manager who knows business. And can write. Too bad, for their sakes, that more doctors, lawyers and accountants don’t treat their practices as businesses. As the saying goes, “Ain’t no shame in it.” So this post–and this list–are proof that good business thinking comes from a lot of sources that aren’t supposed business experts. Here’s what Brandon has to say…

  • Proving that Market Surveys Can Be Fun

    Tim Berry
    9 Mar 2010 | 1:03 pm
    It may not be useful, but then few surveys really are, and at least this one is a lot of fun. That’s Survey: 75% of iPhone Users Have a Wholly Inappropriate Relationship With Their Phones as reported by Dan Nosowitz on his Fast Company blog. The survey in question was done at Stanford by a group of students with a sense of humor. Here are some results (quoting Dan’s blog): The researchers surveyed 200 iPhone-owning students, 70% of whom have owned their iPhones less than one year, on their oft-inappropriate relationships with the gadget. Some of the most important (read: funniest)…

  • About Women as World’s Biggest Market

    Tim Berry
    8 Mar 2010 | 8:56 am
    Hmmm . Sylvia Ann Hewlett posts Why Women Are the Biggest Emerging Market on the Harvard Business Review site today.  She has some convincing statistics: Women leaders are the new power behind the global economy, proclaims Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu’s announcement of its second annual webcast celebrating International Women’s Day. In developing nations, women’s earned income is growing at 8.1 percent, compared with 5.8 percent for men. Globally, women control nearly $12 trillion of the $18 trillion total overall consumer spending, a figure predicted to rise to $15 trillion by…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    The Startup Lawyer

  • Model Seed Funding Doc Myths

    Ryan Roberts
    11 Mar 2010 | 5:51 pm
    A variety of model startup seed funding docs have been released in the past year or so: TechStars Series AA Preferred, YCombinator Series AA Preferred, and TheFunded Founder Institute’s Plain Preferred. And as I mentioned last week, Fenwick & West and Andreessen Horowitz released the Series Seed model documents. The standardized seed funding document movement is great and I fully support it. So now you have more docs to choose from, and maybe more to be confused by. I have and will continue to use these document sets when a client requests. But there are a few myths about…

  • TechWildcatters Applications Due March 19

    Ryan Roberts
    8 Mar 2010 | 2:45 pm
    TechWildcatters is a mentorship-driven microseed fund and startup accelerator in Dallas, Texas. Applications for the first 12-week accelerator “bootcamp” are due March 19. The selected startups will get up to $25,000 in seed funding, intensive top-notch mentorship, and the opportunity to pitch to angel investors, venture capitalists and corporate dev teams at their biannual “Demo Day”. Here’s the type of startups TechWildcatters is looking for: -Applications: B2B Web/Enterprise 2.0, BI/data/analytics, gaming/simulation, etc. -Technology: Web, SaaS, open source, data integration,…

  • It Is Not Your Baby Anymore

    Ryan Roberts
    8 Mar 2010 | 5:06 am
    Many entrepreneurs treat their startup like their baby. And rightfully so. The entrepreneur has likely shed blood, sweat, tears, and some cash on the startup, therefore the entrepreneur wants to keep the startup in its grasp and control at all times. But once you issue equity in exchange for services or investment, your startup isn’t your own anymore. You now have joint-custody. Sure, you can (and should) still care for and nurture your startup as if it were only yours. But face it, you are slowly selling off your baby when you issue equity. Most entrepreneurs get that, but there are…

  • Model Series Seed Docs

    Ryan Roberts
    1 Mar 2010 | 10:17 pm
    “The Series Seed Documents are a standardized set of documents that can be quickly and easily deployed for a seed investment: to help get a company financed properly, legally, quickly, and intelligently.” The drafters, Fenwick & West and Andreessen Horowitz, imply these docs should be used for $500,000 to $1,500,000 investments. The drafters are “open sourcing” the documents so that they may be continually improved by the startup community. The Series Seed Documents include: (1) Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation The Amended and Restated Certificate…

  • Busy Time in Dallas

    Ryan Roberts
    27 Feb 2010 | 5:34 am
    The next week is going to be extremely busy in Dallas for startups. Here’s the roster of events next week courtesy LaunchDFW: Monday March 1st – Dallas Startup Happy Hour The first Monday means Startup Happy Hour. The Dallas Startup Happy Hour is the talk of the startup community in Dallas. Check out the coverage in the Dallas Morning News here. As a result of the events, several startups have found a) employees, b) co-founders, c) angel investors and d) had a few free drinks. Monday March 1, 2010 from 5:00pm – 8:00pm High Tech Bar at the INFOMART 1950 Stemmons Freeway Dallas, Texas…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Startup Professionals Musings

  • International Cultures are Key Business Challenges

    13 Mar 2010 | 5:53 am
    By Ernst GemassmerMost of us have travelled abroad and experienced challenges and frustrations of getting what we want without being laughed at or insulting our hosts. Similar issues prevail when doing business in other countries, cultures and languages.With the advent of the Internet, it’s easy to think of the world as one locale for your business. The opportunity is large, as I related in an earlier article, but there are some major challenges as well. As a follow-on to that article, here are a few examples from my personal experience: You need to translate/localize your products. I was…

  • For an Entrepreneur, an MBA is not King

    12 Mar 2010 | 5:53 am
    I don’t have an MBA. I used to fear that this would put me at a disadvantage in starting my own company, but now I’m convinced that it may be the other way around. More importantly, as a parent or mentor, what should you advise young potential entrepreneurs about getting an MBA?In some recent surveys, as many as two-thirds of entrepreneurs felt that their entrepreneurial spirit was more ingrained than learned, so maybe the education level is irrelevant. Obviously, there are many successful entrepreneurs who aborted their education and become very successful anyway, like Bill Gates and…

  • Eight Clues That the Honeymoon is Over

    11 Mar 2010 | 5:55 am
    Starting a business is a lot like starting a marriage. At first, all parties are in dreamland, with a vision of changing the world, having lots of fun, and raking in the profits. But all too soon, reality sets in. Product development is stuck at that 90% mark, a key person leaves, and customers are talking but not buying.In his book Reality Check, Guy Kawasaki summarizes some of the key issues. I’ve seen them too often, and they seem to be the same for every company (and every marriage) no matter how great the team is. I challenge any startup to show me they have avoided all of these: One…

  • Google Results are the Measure of an Entrepreneur

    10 Mar 2010 | 5:49 am
    The measure of an entrepreneur used to be the number of real friends claimed, but times have changed. Now the measure is how many hits one has on a Google name search, factored by some formula, like the sum of all positive messages minus 100 for every negative message.That’s the reason every good parent should be coaching their child from birth to avoid posting all the naughty things on social networks that can come back to haunt them later. To illustrate the point, here is a story posted by Seth Godin a while back:“A friend advertised on Craigslist for a housekeeper.Three interesting…

  • Women Entrepreneurs May be the New Men

    9 Mar 2010 | 4:07 am
    It looks like women are catching up with men in numbers in the workplace. For the first time in history, women in the USA are within a percentage point of the majority of the national workforce. The question is whether they will handle the downside of working any better than men.According to a recent article by Ella L. J. Edmondson Bell, PhD, titled The 21st Century Workplace -- Are Women the New Men?, the economic downturn has hit men harder. They held nearly 80 percent of jobs that have been lost during what is now being called the "mancession." Will women now inherit the stress, pressure,…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Great Demo!

  • The Demo Route That Shouldn’t Be Traveled

    Peter E. Cohan
    11 Mar 2010 | 4:03 am
    Imagine you want to drive to the store to pick up a few things for dinner – a trip that normally should take 10 minutes one way. You get into your car, leave your driveway and proceed down the street. Your car is equipped with a very intelligent voice-controlled GPS, however, which decides that there are other options you should see on the way. The GPS takes control and turns off from the direct route to show you an interesting restaurant it thinks you might want to try sometime in the future. You thank the GPS, and ask it to return to the original course. It does so.A few blocks later, it…

  • A Date Nit

    Peter E. Cohan
    8 Mar 2010 | 3:37 pm
    Given that the purpose of software demonstrations is to (1) build a vision of a solution or (2) show proof, everything we do in a demo needs to support these objectives. In demos we are working to “suspend disbelief” in our customer audience – in other words, we need to make the demo appear to be as close as possible to real life. Anything we do or show that is obviously fake hurts our cause.Two examples of making a demo obviously appear to be fake are:- The use of silly or obviously fictional names (e.g., “Mary Manager”, “Dave Departmenthead”, “Sarah Superuser”).- Naming…

  • Cognitive Dissonance in Demos

    Peter E. Cohan
    3 Mar 2010 | 5:08 pm
    How does cognitive dissonance apply to delivering demos? Cognitive dissonance can be defined as an uncomfortable feeling caused by holding two contradictory ideas simultaneously in mind. Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person perceives a logical inconsistency with his/her thoughts. This happens when one idea implies the opposite of another. In movies, a great example is when a man and woman initially despise each other, but then fall in love (grudgingly at first, of course!).Does cognitive dissonance occur with software demos? Yes and no. [Sorry, couldn’t resist the example!] It…

  • Avoiding Boring

    Peter E. Cohan
    25 Feb 2010 | 8:03 am
    I was learning about a software company’s presales on-boarding process recently and noted a practice that reminded me of a Seth Godin blog post from a few months back… The on-boarding process included the following steps (among many others) for a newly hired presales person:1. Watch our current demo.2. Read the script.3. Learn it.4. Prove you know it by presenting the demo in a role-play session [they called this the “Certification Review”].The candidate presales person lost points for going off-script or incorporating any changes. Seems like a great plan to ensure that the new hire…

  • Customers’ Checklist for Purchasing Software

    Peter E. Cohan
    23 Feb 2010 | 7:09 am
    A recent article in the January 2010 edition of Purchasing offered a checklist for customers of contract management software – and is a good general list for a range of software offerings. Items 1 and 2 are particularly interesting and map extremely well to Great Demo! concepts. Here’s the list:1. Identify your company’s goals, needs and pain points around contract management. Where are the inefficiencies?2. Identify what reports you would like to have.3. Check internally across all departments and business units to see if any contract management systems or processes are already in…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Patricia Handschiegel

  • The New Power Girls: Women Entrepreneurs Are Diverse and Driving Diversity More Than Ever

    Patricia Handschiegel
    26 Feb 2010 | 9:56 am
    The women entrepreneurs that make up the startup population in Los Angeles and beyond are incredibly diverse, an intersection of a variety of cultures, races, religious beliefs, origins, ages and types. There are Indian women, African Americans, Persians, Asians, Russians, Italians. It criss-crosses with a variety of faiths from Christian to Muslim to Jewish, and all ages. The youngest founder I know is in her early 20s, the oldest well into her 60s. It's a real world slice of something incredible and dynamic that's happening in America. Women entrepreneurship is on the rise. More than half…

  • The New Power Girls: Women In Business, Women In Business Need You

    Patricia Handschiegel
    18 Feb 2010 | 3:31 pm
    The little girl playing in a comfortable suburban living room barely notices the subject Oprah Winfrey is talking about on the TV that sits idly in the backdrop, yet is fully aware of the presence of the popular talk show host, who at the time was just getting started on her road to multi-million dollar success. Awards, movies, book clubs, etc. were yet to come. Popular culture at the moment is all about women working, breaking barriers and accomplishing everything from supporting the household to single motherhood. Reruns of movies like Mr. Mom, Tootsie, and 9 to 5 play in a continuous loop…

  • The New Power Girls: Women Entrepreneurs On Making Money And Making A Difference In Business

    Patricia Handschiegel
    11 Feb 2010 | 9:18 am
    I feel tiny as I take a seat in the office of The Joyful Child organization. I adjust in my chair and take a look around the room. Photos are everywhere of five year old Samantha Runnion. In every single one, she is smiling, looks happy, loved and cared for. A pang of sadness hits. You are able to see and feel how much her family loved her. I am instantly embarrassed for any trivial thing I could have worried about this week. I could never imagine the loss of a child, let alone the senseless rape and murder of one by a man who had a history of raping children. Samantha's mother, Erin, comes…

  • The New Power Girls: Understanding The Future Of The Internet And How Women Entrepreneurs Are Taking Advantage Of It

    Patricia Handschiegel
    7 Feb 2010 | 5:49 am
    It's a sunny afternoon in the Los Angeles area as I take a chair at the long, rectangular table facing attendees at the Digital Hollywood conference. Seated next to me is a panel of successful producers, writers and others from the entertainment business. I'm the sole participant from business side of the Internet in the group, and likely the only person in the room with a background in Internet telecom and platform business engineering. About halfway through the discussion, someone says, "We don't know what the future will bring or what the Internet's going to do next." I lean into the…

  • The New Power Girls: The Right Support Can Benefit Your Business

    Patricia Handschiegel
    21 Jan 2010 | 12:06 pm
    It was just a short few months after the sale of my first startup as I took a somewhat long media interview for a profile on my work and business. As I shared the story of how I launched the company, then later sold it, it seemed like it had been decades of work, not just three short years. Not only was it harder to launch and operate a digital media company at that time, but also, back then I was one of the few female founders in the business. As we wrapped up the call, the reporter said something that has never left my mind. "You know, you always think when people have success, it came…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation

  • Did You Miss National Entrepreneurship Week?

    kathykormanfrey
    3 Mar 2010 | 8:36 am
    Did you miss National Entrepreneurship Week? Don’t feel bad. This post addresses three major things you can do to think entrepreneurially EVERY day. What is National Entrepreneurship Week & why are entrepreneurs so critical to our nation? NFIB Statement on National Entrepreneurship Week  WASHINGTON, D.C., February 22, 2010 — Dan Danner, president and CEO of the National Federation of Independent Business, the nation’s leading small business association, issued the following statement in recognition of National Entrepreneurship Week:  “Entrepreneurs are so critical in a…

  • Inspirational Young Entrepreneurs – Part #1

    kathykormanfrey
    5 Feb 2010 | 7:35 am
    Ten9Eight Airs on BET February 7, 2010 Want to read about young people today who are getting it right? Going for it? Pursuing their dreams? This four-part series serves it up to you in spades with stories that will blow your mind, warm your heart and – if all goes well – line the pockets of the featured young entrepreneurs. Kicking off the series is Ten9Eight, Shoot for the Moon by director Mary Mazzio. This film is THE  cinematic rendering of the American dream.  Inspiration matters in this day and age, not just on a personal level – but a business level too.  Saatchi…

  • Top Low Cost and Free Small Business Tools – Part #4 The Best of the Rest

    kathykormanfrey
    25 Jan 2010 | 2:10 pm
    This is the final post in our series of low cost and free business tools for small business. Today, we’ll approach the area of cheap business resources just as you might: Googling!  After each listing, we’ll evaluate who makes it in this post and why.  For educators, this can also be a good exercise in critical thinking and filtering skills for students in this era of information overload. Search term:  Free Business Tools Search Results: Inc.com 100 Free Tools – First on the list were some tools from Inc Magazine. Upon further examination, the tools look solid. They are…

  • Top Low Cost and Free Small Business Tools – Part #3 For the New Year

    kathykormanfrey
    1 Jan 2010 | 7:39 am
    HAPPY NEW YEAR STUDENTS, ENTREPRENEURS, and EDUCATORS! Today for the new year, we cover our favorite small business tools that are: 1. Free or low cost, 2. Help start off the new year right for you both personally, and in business and 3. Proven TOP 10 SMALL BUSINESS TOOLS TO START THE NEW YEAR OFF RIGHT 1. www.Mint.com – A free finance tool. Financial literacy starts at home. 2. www.Doodle.com – Easy group scheduling tool. 3. www.GoogleDocs.com – Google docs are fabulous for virtual teams, and individuals who travel or have multiple offices. Tip: Use an excel sheet in Google Docs to…

  • Top Low Cost and Free Small Business Tools for Start Ups – Part #2

    kathykormanfrey
    7 Dec 2009 | 12:23 pm
    At the 2009 World Business Forum in New York, global leaders in business stated the importance of running lean and mean during this down economy.  With the expense of health care coverage, especially for small business, these tips have never been more pertinent. Below is the second in a series of  our favorite free and low cost tools for small businesses and starts ups.    Cost savings for year one of a business, or anytime:   1. WordPress. WordPress is the most popular blogging software in the world, and the templates can be used on a regular website. WordPress software gives you a…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Grade A Entrepreneurs

  • Combining entrepreneurship and leadership: Vision India 2020, by Sramana Mitra

    admin
    7 Mar 2010 | 4:03 pm
    Vision India 2020 by Sramana Mitra describes where India could be – or should be 10 years down the road. Is the country destined to remain an outsourcing haven? No – and anyway, this outsourcing industry shows some cracks. Is its historical heritage doomed to disappear entirely? Yes, if nothing is done. Are the sprawling slums going to turn into a playground for criminal activities or gigantic cutthroat arenas in Mumbai, Kolkata or Dehli? Maybe, if nobody cares. Some predictable catastrophes only happen to those who choose to bury their heads in the sand. Sramana’s Vision India 2020…

  • My takeaway for entrepreneurs from the Winter Olympics: Fail-forward-fast, and fulfill the promise

    admin
    25 Feb 2010 | 9:51 pm
    In a recent powwow, I was asked about my takeaway for entrepreneurs from the Winter Olympics. As I was starting to discuss the make-up of a champion, mentally ranking key characteristics, I changed gears and realized that what struck me the most, ultimately, was the victory of Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo in pair figure skating. Not so much because they ended decades of Russian domination, not so much because they won (after all, they have been World champions for a while), not so much because of what this Gold Medal meant to them personally, but because of what it meant to their coach, Yao…

  • How Startups Can Sell to Large Companies

    admin
    20 Feb 2010 | 11:49 am
    Selling to large companies is the dream of many entrepreneurs. It’s not easy, and they have reasons to be afraid of it. My advice is that they overcome their fears and try. This week, I wrote a post on the American Express Forum, addressing some of the most frequent questions that I get from entrepreneurs on this topic. I also wrote post at the end of January on the Open Forum: Look at Your Company as a “Small Business” in which I remind entrepreneurs a simple fact: Having huge ambitions doesn’t mean getting carried away. Remember BASIC? It stands for “Beginner’s…

  • Groundcrew: Organizing the Social Web on the Terra Firma

    admin
    14 Feb 2010 | 4:16 pm
    We are so used to doing everything via the Internet that we think we have paid our dues when we paypal a donation, or inform all our friends of what’s happening around us via our social networks. Yet, we need to continue to help in the real world and to make sure that we volunteer effectively as an organizer or as a follower. Our productivity is all the more critical as charitable giving has been declining and is unlikely to skyrocket any time soon. So how can we do as much or more with less? The response is obvious: by better leveraging the time and talent of volunteers whose numbers…

  • Claudine Delphis: Survies d’un Juif européen: Correspondance de Paul Amann avec Romain Rolland et Jean-Richard Bloch

    admin
    2 Feb 2010 | 5:57 pm
    If you are interested in Jewish studies and read French, here is a fascinating book: Survies d’un Juif européen: Correspondance de Paul Amann avec Romain Rolland et Jean-Richard Bloch. This correspondance is put together, presented, annotated, and introduced by my sister, Claudine Delphis-Goettmann, and is published by the University Press of Leipzig (Leipziger Universitätsverlag). A Professor at the University of Paris VII, Claudine lives in Paris and Berlin. The history of literature rarely remembers translators, yet they are the ones who bridge cultures, hoping that an…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    sales training blog - startup sales mentor

  • Taking ownership of good ideas

    Karl Goldfield
    11 Mar 2010 | 6:10 pm
    There are those that pave the way, then there are those that take a good idea and make it great. They cajole, tweak, test, press, and prod until the concept is on the edge of snapping. Once it has reach its limits they pull the best from it and leave the broken bits to their [...]

  • Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-03-07

    Karl Goldfield
    7 Mar 2010 | 3:04 am
    2010 will prove to be a challenging year for sales teams and startups alike. # If you are not using the enterprise to embolden your sales process you are falling behind the competition. # By speaking the language of the potential client more can get done in less time. # The people you connect with have to want [...]

  • What is important to your buyer?

    Karl Goldfield
    4 Mar 2010 | 8:01 pm
    Do you know? If not, chances are it is either because you did not ask, or you did not really investigate when you did. Instead you focused on what is important to you. This is folly! Avoid these thoughts at all costs. The sales process, and your prospect, could care less what is important to you [...]

  • A good Web 2.0/Sales 2.0 strategy starts with content

    Karl Goldfield
    2 Mar 2010 | 8:41 pm
    Whether it’s a 160 character tweet, a status update, a blog comment, or a profile summary, all great online plans should start with quality content. To gather a following of suspects that may one day become clients, your attractors are words on a screen. So many people focus on the numbers. The quantity of people following [...]

  • New site, new blogs, new focus, all should be expected from a seller of the new

    Karl Goldfield
    26 Feb 2010 | 1:21 am
    Focusing on helping sale people was what got me into blogging in the first place. This was a transcendental moment as it helped further my career and understanding of Sales 2.0 technology and practice. Being a Web 2.0 aficionado, it was only fitting that I took to the  many new concept [...]
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Silicontap.com

  • Sequoia Invests In Snaptu

    12 Mar 2010 | 1:52 pm
    Israeli startup Snaptu, a developer of mobile social networking applications, said today that it has raised a round of funding from Menlo Park-based venture capital firm Sequoia Capital. Amount of the financing was not disclosed. Snaptu's software turns popular websites into mobile applications. The firm was formerly known as Moblica.

  • Brightkite Launches Group Texting App

    12 Mar 2010 | 12:51 pm
    Burlingame-based Brightkite, a developer of mobile social networking applications, said at SXSW today that it has launched a new Group Text service. The firm said that its free service allows users to send and receive messages from a group. The new service allows users to sent text to a list of users, and relays any reply from those users back to the others in the group. The firm said the new service is free, and works with SMS, the Web, iPhone, or iPod Touch.

  • MATRIXX Software Scores $9M

    11 Mar 2010 | 4:00 pm
    Mountain View-based MATRIXX Software, a developer of micro-transaction products for the telecom industry, said Thursday that it has raised $9M in a second round of funding. The round came from Greylock Partners and Tugboat Ventures. David Strohm of Greylock, and Dafina Toncheva from Tugboat join the board with the funding.

  • Advent Software Buys Norwegian Software Firm

    11 Mar 2010 | 2:18 pm
    San Francisco-based Advent Software, a developer of software for the financial industry, announced Thursday that it has acquired Goya AS, a Norwegian software provider. Advent said it would use the buy to offer Goya's Tradex software for fund managers and fund distributors. Tradex is used by fund resellers, financial advisors and wealth managers to manage investment funds. Financial terms of the buy were not disclosed.

  • Radar Networks Acquired By Evri

    11 Mar 2010 | 10:15 am
    San Francisco-based Radar Networks, a developer of semantic search software, has been acquired by Seattle startup Evri. Financial terms of the deal were not announced. Radar was venture backed by Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Leapfrog Ventures, Velocity Interactive, and Vulcan Capital, and had raised around $18M in funding. Evri said the acquisition would give it an experience development team in the semantic search space.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Austin Startup

  • Gowalla Poised To Overtake Foursquare, Loopt, Cleans Up Twitter.

    Colin
    11 Mar 2010 | 8:15 am
    Lately I’ve found myself making a few gripes about the amount of irrelevant noise that was entering public streams with the rise of location-based networks, but Gowalla 2.0 changes that with the introduction of threaded comments and photos. As far as Twitter and Facebook is concerned, location-based status updates are largely irrelevant to a majority of a person’s friends and followers. I enjoyed the game dynamic when I *played* Foursquare, and the overhauled interface in version 1.7 is refreshing. But, I don’t see Foursquare solving the problem I’ve been having with Twitter, and I…

  • Panels Not to Miss at SXSW

    Carla Thompson
    10 Mar 2010 | 4:06 pm
    If you’ve been to SXSW before, you’re well aware of the glut of panels and parties. There is simply too much to do and too many places to be at once. The conference tries to alleviate the hectic nature with some pre-planning, offering the ability to build your own schedule on their website. But the technology is clunky and laborious; I know my eyes started to glaze over pretty quickly. So in the interest of preserving your sight and sanity, I thought I’d share some panels that jumped out at me. Friday, March 12 2pm – If you’re an out-of-towner, check out Why Austin is the Killer…

  • Austin Tech Happy Hour on Thursday

    Bryan Menell
    9 Mar 2010 | 6:30 am
    Each year our pre-SXSW happy hour is an incredible event, packed with people buzzing about the upcoming interactive festival. Make sure to join your friends in the Austin technology community and come to Molotov from 5:30pm – 8:00pm on March 11th. The festival doesn’t begin till Friday, so this is not an official event and no badge is required. Pre-register here for $7.50 and you’ll get two drink tickets and some snacks. Or pay $10 cash at the door. We’ve also posted the details on Do512, Plancast, and Facebook. We’d like to thank our generous sponsor for this…

  • Dis-Cord: Tech Tips for N00bs to Survive SXSW

    John Robert Reed
    8 Mar 2010 | 6:08 pm
    There’s a little piece of chaos at SXSW for everyone; and every year, some folks navigate the flood of people and sensory overload a bit better than others – the difference between a SXSW veteran and noobie is noticeable at first glance. In an effort to reduce apparent nerd-ism, I’ve put together some helpful tips and found some neat tools for first-timers at SXSW. Tool #1: SXSW N00bies, start here. Take time to dig the SXSW website — I often start here with clients. There’s a ton of valuable prepackaged content on the SXSW website. First-timers have a tendency to get…

  • “We Can Do It”: ATX Women in Tech Unite

    Royal Frasier
    8 Mar 2010 | 3:19 pm
    Last week an uncommon thing happened, 20 women working in technology got together to talk shop. Yes everyone, women do exist in tech. It’s not all greasy haired programmers and shiny suit wearing entreps. Looking around at any tech party in Austin, you usually think “There are too many damn men in this room”; and you’d be right. Far from being just another “girl social hour”, this group of ATX Tech Women has more than a few goals geared toward their gender. Introducing women to some of the more testosterone-heavy activities in the tech industry is a major focus. These include…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Real Life Spirituality

  • Embrace Your Uniqueness

    Akemi
    12 Mar 2010 | 6:34 am
    This is my 200th post. I started this blog, originally called “Yes to Me”, in February 2008, so it took a little more than two years. And even though I’ve updated the blog name to “Real Life Spirituality”, embracing and celebrating our individual uniqueness remains to be the core message here. (Photo credit) Are you embracing your uniqueness wholeheartedly? It’s easier said than done. If you are like many people, you have heard the mantra of how important it is to do this, yet have stubborn resistance to practice it. I’m no exception. In this post, let me share one of my…

  • The Most Important Message

    Akemi
    4 Mar 2010 | 7:55 pm
    This is my personal manifesto and also my first v-log: “The Most Important Message” Hope you enjoy. For those of you with hearing issues, here is the transcript: “Hi, my name is Akemi Gaines. Today I’d like to share the most important message I have about life. I’m a spiritual coach and writer so I have a lot to say, but if I must boil down everything because I just have a few minutes of your attention, this is what I’d like you to know: You are deeply and completely loved, always, no matter who you are or what you have done or what you are doing. If you’re ill,…

  • Review: Become Younger by Norman Walker

    Akemi
    1 Mar 2010 | 2:57 pm
    Norman Walker is the pioneer of raw foods movement and this book Become Younger is his most well-known, first published in 1949. It is a compact book of only 117 pages, but choke-full of valuable information that I haven’t seen in other raw foods books that are published more recently. Cause of premature aging # 1, malnourishment Norman Walker maintains the main causes of premature aging — which most of us suffer — are malnourishment and poor elimination. Cooking heat destroys the vitality of foods and changes the chemical nature of nutrients in the foods. Further, Norman Walker…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    The StartUp Blog at PartnerUp

  • A Personal Board of Directors

    Amy Ford
    12 Mar 2010 | 7:12 am
    With every startup or small business, one of the first steps is to assemble a board of directors. This group of people oversees or directs the activities of a company, usually offering guidance, strategic planning and laying a framework for the future of the organization. The same can be true for you as an individual. It is important to have a personal board of directors to mentor, guide, network through and use as a sounding board to keep you on your personal path of growth and development. This group should be comprised of people above, beside and below you. Some ideas of people for your…

  • Small Business Tip of the Week: Move Up or Move Out!

    Amy Ford
    8 Mar 2010 | 11:37 am
    Instead of spring cleaning this year, why not consider moving to a new space? An article in the Wall Street Journal last month highlighted how different small business owners have been able to find prime commercial real estate that has increased traffic flow and added more physical space to their businesses. Others have been able to renegotiate lease agreements and gained additional perks at their current location. If moving is the right decision for you, check out the areas that you feel would be a good fit for your business and look at space availability. Or contact a local real estate…

  • Backpacks: The New Briefcase

    Amy Ford
    5 Mar 2010 | 8:39 am
    In today’s generation of business, more often than not we see business professionals walking around with backpacks on their way to meetings or conferences. Why is that? I thought backpacks were for students or the occasional crazy professor. Now, it seems that backpacks in the work environment are not only commonplace, but the norm. I offer three suggestions for this recent trend and after reading perhaps you’ll make the switch too. Norm Among Newest Generation of Businesspeople- As the generation of Millenials begin to emerge in the corporate world, they bring their own styles and work…

  • Life After Death- How to Move Forward When Your Business Doesn’t

    Amy Ford
    3 Mar 2010 | 12:31 pm
    It’s a beautiful spring day, and the neighbor’s little boy is outside learning how to ride a bicycle for the first time. As you continue to watch, you see this boy fall off his bike time after time, often resulting in scratched knees or tears of frustration. But each time, he evaluates where he went wrong and gets back on the bike, determined to do better this time. Eventually, he is able to (albeit wobbly) maintain his balance and pedal down the street. I don’t know if you can relate to this little boy, but I think he is a great example of what many small business owners and…

  • Small Business Tip of the Week: Pricing Strategy

    Amy Ford
    1 Mar 2010 | 11:37 am
    One of the biggest challenges facing small businesses and startups is understanding how to price your offerings. There are three steps to take when tackling pricing: 1. Start by finding the economic value, aka relative worth, of what you will be producing. The best way to find this is to assess both the market and the consumer. A few key points to consider are the alternatives on the market and how to magnify your points of differentiation. 2. Choose your pricing format. Most common pricing formats include negotiations, contracts, leasing, options or sticker price. 3. The final piece of…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    ZDNET Entrepreneurship Resources

  • In bid for entrepreneurs, Dell introduces new Vostro 3000 laptops: Core i3, i5, i7; start $768

    8 Mar 2010 | 9:01 pm
    In a bid for small business entrepreneurs, Dell on Tuesday unveiled its Vostro 3000 series laptops with standard voltage Intel Core i3, i5 and i7 processors and discrete graphics for less than $800. by Andrew Nusca

  • Dell's new Vostro 3000 series laptops aims for entrepreneurs

    8 Mar 2010 | 8:27 pm
    Dell's new Vostro 3000 series laptops aims for small business entrepreneurs. Here's a look at the 13-inch 3300, 14-inch 3400, 15-inch 3500 and 17-inch 3700. by Andrew Nusca

  • Home Business Magazine 1.3 (Mobile)

    26 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am
    Home Business Magazines editorial content speaks to the entire home business market. Topics include: sales and marketing, e-commerce, money corner, management, lifestyles, business opportunities, business news, and more.Since 1994, Home Business Magazine has been the essential journal for home-based entrepreneurs.

  • HJFF - Hartford Jewish Film Festival 2010 1.2 (Mobile)

    25 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am
    About the Hartford Jewish Film Festival:The Mandell JCCs Hartford Jewish Film Festival will be held March 13-23, 2010. We are proud to present a record 30 superb films most of them Connecticut or Hartford premieres - from 8 countries presented in 7 Greater Hartford venues over 10 days. Check out...

  • I Am Modern Magazine for Moms 1.0.3 (Mobile)

    22 Feb 2010 | 12:00 am
    I AM Modern Magazine is the ultimate regional social media experience for moms and women living in the Washington DC and Northern VA Suburbs, offering reader generated content and a real time social club. I AM Modern offers its readers "live by" restaurant reviews, lifestyle guides and local resources for...
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    BUZZ in theHUB: Genotrope's Startup Watch

  • Dave McClure Throws Down Gauntlet to Boston Angels

    TS
    12 Mar 2010 | 7:01 am
    Dave McClure day in Boston was awesome. I attended both events featuring the geek coder, turned marketer, turned Angel investor/VC, here in theHub. The first presentation at Dopatach Labs was excellent and he did a good job of making it fresh. Once he found out that everyone had already seen his Startup Marketing for Pirates presentation he pivoted to other material which included a bit of my favorite Dave talk, a riff on a Kathy Sierra slide, titled F**k or Kill.  You can watch the DogPatch labs event presented by DartBoston. Then at the MIT Enterprise Forum Panel, Dave did not…

  • TestCase II March 24 @NERD, Call for Participating Companies

    TS
    2 Mar 2010 | 8:52 pm
    We had such a great time and got really positive feedback from both individuals and participating companies at the inaugural TestCase hosted by betahouse, last year, that we are doing it again this March.  This time it will be held at the Microsoft NERD center for 60+ attendees. Josh Porter @bokardo, author of Designing for the Social Web, and a Performable co-founder will be moderating the discussion as the audience provides feedback for Lightning Landing Page Evaluations with the participating companies. If your company is interested in taking part, please contact us. We are seeking…

  • Startup Hiring Mistakes

    TS
    25 Feb 2010 | 10:30 am
    I was reading QuickSprout one of my GOTO start-up blogs last night and this post really hit home. Are you Making These Mistakes? Neil Patel asks 10 successful entrepreneurs who have all created companies that are worth at least 50 million dollars, what their biggest business mistake was. Half of the ten named a hiring related issue as their biggest problem. If you feel you need data points to emphasize the crucial importance of effective recruiting, look no further. Hiring is important for all companies, but for start-up companies it is the bedrock that will determine the success or failure…

  • Stamp Mobile

    TS
    22 Feb 2010 | 6:11 pm
    Genotrope Record:  Stamp Mobile Funding Status: Seed Founders Backgrounds: Urban Interactive, Blackstone Group Investors: ? Industry: Mobile Applications, Mobile Commerce Offering Description: Stamp’s loyalty program is a different breed. Points, rewards, customer management tools — sure, we have that. But we also provide the spark to help you build real relationships with your customers.

  • Peerium

    TS
    9 Feb 2010 | 7:36 am
    Genotrope Record: Peerium Funding Status: Self Funded? Founders Backgrounds: Harvard PHD CS, Microsoft Investors: ? Industry: White label iPhone apps, B2B web infrastructure Offering Description: A serverless platform that lowers the overhead of internet applications. Peerium is a software company focused on building a highly scaleable , serverless application platform. Currently creating white label iPhone apps.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Savvy Auntie

  • Tropicana Supports Savvy Aunties!

    19 Feb 2010 | 10:38 am
    Dear Readers,One of the goals with creating Savvy Auntie was to showcase how aunts are part of the American Family Village - that not being a mother didn't mean we don't love children or want to nurture them, but rather that we love and nurture lots of children.The challenge at the beginning was helping marketers realize that there were other women aside from moms who they should be focusing their messaging to. So far, many household-name brands have done so, and we're so proud of our sponsors, which include brands like Hasbro / Playskool, Sprout, Scholastic, TNT, Disney, and many others!The…

  • Stew on This...

    8 Jan 2010 | 11:31 am
    Dear Readers, It's been a while since I've written, and I apologize. Seems like my little company has grown some amazing wings and it's been a while since I've had time to consider how I got here. I'm trying to take more time to appreciate my life and all the details that make it beautiful. A few days ago, an acquaintance sent me an email asking various questions about my business so she might borrow some of my tips to help kick start her own entrepreneurial success. I revealed as much as I could to help her. How much did it cost to design your Website? Tens of thousands, I told her. I…

  • The Savvy Auntie Book Deal!

    6 Dec 2009 | 11:14 am
    Dear Readers,I am so incredibly excited and proud that I have been offered a book deal with none other than HarperCollins' new and innovative imprint: Harper Studio! Harper Studio is not even two years old and is already publishing books by Best Selling Author, Gary Vaynerchuk, Emeril Lagasse, LeAnn Rimes, Isabella Rosselinni, Amanda Hesser, Goldie Hawn and umm me. ME!It was always a dream of mine that SavvyAuntie.com would some day become a book - the ultimate source for cool aunts, great aunts, godmothers and all women who love kids. And now, thanks to Harper Studio, it's coming true! What…

  • Savvy Auntie Coolest Toy Award Widget!

    11 Nov 2009 | 12:14 pm
    Dear Readers,As you many know, a couple of weeks ago, we announced the first annual Savvy Auntie Coolest Toy Awards!Now you can share your Coolest Toy Savvy with all your friends, Auntie! You can embed the Savvy Auntie Coolest Toy Award widget in your blog or other online network!Simply visit this page for your embed code and you're set!I appreciate your sharing the Savvy Auntie Coolest Toy Awards with your network!XOXO,Auntie MelaniePS - for the entire list of winners, visit http://savvyauntie.com/CoolestToyAwards

  • Savvy Auntie Coolest Toy Awards!

    7 Nov 2009 | 11:27 am
    Child Lifestyle Expert and Premier SAVVY AUNTIE, Melanie Notkin Honors the Most Trendsetting, the Most Luxurious, and the Most Notable Toys for the 2009 Holiday Season  New York, NY – October 29, 2009 – Melanie Notkin, the founder and CEO of the multi-platform lifestyle brand for kid-friendly women who are aunts by relation, aunts by choice, and godmothers, Savvy Auntie®, is sharing her favorite gifts for nephews and nieces available this holiday season by awarding 12 toys with the “Coolest” title, 6 toys with the “Lux” title (costing $100 and over), and 8 toys will receive…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Escape From Cubicle Nation

  • Announcing Escape from Cubicle Nation Workshop in a Box

    Pamela
    11 Mar 2010 | 6:56 am
    I am thrilled to announce the launch of a new product that has been a long time in the making:  Escape from Cubicle Nation Workshop in a Box. This product was created with video footage of my New York workshop that I delivered last summer at the Roger Smith Hotel to a fantastic group of creative entrepreneurs. Here is a sneak peak! Escape from Cubicle Nation Workshop in a Box Sneak Peek from Pamela Slim on Vimeo. This whole product was inspired by conversations with four of my Quickstart to Self Employment forum members who were developing micro businesses and wanted to collaborate on…

  • Kicking Make a Referral Week into Gear

    Pamela
    10 Mar 2010 | 6:52 pm
    I am an unabashed fan of John Jantsch from Duct Tape Marketing. He is not only a small business marketing genius, he is an exceptionally nice guy. So when he asked me to participate in the second annual Make a Referral Week movement over at his blog, I jumped at the chance.  The goal of Make a Referral Week is to publicly post at least 1,000 small business referrals on the site.  This will increase exposure for business owners all over the world, and re-energize the economy one referral at at time. And as I mentioned in my book, the very best way to create a “gigantic love…

  • Do more great work, even if you live in a cubicle

    Pamela
    22 Feb 2010 | 10:35 am
    Do more great work with Michael Bungay Stanier from Pamela Slim on Vimeo. I am so glad that there are people like Michael Bungay Stanier working with  people who choose to stay inside corporations by choice or convenience.  Michael has been doing wonderful work at Box of Crayons for many years and has infectious enthusiasm. His book Do More Great Work hits the streets today and has fantastic information for both working for yourself or working for someone else. It has guest essays from some of my favorite thinkers Seth Godin, Dave Ulrich, Michael Port, Penelope Trunk, Leo Babauta and Chris…

  • Winter musings

    Pamela
    20 Feb 2010 | 5:16 pm
    My kids are sleeping and I felt inspired to share a few things on my mind. This has been a very wonderful and busy first quarter. I have been creating and running at least four programs.  Watching people learn, grow, get stuck, get unstuck and blast forward into new businesses has been really invigorating. Each day I talk to really interesting people who are doing amazing things in the world. It is exceptionally stimuluating and fun. There is a lot going on. And in the back of my mind, amidst 32 urgent tasks a day to keep the machine rolling, I hear whispers of a strong voice telling me…

  • Business advice from a 94-year old barber

    Pamela
    16 Feb 2010 | 8:17 am
    The LA Times ran a beautiful story this morning (covered in our local paper the Arizona Republic) about Elvie Lewis, a 94-year old barber in Los Angeles who is still cutting hair. The article says: His regulars travel from as far as Palmdale, Calif., to the three-chair shop on South Normandie Avenue in Los Angeles that Lewis has operated since 1952. He started cutting hair in 1947. Longtime customers praise his $15 haircuts and his upbeat attitude. Through the years, Lewis mastered each new style that came along. There was the buzz cut of the 1950s, the bushy Afro of the ’60s, the…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Life Beyond Code

  • Just this ONE time…

    thinksulting@gmail.com (Rajesh Setty)
    13 Mar 2010 | 12:10 am
    If you are having an off day, there is no need to broadcast it by sharing something mediocre. The temptation to share is super-high because the barrier to entry in social media is super low. You think, you write and you hit publish and you are off to the races.  When you are in a pinch, you may feel like sharing something mediocre and justify to yourself that “just this one time it’s OK” to do that. Honestly, if you have “already made it” you might still be able to get away with it. But if you are a rising star, that “just one time” might hurt you…

  • Extraordinary

    thinksulting@gmail.com (Rajesh Setty)
    12 Mar 2010 | 12:10 am
    They say extraordinary is simple – all it takes is that “extra” to be added. However, in real life, it takes a few years to add that “extra.” It makes sense because if it were any easier, everybody would do it and it would no longer have that “extra.” Here are few TED talks that has that depicts what the “extra” will look like: 1. Extraordinary Dance Kenichi Ebina moves his body in a breathtaking fashion. 2. Extraordinary Visuals Hans Rosling takes data visuals to a whole new level. 3. Extraordinary Rejuvenation What is your idea of…

  • The Legs

    thinksulting@gmail.com (Rajesh Setty)
    11 Mar 2010 | 12:10 am
    Take a table with one leg. It is not very stable. You can push it a bit and topple it over. Now put another leg and the table becomes a bit more stable. Add two more legs and make all the four legs stronger and now you have a reasonably stable table. It’s hard to shake it and topple it. Now think about your dream and the reason not to pursue it. If there is one reason, you can shake it off easily. Add more reasons (no money, no experience, no connections etc.) and then you have a stronger reason to NOT pursue your vision. Without our knowledge day in and day out, we keep adding more…

  • Just thirty minutes…

    thinksulting@gmail.com (Rajesh Setty)
    10 Mar 2010 | 12:10 am
    During my last trip to India I spoke at two events. In one of the events, someone complained that a bestselling author was not wiling to give thirty minutes of her time to discuss a particular issue. His point was that it was just thirty minutes – nothing much. We had a healthy debate about why it was “just thirty minutes” for him but a series of “just thirty minutes” for the bestselling author. He is not the only person who would have requested “just thirty minutes” from this author and if she accepted all such requests she wouldn’t have time…

  • CEREBRATE – A Real Mindshare Experience

    thinksulting@gmail.com (Rajesh Setty)
    9 Mar 2010 | 12:10 am
    How long do you think it will take for 22 people to introduce themselves? How about just over 2 days? This was (almost) what happened at the CEREBRATE2010 event late last month (detailed write-up on Cerebrate blog here) CEREBRATE is the brain child of Kiruba Shankar and it follows an Unconference format. I was so glad to participate in the 3rd edition. This edition was sponsored by MARG. The Rules of Cerebrate The rules of the conference are simple (read: the birth of Cerebrate by Kiruba Shankar) Every participant (achiever) will be from an unique field. No two people will be from the same…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Get Elastic Ecommerce Blog

  • Interview: George Michie on Paid Search

    Linda Bustos
    12 Mar 2010 | 3:00 am
    Not long ago I had the privilege of teaming up with George Michie of the Rimm-Kaufman Group for an interview on ecommerce issues. George has graciously reciprocated to offer his expertise in paid search. George is a well respected thought leader in search marketing, serving as co-founder and CEO of RKG, member of Google’s SEM Advisory Council, professor at Market Motive, columnist for Search Engine Land, frequent speaker at ecommerce and search conferences and has worked for top retailer Crutchfield Corporation. You can follow George’s blog here. Linda: We’re seeing a lot of…

  • SEO Report Card: Optimization According to Google

    Linda Bustos
    10 Mar 2010 | 3:06 am
    Earlier this week, Google offered a free download of its own SEO Report Card, an open and honest document that grades around 100 of Google’s own “products” (think Youtube, Maps, Adwords, Reader, Blogger etc). While it may satisfy your curiosity on how well the Big G does at SEO itself (seasoned search pros may snicker that only 10% are using the title tag properly), it can also help you audit your own website. Topics covered include search result presentation, URLs and redirects and on-page optimization. Here’s an example regarding canonical URLs and duplicate content:…

  • Project Planning for Mobile Web Design

    Armando Roggio
    9 Mar 2010 | 3:03 am
    With an estimated 245 million subscribers worldwide, the mobile Internet is rapidly becoming one of the best channels for retail sales. With mobile commerce (mcommerce), merchants can reach potential customers as they commute, wait in the lobby at a doctor’s office, or eat lunch in the company cafeteria. But the mobile Internet can pose something of a challenge for web designers and developers, requiring an additional level of project planning and aforethought. When we design websites for desktop or laptop computers, there is actually a tremendous amount of continuity. Sure, we might…

  • Mobile Application or Mobile Website or Both?

    Dennis Newel
    8 Mar 2010 | 3:03 am
    With the continued popularity of smartphones, more and more retailers are launching either mobile websites or mobile applications by the day. Many who haven’t yet taken the plunge are wondering what to invest their resources in first. Aside from “doing nothing,” retailers have 2 options when considering mobile commerce: building an application (or “app”), or creating a website specifically for mobile devices. As Graham Charlton of Econsultancy has observed in the UK, some etailers are opting to bypass the mobile optimized website and go straight to a mobile app. This post continues…

  • Mobile Site vs Mobile Apps [Video]

    Linda Bustos
    5 Mar 2010 | 3:04 am
    Elastic Path is running an Ecommerce Tip of the Week series on the Elastic Path home page, with archives on our Youtube Channel. This week’s video is on mobile websites vs. mobile applications and features Elastic Path’s Peter Sheldon. RSS and email subscribers, can’t see video? View this post on the web. Video Transcript: Mobile commerce is growing. In fact in the US next year, it’s expected that 1% of all transactions will occur from a mobile phone. So many retailers are looking at growing their mobile commerce strategies and are not sure whether they should build a mobile…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Tim Berry: Planning, Startups, Stories

  • Say it Ain’t So Joel

    Tim Berry
    12 Mar 2010 | 6:34 am
    This is disturbing on several levels. No, I don’t know Joel Spolsky but I feel like I do because I’ve been reading his work for years. He’s not just an expert on software development, he’s a very good writer and thinker. I’ve quoted him a lot. So what’s disturbing? In Let’s Take This Offline Joel’s saying he’s going to stop blogging. That’s bad enough, because there aren’t that many thoughtful eloquent software developers around. But what’s worse is his reason (quoting): The truth is, as much as I’ve enjoyed it,…

  • 10 Good Market Motivators (and 3 Not So Good)

    Tim Berry
    11 Mar 2010 | 6:08 am
    A smart person I trust told me that lists of 5 or 10 points do better in readership than lists of any other number. Strange, I suppose, but I can work with it. So I’ve taken 13 Ways to Instantly Motivate Your Target Market by Alex Mathers of  Red Lemon Club, and cut it down to 10. Truth is, though, 9 3/4 is the real number. Because I like the connection of that number with wizardry (ref. the illustration here) and I’m not sure about one of my 10. I’m not all that pragmatic: Cutting three of them wasn’t hard. I just plain didn’t like these three: 1. Create the…

  • One Way Not to Market Your Expertise

    Tim Berry
    10 Mar 2010 | 6:32 am
    Is this you? Are you trying to sell yourself as a consultant by sending general messages to people (or companies) you don’t know? Promising to solve whatever problems they have? I don’t dislike this person. I just feel sorry for the enormous waste of time and effort spent in the wrong direction. This morning I received a second email from a guy who wants to sell me management consulting. His message is hardly convincing me of his competence. He’s never met me or anybody else at my company of 45 employees. And he’s addressing the wrong person because I’m not CEO…

  • 5-Step Late-Business-Meeting Recovery Plan

    Tim Berry
    9 Mar 2010 | 5:26 am
    It seems so simple: punctuality is a matter of respecting other people’s time. Be on time for meetings and appointments. This is obvious. Right? Still, in many organizations it’s a cascading problem. Lag times creep up from five to 10 to 15 minutes. People hang back, composing one more email, because they know the meeting will start late and they have a lot to do. Nobody wants to be on time and then sit in a conference room waiting while others tick off their to-do lists. I learned a good lesson from an experienced teacher years ago, when I was a tour guide during vacations from…

  • Why I Hate Those Huge Market Numbers

    Tim Berry
    8 Mar 2010 | 6:29 am
    It happens way too often: entrepreneurs proud of some huge completely unattainable market numbers. They show us billions of dollars. They think that’s a good thing, like it’s important. I hate it. As an investor, as a business plan contest judge, or as a teacher, I don’t really care how many billions of dollars are spent on this or that or the next thing when I’m reading a business plan. That number is too big. It tells me nothing. Startups don’t reach multi-billion dollar markets. If it makes you feel better to give me that number in passing, okay, go ahead, but don’t put any…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    KK Lifestream

  • Making Organic Structure Visible

    12 Mar 2010 | 6:54 pm
    Originally posted in The Technium Science is forever trying to model nature. By simplifying its complexity, or extracting its structures into new modes, science can begin to understand how living things work. One clever way to study biology is to make virtual 3D models of living creatures. Hollywood special effects artists and hackers often model real animals in 3D in order to bring them to the screen in a controlled and interactive way -- just for entertainment -- but the same techniques work for education. Recently Macoto Murayama, a hacker/artist in Japan, has been creating virtual 3D…

  • And what could be more industrial-age...

    12 Mar 2010 | 5:00 am
    Originally posted in New Rules ...than automobiles? Yet, chips and networks can take the industrial age out of cars, too. Most of the energy a car consumes is used to move the car itself, not the passenger. So if the car's body and engine can be diminished in size, less power is needed to move the car, meaning the engine can be made yet smaller. A smaller engine requires a yet smaller engine, and so on down the slide of compounded value that microprocessors followed. The car's body can be reduced substantially using smart materials--stuff that requires increasing knowledge to invent and…

  • DYI Garage Biotech

    10 Mar 2010 | 9:00 pm
    Originally posted in The Technium One day, we knew, biotech would become so easy and so cheap that two guys in a garage could hack life in the way kids hack code. That day is now here. Exhibit A is this biohacking lab in a garage in Silicon Valley. Assembled from used equipment the kit includes two clean cell-culture hoods, an incubator, two robot sequencers, and lots of software packed into a suburban garage. The guys are screening antic-cancer compounds. Not that everyone thought a do-it-yourself biotech lab was inevitable. Many folks in the biotech industry have repeatedly explained why…

  • Bit by bit, the logic of the network...

    9 Mar 2010 | 9:23 am
    Originally posted in New Rules ...will overtake every atom we deal with. The logic of the network will spread from its base in silicon chips, to infiltrate steel, plywood, chemical dyes, and potato chips. All manufacturing, whether seeded with silicon wafers or not, will respond to network principles. Consider oil--the quintessential atom-based resource. The classical theory of diminishing returns was practically invented to explain the oil industry. Easy oil is extracted cheaply at first; then at a certain point the expense of extraction doesn't justify the cost unless the price goes up. But…

  • Magna-Tiles

    8 Mar 2010 | 5:00 am
    Originally posted in Cool Tools Open-ended toys are the best. That's why construction sets like Lego, or the previously reviewed Kapla Blocks, or Zomes, are perennial favorites. Their simple, durable, reusable parts build an infinite number of complex creations, providing endless hours of play. The best construction systems will last many lifetimes and are generally worth their modest investment, unlike most toys. Magna-Tiles are the best open-ended construction set for very small kids I've seen. Magna-Tiles are plastic tiles with tiny super magnets embedded in their edges. Even a very small…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Preneur Marketing Blog - Pete Williams | Author Entrepreneur

  • 5 Tips For Getting The Most Out Of Your Virtual Assistants + Outsourcing

    pete@preneurmarketing.com (Pete Williams)
    12 Mar 2010 | 4:19 am
    Thought I should share this video on the blog. A few days ago, I got an email asking for some advice regarding outsourcing and working with Virtual Assistants. Rather than, just responding to the email… I thought I would throw together a quick video covering my Top 5 Implementable Tips + Techniques for getting the most from your virtual assistant team and outsourcing. Email Template In the video I talk about a daily email I require all my VA’s to send… Given the response this has gotten when I’ve mentioned it in the past.. I’ve put it here for you to cut-n-paste.

  • The Best Business Books + Audio Books

    pete@preneurmarketing.com (Pete Williams)
    8 Mar 2010 | 12:11 am
      I was at the beach house this weekend, and stumbled across a bunch of my old audiobooks… actually books on tape – yep, old skool. Like I said in the video, I devour about 2 books a week.. and was inspired recently by a couple of peoples reading lists – in particular Tucker Max, Ryan Holiday’s Reading List, Hoehn’s Musings, Seth Godin’s Book Roundup and Tim Ferriss & Kevin Roses’ Top 5 Books. So with all that rolling around in my head, and finding those old audio books I listened to during high-school and uni, I thought I’d tie this…

  • The ‘Coming Home 2′ Seminar with Ed Dale + Co…

    pete@preneurmarketing.com (Pete Williams)
    25 Feb 2010 | 12:34 am
    Last weekend, I was one of the keynote speakers at Ed’s ‘Coming Home 2′ event… It was actually 4 years since the Thirty Day Challenge team put on a public event Australia; so the room was packed. It was an amazing success, with tonnes of great feedback and huge amount of #30DCHOME tweets. My presentation will be online (somewhere) shortly; so I’ll be sure to let you know where you can get it then. Since the event, there has also been a bunch on chatter online about it.. so I thought I’d collate some of it here… Enjoy. Three marketers who I highly…

  • My New ‘Must Have’ Shoe

    pete@preneurmarketing.com (Pete Williams)
    17 Feb 2010 | 2:08 am
    I just came across these Twitter Nike Dunks and oh do I want them. It’s my birthday next week – So if anyone can magically make a size 12 appear in my office I’ll give you free consulting for a year or a really long back massage – which ever you see more value in. My New ‘Must Have’ Shoe is a post from: Preneur Marketing - The Blog of Entrepreneur Pete Williams Don't miss out on the comments people like you have left, view this post online here: My New ‘Must Have’ Shoe No related posts.

  • Forget Email – Offline AutoResponders Is Where It’s At In 2010…

    pete@preneurmarketing.com (Pete Williams)
    16 Jan 2010 | 1:39 pm
    Not sure about you, but I use a tonne of email auto-responders in all my companies – and not just the online businesses. The sequential, set & forget marketing from the email auto-responders are killing it for my biggest real world company Infiniti Telecommunications See, I’ve been looking for a way to implement the same automated follow-up marketing offline via direct mail for about a year, and not a single direct mail print company (in Australia or USA) offered a solution. They all offered the ability to do a mail merge (variable data) print run, if I wanted to arrange a…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Signal vs. Noise

  • PHOTO: Sculptor Alex Queral carves up phonebooks

    Matt
    12 Mar 2010 | 9:13 am
    Sculptor Alex Queral carves up phonebooks to create portraits. Above: James Brown. [via TC]

  • Method picks a fight with the jug

    Jason F.
    11 Mar 2010 | 11:21 am
    There are two kinds of companies I really like. One that ignores the competition entirely. And one that picks a fight. Method, and their new laundry detergent line, is a great example of the latter. The new Method laundry product eschews the standard awkward, heavy, messy jug for a svelte, light, one-handed, easily stored, pump-powered dispenser bottle. It’s so much better. They claim it works better too, but I’m not concerned about that for this post. Even if it works just the same, the form factor is a huge win. I’ve run out of laundry detergent so many times because I…

  • Zappos pranks itself for new ads

    Ryan
    11 Mar 2010 | 10:33 am
    Ad agency Mullen chose to focus on Zappos’ famous customer service for their new ad campaign. The twist is, behind the puppets and comedy are recordings of actual customer service calls. Mullen’s making of video explains how they basically pranked Zappos to get the audio for the ads. The results are funny, fresh, and true to the experience of calling Zappos. Awesome stuff.

  • There is an inverse relationship between level of anonymity and quality of conversation

    Matt
    11 Mar 2010 | 10:01 am
    37signals Answers (recently launched) is our first new app built with 37signals ID integration. That means everyone involved is using real names and avatars. And wow, what a difference it makes. Trading anonymity for accountability has led to radically improved conversations. I’d point to a specific example but it’s more what’s missing now. A lot less antagonism and a lot more thoughtfulness and general politeness. Great to see.

  • QUOTE: A perfectionist is someone who finishes the

    Jason F.
    11 Mar 2010 | 8:24 am
    A perfectionist is someone who finishes the backside of a drawer, which I consider completely unnecessary. —An interview with Helmut Krone.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    OnStartups

  • Inbound Networking: 42 People I Want To Connect With at SXSW

    Dharmesh Shah
    10 Mar 2010 | 7:35 am
    I’m going to be presenting at the big and boisterous SXSW conference in Austin, Texas this Saturday.  I’ll be talking about Inbound Marketing.  More specifically, I’ll be talking about some insider lessons we’ve learned building a marketing machine at HubSpot.  We’ll even be sharing some relatively confidential data.  The session is at 11:30 a.m. on the Day Stage. Here are the details: Inbound Marketing at SXSW In any case, from what I hear, the event is supposed to be lots of fun, but huge.  As an introvert, I’m generally not a big fan…

  • The 10 Most Tempting Software Startup Categories

    Dharmesh Shah
    1 Mar 2010 | 3:55 am
    I’ve been in the software startup business for a long time.   One thing I have found interesting is that amongst first-time software entrepreneurs, certain “patterns” of applications kept recurring.  Time and time again, entrepreneurs are tempted by one of these application categories.  Not that it’s always a bad thing — I just found it curious.  1. Project Management / Time Tracking / Bug Tracking This is likely because the developer had to work at some point with existing software that just sucked and thought “Hey, I can build something…

  • Why I Wish My Competitors Well And You Should Too

    Dharmesh Shah
    22 Feb 2010 | 6:32 am
    I’m going to start with a story — which includes a confession.  When I started my first company, I didn’t start with a grand mission.  The idea behind the business wasn’t transformational.  It wasn’t going to change the world.  Historians weren’t going to write about it after I was dead.  And all of that was OK.  Even though there was no grand mission — I was solving a problem and meeting a market need that I cared about.  Wait, let me clarify that a bit.  I cared in the sense that if I didn’t solve it, I was…

  • Why Venture Capitalists Avoid Innovation: They Like Making Money

    Dharmesh Shah
    18 Feb 2010 | 4:33 am
    The following is a guest post from Andy Singleton, the founder of Assemba.  Assembla provides online workspaces for distributed software teams, and helps many startups build their products.  Any given innovation is much more likely to fail than to succeed.  Innovation as a whole may even be unprofitable for the innovators.  Fortunately, we keep doing it, because in economic terms, innovations are durable (they last forever) and non-rivalrous (anybody can use them), so over the long term, society benefits a lot from the successful innovations.  As a society, we look…

  • 9 Quick Tips Learned While Raising $33 Million In Venture Capital

    Dharmesh Shah
    7 Feb 2010 | 11:48 pm
    As the market improves, my guess is that many of you will likely be thinking about raising funding for your company.  With my latest startup, I’m now a venture-backed startup founder (I’ve raised $33 million in three rounds of capital for my marketing software company).  So, I’ve got some direct experience with the process.  Several of the companies I’m an angel investor in or otherwise involved with have also been in the fund-raising process.  So, along the way, I’ve learned a few things, and I’d like to share them with you.  There’s…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Growthology

  • Generational Shift? Fiscal Crisis Plus Global Migration Equals ...

    Tim Kane
    8 Mar 2010 | 2:52 pm
    What if they had a fiscal crisis, and nobody came? What if the chump generation figures out the Ponzi scheme? Bob Samuelson thinks the fallout will be political: ... As baby boomers retire, higher federal spending on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid may boost Millennials' taxes and squeeze other government programs. It will be harder to start and raise families. Millennials [ages 30 and younger] could become the chump generation. They could suffer for their elders' economic sins, particularly the failure to confront the predictable costs of baby boomers' retirement.

  • Searching for Startups ... with Co-Conspirator Bob Cringely!

    Tim Kane
    4 Mar 2010 | 8:01 am
    For thousands of entrepreneurs, Bob Cringely is more than a guide to the inside world of technology and innovation, he is a co-conspirator. I bet that half of the tech entrepreneurs of the 1990s were inspired by his documentary "Triumph of the Nerds." I can attest that at Neocor, in the summer of 1996 especially, we had that video on as background noise almost daily. We got so used to Bob's voice that we thought of him as a co-founder (he'll probably ask for some loot soon...). So I'm very, very pleased to announce that Bob has invited the Kauffman Foundation to…

  • Why Denigrate Chile? A Tale of Two Charts

    Tim Kane
    4 Mar 2010 | 7:03 am
    Paul Krugman just can't stand the praise being given to Chile's liberal economic reforms of the last 30-40 years, so he is denigrating them. Why would he do that?  He claims the economic liberalization in Chile is nearly mythical, and uses the following chart as his key piece of evidence.  It's scandalously misleading.  That chart does not jibe with my own experience following Chile's development, especially in contrast to other Latin American economies. And note the source: Total Economy Database. Why not use the Penn World Tables, or World Bank data? Paul's…

  • Book talk at Cato on C-SPAN

    Tim Kane
    1 Mar 2010 | 1:28 pm
    Last month, I commented on Kling and Schulz new book From Poverty to Prosperity at a Cato event.  I didn't realize it was being taped by C-SPAN, but you can watch it here.

  • Economic Freedom goes Mainstream, Winter 2010

    Tim Kane
    1 Mar 2010 | 8:28 am
    The earthquakes that struck Haiti and now Chile this winter are creating an unavoidable contrast. It also to my mind marks the moment when the idea of economic freedom is going mainstream. Here's an essay in TIME magazine: ... The 8.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Chile early on Feb. 27 was 500 times stronger than the 7.0 quake that killed an estimated 200,000 Haitians last month. And yet the number of casualties in Chile appears to be exponentially smaller, with the official death toll still in the hundreds. ... Wrong. It's the other way around: Chile is more developed because…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    ArcticStartup

  • Lumi Group Enlightens Our Streets

    Hendrik Morkel
    12 Mar 2010 | 2:00 am
    Having nearly three months of very few daylight hours in winter, it is no surprise that a Finnish company looks at ways to make our dark days more bright. The Lumi Group Oy from Turku has spotted a profitable niche and developed an excellent product, and is now set to profit handsomely from the changes in EU legislation which make our old street lightning outdated and in need of more energy efficient street lights. The Lumi Group is a spinoff from Oversol Oy and was established in the beginning of 2010, and currently employees three people. They started out as a product development project…

  • From Russia With Leaders – Good 2 Work With

    Miikka Kukkosuo
    11 Mar 2010 | 10:00 pm
    The Club of Leaders Good 2 Work with seems to be one of the well-kept secrets of Russia (and would have stayed so, had it not been registered on ArcticIndex). Good 2 Work is a virtual place (or sort of a closed social network) for executives and entrepreneurs of different levels and from different industries and countries. It is meant as tool for leaders to learn from and about each other in the field of business leadership. The primary means are professionally pre-recorded video conversations. The club was established in April 2008 by Yuri Barzov, who was a partner with the executive search…

  • Thank You Sponsors

    Sponsor
    11 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am
    This is our periodic thank you note to our blog sponsors to describe what they have to offer. Innovate!100 to Spotlight World’s Most Promising Tech Startups Microsoft BizSpark is partnering with Guidewire Group in a global competition to identify a group of 100 top Startups from around the world, to be known as the Innovate!100. Winners will get global recognition, media promotion, expert feedback, and access to a variety of resources and opportunities to accelerate their growth. Visit Innovate!100 for more information and to apply. Check out for the local Pitch Slams, Helsinki – 24…

  • TradeShift Looking To Further Digitalize Payments

    Antti Vilpponen
    10 Mar 2010 | 10:00 pm
    There’s a startup in Denmark that went by the name of Porta for a long time. Since then, they have changed their name to TradeShift. TradeShift is looking to disrupt and shatter the oligopolies of EDI between large corporations and banks so that the technologies could be used by anyone – small and medium sized companies included. The founders of the company include an experienced bunch. They are Christian Lanng, Mikkel Hippe Brun and Gert Sylvest. Not a founder, but onboard the project is also Morten Lund who made himself famous by his personal bankruptcy some two years ago.

  • MyClubCards – Why Do All The Great Ideas Come From Sweden?

    Guest Blogger
    9 Mar 2010 | 10:00 pm
    I ask myself pretty often why there is so much great web innovation coming from Sweden. Really awesome ideas and startups are much less common in my home country Germany, despite a population almost ten times as large as Sweden’s. This time, it’s a new service called MyClubCards that caught my attention. MyClubCards offers a mobile application (currently iPhone only) which people who are members of one or more loyalty programs can use to collect points when paying in a store. So imagine you have club cards from three different loyalty programs that you carry in your wallet.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    NextBillion.net

  • Feedback from Our Readers: NextBillion Readers' Survey

    13 Mar 2010 | 7:30 am
    Authored by: Maria ZhengDear NextBillion Reader: Since 2005, NextBillion has strived to provide news, analysis and information on the "base of the pyramid" (BoP) sector.  We are now the most-visited BoP site on the web, with more than 40,000 unique visitors per month- thanks to you.  And we don't want to stop there. In an effort to improve our editorial coverage and our technical functionality, we ask that you spend 5 minutes to complete this short survey.  We will use your responses to improve NextBillion so that it can better serve you. Take the NextBillion Readers' Survey…

  • Weekly Roundup: Focus on Children, Early and Often

    13 Mar 2010 | 4:00 am
    Authored by: Nathan Wyeth This week, we welcomed four new people to the NextBillion team: Maria Zheng, Andrew Eder, Bryan Farris, and Adeena Schlussel.  Watch for their contributions and insights!   This week, staff writers took new looks at how enterprises can intervene in education and early childhood to create new security and prosperity into the future: What Social Businesses are Doing to Fight Terrorism New staff writer Bryan Farris examines a topic often discussed in the media from a new angle - before education steers people towards radicalism or towards…

  • Program Associate - Kenya

    12 Mar 2010 | 1:55 pm
    Organization: One Acre FundLocation: KEJob Location: Western Kenya (English required) Organization Description One Acre Fund is a start-up initiative in Kenya which works with persistently hungry farm families. Instead of giving handouts to families, One Acre invests in farm families to generate a permanent gain in farm income. Our "investment bundle" includes education, financing, inputs, and export market access. Our program is designed to be usable by the extreme poor, and generates a lasting, 100%+ gain in farm income. We have been operating since January 2006, and we…

  • Program Associate - Rwanda

    12 Mar 2010 | 1:55 pm
    Organization: One Acre FundLocation: RWJob Location:  Southwest Rwanda (French required) Organization Description One Acre Fund is a start-up initiative in Kenya which works with persistently hungry farm families. Instead of giving handouts to families, One Acre invests in farm families to generate a permanent gain in farm income. Our "investment bundle" includes education, financing, inputs, and export market access. Our program is designed to be usable by the extreme poor, and generates a lasting, 100%+ gain in farm income. We have been operating since January 2006, and we…

  • Internships - Decision and Policy Analysis Program

    11 Mar 2010 | 4:21 pm
    Organization: Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)Location: Cali, CO Opportunity for internships and jobs for recent graduates to gain international experience The Decision and Policy Analysis Program (DAPA) of the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) is seeking English speaking recent graduates for 6-12 month internships.  CIAT is an international research center, one of the fifteen global centers of the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research.   Located in Cali, Colombia and working on international projects in Africa, Asia and Central and…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    My New Biz

  • Peta

    13 Mar 2010 | 2:00 am
    From the Nimble Theory BlogIts pretty often that when I hear of PETA being mentioned its in a kind of dismissive and condescending way Of course you could just watch the videoPledge to go furfree at PETAorgRead More...

  • International Backup Awareness Day

    9 Mar 2010 | 2:03 am
    From the Coding Horror BlogYou may notice that commenting is currently disabled and many old Coding Horror posts are missing images Thats because sometime early on Friday the server this blog is hosted on suffered catastrophic data lossHeres what happenedThe server experienced routine hard drive failureBecause of the hard drive fRead More...

  • Just another day I guess

    8 Mar 2010 | 8:00 am
    Rating ExcellentRead More...

  • Why thank you I would be happy to be there

    8 Mar 2010 | 7:32 am
    From the blog of Tim ScammellI received a call this afternoon from a young lady from NB Liquor inviting me to a press conference on Friday morning It will be at the Centennial Building downtownAs you may have guessed the topic is the proposed future of the York Street Station MLAs Rick Miles and Greg Byrne will be thereRead More...

  • Microformats Boon or Bane

    8 Mar 2010 | 7:17 am
    From the Coding Horror BlogI recently added microformat support to the free public CVs at careersstackoverflowcom by popular demandDesigned for humans first and machines second microformats are a set of simple open data formats built upon existing and widely adopted standardsThe official microformat quotelevator pitchquot tells us nothRead More...
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Silicon Moon

  • What Motivates Your Heart?

    12 Mar 2010 | 8:18 am
    My article at InsideWork is up and also reposted below. Heads up since it has religious references.What Motivates Your Heart?Dan Pink on the surprising science of motivationRecently I watched Dan Pink’s TEDTalk where he sought to answer the question of what motivates people. Pink talked about Karl Duncker’s candle problem and variations of his experiment that explored the science of motivation. One experiment asked a group to solve this problem and explained that it would be timed to established norms. A second group was offered financial incentives. If you were in the top 20% of the…

  • Record Labels, Old Media Don't Get New Media, Online Videos and Embedding

    11 Mar 2010 | 9:47 am
    I came across this op-ed by Damian Kulash ("WhoseTube?", NYTimes), lead singer and guitarist of the band OK Go. And then this morning I received this article from Fast Company:"OK Go Ditches Label Over YouTube Embedding Rights" by Dan NosowitzThe article basically covers Damian's prior piece and tells about the conclusion of their conflict with EMI, who wouldn't allow them to have the embed code active for their YouTube videos. Once EMI blocked embedding their video views went from 10,000 per day to 1,000 per day. After OK Go left EMI and turned back on embeddable videos "digital album sales…

  • TEDTalk: Dan Barber "How I Fell In Love With A Fish"

    10 Mar 2010 | 3:55 pm
    One of my favorite presentations at TED this year. Dan Barber talks about a revolutionary farming method in Spain. Insightful and informative. Check it out!"Chef Dan Barber squares off with a dilemma facing many chefs today: how to keep fish on the menu. With impeccable research and deadpan humor, he chronicles his pursuit of a sustainable fish he could love, and the foodie's honeymoon he's enjoyed since discovering an outrageously delicious fish raised using a revolutionary farming method in Spain."

  • SK Telecom's Google Android Promos

    10 Mar 2010 | 8:50 am
    SK Telecom's promo for Google's Android platform in Korea. Little Androids in the subway.Promo at Phoenix Park ski resort in Korea. Very cute.

  • The New Entrepreneur: Research Review

    9 Mar 2010 | 10:21 am
    "Grasshopper.com presents a comprehensive research review (research by TrendsSpotting) on entrepreneurs:"The New Entrepreneur: Research ReviewView more presentations from Taly Weiss.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Leveraging Ideas

  • On the Uncertainty of Life

    Sam
    28 Feb 2010 | 4:57 pm
    When do you know it’s time? When do you know it’s really time to start the business, shut the business, expand the business, invest in the business, quit your job, end the job search and take the offer on the table, leave your spouse, marry your girl/boyfriend, move to Australia, come home from Australia? When do you know? “A warrior accepts,” writes Pema Chodron in Comfortable with Uncertainty, “that we can never know what will happen to us next. We can try to control the uncontrollable by looking for security and predictability, always hoping to be comfortable and safe. But the…

  • The Lowest Common Denominator

    Sam
    19 Feb 2010 | 9:57 am
    In my thinking about how web technologies are evolving I think attempting to conceptualize or invent the next Facebook is nearly impossible. Massively disruptive startups “just are.” IMO it’s not possible to know what will be the next Twitter or Facebook because these types of platforms/applications are outgrowths of the current state of human interaction. Such technology arrives just at the right time to grow in tandem with new manners, social gesture and desires. I believe with we have moved past the brute force of functionality being the deciding factor of what we will use next.

  • On Giving Up

    Sam
    12 Feb 2010 | 8:03 am
    I’m re-publishing this post written by Nate: When a 7 year old tells his mom, “Mom, I can’t do my math homework. It’s so hard. I’m no good at it”, how many parents tell their kid “You need to hire someone to do that for you”. None. This is a constant lament though of adults. Especially adults trying to start businesses and their own projects. In any kind of gathering of people talking about starting businesses, the odds are huge that you are going to hear someone say “I have this great idea for a software company, I just need someone to…

  • The Real-Time Web: Context is King and the URL is Context

    Sam
    11 Feb 2010 | 2:48 pm
    This summer I took a couple weeks to really ponder what I saw developing on the real-time web. One of the conclusions I drew was that the success of real-time search would be based on a) context and b) identity. Google’s social search is the first compelling foray I have seen into nailing the “identity” component of this equation. It’s local, as related to networks — not geography. In this post however, I want to share my thinking around “context” in the hope that one of the real-time search engines will begin to embrace this, or get some smart people thinking about it.

  • More Thoughts on MBA’s and Startups

    Sam
    10 Feb 2010 | 12:27 am
    Charlie O’Donnell’s recent post for MBAs considering working at startups drew some harsh reactions, but also raised some excellent points. I wanted to add my own thoughts since I have an MBA and know the startup space from both the perspective of a potential employee and as a CEO making hiring decisions. First two key points should be clarified regarding Charlie’s original post and that carry forward to this one. I believe we’re referring to a specific type of MBA and specific type of startup: the MBAs we’re discussing are non-technical and the startup is early-stage (i.e. no more…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    D.I.Y. Startup news

  • Element – The Evolution of the Home Theater

    public
    10 Mar 2010 | 2:51 am
    Element is an innovative software for Media Center Personal Computers, featuring an unique across the room interface that is designed to be connected to your HDTV for a media and internet experience from the comforts of your couch. http://www.elementmypc.com/main/index.php

  • Flexoot Network is growing

    public
    6 Mar 2010 | 7:38 pm
    Since last updates on http://www.Flexoot.com this website got a lot of visitors from more than 35 countries. This service becoming popular with One Click Sign Up technology. Tip: useful service for all people and social networks.

  • Spreaker beta (Live Radio Broadcasting for Everyone!)

    public
    4 Mar 2010 | 9:18 am
    Spreaker is a social service that will let anybody have his own web radio, and broadcast whatever he wants either LIVE or as a podcast. Its online deejay console allows real time mixing of voice, music and sound effects.

  • Footymix – Share and love Football

    public
    1 Mar 2010 | 7:23 pm
    Footymix is a place to share the latest football related content, news, images and videos socially with other football fans.

  • New Co-op Social Network – Workterm

    public
    21 Feb 2010 | 1:22 am
    Workterm helps co-op students connect with friends and co-workers during work term. Join the new co-op social network Workterm to network with other co-op students and share your work term experiences.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    KillerStartups.com - all

  • Mediagazer.com - Media News Aggregated Together

    13 Mar 2010 | 9:47 pm
    Media new are hot news, but the speed at which everything moves makes keeping track of everything something easier said than done. Algorithms alone can not cope with that. Neither can human editors working on their own.Read moreLearn more about Mediagazer.com in Dataopedia.comFind out how much Mediagazer.com is worth with Stimator.com

  • TweetSteal.com - Bargains & Deals On Twitter

    13 Mar 2010 | 9:43 pm
    A site that claims to put together “the hottest deals and steals on Twitter”, TweetSteal gathers together enough bargains so as to make that affirmation stand true in most people’s eyes. These are aggregated in a host of categories, including “Airfare”, “Vacation” and “Cruise” along with mainstay products like “Shoes”, “Laptop” and “LCD”. Of course, the main page also lists the most popular deals, and (again) you can streamline results by clicking on the corresponding tag.Read moreLearn more about TweetSteal.com in Dataopedia.comFind out how much TweetSteal.com…

  • Patch.com - Taking Community Life Online

    13 Mar 2010 | 9:39 pm
    If you are of these individuals that claim the Internet does nothing but drive people and communities apart, then visiting this website will be a mind-broadening experience. Entitled Patch, we can define it as an online aggregator of the actual activity of any community. By giving the site a look you can be in the loop when it comes to news and events concerning the community that you live in.Read moreLearn more about Patch.com in Dataopedia.comFind out how much Patch.com is worth with Stimator.com

  • TypeWith.me - Create A Document With Others

    13 Mar 2010 | 9:35 pm
    TypeWith.Me is a new tool that makes online collaboration an easier proposition for all concerned parties. In general terms, the site will empower just anybody to create a document and edit it along with others at the very same time.Read moreLearn more about TypeWith.me in Dataopedia.comFind out how much TypeWith.me is worth with Stimator.com

  • Diiz.net - A Direct Way To Create YouTube Playlists

    13 Mar 2010 | 9:33 pm
    Dizz is a new site that plays out a very concise role: letting you create a playlist with your favourite YouTube videos, and then sharing the list with just whomever you want. This is done in as direct a fashion as you can imagine, as all that it takes to get a list together is to add the URLs one by one using the provided menu. The list can have title, too, so that if you are putting one together that revolves around Diego Maradona’s finest moments you can give it the corresponding name and make it stand apart from other lists about different soccer players.Read moreLearn more about…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    start Up (NZ)

  • Top ten Google search terms for Feb 2010

    23 Feb 2010 | 3:48 pm
    Check out this video from the guys over at Cnet for Feb's top ten Google search terms.

  • Seven great free apps for your new Mac

    23 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    We know you're into free stuff, so here's a list of the seven best FREE apps for your Mac.

  • IPad Demand outstripping iPhone

    23 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    in research released today by RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky demand for the iPad looks as though it will canabalise other Apple Product verticals. Their survey of 3200 respondents revealed that 13% are either somewhat or very likely to purchase an iPad, compared to only 9% in a similar survey conducted prior to the launch of the original iPhone.Macrumors  

  • Interview with the founders of Posterous

    17 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    If you haven't used Posterous yet, you must have been living under a rock.  Posterous is the dead simple way to put anything online using email. In this video Scoble speeks to the founders on their Start-UP.Check out these links for more video on Posterous: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gd4vE93HHk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxeFOD5lZ4k    

  • 12 MISTAKES Startups make

    17 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    My current theme de jour seems to be about the mistakes that Start-UPs make, this obviously comes hard on the back of taking time to reflect and post on my own personal startup F-up's.  As fate would have it I also received a Google alert on an article that the Scobleizer published recently on the mistakes that Start-UPs make.  Here's his top 12 list of mistakes and believe me this dude has pretty much seen them all: 1. Have plush offices in the most expensive part of town. Come on, who are you fooling? You are burning someone else’s money and you aren’t spending it like…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Campus Entrepreneurship

  • The Immoral Dorm Days of Facebook’s Formation | Dan’s FC Blog | Fast Company

    David J. Miller
    8 Mar 2010 | 2:26 pm
    Crazy post from Fast Company blog on a recent 3 part series by Business Insider tracing the early days of Facebook (oh about 6 or so years ago I think). Good stuff. Haven’t had time to read all three fully, but apparently it covers Mark Zuckerberg and hacking and yes, Facebook has settled lawsuits with some of the people named in these stories. Can’t wait to read the rest of the stories. Got this from Dan Nosowitz over at Fast Company. Lets not forget, that during the period of these stories, Facebook was an unfunded dorm room project — it was not a 400 million user…

  • The Call to Get More out of Campus Research

    David J. Miller
    5 Mar 2010 | 2:32 pm
    Last week officials from the Obama Administration Commerce Department met with U.S. Research University officials in order to figure out how to do even more with research that is generated — often with federal funding. Doug Lederman at Inside Higher Education has a solid piece on the meeting, which was closed to reporters. Much was made of the ‘new’ Kauffman ideas on technology transfer of federally funded research from major Universities. While TTOs (technology transfer offices) have never much sense to me in today’s marketplace, it is where the debate has been…

  • “The Prize was 20 Grand, so it was Either a Keg Party or a Company”

    David J. Miller
    5 Mar 2010 | 1:01 pm
    Twenty20 creates HD camcorders for extreme athletes and others to wear while completing their daredevil students. Yes, it was started by skiing students at the University of Washington who then entered the school’s business plan competition and won some seed capital (as quoted in the title). They are currently the Inc 5000 Applicant of the Week. From the piece by Sarah Kessler in Inc Magazine: The company makes two versions of a tube-shaped, high-definition camcorder called the ContourHD that can be attached to helmets, goggles, handle bars, or cars to capture adventure sports from the…

  • McComb’s School of Business Birthed uShip

    David J. Miller
    5 Mar 2010 | 12:49 pm
    Good piece highlighting another high impact company that was founded on campus by students. These student entrepreneurs  hail from University of Texas McCombs School of Business (home of the fabled Moot Corp) and they created an online shipping platform called uShip. From the article by Stacey Higginbotham: Six years ago I attended a business plan competition where I watched a couple of guys explain how they wanted to streamline the process of shipping bulky items across the country by linking folks up via the Internet. The social Web was starting to heat up, but I liked how these guys and…

  • Can Entrepreneurs Be Made? From Vivek Wadhwa

    David J. Miller
    1 Mar 2010 | 4:36 pm
    Duke based entrepreneurship researcher Vivek Wadhwa has put out some of the most impressive and important (in my mind) research on technology, entrepreneurship, and immigration in recent years. Newmark’s Door pointed me to Wadhwa’s recent column in TechCrunch. There are great charts in the piece and it is well worth reading. Can Entrepreneurs Be Made? by Vivek Wadhwa.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Newly Corporate

  • Pre-Marital Finance 101: 5 Steps to Pre-Wedding Financial Planning

    Brandon Henak
    24 Feb 2010 | 7:56 am
    The excitement of the engagement ring and proposal are just the beginning of two lives becoming one in marriage. A big piece of marital fusion is two totally separate financial setups becoming one. Not an easy task. As I am going through the process right now, I thought I would share my experiences thus far with fellow pre-marital young professionals. With the whirlwind of planning that occurs for the big wedding event, it can sometimes become the only focal point for a couple, with the exception of maybe trying to plan a tropical honeymoon. This tendency is natural, we all want to focus on…

  • 3 Tips on Avoiding the Dark Side of Working Weekends

    Brandon Henak
    3 Feb 2010 | 7:29 am
    This guest post was contributed by Shannon Wills, an avid reader and contributor to a number of other professional blogs. There are some people who swear that their job is their life, and then there are others who try their very best to prevent their jobs from becoming their lives. It’s different strokes for different folks, but no matter which category you belong to, there will come a time when you have to work harder than ever, stay long hours at the office, spend your weekends cooped up in your cubicle, or have to forsake your holiday because an important project just cropped up.

  • Fit Professional Secret 1: A Mid-Day Workout

    Brandon Henak
    11 Jan 2010 | 9:27 am
    As young professionals, or any age professionals for that matter, we often struggle to balance heavy workloads with the right amount of exercise to keep us physically fit and focused.  Although we aren’t perfect here at Newly Corporate, we are going to share which “secrets” or strategies have worked best for us, we welcome your feedback and additional suggestions as well. The first “secret” is a mid-day workout.  Many workplaces have in-house or nearby gyms with discounted memberships for employees (and showers), especially in this healthcare-sensitive…

  • 2009 Holiday Gifts For Young Professionals

    Dan
    19 Nov 2009 | 12:39 pm
    It is getting to be that time of year again. It can be hard to shop for twentysomethings, but the team here at Newly Corporate does an annual brainstorm to identify great products for generation Y professionals. We try not to break the bank with our recommendations, but we don’t discriminate against more expensive objects of desire either. Everything we link to goes to amazon.com, so feel free to investigate the suggested products as well. We’re confident you’ll be able to find something nice for that young professional on your list! See the whole list! 1. LG Blue-ray player…

  • 5 Engagement Ring Buying Tips for the Young Professional

    Brandon Henak
    28 Oct 2009 | 10:36 am
    Yes, it’s true, I have recently taken a major step in my life and asked my girlfriend to marry me.  As part of this process, I went through what most men do: the search for the perfect ring.  Based on my girlfriend’s answer to my proposal (Yes!) and all the positive feedback I have received on the ring post-proposal, I figured I would share what worked for me.  No yes-answer guarantees but, here are my tips on a purchase that can be pretty daunting. 1. Decide whether you want it to be a surprise or you want to go shop with her.  Being old fashioned, I wanted to surprise…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    TheFunded Founder Institute News

  • Last Weekend to Apply in Singapore

    11 Mar 2010 | 7:00 pm
    The Founder Institute in Singapore has accepted over 30 applicants, and there are just a half dozen spots remaining in the program. The final application deadline is Sunday, March 14th, so take a moment to apply here.The Singapore program has attracted top local and global mentors, including Adeo Ressi, CEO, TheFunded.comAdeo Ressi is Founding Member of TheFunded.com, an online community of 12,000 CEOs to research, rate, and review funding sources worldwide. Adeo also runs the Founder Institute, a mentoring program that helps entrepreneurs launch hundreds of world-class companies each year.

  • San Diego Special Open Community Session on Tuesday

    11 Mar 2010 | 10:55 am
    New and experienced entrepreneurs, future founders and co-founders, and all those passionate about startups are invited to a special Open Community Session of the Founder Institute on Tuesday evening, March 16, 2010, in San Diego. At this free event you can meet some of our Mentors and Founders from the recently graduated Fall 2009 Semester, as well as enjoy food, drinks, and informative talks. The directors of the program will also be there to answer any questions you have.  Our space is very limited, so be sure to register today and claim a spot: http://sdfi.eventbrite.com The…

  • San Diego Exposure

    9 Mar 2010 | 9:00 am
    There is a great article in the San Diego Union-Tribune by Dean Calbreat discussing the Graduates, the Mentors and the startup ecosystem in Southern California. "After going through a four-month business boot camp, a dozen local entrepreneurs have become the first graduating class in San Diego of The Founders Institute - a program that matches would-be startups with successful chief executives from other firms. A number of the graduates, ranging from students at San Diego State University to middle-aged workers with well-established careers, now say they are on their way to launching…

  • Founder Institute, San Diego - Spring Session

    8 Mar 2010 | 1:51 pm
    If you can benefit from training and mentorship to make your startup more successful, please apply to the second San Diego semester. The first semester in San Diego was the highest rated by participating Founders in the history of the Founder Institute. If you know a founder that needs help, encourage them to join the program.Early Applications due March 14th, 2010. Classes begin April 6, 2010.  Apply here.The Institute is run by founders for founders, providing a framework for successful entrepreneurs to share their experiences and to help. We've already lined up an impressive group of…

  • The Benefits of Graduating

    6 Mar 2010 | 2:00 pm
    As the Institute attracts candidates for semesters in San Diego, Paris, Singapore and Denver, a number of applicants asked about the benefits once the program is over. Graduating from the Founder Institute is challenging. A Founder needs to develop an engaging idea for a technology company, plan out the business, work on an offering and incorporate a company, all within a four month timeframe. For the Graduates, there are multiple rewards. Here are ten, ordered from tangible to intangible: Bonus Pool: Each Graduate joins a ten year Bonus Pool that distributes cash generated from peer success.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Don Dodge on The Next Big Thing

  • Google Apps Marketplace Discover, Deploy, and Manage Apps for Business

    DonDodge
    10 Mar 2010 | 10:05 am
    App Stores have been around for a while, but mostly for cell phones, and very few business applications. Google is making a big move into online enterprise applications with the Google Apps Marketplace already stocked with over 50 real business applications. Google Apps boasts 25 million users at more than 2 million companies, and growing very fast. Startups and small software companies love the App Store concept because it allows them to focus on building great applications while the App Marketplace takes care of sales, marketing, billing, and accounting. Google is building a vibrant…

  • Platform shifts Mainframe to Mini to PC to Mobile. Why leaders fail to make the shift

    DonDodge
    4 Mar 2010 | 7:50 am
    Platform shifts happen every decade or so in computing. The leaders of the previous generation are rarely successful in dominating the next generation platform. IBM dominated the mainframe business. They didn’t lose their dominance because another company built a better mainframe. They lost it because the market shifted to a new platform…Mini computers. Digital Equipment, Data General, and a few others dominated that market. Another platform shift is happening today, from PCs to Mobile devices, and another industry leader will be left behind. John Herlihy of Google Europe says “In three…

  • From MSFT evangelist to Mac enthusiast - the other side of the road

    DonDodge
    2 Feb 2010 | 7:50 am
    For five years I was a Microsoft evangelist to the startup and venture capital community. That ended a couple months ago. I am now a Developer Advocate at Google and I love it. After years of defending Microsoft against the Apple fanatics I decided to go to the other side of the road to see for myself. Microsoft frowns on employees using competitive products, and there isn't much time or budget to do it anyway. So, the move from Microsoft gave me the opportunity to try lots of new things. The move from Microsoft was complete. From Windows to Mac, from Outlook to Gmail, from Explorer to Google…

  • Google Apps announces de-support of IE6

    DonDodge
    1 Feb 2010 | 5:30 pm
    Internet Explorer 6.0 launched in August of 2001, more than 8 years ago. Microsoft’s current version is IE 8. Web developers have complained for years about needing to support multiple versions of browsers and the security risks in older browsers. Older browsers don’t support new features, particularly around voice and video. In a move to encourage users to upgrade to modern browser versions Google Apps announced they will stop supporting IE 6 effective March 1, 2010. The feedback from developers was immediate and overwhelmingly positive. Microsoft itself will end support for IE 6 on July…

  • How Google sets goals and measures success

    DonDodge
    28 Jan 2010 | 7:05 am
    Google sets impossible bodacious goals…and then achieves them. The engineering mindset of solving the impossible problem is part of the culture instilled in every group at Google. Tough engineering problems don’t have obvious answers. You need to invent the solution, not just optimize something that exists. Every quarter every group at Google sets goals, called OKRs, for the next 90 days. Most big companies set annual goals like improving or growing something by x%, and then measure performance once a year. At Google a year is like a decade. Annual goals aren’t good enough. Set…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Colorado Startups

  • The “Easy Out”

    David Cohen
    7 Mar 2010 | 8:33 pm
    I’ve used a technique that I call the “easy out” for some time. It’s handy when you’re selling someone something and they’re are ignoring you. It could be an investor you’re trying to close, or a customer that you’re trying to sell something to. Once you’ve tried several emails with no response, I always recommend a phone call or alternate medium. You’ll probably reach their voice mail if you call, but that’s fine. You can simply say “I’ve sent you several emails, and I just wanted to be sure you were getting them.

  • Gigabit Fiber in Boulder

    David Cohen
    6 Mar 2010 | 8:52 pm
    Google has put out a call that looks like this: Google is planning to launch an experiment that we hope will make Internet access better and faster for everyone. We plan to test ultra-high speed broadband networks in one or more trial locations across the country. Our networks will deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today over 1 gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections. We’ll offer service at a competitive price to at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people. From now until March 26th, we’re asking…

  • University of Colorado Denver – Annual Business Plan Competition

    David Cohen
    6 Mar 2010 | 3:51 pm
    CU Denver’s Bard Center is hosting their 10th annual business plan competition on June 10th, and it’s open to all early stage Colorado based companies which have not yet received significant Angel or Venture Capital funding.   Orientation for the 10th Annual Bard Center for Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition is coming up on March 11, 2010 at 5:30PM at the Bard Center. More than $100,000 in cash and in-kind awards will be provided to help the top 6 companies launch or grow their businesses. Check it out!

  • Bootstrap Loving Angels is April 7

    David Cohen
    6 Mar 2010 | 3:44 pm
    Bill Flagg is organizing and hosting Bootstrap Loving Angels on April 7th. This is a special angel funding event for bootstrap oriented companies looking for a small amount of growth capital. It’s very informal, so if you meet the criteria below, I’d encourage you to apply to attend. I’m going to be writing more soon about Royalty Based Financing (RBF), but for now it’s the simple idea of taking on a small amount of capital and paying it back out of sales, typically in combination with some warrants or other form of upside in the company for the investor. RBF can be a…

  • Beers with Brad (Feld, that is)

    David Cohen
    4 Feb 2010 | 10:39 am
      KGNU is having a Beers with Brad (Feld) event, a benefit for KGNU at the Twisted Pine brewery (in the brewery itself, not the tasting room!) on Feb. 18th – 6-8 pm. It’s the first BWB event in Boulder in a very long time. If you like beer, and you like Brad, you should go. The details are available at http://beerswithbrad.eventbrite.com/, or twitter @beerswithbrad.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    OnlyOnce

  • New Blog of Note in the Direct Marketing World

    Matt
    25 Feb 2010 | 8:28 am
    New Blog of Note in the Direct Marketing WorldGene Raitt, Chairman of the DMA, has launched a new blog today called DM Unplugged.  It's not an official DMA property.  Gene won't be the only contributor -- over time, other DMA board members (including me) and thought leaders in the direct and interactive marketing communities at large -- will contribute as well.This is one small, though notable, development in a series of things the DMA is working on as it transforms itself.  Look for some truly "unplugged" commentary on this blog about both things happening in the industry and transparent…

  • From Founder/Builder to Manager/Leader

    Matt
    22 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am
    From Founder/Builder to Manager/LeaderAfter I spoke at the Startup2Startup event last month, one of the people who sat with me at dinner emailed me and asked:I was curious--how did you make the transition from CEO of a startup to manager of a medium-sized business? I'm great at just doing the work myself and interacting with clients, and it's easy for me to delegate tasks, but it's hard to have the vision and ability to develop my two employees into greater capacity...I'd be interested in reading a blog post on what helped you make that transition from founder/builder to manager/leaderIt…

  • Parenting and Corporate Leadership

    Matt
    14 Feb 2010 | 7:41 am
    Parenting and Corporate LeadershipLet me be clear up front:  I do not think of my colleagues at Return Path as children, and I do not think of Casey, Wilson, and Elyse as employees.  That said, after a couple weeks of good quality family time in January, I was struck by the realization that being a CEO for a long time before having kids has made me a better parent...and I think being a new parent the last three years has made me a better CEO.  Here's why.  The two roles have a heavy overlap in required core interpersonal competencies.  And doing both of them well means you're practicing…

  • Context is King

    Matt
    26 Jan 2010 | 3:53 am
    Context is KingA small post with a good point.  I noticed in The Economist this week something that struck me.  They posted a correction to a prior article.  Publications do that all the time, but this particular correction was placed on a page in the same section of the magazine in which the error appeared a couple weeks before.  Most print publications tend to bury their corrections in the front or the back where they never get seen.  But this one was right in the middle of the magazine, saying "we made a mistake - right here."  Noteworthy to me for its show of transparency, always…

  • Book Short: Not About Going With The...

    Matt
    25 Jan 2010 | 4:00 am
    Book Short:  Not About Going With The...   Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (book, Kindle), was a great read and a nice change from either strictly business books or my regular fiction/non-fiction reading.  It's basically about the process of achieving happiness through control over one’s inner life, but it's far from a self-help book.  It's almost more of practical psychology deep dive into what brings about happiness and peak performance - a state the author calls Flow but others have called other things over time,…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Learn to Duck

  • Tattoos and BBQ at SXSW

    Micah
    11 Mar 2010 | 8:35 am
    This is my third year going to SXSW. This year I am staying through music, which means I have a long time to spend in Austin. So what am I to do? Tattoos and BBQ. Its what SXSW is all about. And, since there will be plenty of guides to BBQ, let me hand down a bit of tattoo wisdom. Especially if you are planning on getting your first tattoo during SXSW. The Rules of Your First Tattoo: 1) Whether you are getting a shamrock on your ankle or an intricate custom piece across your back, allot yourself 4 hours for the first sitting. 2) If its going to be highly custom, be ready for two appointments.

  • Location? Location! Location.

    Micah
    1 Mar 2010 | 7:18 pm
    This is not a post on location based services such as Foursquare, Gowalla or location platforms like SimpleGeo. I will leave that up to the experts. Just want to make sure that you have a chance to bail out early. After all, we all have places to go check into. The last four startups I have been involved with (including the two I helped found) have been in the state of Colorado. It seems that over the years, I have gone from being slightly ashamed of the fact that my startups werent in New York or the San Francisco Bay Area to being proud of where I currently hang my hat. I have gotten to the…

  • 750 Words on Relationships

    Micah
    1 Mar 2010 | 12:21 pm
    Yesterday, I was on the phone with a really interesting cat. Young guy, he and some friends had built a really smart series of summits and conferences as a way to get young entrepreneurs together with people from all kinds of industries to create connection and opportunity. “Its about dream fulfillment,” he said. “Its about connecting people with ideas. Its about creating opportunities where they didnt exist.” Then he said, “its about connecting people that would be friends even if they had nothing to offer each other.” And for some reason, that concept…

  • How Can I Help You?

    Micah
    28 Feb 2010 | 2:00 pm
    5 words. Short sentence. Probably the most important sentence I utter, and with the most feeling, after “I love you.” I was at lunch with a friend a month ago or so, and as the lunch came to a close, my friend told me that I had given him the advice that as a CEO he needed to ask other what he could do to help more often. “I thought you were pompous and condescending  when you gave me that advice.” he said. “Oh,” I replied. “Im sorry. Im often pompous and condescending without realizing it.” (Well, I am.) “But, the advice ate at me,…

  • 750 Words on Sharing

    Micah
    21 Feb 2010 | 9:51 am
    When I was a senior in college, I was looking for a job on campus. Looking through the want ads, I came across the highest paying job on campus: University Fundraiser. We were tasked with calling alumni and asking for contributions. I started slowly, but over a six month period, I had the biggest single month and raised more money than anyone had ever done in their entire careers. I was hooked. I headed to Washington, DC after college with my long time friend, Larry “Bubba” Henderson, and after a few months of ramen, we both landed jobs. He worked for Georgetown University where…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Startup Weekend

  • The Submate Semi-Marathon

    Startup Weekend Crew
    8 Mar 2010 | 6:16 am
    This is an update on Submate from Startup Weekend Paris by Laurent Kretz The semi-marathon of Paris happened yesterday – congrats to all finalists, especially for running by 0 degrees!! This post is not about this run, but the SubMate semi-marathon instead. It’s Monday March 8, and we’re finally catching sight of the finish line. A semi-marathon, because it’s an early alpha we’ll be releasing. But as Reid Hoffman said: “If you are not ashamed by your product when you launch it, you launched too late” ! So here’s how it went down so far on…

  • Oklahoma City Startup Weekend

    Startup Weekend Crew
    23 Feb 2010 | 5:41 pm
    Startup Weekend OKC is right around the corner.  We have an amazing group of Mentors to help our teams take their ideas to the next level.  We also have a great group of Sponsors that are so excited to see what comes out of OKC in the first weekend of March. For a rundown of what a typical weekend looks like you can click here. What is included in your registration?  You get 7 meals, access to great tools, and all the networking & team building you can stand over 54 hours. If you have a conflicting event that weekend still consider coming to Startup Weekend.  You will be working with…

  • Startup Weekend Haiti

    Marc Nager
    21 Feb 2010 | 3:21 pm
    Startup Weekend is excited to announce we are going to put the Startup Weekend model into application in a totally new way in Haiti in an effort to help inspire and support entrepreneurial efforts as a solution to the devastating aftermath of the earthquake. The idea began in a conversation about what people like us could do to help in Haiti. The answer as we discussed, might not lie far from home for Startup Weekend and a few groups that have jumped out and been willing to support us. Fundamentally, the Startup Weekend model has the power to allow entrepreneurs within a community to…

  • TwitPay sells for $100k and will get $1million more

    Marc Nager
    19 Feb 2010 | 2:02 pm
    The Startup Weekend Atlanta team Michael Ivey and Don Brown launched TwitPay back in 2007, and today it just sold for $100k to an investor who will be putting at least $1 million more into product development. The service seems to be turning towards helping non-profits do their fundraising… Maybe we should be using them! Check out the full story here: http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/blog/atlantech/2010/02/twitpay.html

  • Startup Weekend Direction

    Startup Weekend Crew
    4 Feb 2010 | 2:46 pm
    I want to touch on the future direction of Startup Weekend but first here is a little background on it’s evolution.  Andrew Hyde launched Startup Weekend in June of 2007 and held the first event in Boulder, CO.  At that point in time Startup Weekend was structured as a Colorado LLC where attendees would gather to pitch ideas for a new startup.  Of the ideas pitched, one was chosen and all of the attendees in the room would roll up their sleeves and get to work building it.  My first experience with this model was at the first event that came to Seattle which was held at…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Startup Houston

  • SXSW 2010 is upon us

    Marc Nathan
    11 Mar 2010 | 2:51 pm
    Hopefully everyone that is going to SXSW has confirmed places to stay, picked panels and parties and broken in those comfortable shoes (can’t over emphasize that enough) and those that are staying here have unfollowed their Austin-bound friends and blocked the hashtag #SXSW for the next week. The comments of this post would be a great place for any one from Houston to leave your name and twitter handle as well as recommend anything interesting from panels, to food, to non-badge events. I’ll start: Marc Nathan @marc1919 Google Spreadsheet of almost all parties and events…

  • Three Tech Startup Events This Week (Plus a Bonus Event)

    Marc Nathan
    8 Mar 2010 | 1:54 pm
    Even if you’re not planning on coming to Austin for SXSW, you should plan on coming to the Houston@SXSW Pre-party at Caroline Collective Date: Tuesday March 9, 2010 Time: 6:00pm – 9:30pm Location: Caroline Collective 4820 Caroline Houston, Texas 77004 RSVP on Facebook Since that starts at 6, you can then go to the monthly NetSquared meetup – generously sponsored by Schipul, The Web Marketing Company where I’m giving a talk on why Non-profits need to foster a vibrant Tech Startup Community and vice versa. Date: Tuesday March 9, 2010 Time: 7:00 PM Location: Stag’s…

  • Houston@SXSW 2010

    Marc Nathan
    3 Mar 2010 | 10:17 am
    Every year since 1994 (when Interactive launched), web workers – designers, developers, marketers and technologists converge on the city of Austin for five days of a Shiner-fueled experienced that is like no other on the planet. It’s sometimes called “Geek Spring Break”, and it has become the premiere destination for tech startups, digital media and the forward thinking business people to find out “What’s Next”. Imagine 20,000+ conference goers (and those that come just for the free off-site events) from around the world who all talk the same language…

  • Open Mixer with the Houston Innovation Initiative Tonight

    kurtstoll
    24 Feb 2010 | 9:03 am
    The Houston Innovation Initiative is a group started by Houston Council Member Jarvis Johnson and Yvette Golan of World Innova and here is a quick summary of what they are all about: The Houston Innovation Initiative (HII) joins government leaders focused on solving city challenges to the technology and innovation leaders who can help. HII’s introductions inform the technology community of areas the city seeks cost savings and efficiencies, while equipping city leaders with the resources of technology associations who have demonstrated superior innovation access, information, and…

  • StartupHouston LiveBlog of TiE Houston Legal Workshop

    kurtstoll
    20 Feb 2010 | 7:20 am
    Join us as StartupHouston liveblogs the TiE Houston Legal Workshop that offers advice on how to protect your Small Business Intellectual Property and More.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Bootstrapping

  • Friday Fun Video

    heckman
    19 Feb 2010 | 8:13 pm
    I just wanted to post a video that made me chuckle. I have to say with all the advertising I see it takes me a lot to make me laugh anymore. Enjoy and have a good weekend. © Bootstrapping BlogScapes Creative All Rights Reserved. 2009 Tweet This Post  

  • Email Marketing, It’s like adding an Army of Employees

    heckman
    18 Feb 2010 | 3:22 pm
    As a lot of you know I run a small business marketing company – Scapes Consulting as well as writing for this blog. I have been focused on bringing internet marketing ideas to the local bricks and mortar type businesses that don’t normally know how to enter this strange new marketing world beyond just putting up a website. I have noticed as business is picking up I have had less time to commit to producing new articles for all my Bootstrapping Friends. Well I decided that I will share the video’s that I have created for my local clients with you guys as well. A lot of the…

  • Building on strengths or fixing weaknesses?

    heckman
    31 Jan 2010 | 4:35 pm
    When we start off in business, we often do so because we have a great strength. Whether, you’re a terrific salesperson or an intrepid designer, your strength is the vehicle to make you money. Unfortunately, it only takes about a week into your business when you realize what you do poorly. This can be customer relations, accounting, or…well, practically anything and everything that can go wrong when it comes to running a bootstrapped business. So what do you do? You only have so much time and effort, so do you build on strengths or fix weaknesses? A little perspective: Almost everybody…

  • Can Diet Improve My Business?

    heckman
    22 Oct 2009 | 4:15 am
    For many people who run businesses that are located in offices, their bodies don’t seem like vital investments. Sure, if you were a cook or a construction worker, your physical wellbeing might be something you invested in. After all, it’s the only way to make money. But office workers tend to think that they only need their thinking, which doesn’t depend on physical wellbeing, right? Wrong! How you take care of your body is vital to how well you can work; whether you crush rocks or philosophize. One place to really make this happen is with your diet. It might seem odd…can diet improve…

  • 10 Ways to Improve Workflow

    heckman
    19 Oct 2009 | 4:44 am
    Whatever your job is, when you sit down to do it, often the task at hand can distract you from the importance of the way you do it. If you’re a small business owner or otherwise, you’ll want to save yourself small bits of time that can otherwise add up to entire days of extra work performed. Here are 10 ways to improve workflow. Think mise en place, or everything in its place. This idea is popular among professional chefs. Basically put, make sure your work space is organized with everything in easy reach and nothing in the way. Your computer desktop is still a desktop. Clean your…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Startup Story Radio

  • Sheriff Richard Mack To Host Fundraiser For Rob McNealy

    Rob McNealy
    8 Mar 2010 | 11:10 pm
    Constitutional Sheriff Activist Coming to Colorado to Support Rob McNealy for CD6 AURORA, CO, March 8th, 2010 – Rob McNealy, Libertarian candidate for Colorado’s 6th Congressional District, is proud to announce that Constitutional crusader, Sheriff Richard Mack, will be in the Denver area to help raise money for Rob McNealy’s congressional campaign. In 1994, Sheriff Mack [...]

  • Postage Stamp Drive – We Need Your Postage

    Rob McNealy
    26 Feb 2010 | 9:37 pm
    We are launching a postage stamp drive.  We need a lot of postage for fundraising.  If you have even a few extra stamps, please send them our way.  They all help. Please mail them to: Vote McNealy P.O. Box 460574 Aurora, CO 80046-0574 Thanks, Rob

  • Sheriff Richard Mack Endorses Rob McNealy

    Rob McNealy
    9 Feb 2010 | 10:32 pm
    AURORA, CO, February 9th, 2010 – Rob McNealy, candidate for Colorado’s 6th Congressional District, is proud to announce that Constitutional crusader, Sheriff Richard Mack, endorsed him. From his home in Arizona, Mack said “In this day and age, with our economy faltering, with the Republicans and Democrats giving out massive bailouts to banks and their Wall [...]

  • Rob McNealy Testifies at the CO Senate Finance Committee

    Rob McNealy
    4 Feb 2010 | 9:24 pm
    I testified at the Colorado Senate Finance Committee on a package of new tax bills known as the “Dirty Dozen.”  Here is an audio of that testimony:

  • Rob McNealy Joins Colorado Union of Taxpayers

    Rob McNealy
    13 Dec 2009 | 10:45 pm
    I recently joined the Colorado Union of Taxpayers and signed their pledge.  This pledge affirms my commitment to the principles of the Colorado Union of Taxpayers, and reads as follows: I Rob McNealy, candidate U.S. House of Representatives – CD6 hereby pledge to the Citizens of Colorado: Tabor: to honor and uphold the spirit as well [...]
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    TechStars

  • Our Full Historical Results

    davidcohen
    12 Mar 2010 | 6:48 am
    You might have heard us say that TechStars is “open-source” in the past. Last year we shared our Series AA Financing docs and now we’re now publishing our actual historical company results in full detail. This includes information on funding, acquisitions, failures, number of employees, etc. Applying to and participating in a Seed Accelerator program is a big decision for nascent companies. We wanted to arm them with as much information as we could about what the program is like, as well as what the actual historical results have been. I’m incredibly grateful to all…

  • Get your apps in to be considered for TechStars for a Day

    nicoleglaros
    9 Feb 2010 | 9:23 pm
    One of my favorite days of the year is TechStars for a Day.  It’s an invitation-only day where we invite our best and brightest TechStars applicants to come spend a full day in the Bunker.  It’s where they can get a feeling for what spending the summer with us will be like;  and it usually does not disappoint. Founders arrive fresh, ready to impress and rock, full of excitement and nervousness and curiosity.  They meet a handful of our select mentors, they meet past founders, they listen to words of wisdom.  They usually leave tired and drained, but overwhelmed at the amount…

  • Applicant Geography

    shawnbroderick
    9 Feb 2010 | 4:51 am
    Now that the selection process for TechStars’ spring Boston program is behind us, I was curious to do some digging through the applicant data to understand a bit more about their demographics, specifically re: geography. My a priori expectations were that the number of MA-based companies had increased 2009 to 2010, but clearly I was incorrect. I did not expect the big change in international applicants. 14% in 2009 to 24% in 2010 is a huge bump. NB: Don’t try to add up the percentages. A company based in MA with co-founders in Zagreb is counted in all 3 columns. The goal of my math was to…

  • FiltrBox #4 TechStars Team Acquired

    andrewhyde
    29 Jan 2010 | 1:52 pm
    The class of 2007 TechStars is turning out to be something special, as outlined by David here. I went over the FiltrBox offices today and presented Ari Newman and Tom Chikoore their gold shirts (my favorite TechStars tradition). Excited for their future at Jive!

  • TechStars Founder Dating Meetup is Feb 10th

    nicoleglaros
    14 Jan 2010 | 7:32 pm
    What are the 2 major things we look for in our portfolio companies?  Team, and idea, in that order. But maybe you have a great idea and are still looking to build out your team.  Or maybe you’d make a fantastic entrepreneur, but are looking for a killer idea.  If you’re looking to apply to TechStars and need to round out your application, Founder Dating is the perfect place. There’s no agenda, no lectures, no lessons;  only an opportunity to find your ideal partner-in-crime, allowing you to build the next fantastic company.  It’s a must-attend event if…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Money Magnet

  • "Delay and Pray" is new mantra of PE firms

    12 Mar 2010 | 12:26 am
    Rather than addressing the underlying problem of too much debt, private equity firms’ refinancing of debt at their portfolio companies is simply extending the problems out to some point further in the future, say distressed investors. “Many of these companies are able to service their debt,” said Jeffrey Aronson, managing principal at Centerbridge Partners. “They can pay the monthly Visa bill. The real question is, can they pay it back?”Tennenbaum seemed to think the answer to that question is no, arguing that when these companies have taken on new debt, it has gone mostly to pay…

  • Private equity motives for a business are helping at GM

    12 Mar 2010 | 12:18 am
    “This was not a private equity investment,” Rattner, a co-founder of Quadrangle Group LLC, said at the DBR Restructuring and Turnaround Summit.That’s because the motives of the auto task force were wildly different than those of private equity investors. Instead of aiming to generate a profit, the goal was to lose as little taxpayer money as possible – and to avoid a meltdown in the Midwest.Steven Rattner may have been hired by the government to turn around the U.S. auto industry in part for his private equity and Wall Street expertise. But the turnaround of General Motors Co. and…

  • Compared to the heyday of 2007, companies need to offer more equity for capital

    12 Mar 2010 | 12:06 am
    “We’ve slowly been picking up speed as far as deal flow goes,” says John Gabbert, chief executive of Seattle-based Pitchbook Data Inc., a private equity research and news company. "So far this year, 20 private equity funds have raised $15 billion nationally."Speaking at the ACG conference held in Houston, private equity experts seemed more positive than six months ago.But lenders are still holding back on their end, the panel of private equity experts said.“It’s still very difficult to get financing,” said Peter Rosenberg, managing director of the middle market group of…

  • America overtaken on Forbes Billionaires' List

    11 Mar 2010 | 9:12 am
    Scratch Bill Gates off the top of the list of richest people in the world. The new bizillionaire is Carlos Slim of Mexico who makes his money from...wait for it...finance and teleco. Read more...China is now home to 64 billionaires – the most of any country outside the US – with 27 of them reaching the $1bn mark for the first time. Newcomers include Li Shufu, who runs Chinese car manufacturer Geely - which is on the verge of buying Volvo from Ford – and Fu Guangming who runs Fuijan Sunner Group which processes chicken for Kentucky Fried Chicken in China. Anyone catering to Chinese…

  • If you do not have a rich uncle, where else can you get seed money?

    10 Mar 2010 | 6:58 pm
    We do not all have rich uncles to hand out the seed money to coax a business through those early stages of growth. Yet, that loan or grant at the critical early stages of business can mean all the difference in survival, along with some mentorhip. So what is a young entrepreneur to do? We are very lucky in Canada to have the Canadian Youth Business Forum (CYBF) which delivers all the help of a rich uncle. I have been involved with many business incubator type organizations and this is one of the best in the world. CYBF gives loans and grants to young entrepreneurs but they also assign a…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Gawker: valleywag

  • Six Delusions of Google's Arrogant Leaders

    Ryan Tate
    12 Mar 2010 | 7:44 am
    Google's CEO went to Abu Dhabi this week and preached. He sermonized about Google's exceptional virtue — its indifference to profit and supreme trustworthiness. His speech should have been shocking. Except that delusional self-righteousness is now routine at Google. Eric Schmidt's comments at the Abu Dhabi "media summit" certainly sound especially cocky even considering the Google CEO's past haughty pronouncements. Schmidt, Fortune reports, implied Google is more trustworthy than any government on the planet after he was was asked asked about the company's worrisome stash of private…

  • Blog Wunderkind Has an Adventure with the Word 'Nigga'

    Maureen O'Connor
    11 Mar 2010 | 9:17 pm
    Tumblr founder and skinny white wunderkind David Karp posed a question to his followers today: "Can I use the word 'nigga' if I'm quoting a song?" Response-friendly Tumblr overfloweth with advice. Just make sure you say -a, not -er, advised A Person Of Creepy Tendencies. "When I was listening to the White Panda mashup of 'Energy' and 'Stuntin Like My Daddy' I actually stop myself from singing/rapping whenever that words come up," noted Bird Will Bird Wont. A couple users quit Tumblr in a huff and still others responded by posting pictures of black people weeping. Karp's real mistake, though,…

  • Twitterati at Breaking Point, Just in Time for SXSW

    Ryan Tate
    11 Mar 2010 | 4:44 pm
    Alex Blagg is not going to improvise like some sort of monkey; Lily Allen is not going to stand for your "fat whore" condolences; and Nick Bilton is not particularly enjoying this week's pressure cooker. The Twitterati defied reality. The Daily Beast's Tina Brown joined Twitter and promptly got to promoting herself, just like a native. "No worries, it's all good" is probably not the best response to Celebuzz.com editor Alex Blagg's anti-laid-back rejoinder. But it might be an entertaining one, ultimately. It sounds like the blog and book are going spectacularly for the New York Times's Nick…

  • Was Apple Employee Choked By Law & Order Star?

    Ryan Tate
    11 Mar 2010 | 2:30 pm
    An Apple Store staffer said she was choked by Richard Belzer. The Law & Order star, meanwhile, says he just touched the employee's shoulders to get her attention. Plus she's a crazy person who kept him waiting. According to the New York Post, Upper West Side store employee Milan Agnew said that after she first approached Belzer and offered her assistance, the actor grabbed her shoulders, shook and choked her and then yelled, "I need help!" Belzer, meanwhile, told the Post the woman had "slipped through the cracks" of Apple's employee screening and ginned up the charges because she "wanted…

  • Did Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg Break Electronic Privacy Laws?

    The Business Insider
    11 Mar 2010 | 12:44 pm
    Mark Zuckerberg's hacking of email accounts and user profiles in 2004 could be felonies under Federal and state law, according to privacy lawyers who spoke with Business Insider. As we described last week, Mark used login data of early Facebook members to break in to the private email accounts of two Harvard Crimson editors, according to instant messages viewed by Business Insider. He also broke into the systems of competitor ConnectU and changed user profiles, also according to IMs. Mark now oversees private data of 400 million people as the CEO of Facebook.  Questions have been raised…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    E-Consulting - Entrepreneur

  • The Water Bobble: Filtered water. Pure and Simple.

    Meghan Keane
    13 Mar 2010 | 1:02 pm
    At SxSW this year, there is branding as far as the eye can see. If it's not a sponsored panel or a sidewalk branded by Whrrl, it's free Zone bars or Tungle coffee-cup holders for your Starbucks coffee. But there's one item launching here that isn't pushing its brand on people. And the unique but simple design of this product actually provides better branding than a logo. Your probably haven't seen a Bobble self-filtering water bottle yet, but that should change soon.  Available in various colors, The Bobble is meant to replace the countless bottles of water that consumers purchase in their…

  • SxSW: Can neuroscience trump creativity in marketing?

    Meghan Keane
    13 Mar 2010 | 12:11 pm
    When it comes to analyzing and predicting consumer behavior, advances in neuroscience have started to provide fascinating insight into the brain of the modern consumer. At the Big Brother in Your Brain: Neuroscience & Marketing panel at SxSW today, the discussion quickly boiled down to one question. Can science trump creative when it comes to getting consumers to react to your brand?One note for marketers trying to get into neuroscience: there is not magic buy button in the brain that you can target to make consumers purchase your products. But there are interesting tools at your…

  • Q&A: Patrick Keane on Associated Content's approach to publishing and the death of engagement

    Meghan Keane
    12 Mar 2010 | 10:36 am
    For major publishers, covering real-time and local information is increasingly a struggle. As budgets and bureaus shrink, publications are competing with never ending updates from social media and young upstart news sites on increasingly stretched resources. Associated Content is one of those crowd sourced news organizations that often strike fear in the hearts of traditional publishers. Rather than funding huge newsrooms around the country, Associated Content that lets anyone publish content and try to make money off off of it. The network taps into a growing cadre of citizen journalists and…

  • At SxSW, startups hope to solve the problem of Twitter event flooding

    Meghan Keane
    12 Mar 2010 | 8:59 am
    As any event organizer knows, getting people to communicate and interact at your event can be crucial to its success. And for attendees, Twitter has become a great resource for locating and sharing real-time data. But for everyone else, Twitter updates surrounding one topic can quickly turn into noise.  It's a problem that is especially heightened at SxSW, when techies flood the zone of Austin and their friends back home are inundated with information about it. While it could potentially be solved by better filtering on Twitter, two companies are trying to stake their claim in the space this…

  • Digital Cream Report Part 2: Social Commerce & Email

    Stefan Tornquist
    12 Mar 2010 | 6:47 am
    Last week some of us from Econsultancy US had the pleasure of traveling to London for the Digital Cream event (the equivalent of September's Peer Summit in New York). The day included a short talk on hot topics from the US perspective. In Part One, we looked at social media in general. This post finishes up with social commerce and email. The most important phenomenon in social commerce is simply that the way in which we buy has fundamentally changed. Today, most of us use reviews, ratings and social comparison sites for all but the most trivial purchases.  From here on in, this new reality…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    The Freestyle Entrepreneur

  • “How’s the Egg?”

    Bill Willard
    7 Mar 2010 | 8:48 am
    Customer Service, Client Building & Follow-Up The Issue: Small-business owners–and anyone else who enjoys a good sandwich–need a place like “Shelly Deli.” This sandwich shop in a convenience store by the bay in Safety Harbor, Florida makes the best “Cubans” and hoagies in town. Any town! With friends coming for lunch Thursday, we’d phoned-in for two-dozen sandwiches that morning. When I picked up our order, the deli owner grinned and asked when our compliments would be rolling in? I returned the grin, but suggested that our repeat business could be viewed as a pretty…

  • Marketing Revelation & Book Recommendation

    John Ingrisano
    2 Mar 2010 | 3:30 pm
    THE MARKETING REVOLUTION IS HERE I’m a dinosaur, pushing 60 years of age.  I grew up in an age when marketing meant bending, twisting, shouting, cajoling, sex-appealing, manipulating, and pleading to get people to BUY!  BUY!  BUY!  It was a one-way message:  from the seller to the would-be buyer.  We talk.  You listen.  Any questions?  Not interested.  Just buy!  No more.  And we can blame that on (or thank) the web.  Now, I’m not a faddist, and I’m slow to change.  But I’m convinced – zero doubts — that we are entering nothing short of a revolution in how…

  • Engineering Success

    Bill Willard
    27 Feb 2010 | 8:24 am
    A Conversation with Nicholas L. Gregory Responding to a 1979 Stanford Research Institute survey, 37,000 affluent individuals said they were frustrated with too many financial services companies with too many poorly trained high-pressure sales reps pushing too many prepackaged products.  In 1982, a young Ohio financial advisor, Nicholas Gregory, read that survey and realized this was no way to run a railroad. Before long, Gregory also knew he’d lurched uncontrollably into a hot new business opportunity! A fellow Floridian these days, he told me all about it over a recent cup of coffee.

  • THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

    John Ingrisano
    18 Feb 2010 | 11:38 am
    Curious which are the worst airline pilots?  (Korean.)  Ever wonder why some musicians are wanna-bes and others are superstars?  (Ten thousand hours.)  Or why the majority of National Hockey League players are born in January or February? (Age cut-off dates when they were children.)  Do you know why New York’s top merger lawyers are Jewish?  (Their parents were garment workers, and, yes, that makes sense.)  Would you like to know why being a genius is not the key factor in success?  (Affluence and parenting; finally, one that we all kind of knew!)  These are the kind of…

  • MONDAY BOOK REVIEW: E-MYTH REVISITED

    John Ingrisano
    15 Feb 2010 | 6:36 am
    This is one of those books, The E-Myth Revisited,  that you almost love to hate.    You hate it because the author, Michael E. Gerber, has a smarmy I’m-right-you’re-wrong attitude about him.  (His examples tend to be stories about borderline stupid business owners who he sets straight.)  You love him (well, maybe love is way too strong a word) because his principles on how to grow a small business – from concept to maturity — are dead on.  He captured perfectly the process I went through as a start-up businessman 25 years ago, telling the story how I went from one-man show…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Mind Petals

  • I’ll Gain Uruguay and Lose New York

    David Askaripour
    12 Mar 2010 | 2:49 pm
    So I’m sitting in Borders Books here on Long Island, NY, thinking about “trade-offs” while drinking a cup of coffee. In less than 2 weeks, I’m leaving to Montevideo, Uruguay. It’s a bit crazy, being that I recently returned from 9 months in Buenos Aires, Argentina… Now look at me, just over 3 months later I’m heading back to South America. I must have an itch to scratch or something, eh? Well… a lot of it has to do with wanting to continue learning Spanish and also exploring the prospect of starting seminars in South America. But this time,…

  • ROCK and STONE talk

    David Askaripour
    11 Mar 2010 | 8:16 pm

  • How to Grow and Maintain Bamboo

    David Askaripour
    11 Mar 2010 | 8:12 pm
    Bamboo is an amazing, amazing, amazing plant. It’s the fastest growing grass in the world. It’s purposes are many. But my favorite thing to do is simply watch it sway back and forth in the wind. It actually makes a lovely sound when the wind blows through its slender leaves. Being around my bamboo has been very inspirational, enlivening, and educational. I’ve learned so much for the bamboo. I hope that you can enjoy bamboo as much as I do.

  • Beach Talk

    David Askaripour
    11 Mar 2010 | 8:08 pm
    Learning from the WAVEs at the Beach. Seeing the power in movement and change and flow. Never remaining fixed in any situation, institution, or idea. Simply flowing in and out, up and down, side to side. Like the seagull soaring in the sky — effortlessly.

  • GO visit a NATURE RESERVE on the WEEKEND

    David Askaripour
    8 Mar 2010 | 9:30 pm
    This weekend I decided to return to nature reserve that I have visited to the past 3 years here on Long Island, NY. It’s called Wertheim and it’s located in the town of Mastic. There’s really nothing quite like going to the deep forest, a nature reserve, a marsh, or some sort of wild place that hasn’t been (too) altered by the hand of man. These places are quite magical and empowering. To walk amongst the deer, ducks, foxes, trees, fish, clouds, hawks, and the sweet spring air. How priceless these moments are. How refreshing. Nature never ceases to show me her ways.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Texas Startup Blog

  • Busy Startup Week in Dallas!

    Alexander Muse
    27 Feb 2010 | 1:15 pm
    Ryan Roberts posted the roster of next week’s events (via LaunchDFW): Monday March 1st – Dallas Startup Happy Hour The first Monday means Startup Happy Hour. The Dallas Startup Happy Hour is the talk of the startup community in Dallas. Check out the coverage in the Dallas Morning Newshere. As a result of the events, several startups have found a) employees, b) co-founders, c) angel investors and d) had a few free drinks. Monday March 1, 2010 from 5:00pm – 8:00pm High Tech Bar at the INFOMART 1950 Stemmons Freeway Dallas, Texas Sponsored by Architel – you are invited to attend.

  • Three years of pinewood derbies. . .

    Alexander Muse
    21 Feb 2010 | 10:48 pm
    Ethan and I finished his latest pinewood derby car for Cub Scouts this evening. He decided to build a car to commemorate the Olympics, complete with a snow and tress (don’t get me started on the whole ‘drag’ conversation - my son is the one that made his first car with all 50 state flags). Check out his Olympic car: Last year Ethan decided to commemorate his first belt advancement in Judo by building a Judo car. It, unlike his current mountain was very fast. Check it out: Ethan’s first car was a patriotic car that included flags from all 50 states. Check it out:

  • MIT Enterprise Forum @ Architel

    Alexander Muse
    12 Feb 2010 | 11:08 am
    Architel is hosting Bootstrapping 2010 by the MIT Enterprise Forum on Thursday, February 25th, 2010 from 5:30PM to 8:30PM. The event will be held in Architel’s community room at the Dallas INFOMART (1950 Stemmons Freeway, Suite 2019, Dallas, TX 75207). Registration is $20 including dinner (discounts available for entrepreneurs - proceed to registration or ask Babar (babar@mutualmind.com). The tentative program is as follows: 5.30-5.45 Networking and Dinner 5.45-6.00 Introduction 6.00-6.20Alexander Muse– Why this is a great time for startups in DFW 6.20-6.40Ryan…

  • Negative Target Acquisition

    Alexander Muse
    7 Feb 2010 | 2:40 pm
    If you have ever been in a hang glider you know about ‘Negative Target Acquisition’. The concept is pretty simple, if you focus on the obstacles you are more likely to hit them. Hang gliding instructors will tell you, “Don’t focus on the power lines or the trees, instead focus on the path.” Of course this seems obvious. In business it isn’t so obvious. I was quoted in the paper today as saying that my biggest challenge was, “focus[ing] on what we’re doing, not what our competitors are doing. If I focus on my competitors, I can’t sleep, I…

  • To clarify a few things. . .

    Alexander Muse
    7 Feb 2010 | 6:17 am
    The Dallas Morning News ran a nice piece about me this morning, but while it was generally correct there were a few errors and omissions. I think my biggest problem with the article was that it failed to mention my current business partner Scott Ryan. Very few entrepreneurs have the ability to succeed without great partners - Richard Branson and Michael Dell may have been able to do it, but not me, I NEED the fellowship of other entrepreneurs to win. I wish I had been able to articulate this better to the reporter. The biggest error worthy of correction was with the time line. My first…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Sparkplug CEO

  • What’s Your Number One Tip for Working At Home Effectively?

    Easton Ellsworth
    18 Feb 2010 | 8:26 pm
    Do you work from home? If you do, we’d love to hear your favorite piece of advice for others who work at home or are looking to start working from home on the topic of how to work effectively. Simply leave a comment at the end of this article and share your tip! That way we can all benefit as we read each other’s advice. I’ll try to compile everyone’s comments into a follow-up article for next week. If you can’t think of your absolute number one tip, feel free to just share one or more tips that can help other Sparkplugging readers learn how to get things done as…

  • Want to Write for Sparkplugging?

    Easton Ellsworth
    17 Feb 2010 | 10:48 pm
    We’ll keep this quick. Sparkplugging has been quiet for a few months. No more. We’re back and we’re looking for excellent writers to join our growing team. If you’re interested, click here. That is all. If you liked this article, you might also enjoy:Sparkplugging Internship: Applications Now Being Accepted Press Release or Article: Which One Should I Write? Travel and Writing, Write and Traveling

  • How to Make WordPress Unfairly Awesome: Get the Headway 1.5 Theme

    Easton Ellsworth
    7 Nov 2009 | 8:56 pm
    Hey Sparkpluggers – have you seen this? WordPress + Headway 1.5 = eternal website owner bliss. Let me explain. WordPress is a fantastic platform upon which you can build any website – even a professional website. You probably already know this – Sparkplugging itself runs on WordPress, after all. And Headway 1.5 is a new theme for WordPress that makes updating the design of your website easier than anything you’ve ever seen before. Hence the line about everlasting bliss. An Offer You Almost Can’t Refuse If you’ve been thinking about getting WordPress and/or…

  • 21 Home Business Resources You Can’t Miss

    Easton Ellsworth
    1 Oct 2009 | 10:42 am
    Could your home based business use some help? A little jolt to make you jump for joy? We thought so. Here it is, all free and all organized. Start clicking! Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on StumbleUpon Share on Delicious Write on your favorite jeans: http://bit.ly/21homebiz How to Start a Home Based Business 10 Signs that You are Ready to Start a Home Based Business – How to know if it’s truly time to hang up those shiny work shoes and trade them for your favorite flip flops. Top 10 Internet Home Business Ideas You Can Start and Run in Your Underwear – Our…

  • 5 Ways Calendars Can Help Market Your Business

    Lynette Chandler
    18 Sep 2009 | 7:00 am
    When we think Calendars, we often think our personal calendars, using it to manage our promotional calendar or share with our virtual assistants or project partners. But it doesn’t always have to be that ‘dry’. Many marketers online use PDF’s, videos and audios to get their message out, hope they turn viral which eventually brings traffic back to their web sites and their name in front of others. This method works and works well. Guess what? Content can be in other formats too like calendars. Here are a few example ideas I came up with that you can use a shared Google…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    BootStrapMe

  • Where's your Zen?

    9 Mar 2010 | 1:40 pm
    © Paul Mannix Something I have noticed is hard for a lot of entrepreneurs is also something that seems critical to success: focus. By nature, most entrepreneurs have busy minds, thinking clever and profitable thoughts at a million miles an hour down a hundred diverging highways. It can be hard for them to drill down on any one of those thoughts long enough to make it happen, or with a sufficient degree of attention to execute on it well. Enter Zen. In today's ultra-connected, ...

  • Ways to Save Money in a New Office

    2 Mar 2010 | 6:11 pm
    © jnyemb How do you save money when you open a new office? Among the first temptations is to open a home office. I'm not suggesting that that's a bad idea, but keeping mind that a home office increases the chance that you will get audited by the IRS. The most obvious way to keep the cost of a new office down is to plan well and be frugal. I've heard of savings plans that stretch out to cover everything for low cost car ...

  • No matter where you go, there you are

    1 Mar 2010 | 7:34 am
    © fashion4camera But the real question is, is where you are where you need to be? I see this debate, or some variant thereof, pop up every few months, the overarching theme being "is it better to be a startup in the Valley, or somewhere else?" You may or may not have a tech startup so that particular argument may hold little interest for you, but it does raise the question of whether or not your location is a great one for whatever ...

  • Fault and accountability

    22 Feb 2010 | 8:00 am
    © wharmanIs there a difference? Are they the same thing? And where do these things rest for bootstrappers? In small entrepreneurial ventures, it seems like it should be easy to determine accountability... there are few people involved who can potentially be at fault for anything. But sometimes, that just makes it more difficult and more acrimonious when things go wrong. And something will always go wrong. The more positive word seems to be accountability, but fault is often what comes out of a ...

  • Got Flyers? Business Flyer Printing Still a Key Part of Marketing

    17 Feb 2010 | 7:32 pm
    © thebigo It may be the 21st Century. Everyone you know may have a cell phone (or some other little electronic gadget) in their pocket. Your mother-in-law may print coupons for the grocery store off of the Internet. But the business flyer is still alive and well today. Business flyers serve a number of valuable purposes. In many ways, business flyers are a logical extension of the most tried and true method of viral marketing: word of mouth. They're there, laying on counters and ...
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    I Will Teach You To Be Rich

  • I’m speaking at SXSW

    Ramit Sethi
    11 Mar 2010 | 9:12 pm
    I’m speaking at SXSW, the big nerd-fest conference. As expected, I’m only staying for the tech part of it, then quickly leaving before the film/music stuff starts. I don’t think they would appreciate my taste in Jodeci and Whitney Houston. And I would not appreciate their lack of marketing abilities. If you’re around, come check out my talk: What: “Building a Bulletproof Personal-Finance System” When: Saturday, March 13th at 11am Where: Hilton G RSVP: http://my.sxsw.com/events/event/431 Bonuses: 1. Book signing afterwards at 1:50pm (RSVP) 2. I’m…

  • Why do we assume that higher house prices = good?

    Ramit Sethi
    9 Mar 2010 | 11:25 pm
    If the price of toothpaste or a burrito dropped 20%, most of us would be thrilled. So why is it considered a catastrophe when housing prices drop? Last week, I asked you to identify the cultural assumption in this screenshot. Here’s what I was thinking of: Isn’t it funny how “home prices falling” is assumed to be a bad thing? You never know how American your assumptions are until you go to another country. That’s because in the United States, we have been systematically taught that housing is a good investment and that prices must go up. Ask your parents why they…

  • Anyone notice something funny about this text?

    Ramit Sethi
    1 Mar 2010 | 10:55 pm
    Can you spot the cultural assumption in this screenshot from the SF Chronicle? Click for larger image

  • Why are artists so terrible with money?

    Ramit Sethi
    23 Feb 2010 | 5:52 pm
    When I was a little kid, my mom sent me to lots of extra-curricular activites (as any Indian/Asian mom does). One of these was art school. After an art session one day, I brought home my drawing of a tree. It was so bad that my normally supportive mom actually said, “Umm…if you’re going to draw a tree, why don’t you make it look like a tree?” This explains a lot about why I hate artists (and most non-profits). Not just because I hate art, but because artists are terrible at marketing themselves and constantly adopt worthless beliefs like: “Charging for my…

  • Wow, look what Earn1k members are already doing

    Ramit Sethi
    21 Feb 2010 | 8:10 pm
    Note: I’m giving 2 talks at Stanford TONIGHT (Monday, 2/22, 5:30pm & 7:30pm). If you’re around, please stop by and say hi. My Earn1k course — to help you earn your first $1,000 on the side, and beyond — has been live for 3 weeks. Instead of telling you how it’s going, I thought I’d let my users do the talking. What have you learned in Earn1k that you didn’t know before? Please be SPECIFIC. “Having too many ideas is not an acceptable excuse. Also, you don’t need an original idea. Just do better than crappy people.” “I…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Start Up Blog

  • When technology makes you obsolete

    Steve Sammartino
    11 Mar 2010 | 8:06 pm
    I once heard an interview with drummer Rob Hirst from the rock band Midnight Oil. It was in reference to one of their most critically acclaimed and best selling song, Power and the passion. Rob was asked about the infamous drum solo in the middle of the song, which not only doesn’t sound indulgent, but fits the rhythm and meaning of the song. What I find most interesting from an entrepreneurial perspective is how it all came about, this is what Rob had to say: “It was 1982 and drum machines were entering the music scene and replacing drummers very quickly. They were cheaper and…

  • In order of preference

    Steve Sammartino
    9 Mar 2010 | 4:03 pm
    Face to face meeting Phone call Letter in the mail Personal email Blog entry Email newsletter Physical interactions are infinitely more valuable than digital ones. If we must communicate digitally, it should be the preamble to future physical, real human interaction.

  • Digital footprints

    Steve Sammartino
    8 Mar 2010 | 5:49 pm
    The coolest thing about digital media is this: The footprints last forever. Which means that some small promotional activity and links will endure, and sometimes pull a Jesus and get a second coming. Just like we did with rentoid.com on our www.iwearyourshirt.com promo. We recently got featured in the Fox News New York spot. The story wasn’t about us, but we had a good spot in it. You can watch it below. http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/good_day_ny/getting-paid-to-wear-a-shirt-20100308

  • Can boring brands create word of mouth?

    Steve Sammartino
    7 Mar 2010 | 9:05 pm
    This is the sixth of my crowd sourced blog entry ideas as suggested by Ben Rowe. Ben wanted to get my thoughts on the following:  “Can boring brands and products create word of mouth?” Discuss. In a word, no. But given the task is to discuss, I’d say the fact that matters here is the word emotion. Does a brand generate an emotional response from the audience. Does it generate passion and fervor?  Good or bad? If the response isn’t emotional. There will be no discussion. The product or service may be very good, have a reasonable price and even be a market leader. Yes…

  • Brand names are worthless

    Steve Sammartino
    3 Mar 2010 | 2:57 pm
    We often read about the value of brand names: “The ikea brand alone is worth $12 billion – Interbrand” Not really. The value of a brand is the infrastructure and value chain which has been built behind it, resulting in the ultimate revenue streams. In truth the brand name is worth very little. Think about many of the unexpected and surprising corporate failures. Lehman Brothers, Ansett Airlines and Worldcom to name a few. What are their brand names worth today? Zilch. If the brand name was really worth something, they would be sold and re-launched in some capacity. When any…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Springwise

  • Worldwide bicycle registration service

    Springwise
    12 Mar 2010 | 6:55 am
    Registering bicycles to make them easier to track down if lost or stolen isn't new. Many bike retailers put identification numbers on bike frames, and in some cities you can register bicycles with the police. The problem is that these methods are generally only effective at the local level. Enter German startup MyBikeNumber. Launched in December 2009, MyBikeNumber is a free online service that lets consumers register their bicycle and components, or search for them worldwide. Users register their bike on the MyBikeNumber site using the frame number, and add photos to the profile page to…

  • Personalised font software that mimics your face

    Springwise
    12 Mar 2010 | 4:55 am
    Creative consumers can already craft their own fonts using FontShop's do-it-yourself font-building tool, but for those seeking an extra degree of personalisation—the ultimate degree, one might say—there's now Typeface. Billed as a "typographic photobooth", Typeface's software translates facial dimensions into generative type design. Users of the software, which was created by Mary Huang of Rhyme and Reason Creative, sit in front of a webcam-enabled computer. Typeface then builds and adjusts a font based on the user's face, movements and facial expressions. When the user smiles, for…

  • Free English lessons at Spanish restaurant chain

    Springwise
    11 Mar 2010 | 11:55 pm
    Similar to Hamburg's Language Lounge, which we covered back in 2008, Spanish restaurant chain Fresc Co now provides a way for customers to practice their English while they eat. But while Language Lounge charges a monthly fee for its lessons, Fresc Co's initiative is free. Fresc Co operates some 40 restaurants in 11 Spanish cities, focusing on fresh ingredients and Mediterranean dishes. Starting last month, two of its Barcelona locations have teamed up with local instruction firm English Metas to help patrons improve their English skills while also doing a little networking. Targeting…

  • Limited edition laptop sleeves, each with a story to tell

    Springwise
    11 Mar 2010 | 4:55 am
    Planned scarcity is a well-known tactic for increasing a product's appeal, and a new Australian venture is taking full advantage of that strategy with its collection of strictly limited-edition designer laptop sleeves. Launched in July 2009, Melbourne-based Tropical Howie caters for consumers seeking a more creative protective covering for their laptop over the bland offerings that dominate the market. Each eye-catching Tropical Howie design is limited to 750 sleeves; and Tropical Howie's website displays the numbers remaining. Adding to their uniqueness, the designs feature an accompanying…

  • Online platform for long-distance bedtime stories

    Springwise
    10 Mar 2010 | 11:55 pm
    Long-distance relationships are difficult enough to maintain among adults, but when young kids are involved, the chances of achieving a meaningful conversation from afar tend to diminish. That's where Readeo comes in, with a newly launched platform that lets families share bedtime stories through the web. The Chicago-based company's patent-pending application integrates digitised picture books with webcam communication, allowing adults and children to share stories while seeing and interacting with each other. A diverse library is available on the site, including titles from publishers such…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    StartUpArabia

  • DemoCamp Dubai 5 – March 8th 2010 – The Agenda

    Mohamed Marwen Meddah
    8 Mar 2010 | 5:58 am
    As previously announced, the fifth DemoCamp Dubai will be taking place today at the Dubai Knowledge Village Auditorium on March 8th 2010 at 6:30PM. The following six demos will be taking place at the event: Hyzonia.com: a web platform for creating, customizing, publishing games and sending dynamic ads within games, to be played by target audiences. FURNISHMarketplace.com: a web2.0 social B2B network, serving the needs of interior designers, hospitality industry professionals and real estate developers. ShopMidEast: an upcoming online retailer with a big vision to become a comprehensive…

  • What major obstacle did you face while looking to fund your project? [Poll Results]

    Mohamed Marwen Meddah
    18 Feb 2010 | 4:03 am
    In the latest poll on StartUpArabia, the question that was addressed to the entrepreneur readers was: What major obstacle did you face while looking to fund your project? The result of reader voting came out as follows: Out of 89 readers who responded to the poll: - 37% of them responded that it was initiating contact with potential investors - 29% said it was allocating and finding the right investors - 18% think it was measuring the seriousness of the investors - 8% believe it was the cost of connecting with investors (traveling and attending conferences …etc) The remaining 7% cited…

  • Arab World: Current State Of The Internet & Future Growth

    Mohamed Marwen Meddah
    17 Feb 2010 | 10:28 am
    Over the past few days, a number of articles sprung up about reports and predictions that have been announced by various parties, analyzing where the Internet stands today in the Arab world, and where they see it a few years from now. Here is a quick straight-forward round-up of these opinions, reports and projections: Present day: At present there are roughly around 56 million Arab internet users in the Arab world, representing only 17% of the 337 million population. [Madar Research] There is not enough Arabic content on the internet to take full advantage of newly built broadband networks…

  • Wajhy, Create Your Own Arab Avatar

    Mohamed Marwen Meddah
    16 Feb 2010 | 12:38 am
    Over the past years, every now and then a new avatar creation tool would pop up from somewhere, to let internet users create avatars of theirs in the form of South Park characters, Lego men and women, and the list continues; each time people would flock to the new service, create their avatars, and they’d spread them like fire across social networks and all sorts of other online services. A new tool called Wajhy has been launched, in Arabic, for Arab users, that allows them to create avatars that actually look a bit more like them, and that they can dress in traditional dress too. The…

  • Saot Al Arab, What Would You Do If You Were The Leader?

    Mohamed Marwen Meddah
    15 Feb 2010 | 4:20 am
    Saot Al Arab (The voice of Arabs) is an interesting and ambitious non-profit project that was recently launched for the Arab world, asking visitors what they would do if they were in the leader’s chair, what would be the first project they would launch. The idea of course is to give Arabs a space to voice their opinions and thoughts in an open and simple way that will let them get their ideas about different subjects and areas across to everyone. In a way, the site attempts to offer a platform for freedom of expression without making it a ground where people can openly criticize their…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    The Women Entrepreneurs Blog @ Simon

  • Advertising and Marketing on the Internet: Rules of the Road

    Charla Kucko
    9 Mar 2010 | 6:08 pm
    by Victoria Reynolds The Internet is connecting advertisers and marketers to customers to advertisers and marketers to customers again from Boston to Bali with text, interactive graphics, video, and audio. As you and your business join the masses online, it’s important to remember that many of the same rules that apply to other forms of advertising apply to electronic marketing. These rules and guidelines protect businesses and consumers and help maintain the credibility of the Internet as an advertising medium. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an agency of the federal government…

  • Market Research Techniques to Boost Your Brand

    Charla Kucko
    22 Feb 2010 | 8:53 am
    by Lauren DixonMarket research eliminates the guesswork associated with marketing and communication strategies.  Customized and proven research techniques help companies to formulate, test, and focus their brand and marketing messages. How can you best apply market research to know what your customers want?  Effective market research starts with a proven strategy. Here are a few tips on how to use market research to boost your brand. Target specific demographic groups that represent your greatest profit opportunity and help your brand reach the right audience. Differentiate your brand from…

  • Step Up Your Business with TEN

    Charla Kucko
    17 Feb 2010 | 2:09 pm
    by Judy SeilEntrepreneurship is a word that is used to describe a plethora of initiatives. We are fortunate to have a program in Monroe County (serving the region) that will take your business to the next level with local and national experts ready to share their thought provoking ideas with you. The Entrepreneurs Network or TEN is an innovative program launched by Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks in 2006. TEN is designed to provide entrepreneurs in Upstate NY significant hands-on exposure to, and interaction with, national and regional business experts and funding sources. Ten provides…

  • Overcoming Obstacles

    Charla Kucko
    11 Feb 2010 | 4:32 am
    by Jackie MarchandPresident, WomenTours, Inc. In my job, I must constantly work to overcome one obstacle after another. I design and coordinate bicycle tours for women, and achieving success is not always an easy feat.Our flagship event is an annual 2-month bike ride across the country, from California to Florida. I used to think that if the trip was conducted enough times, it could finally be perfected. After years of thinking that next year would be the year, I realized that with every year would come another challenge....Roads close for construction and we have to reroute our cyclists.

  • What Entrepreneurs Can Learn from Sex and the City

    Charla Kucko
    6 Feb 2010 | 8:50 am
    by Marita Greenidge Carrie: Oh my God… cccome come back! What is this? Why is this happening? My computer just crashed right in the middle of my work!Apple Tech: When was the last time you backed up your work?Carrie: Um… I don’t do thatAidan: You don’t back up?Carrie: NoCarrie: Hi… You remember me? I am number P438W, you have my computer. Apple Tech: Yup… okay and this is what we could recover from your hard drive. Any of that look familiar to you?Carrie: and there it was, my past… it was a mess..can you please tell me why this happened in the first place?Apple Tech: Ah I…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    entrepreMusings

  • SXSW Interactive Day 1

    Aruni
    12 Mar 2010 | 7:53 pm
    Another early night.  Maybe I’m just getting too old for these conferences or maybe I’m just wearing the wrong shoes.  Tomorrow, I’m wearing Skechers and will just have to not plan on going dancing anywhere!  Today was a pretty good day.  I had some meetings in the morning and then went back to the Austin Convention Center.  I went straight to the blogger’s lounge and saw some people I hadn’t seen since last year.  I thought about listing their names, but I’m too tired or is that lazy to list their names and link to them.  Needless to say, the hugs…

  • SXSW Interactive Day 0

    Aruni
    11 Mar 2010 | 8:08 pm
    This evening I went down to the Austin Convention Center to pick up my badge for South by Southwest Interactive and check out the Big Ass Twitter Happy Hour at Frank Hot Dogs and Cold Beer.    I got the Chicago dog and a cranberry vodka because I don’t drink beer.  The hot dog was pretty good but the drink tasted well nothing like cranberry or vodka.  I got there kind of late and realized that since I’ve been so out of the social media scene this past year and rarely tweeted, that I really didn’t know a whole lot of the new twitter crowd.  There were a few of us early…

  • A Point In Time

    Aruni
    10 Mar 2010 | 7:23 pm
    Today was an interesting point in time for me.  March 10, 2010.  My son is 7 1/2 years old and my daughter is almost 5.  God, I love them so much.  A mother’s love cannot be explained in mere words.  When we learn to communicate telepathically maybe we can share that intense love and the world would be a better place.  I will blog more later about the poignancy of this day which happens to be a day or so before SXSW Interactive 2010 starts. I picked up my kids from school after their soccer class today, and they rode their bikes near the house for a little bit since it was such a…

  • Recent Entrepreneurial Events in Austin

    Aruni
    6 Mar 2010 | 1:33 pm
    What I want to do with this blog is evolving, but I’m pretty sure my posts will generally still fit my tag line of “babbling about business and parenthood.”  Pretty much everything falls into those categories except for maybe marriage and love.  But you can feel married to your business, in love with it, and close to unconditionally in love with your children so yes, even marriage and love are fair game for this blog known as entrepreMusings. On this post, I’m going to mention a few events that I’ve been involved with or attended recently here in Austin, TX…

  • Gapingvoid Cartoons – Love and Entrepreneurs – Part 2

    Aruni
    25 Feb 2010 | 8:00 am
    So now to part 2 – the Love series by @gapingvoid.  Check out Part 1 on Entrepreneurs.   In this post, I’m linking to some of Hugh MacLeod’s daily newsletter cartoons that highlight my favorite of his Valentine’s 2010 love series.  These particular cartoons touched me.  He has a way of taking words and using color, lines, space, and feeling in a unique way.  Please click on the image to go check out how to buy a print. I liked the first one because it made me think of term sheets and love at the same time.  As an entrepreneur, when you raise money, you are…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Businesshackers - only leading startups

  • DesignCrowd – an international crowdsourcing marketplace for design outsourcing and creative services

    Businesshackers Team
    9 Mar 2010 | 1:05 pm
    Graphic design service DesignCrowd.com is an international crowdsourcing marketplace for design outsourcing and creative services. DesignCrowd turns the graphic design process inside-out by helping businesses harness thousands of creative people (brains) in a few days.  Businesses can use DesignCrowd for any design related project from custom logo design to web page design.  Here’s how it works: 1. You post a project on DesignCrowd and set a budget 2. Scores of designers from around the world submit creative designs 3. You select and download the best design DesignCrowd eliminates the…

  • Irehab, a startup that effectively cures musculoskeletal pain

    Businesshackers Team
    6 Dec 2009 | 5:31 am
    Where are you located? We are based in Kamuela, Hawaii on the Big Island of Hawaii. Why are you unique? We are revolutionizing how people use the web to obtain information on and treat Back Pain specifically and musculoskeletal pain in general.  Instead of offering general text based information commonly seen on other health related websites, we are offering a customized engaging solution for the individual browsing the web for help with back pain.  We ask questions, receive answers then select, group and send exercises to a private individual login area within Irehab where users can view,…

  • Musichunt, a startup to help musicians to find a job

    Businesshackers Team
    17 Sep 2009 | 12:59 am
    Musichunt (http://www.musichunt.pro) is an international professional network of musicians and musical organizations. It was founded by two friends, Rinat Kaleev and Michael  Podrabinek, in November 2008. In the middle of April 2009 a testable beta-version appeared in the russian part of Internet and the network became open for registration. From August 2009 it is available for english-speaking users too. The main purpose of the startup is to help musicians from all over the world to find jobs, colleges and ensembles, educational programs, musical professional events such as competitions,…

  • Interview with DesignersCouch dot com

    Businesshackers Team
    16 Sep 2009 | 12:45 pm
    Who are the founders of the site? Where is the startup based? The founder of Designers’Couch is Damian Madray, creative director at Depthskins Design Studio. This start-up is a project by the creative studio. What makes this startup unique? What is the technology behind it? This design community is unique because of the mantra on which it’s built on, not exactly its technology. Designers’Couch is a community that accepts members based on their portfolio and passion towards design. Once a member have benefits include receiving special discounts on design products and…

  • Interview with bizonbytes.com

    Businesshackers Team
    2 Jun 2009 | 2:03 pm
    Could you please provide some information concerning the founders? BizOnBytes.com, affectionately nicknamed Bob, was thought, built and delivered by two people connected by the power of love and driven by creative ideas. Our mission was to develop a business community based on the social networking model. This website was a labour of love that took years to complete during our spare time. We are convinced that the passion we’ve injected into this project and our unwillingness to give up until we got it right transpire in the final product you see today. Why it is amazing and how the project…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    The Next Web

  • Not At SXSWi? Do This Instead.

    Alex Wilhelm
    13 Mar 2010 | 8:45 pm
    Let’s face it, if you are not at SXSWi (I’m not, and I am quite bitter), you are right now annoyed as all heck at your friends having a ball while you keep working.Fortunately, there is help to be had. The wonderful and well named HowToHaveFunWhenAllYourFriendsAreAtSXSW.com has a whole dang list of things that you can do instead. The website calls it “tips for staying sane while not in Austin.”Besides, we don’t need to conform to going to the indie event! I know that that sounds ironic, but that is too hipster for me to pull off. Take a look at their suggestions…

  • Manpacks – Subscription Socks, Shirts, And Boxers

    Alex Wilhelm
    13 Mar 2010 | 2:01 pm
    Manpacks is a new startup focusing on subscription clothing. Using the tools of the web, the company allows people to set up recurring clothing purchases. Every three months, the company will mail you your clothing pack of choice. You can forget shopping.What kind of clothing do they offer? The company is well named, it sells essentials for men. You can purchase collections of shirts, underwear, and socks (you get to pick what type of each), preventing you from ever running out of basics again.Men of the world, we have been saved. I never plan on worrying about not having enough socks for the…

  • Twitter launches SXSW recruitment/stalking tool

    Martin Bryant
    13 Mar 2010 | 1:26 pm
    Twitter has just launched a rather cool way for geeks at South By South West to get hired by the company.Twitter @ SXSW displays a map of where Twitter staff are in Austin. If you want to pitch yourself for a job with them, just see where they’re tweeting from and hunt them down. Nifty!There’s even a tool to narrow down your options. If you’re good at ‘Supporting a global audience’, then @Trammell is your man for example. The tool was announced by Twitter’s web engineering lead, Britt Seltvitelle. He wrote: “Just invented http://sxsw.twitter.com with…

  • Google Is Leaving China

    Jacob Friedman
    13 Mar 2010 | 9:12 am
    Google’s talks with China over censorship have stalled and it now appears that Google will leave the Chinese market entirely.After Friday’s announcement that China would not cave on censorship regulations for Google, which came after Google announced that they would not censor their searches, this showdown seemed imminent. With neither party prepared to cave, the Financial Times is reporting that Google “is 99.9% certain” that they will quit the Chinese market.Looks like Baidu’s share price will end up spiking again.Google CEO Eric Schmidt was quick to emphasize…

  • Enemies of the Internet: KSA, Egypt, Iran, Syria

    Fawzi Rahal
    13 Mar 2010 | 8:50 am
    Middle Easterns, Rejoice! If the Axis of Evil wasn’t enough, 4 of our countries have made it to the top 12 “Enemies of the Internet”.The list, drawn up every year by Reporters Without Borders, presents the worst violators of freedom of expression on the Net. This year’s list includes: Saudi Arabia, Burma, China, North Korea, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Uzbekistan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam.What’s with the four countries? Let’s take a look.Saudi Arabia has an Internet penetration rate of about 38% and counting. However, it is still one of the most…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Startup Africa

  • Cape Town Entrepreneurship Competition 2010

    Ismail Dhorat
    4 Mar 2010 | 1:19 am
    The city of Cape Town is currently running a competition for entrepreneurs in Biotechnology, Telecom and Media, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Clean Technology, Healthcare and Social Entrepreneurship. The winner of the Cape Town competition will also get a chance to participate in the Global Entrepreneurship competition in Barcelona in June. The city of Cape Town has approved R1.8 Million, 600,000 will be used for the competition while the rest will be used for development of entrepreneur networks in Cape Town. Mansoor Mohamed, the City’s Executive Director: Economic,…

  • Africa’s New Frontier – Day 2 – Morning Sessions

    Ismail Dhorat
    4 Feb 2010 | 10:15 pm
    9:30 – Plenary Session Topic: Innovative Approaches by African universities to meet Africa’s Development Challenges Speaker: Goolam Mohamedbhai, Secretary General, Association of African Universities Participation in HE is no more then 5% in Africa, while it is as much as 20% in developed countries. Challenges to Higher Education in Africa Coping with huge demand Gender disparity Poort and insufficient infrastructure Poor research output Poor linkages with community & rural areas Poor ICT African’s have developed innovative approaches to meet these challenges Addressing…

  • Africa’s New Frontier – Afternoon Sessions

    Ismail Dhorat
    4 Feb 2010 | 11:02 am
    13:30 – Society Topic: Educating Generation Next: Expanding higher education for future African leaders What are the connections between higher education and long-term economic growth How can international partnerships expand access to higher education in African countries, and for African students What kind of higher education is most relevant for Africans and Africa How are old and new broadcasting mediums used to expand access to education Speakers: Boubakar Barry, Coordinator, Research and Education Networks, Association of African Universities, Ghana Neil Turok, Director, Perimeter…

  • Africa’s New Frontier – Creating Prosperity Through Innovation

    Ismail Dhorat
    4 Feb 2010 | 5:58 am
    I previously wrote about Africa’s New Frontier conference here in Ottawa. I will be live blogging the event, you can refresh the page to get the latest updates. I will cover each session with a different post. 11:00 – Creating Prosperity Through Innovation Speaker: Minister Venancio Massingue, Minister of Science & Technology (Mozambique) The minister is thanking the previous speaker, organizers and giving an introduction to his talk.  His points: The time for Africa has arrived, if we believe we can do it we can. We should not underestimate ourselves. No co-operation…

  • SAFIPA Knowledge Exchange Visit 2010

    Ismail Dhorat
    3 Feb 2010 | 7:25 am
    Knowledge Exchange Visit - 2009 SAFIPA have announced that they are accepting applications for the 2010 knowledge exchange visit to Finland. I previously wrote about the Knowledge exchange visit: The Governments of Finland and South Africa have been working together in the fields of Science, Technology and Innovation, as part of that mandate SAFIPA is planning a knowledge exchange visit for South African entrepreneurs and other relevant people. From the Invitation email: Open call to all interested parties. This time the call will be especially directed to people interested in e-Health,…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Trizle

  • Why Do People Gamble?

    The Trizle Team
    12 Mar 2010 | 8:30 am
    You play a video game. You get an unexpected win. You = happy! Now, imagine playing that same game with predictable results for hours/hours/hours/hours/hours. The game starts to become boring/boring/boring/boring. I SO BORED I SO BORED The dopamine (the happy juices) in your brain skyrockets when you experience unexpected happiness, and becomes stagnant when you experience predictable results. The skyrocketed dopamine addicts drug users to using more-and-more of those drugs; likewise, with anything else that gets you unexpected-happy-goodness, dopamine viciously attracts and addicts the…

  • How Water Increases Your Energy

    The Trizle Team
    11 Mar 2010 | 7:52 am
    BAM: Your heart carries blood. Carrying thicker blood means your heart has to work harder. Carrying thinner/lighter/more-elastic blood means it doesn't have to work so hard, conserving more energy for you to expend energy in KICKING MAJOR ASS elsewhere. (like rocking customers' lives! Yay! Hi five!) Water thins your blood, giving you more energy. You + Carrying Mud Imagine you carrying a bag full of mud. It's initially heavy because of its freakish density. Now, imagine you carrying a bag of mud that's mixed with water. How does that bag compare to carrying the bag full of mud? It's lighter.

  • How to Revolutionize Your Sales

    The Trizle Team
    10 Mar 2010 | 5:41 am
    You want to build the world's greatest sales force. So, you start hiring the priciest consultants and contractors money could buy to tranform your entire sales organization: BUT DANG BAM: they don't. So you're disappointed. You cry. BUT DONT CRY IT'S OKAY HI FIVE How to get revolutionary change? Start improving one tiny thing about your sales organization. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Focus strictly on improving to achieve your revolutionary change; for instance: Find one way to download your leads faster. Find one way to keep in touch with prospects better. Find one way to help your customers…

  • How To Close The Income Gap

    The Trizle Team
    9 Mar 2010 | 6:45 am
    Education. But not just any education: education that helps you help others. A software developer helps businesses work more efficiently. A marketing consultant helps businesses bring in more customers. A trader allocates resources to the most efficient companies. A chef helps people eat healthier. An investment banker helps businesses preserve cash to keep operations running. A professional athlete entertains lots of people. An interior designer helps people live happier. etc., etc., etc., etc., etc. A primary difference between high earners and low earners is that high earners have more…

  • How To Close Business

    The Trizle Team
    8 Mar 2010 | 6:30 am
    You like your crushes because you think about them repeatedly. The more you think about them, the more you like them. It's the exposure effect. It's why you're probably more fond of Geico than other insurers because you see them more on TV; it's also why you're more fond of corrupt main characters in movies than his goodie-two-shoes rival. How To Close Show up with a bag of cookies (or whatever gooooodie), and maybe some good tips to improve their business, along with a a flyer/proposal/etc. for your services. (Make it 5 minutes.) Repeat weekly/monthly until you close. (For more efficient…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Pop17

  • Live From SXSW

    sarah
    13 Mar 2010 | 4:41 pm
    Oren Jacob from Ready Set Bag came on our live show to talk about his film and new web show. Liz Shannon Miller at NewTeeVee has the story.

  • SF YouTube Gathering, Vlogging the US Department of State and Jesse Draper

    sarah
    11 Mar 2010 | 7:45 pm
    The show has been MIA for a little bit because we are in transition with Pop17. We’re busy with the new site launch and setting up a studio at a new location. This is to give you a quick vlog update instead. We’ll be at SXSW through the 17th so you can expect daily vlogs, blogs and tweets all on Pop17. Nikon is teaming up with yfrog for a site at SXSW. Watchitoo and Nikon are sponsoring Pop17 coverage at SXSW! Yay! The vloggers who got the most attention at the Vlogvetica gathering were Mitchell Davis and Tessa Violet. We had so much fun! Jesse Draper runs a show called The Valley…

  • “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.”

    sarah
    11 Mar 2010 | 8:41 am
    “Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” - Carl Sagan (via emilyposts)

  • Video

    sarah
    11 Mar 2010 | 8:41 am

  • moderation: Your Computer Really Is a Part of You… — An…

    sarah
    10 Mar 2010 | 10:24 pm
    moderation: Your Computer Really Is a Part of You… An empirical test of ideas proposed by Martin Heidegger shows the great German philosopher to be correct: Everyday tools really do become part of ourselves. The findings come from a deceptively simple study of people using a computer mouse rigged to malfunction. The resulting disruption in attention wasn’t superficial. It seemingly extended to the very roots of cognition. “The person and the various parts of their brain and the mouse and the monitor are so tightly intertwined that they’re just one thing,” said Anthony Chemero, a…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Winning Startups

  • Filling a Niche for Moms

    My Vision
    8 Mar 2010 | 1:50 pm
    I have a 2.5 and 4.5 year old pair of girls who keep me busy. Unfortunately, there are projects or activities I need to tend to that their attendance to part time pre school does not give me the necessary time to complete, i.e. compiling paperworkto prepare for taxes, attending a woman's meeting, or getting a couple hours off to attend a luncheon or quiet dinner. What's the answer? Okay, I know, a loving live in granny who can't get enough time with her grand kids or a live in nanny.The truth is, my coverage needs aren't that constant or lengthy. Luckily, a business has come to my…

  • Interior Designer Starts Amazing Wall Art Decal Business

    My Vision
    24 Mar 2009 | 1:24 pm
    When we moved in to our house, our builder gave us a gift of two interior designers for a few days to help us get the place set up. I remember our builder telling us these ladies were so good, they are like "little mice" - they would unpack our stuff, set us all up and we wouldnt even know they were there. These ladies gave me a price quotation on how much it would be to have a custom mural on my kid's nursery room wall - couple thousand dollars. Hence, I decided to "do it myself". The mural I started over 4 years ago was of Winnie-the-Pooh and Tigger. The room itself has 14 foot ceilings so…

  • A Solution to the Health Care Problem

    My Vision
    17 Mar 2009 | 5:24 am
    I was thumbing through stations the other night and on the show Huckabee, host Mike Huckabee interviewed a man named Dr. Muney. Muney is a doctor in New York who has a unique way of charging his patients - it doesn't involve accepting insurances like Blue Cross, Aetna, Cigna, etc. Instead, he charges all patients a flat fee of $79/month, regardless of what or how many services he provides in a given month. Why hasn't anyone come up with this concept before? Dr. Muney's customers are happy as they don't have to buy health care insurance, the fee is reasonable, and they are getting the basic…

  • Dow 5000

    My Vision
    26 Feb 2009 | 4:15 am
    I know I haven't written in a while. A) I haven't been inspired by any business stories recently, and B) I didn't want anyone to miss the Gary Kaltbaum link Christmas present I gave everyone.If you were fortunate to have read this earlier post, you will recall I had a dream in October 2008 about the Dow going to 5000. Yes, people thought I was crazy, hallucinating, nutso. I admit it seemed that way at the time. Well, all you naysayers can kiss my big white a**.Yesterday the King of Bear Markets, the guy who has been right throughout this entire stock market crash, Gary Kaltbaum, ranted that…

  • My Christmas Gift to You, albeit a little early, but hopefully not too late

    My Vision
    20 Nov 2008 | 12:01 am
    If you are invested in the stock market, there is a really great guy I've been listening to, named Gary Kaltbaum. He's a financial planner with a radio talk show and is also a guest on Fox Business news. He's been right all along with the stock market - got out into cash when the market was at 14000, now of course it's gone into the 7000's. Here's the link to his brilliant podcast.http://www.businesstalkradio.net/weekday_host/Archives/gk.shtmlThe night of October 5 my daughter got up for the first time in months in the middle of the night. I happened to be in the middle of a dream. In my…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    The Product Guy

  • From Product Focus to the Enticements of Color

    Jeremy Horn
    12 Mar 2010 | 8:28 am
    Every week I read thousands of blog posts. Here, for your weekend enjoyment, are some highlights from my recent reading, for you.  Have a great weekend! On Starting Up… http://visitmix.com/Opinions/Bass-ackwards Forget about the technology. Focus on the product.     On Design & Product Experience… http://sixrevisions.com/web_design/a-look-into-color-theory-in-web-design/ Influencing your visitors through color. On Modular Innovation… http://highscalability.com/blog/2010/3/9/applications-as-virtual-states.html Virtual States from Modular Innovation.

  • The Product Group: Products, Postabon, and Product People & A Seriously Great April!

    Jeremy Horn
    10 Mar 2010 | 8:07 am
    A big thank you to everyone who made it to our latest meet-up of The Product Group, as well as to our sponsors, Balsamiq Studios and Ryma Technology Solutions! We all had a blast discussing Product People-oriented topics and enjoying Wonderful food. Over the 3+ hours we discussed… Featured Product: Postabonexplored the product, its challenges and successes, from requirements management and incentive systems to addressing the target users and the competition (with guest Product Person, Shaneal Manek, Postabon’s Product Manager / CTO / Co-Founder) Product Management & Politics:…

  • Redundancy: Just a Ping.fm Away

    Jeremy Horn
    8 Mar 2010 | 7:23 am
    As more content is moving into the cloud and people are increasing their dependence on access to the information that is stored within web services, having Redundancy, a backup, an alternate storage, an alternate means of accessing the data, is critical to maintaining continuity and stability. Products that facilitate Redundancy empower their users, and demonstrate trust in, and service of, the consumer over antiquated concepts of protection and restriction, even of the content that that very user has created. Quick-MI provides for the rapid, simple and quantifiable assessment of a…

  • From Remote Collaboration to the Passwords of Modular Innovation

    Jeremy Horn
    5 Mar 2010 | 2:18 pm
    Every week I read thousands of blog posts. Here, for your weekend enjoyment, are some highlights from my recent reading, for you.  Have a great weekend! On Starting Up… http://sixrevisions.com/project-management/how-to-make-remote-team-collaboration-work/ Design through remote collaboration.     On Design & Product Experience… http://www.visitmix.com/Articles/The-Future-of-Wireframes Rethinking the function of the wireframe in the product process. On Modular Innovation… http://lifehacker.com/5483119/the-easy-any+browser-any+os-password-solution The…

  • Quick-MI and the Redundancy of Interoperability

    Jeremy Horn
    1 Mar 2010 | 11:37 am
    This article marks the start of a series of articles diving deeper into Modular Innovation (MI) and many of the characteristics and features increasingly central to today’s successful and emerging products. To Recap Today, Modular Innovation is a prevailing trend that can be described as products and platforms consisting of or facilitating Relationships (people-people, products-products, people-products), and through these Relationships … Control of Experience (from creation to storage to interaction) Ownership of Content (personal content, from comments to friend lists and more)…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Ben Casnocha: The Blog

  • The 10 Dollar Rule

    Ben Casnocha
    13 Mar 2010 | 6:52 am
    Chris G. wrote about how he reduces stress when traveling, and among all the good tips is this: I often get stressed out spending small amounts of money. Overall, this isn’t always bad -- it’s led to a healthy paranoia about debt and a lifelong adherence to frugality. However, it has its downsides too, in that I can spend hours walking around trying to decide what to eat, or hours trying to figure out the public transit system somewhere instead of just flagging down a taxi. ...I finally created a $10 rule for myself that has been rocking my world. The $10 rule is that when…

  • All Entrepreneurship is Social

    Ben Casnocha
    11 Mar 2010 | 9:17 am
    There is a tremendous amount of fuzzy thinking around terms like "social entrepreneurship," "social business," and "socially responsible business." When people ask me what I think about social entrepreneurship, I first say I'm not sure what social entrepreneurship means. I'm not sure what makes it deserving of its own term. Then I say I think for-profit entrepreneurship does huge amounts of social good so I'm going to stay focused on that.Carl Schramm recently wrote an excellent short piece in the Stanford Social Innovation Review called All Entrepreneurship is Social. Nut graf:...regular…

  • The Torturous Inner Life of the Man Who Seems to Have it All

    Ben Casnocha
    9 Mar 2010 | 5:59 pm
    How many people whose lives we admire actually maintain a torturous inner life? How many ideal men and women -- and I don't mean perfect, I mean ideal, which is to say perfectly flawed -- actually are consumed by insecurity or anxiety or guilt?In American Pastoral, the character Swede is perceived as an ideal man in every respect. But his outer life isaccompanied by an inner life, a gruesome inner life of tyrannical obsessions, stifled inclinations, superstitious expectations, horrible imaginings, fantasy conversations, unanswerable questions. Sleeplessness and self-castigation night after…

  • The Impact of the New Tech: Use, Then Judge

    Ben Casnocha
    8 Mar 2010 | 10:08 am
    Alain de Botton recently blogged about "one of the challenges of our time": re-learning how to concentrate. To sit quietly and think without distraction. I agree, except I'm not sure if we've ever known how to do so. Technology broadly defined is usually seen as both culprit and savior. For example, we get nothing done when compulsively checking our BlackBerries, so we must take Adderall to focus. The issues related to how technology affects the way we think are complicated. But apparently this doesn't deter smart people from making uninformed, simplistic judgement calls. Steve Coll is a…

  • This Week's Newsweek

    Ben Casnocha
    7 Mar 2010 | 8:40 pm
    There are four articles of note in the latest Newsweek magazine.1. I wrote a brief personal piece on Chile. I mention other natural disasters that preceded Chile and conclude:The anonymity then of death tolls, my lack of proximity, and the fact that I wasn't sending or receiving "Are you OK?" e-mails made it easy to think in broad, analytical strokes. But now I'm thinking about people, places, and details. I'm trying to track down friends I haven't heard from, and I'm afraid of what I might find out. I have images of driving on roads and bridges that are now destroyed. When I saw footage of…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    infoChachkie

  • Past Is Prologue As New Industries Emerge: It Ain’t Gonna Be Different

    John Greathouse
    2 Mar 2010 | 11:00 am
    In 1933, baseball card collectors were frustrated. For some reason, they found it impossible to complete their Goudy Gum 240-card set. No matter how many packages of cards they purchased, they failed to find card number #106, which featured Napoleon Lajoie. Enterprising collectors who wrote Goudy and voiced their frustrations were rewarded by receiving the Lajoie card in the mail. All other collectors were out of luck. What was behind the mystery of the missing Lajoie card? If you haven’t already subscribed yet, subscribe now for free weekly Infochachkie articles! Capital Cards In 1976,…

  • Conforming To Your Customers’ Realities: Your Stakeholders’ Perceptions Matter

    John Greathouse
    9 Feb 2010 | 9:15 am
    The man at left built the first personal computer. He also spearheaded a number of fundamental software breakthroughs, including creating the basic hardware / software architecture which resulted in the creation of the third-party personal computer (PC) software industry. If this gentleman was such a pivotal player in the early days of the PC revolution, why is he essentially unknown to most entrepreneurs under forty years old? The short answer is that he failed to conform to his Stakeholders’ realities. Few mistakes would have such wide-ranging implications in the business world over the…

  • Limit… less: Ignore Limits – Focus On Opportunities

    John Greathouse
    12 Jan 2010 | 3:54 pm
    During the late 1800’s, American author Horatio Alger wrote 129 novels, most of which recount the deeds of impoverished young people who overcome their modest means to establish independent lives as self-sufficient, middle class citizens. Years after Alger created this new genre, it was derisively (and incorrectly) termed “rags to riches.” A common critique is that Mr. Alger’s heroes succeeded by conveying a simplistic formula comprised of honesty, cheerfulness, virtue, thrift, and hard work. Dismissing Mr. Alger’s works as juvenile rags to riches novels misses the…

  • Pour And Stir II – Managing Your Cost Per Customer

    John Greathouse
    2 Dec 2009 | 3:52 pm
     “I know half the money I spend on advertising is wasted, but I can never find out which half.” John Wanamaker If Mr. Wanamaker had access to the Internet, his oft-repeated quote, would have never been uttered. In the “good old days”, pre- 1999, advertising dollars were largely gambled away. As noted in Pour and Stir Part I the key to the successful execution of this strategy is managing the following equation:      The cost to acquire a customer < lifetime value of a customer This entry focuses on how you can minimize your cost per customer acquired by systematically…

  • Pour And Stir I – In Pursuit Of The Ideal Business Model

    John Greathouse
    20 Oct 2009 | 1:22 pm
    Note: This is Part I in a three-part series on The Perfect Business Model. Click here for Part II, and Part III Authentic, hand-crafted Persian rugs always include intentional imperfections. They are said to be, “Perfectly Imperfect, and Precisely Imprecise.” The same is true with many crafts and architecture created in Muslim cultures. I am not a Muslim scholar, but a layman’s interpretation of this tradition of intentional errors is that it arises from the belief that attempting to emulate God’s perfection is sinful.   Fortunately, entrepreneurs need not fear running afoul of this…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Fresh Inc.: The Staff Blog

  • A New Way to Advertise

    12 Mar 2010 | 8:40 am
    iPhone apps that will help you get through conference season. For the small business owner or entrepreneur, springtime often equates to conference season. From booking flights and accommodations, to finding out what's going on in the local area, there are plenty of apps that will ease your stress, Mashable reports. For the procrastinating businessperson, Priceline's Hotel Negotiator app is free, and will allow you to find last-minute hotel deals within a radius of your current location. Also free of cost, the Free Wi-Fi Finder app will use your location to find local spots that offer free…

  • How Much Money Should You Raise?

    11 Mar 2010 | 9:06 am
    The appetizer approach to raising funds. Mark Suster proposes the rule of hors d'oeuvres to decide how much money your company should raise. The idea is that it's bad form to take the entire hors d'oeuvres tray, but it's probably a good idea to take two servings (in case the tray doesn't come around for awhile). In other words, if an investor offers you more money than you think you need, but still at reasonable terms, take the extra money. "I know you think you're going to do a bigger round later at a higher price but the problem is that if someone offers you [extra money] now it's…

  • Google Opens An App Store

    10 Mar 2010 | 9:05 am
    Happy Birthday Craigslist. The schlubby classified ad site, which managed to blow up the newspaper business by behaving decidedly unbusinesslike, was founded nearly 15 years ago, according to a blog post from the site's eponymous founder Craig Newmark. He digs up what he calls "the earliest archaeological find" from the site's early days. It's a message directing users of the Well, an early social network, to Newmark's new home page. "My focus, on this page, is on events around San Francisco that involve arts and technology, privacy rights, local writers and artists, and any other item that…

  • Offline Celebrities Launch Online Start-ups

    9 Mar 2010 | 9:30 am
    Hey internet entrepreneurs, celebrities are encroaching on your market. Thanks to flexible technology and an abundance of developers, web start-ups are practically the new must-have accessory for Hollywood types, reports Business Insider. Check out their list of the 10 companies to watch. There are the A-listers like Ashton Kutcher's Katalyst Media and Will Ferrell's FunnyOrDie. But did you know that Ludacris and Will.i.am have social networks? Or that Peter Gabriel came up with a Pandora-killer and Kim Kardashian launched the Netflix of footwear? Big numbers from Tumblr. We've periodically…

  • Starting Up While an Employee

    8 Mar 2010 | 9:24 am
    The "real" story on Facebook's founding. On Friday, Silicon Alley Insider published the results of its two-year investigation into the controversial founding of Facebook. Among the new details to emerge is this purported IM from Mark Zuckerberg to a friend right before Facebook's launch, in which Zuckerberg suggests that he is intentionally delaying the launch of a similar site, HarvardConnections, which he had previously agreed to work on. "I feel like the right thing to do is finish the facebook and wait until the last day before I'm supposed to have their thing ready and then be like 'look…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Young Upstarts

  • Writing a Book, 2.0

    Robert Stretch
    12 Mar 2010 | 12:00 am
    How To Get Focused is an online book in the making that crowdsources ideas and content. Scott Scheper is only 23 years old, but he may be single-handedly showing the book-publishing world its future. How?  He’s writing a book, day-by-day, using Wordpress.  The “chapters” he publishes are shipped in real-time and open to revisions from his readers.  Scott’s dubbed it “Writing 2.0”, and I’m starting to believe him. The book is How to Get Focused and you can follow along at http://howtogetfocused.com.  It’s a worthy topic for any entrepreneur, as we live in an age of…

  • Friendgiftr.com Reinvents The Gift Card Economy

    Daniel
    10 Mar 2010 | 12:00 am
    CEO of Friendgiftr.com Rob Carpenter believes in dreaming big and being persistent. Tinseltown is better known for producing movie stars, but there may be another star in the making in Hollywood, California-based startup Friendgiftr.com. Friendgiftr.com recently debuted e-commerce applications that turns sites such as Facebook, MySpace, iGoogle, Ning and Bebo, into social media-based storefronts that sells actual gift cards from retailers and other businesses to social media users. Through a Friendgiftr application, consumers can buy gift cards from more than 130 brands such as Gap,…

  • Considering Going It Alone?

    Mark Billington
    8 Mar 2010 | 11:00 pm
    Don't think. Just do. (Image by Joanna Alberti) Running your own business can be immensely exciting and rewarding. It could well be the best way to earn an income, especially if you have saleable skills, an innovative idea or an interest that could be turned into a profitable business. However, it is important to ask yourself why you want to do it. It isn’t for everyone. Remember that it can be lonely being the boss and that you are likely to have to jump through a lot of hoops to get going; you most likely will have to work long hours, tackle paperwork and regulations and be…

  • The Official Alibaba.com Success Guide

    Daniel
    8 Mar 2010 | 12:00 am
    Alibaba.com Success Guide shows you how to navigate the labyrinthine B2B trade portal for the best results. If Amazon.com is the paragon of a successful model for an online B2C (business-to-consumer) business, then surely China’s Alibaba.com must be its B2B (business-to-business) equivalent. Alibaba.com is essentially a global trading platform where businesses (especially small-to-medium enterprises) source for the right goods or materials, and for producers to find the right distributors and retailers to carry their products. Set up by founder Jack Ma – the first entrepreneur…

  • Hello Baby – Not-So-Baby Steps Into Online Retail

    Daniel
    4 Mar 2010 | 10:09 pm
    Trevor Ginn of Hello Baby was inspired by the birth of his first daughter to start his online business retailing baby wares. Selling baby items online can be very lucrative, as Trevor Ginn found out. The managing director and founder of London-based Hello Baby, an online retail business peddling baby wares, has seen sales for his company go up 20% over the past few months. Hello Baby retails baby products on their own website, as well as eBay and Amazon Marketplace, in an Internet-only sales strategy that has helped keep costs low. “A multi-channel online strategy enables us to reach…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Businesshackers - only leading startups

  • DesignCrowd – an international crowdsourcing marketplace for design outsourcing and creative services

    Businesshackers Team
    9 Mar 2010 | 1:05 pm
    Graphic design service DesignCrowd.com is an international crowdsourcing marketplace for design outsourcing and creative services. DesignCrowd turns the graphic design process inside-out by helping businesses harness thousands of creative people (brains) in a few days.  Businesses can use DesignCrowd for any design related project from custom logo design to web page design.  Here’s how it works: 1. You post a project on DesignCrowd and set a budget 2. Scores of designers from around the world submit creative designs 3. You select and download the best design DesignCrowd eliminates the…

  • Irehab, a startup that effectively cures musculoskeletal pain

    Businesshackers Team
    6 Dec 2009 | 5:31 am
    Where are you located? We are based in Kamuela, Hawaii on the Big Island of Hawaii. Why are you unique? We are revolutionizing how people use the web to obtain information on and treat Back Pain specifically and musculoskeletal pain in general.  Instead of offering general text based information commonly seen on other health related websites, we are offering a customized engaging solution for the individual browsing the web for help with back pain.  We ask questions, receive answers then select, group and send exercises to a private individual login area within Irehab where users can view,…

  • Musichunt, a startup to help musicians to find a job

    Businesshackers Team
    17 Sep 2009 | 12:59 am
    Musichunt (http://www.musichunt.pro) is an international professional network of musicians and musical organizations. It was founded by two friends, Rinat Kaleev and Michael  Podrabinek, in November 2008. In the middle of April 2009 a testable beta-version appeared in the russian part of Internet and the network became open for registration. From August 2009 it is available for english-speaking users too. The main purpose of the startup is to help musicians from all over the world to find jobs, colleges and ensembles, educational programs, musical professional events such as competitions,…

  • Interview with DesignersCouch dot com

    Businesshackers Team
    16 Sep 2009 | 12:45 pm
    Who are the founders of the site? Where is the startup based? The founder of Designers’Couch is Damian Madray, creative director at Depthskins Design Studio. This start-up is a project by the creative studio. What makes this startup unique? What is the technology behind it? This design community is unique because of the mantra on which it’s built on, not exactly its technology. Designers’Couch is a community that accepts members based on their portfolio and passion towards design. Once a member have benefits include receiving special discounts on design products and…

  • Interview with bizonbytes.com

    Businesshackers Team
    2 Jun 2009 | 2:03 pm
    Could you please provide some information concerning the founders? BizOnBytes.com, affectionately nicknamed Bob, was thought, built and delivered by two people connected by the power of love and driven by creative ideas. Our mission was to develop a business community based on the social networking model. This website was a labour of love that took years to complete during our spare time. We are convinced that the passion we’ve injected into this project and our unwillingness to give up until we got it right transpire in the final product you see today. Why it is amazing and how the project…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Startup Meme

  • Social Networks Like Facebook And Twitter Continue To Gain Popularity As Marketing Tools Amongst Firms

    Sardar Mohkim Khan
    10 Mar 2010 | 9:48 am
    When you talk about success of one platform and more importantly hear how every Tom, Dick and Harry is nibbling advantage off it, the bigger names tend to speed up their activity on the same. Facebook therefore is no exception. We have seen how big brands are using social networks to their advantage, leveraging the massive population they pull towards them. Examples would include brands like Adidas, Nike, Motorola, Microsoft with its Bing, just to name a few. According to the stats from the latest report, well over 75% of online retailers utilize the social network. Those numbers are for the…

  • Facebook To Bring Location Features Soon

    Sardar Mohkim Khan
    9 Mar 2010 | 11:30 am
    Wow! Facebook is heading over to location based features and will be introducing these in the coming month. This would enable users to add their location with friends on the social network, letting your network know where you are. These features would also enable the developer community to leverage users sharing their location and design related activities and apps for more location centered user experience. I know many would be pissed and create a havoc on why is the social network using their location to design apps as bait. But cry as you may, the social network had already included that…

  • Register And Get Apple! Are You Kidding? It’s The Latest Facebook Scam

    Sardar Mohkim Khan
    8 Mar 2010 | 11:12 am
    What’s the best way to boost the number of fans on your fan page? Exploit their desires, something which many have done out and about on Facebook. The latest to surface is the scam that says it will give you Apple’s latest gadget, the iPad for free only if you are to register your information as well as the cell phone number on the destination site. Of course the deal is worth falling for the bait. I mean especially those die hard Apple fans who would do anything to sniff the tiniest bit of news or just a touch on the Apple devices, would readily have fallen prey to it. The worst part is…

  • Absolut Vodka Brings Jay-Z’s NY-Z To Facebook, Thanks To ABSOLUT Fan Page

    Sardar Mohkim Khan
    5 Mar 2010 | 12:57 pm
    Well you might be too far to attend Metallica’s concert in Israel at half a price thanks to Facebook and even more as they might not be held in your city, but complain not! At least Jay-Z fans who are spread across the globe. The artist has made up a deal with Absolut Vodka to bring his fans a latest documentary titled; NY-Z. So what makes it worth a mention? Well Absolut Vodka is going to stream the same on its Facebook fan page from March 22. All you have to do is the obvious, become a fan of the beverage and the documentary would showcase the happenings both on stage and off it in the…

  • Quit Smoking On Facebook!

    Sardar Mohkim Khan
    5 Mar 2010 | 12:34 pm
    Wow. First they had chewing gums to help you quit smoking, then came sessions to help you with that followed by electronic cigarettes. Well this year there is a new way to quit smoking as the world celebrates the No Smoking Day. Some smart folks out there have created an app for the largest social network, Facebook. The idea is to get all the smokers challenge each other and friends alike to quit smoking where success will be rewarded and a lot of boos for failure. Sounds interesting, especially the idea of Wall of Shame, which puts the photos of smokers who find nooks and corners to continue…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    StartupCFO : Mark MacLeod

  • Does Fail Fast = Giving up?

    mark
    11 Mar 2010 | 5:15 am
    Fail Fast is an often cited mantra in the popular “lean startup” World these days.  The thinking goes like this: raise a small amount of capital, build something and see if the market responds well, go for it, otherwise move on. This never quite sat right with me, but I didn’t know why till Mark Suster nailed it in his most recent post: (Failing fast) “is so self centered it winds me up.  Tell that to the person who wrote you the $50,000 of their hard earned money and entrusted you to try your best.  Fail fast?  How does your brother-in-law feel about that? Fail…

  • Startup Funding – Survival of the Fittest

    mark
    10 Mar 2010 | 7:56 am
    One of the most exciting developments in startup finance these day is the emergence of all these new seed funds. From Founder Collective in the US, to Mantella and Founder Fuel here in Canada as well as the many active angels out there, startups now have good access to great seed investors. Coupled with incubators like YCominator, Launchbox, etc. this ecosystem should see lots of startups being able to secure their first financing. But what happens after that? What do you do after you’ve spent the $ 25K from YCombinator or your initial seed round?  The follow on funding ecosystem,…

  • When investors call

    mark
    8 Mar 2010 | 6:46 pm
    Most of the time, entrepreneurs are dialing for $ and working it in order to get meetings with potential investors. Sometimes though, they actually call you. What does this mean and what should you do? First of all…. breath. Even if Sequoia calls you that does not mean they are going to invest. It could in fact mean many things: - They are interested in the space and calling companies there to learn more - They are seriously looking at a competitor and are doing due diligence - They heard good things about you and want to learn more - It’s a Friday afternoon and there’s…

  • Seed funding: Debt vs. Equity

    mark
    2 Mar 2010 | 4:34 am
    I am often asked about whether its better to sell shares or convertible debt when raising seed funding. The answer, of course, is it depends. Here is how I approach this. I like convertible debt for small deals ($ 250K and below. Sometimes higher, but always less than $ 500K), especially if you plan to raise follow on capital in less than a year. Debt allows you to get the deal done cheaply and quickly (it is far simpler from a legal document perspective than issuing shares). Debt is usually structured (at least in Canada) with a high interest rate (say 10%) with principal and accrued…

  • Maverick Sales Strategy

    mark
    26 Feb 2010 | 5:31 am
    Chris Dixon posted recently about the trials and tribulations of enterprise sales.  This is a tough market for all  the reasons Chris and his readers list. Still, there are alternatives to building up a direct sales force and trying to  penetrate the Fortune 1000 buying cycle, particularly for web services companies. With industries consolidating, functions being outsourced, nearsourced, people working remotely, etc, etc – there is a growing opportunity for companies delivering software as a service. One of the beauties of this distribution model is the way that it circumvents the…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Paul Marshall

  • How to bring a product to market / A very rare interview with Sean Ellis – Venture Hacks

    Paul Marshall
    25 Feb 2010 | 7:13 am
    via venturehacks.com I flaggeded this using Instapaper back in December when it first came out from Nivi at Venture Hacks and finally got around to reading it on the plane on my flight home from IBM Pulse last night. I highly recommend that regardless of what stage your tech company is in (or you think its in) that you listen/read/make notes on the attached interview. If you are unclear on what product/market fit is, you need to….listen If you are pre product/market fit….listen If you are post product/market fit…listen There are some great examples as well as great lessons…

  • Things To Think About

    Paul Marshall
    3 Feb 2010 | 3:40 pm
    Things To Think About E Book View more presentations from Paul Marshall. I was asked to contribute to a book that was being pulled together by Terry O’Hanlon from Reliabilityweb.com (a thought leader in our space).  Terry did a great job of collecting thoughts from many senior and very experienced folks in the Operations and Maintenance industry.  My particular piece of insight is on page 23 but I hope you’ll take a minute and flip through the book and I hope and expect you will find some nugget of knowledge that will be applicable to your daily life regardless of whether you are on the…

  • Relocated and Refocused!

    Paul Marshall
    1 Feb 2010 | 6:06 am
    For some time now I have been meaning to move my blog to a more professional format and focus on providing meaning regular guidance and thoughts for my audience.  I have a full time job as most of you know running a great Company and working with a great group of people at Ivara Corp.  Running any company is a lot of work but in the past week a great entrepreneur and great blogger Chris Dixon said it perfectly…”VCs / entrepreneurs who say they don’t have time to blog: please show me your calendar and I guarantee I can find things less important”. I have retitled and…

  • Outlier Example

    Paul Marshall
    23 Jan 2010 | 8:42 am
    Outlier via youtube.com OK so I am a big Neil Peart fan and a bit of a drum geek but having heard Neil speak and his story it is an excellent example of Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hr rule in his Outlier book. (I have linked to my favorite solo of his on Youtube for my pleasure as much as yours) In my opinion Neil is probably the greatest drummer in the world, if you disagree thats OK as long as you can acknowledge that he is one of the best at his craft. Neil started as a kid (pre-ten years old) laying magazines out on his bed, listening to music and beating the covers the magazines. At…

  • Can’t wait to Read!

    Paul Marshall
    22 Jan 2010 | 11:53 am
    via startuplessonslearned.com I know I am late to the game but I FINALLY ordered my copy of “The Four Steps to the Epiphany” by Steve Blank….can’t wait to read it as it has been one of the single most frequently recommended read from folks. Not exactly an early adopter on this one but I’m hoping better late than never! I’ll post my thoughts as and after I get through it but for those who have I’d like to hear how it changed your perspective? What you did differently after reading? Do you recommend it to friends? Why or Why not? Posted via web from…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Saranyan's Blog

  • New website…New Blog

    Saranyan
    22 Feb 2010 | 5:24 pm
    This was a long time coming..My new blog will be hosted on http://saranyan.com

  • Happy New Year!

    Saranyan
    2 Jan 2010 | 5:31 am
    What an year 2009 was! Amazing. There were struggles, accomplishments, answers, more questions, success and happiness. It was not really a roller-coaster in terms of what all happened. It was more subtle. Things happened on a different plane. The year rounded off beautifully giving me clear indications of my pursuing my next venture. The torch has been passed on to a prepared racer and the next years will tell how prepared he really was! I wish you all a happy new year. The shape and scope of this blog will change as it grows along with me. I can tell you that 2010 will be really interesting…

  • Hard is easy and Vice-versa

    Saranyan
    10 Dec 2009 | 5:29 am
    Most of the times, I find that the hardest things are the easiest things to do. Other times, I find that the easiest things are hardest to do. For instance, when I am talking to somebody who are friends/family, it is quite easy for me to be myself than put on a pretentious face. Honestly, in these situations, I don’t care if/how I get judged. Considering that one of the challenges many (whom I know) seem to have is to appear as who they think they are seen as by others, rather than their true selves. (Excuse the grammar in the previous sentence) Similarly, I am so used to being myself…

  • Differentiating with thought

    Saranyan
    3 Dec 2009 | 5:16 am
    If you have read any great literature or short works (like James Allen’s “As a man thinketh” or Emerson’s essays), you must have come across authors who have attached prominent importance to the way we should think. Some of the literature’s greatest have been bold and harsh at times in giving the message that one controls their own fate by the manner in which they think. So, what is the big deal anyway about thoughts? Aren’t thoughts situational? If I am in deep mess, how can I think well? Where will be the clarity? It is easy for anyone observing me to…

  • Update

    Saranyan
    3 Dec 2009 | 4:29 am
    Recently, I have been off my blog posts a lot! I know there are some of you who really look forward to my writings …So, for you, here is what I have been doing - I have been venturing shall I say, neck deep, in vedic astrology. I have been reading some great literature like the Brihat Parasara Hora Shastra, Varahamihira’s brihat jataka, Jaimini sutras, etc. Also, I had the opportunity and privilege to peek into the analytical minds of B.V.Raman and Prof. Suriyanarayan Row, and the ride has been amazing! Sanskrit literature fascinates me. It overflows with knowledge. I had a…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    47 Hats

  • MicroISV Digest – 03/13/2010

    Bob Walsh
    13 Mar 2010 | 8:50 am
    Community News: Pretty quiet out there… Interesting  Answers.Onstartups.com questions with useful answers: What would you do different if your startup was launching today? Does having a professional email account matter? SEO: Where can I get reliable information about building my website presence and reputation? News/posts for microISVs and Startups: Want to know how to find your customers? This is the post for you: 7 Insanely Useful Ways to Search Twitter for Marketing. Cloudsourcing using Second Life: How I reduced translation costs of 200 articles from $9000 to $46 Dreaming the…

  • Stop hitting your Invisible Wall.

    Bob Walsh
    9 Mar 2010 | 12:49 pm
    The Invisible Wall stopped you creating your startup today. That damn wall stands between you and what you know you can create.  That wall you hit, that something, that changes you into a totally unmotivated blob. Why, when you know you should be motivated to write the code, go to the networking event, make those calls, write the blog, do you sit there instead, with the motivation sucked out of you, reading Twitter? Remember when you were all fired up to build your own startup? It was a totally cool challenge that could become anything, it was going to change the world, or at least a part of…

  • Three dot Friday

    Bob Walsh
    5 Mar 2010 | 3:34 pm
    (Various short items in the Startup/MicroISV world I’ve bumped into this week, paying homage to Herb Caen, the best damn reason to read a San Francisco newspaper, when people still read newspapers.) … Over at A Smart Bear, Mike Schoeffler, founder of iPhone running application Roadbud has an excellent column about Startup Fitness with some easy online ways to start and some excellent comments. If you think VC/Angels fund overweight/obese developers, think again. … InfluAds is Anibal Damiao’s, new advertising network where one small ad runs on your startup or web…

  • The 10,000 Most Tempting Software Startup Categories

    Bob Walsh
    1 Mar 2010 | 7:13 pm
    Dharmesh Shah has a great post up today at OnStartups: The 10 Most Tempting Software Startup Categories. I won’t steal his punchline by quoting all ten here, but the first 5 are: Project Management / Time Tracking / Bug Tracking Community / Discussion Forums Personalized News Aggregation/Filtering Content Management (website, blog) Social Voting and Reviews These 5 – and the other 5 – are the low hanging fruit, the low barrier to entry app categories that are a easy first grab for the firsttime startup (my first app fit squarely under project management; StartupToDo.com is a…

  • MicroISV Digest – 02/27/2010

    Bob Walsh
    27 Feb 2010 | 6:11 pm
    Community News: Mike Schoeffler, roadbud.com: the right three words could win you a top-of-the-line iPhone. Mike is running a contest to find a great tagline for his new iPhone app coming out March 1st – details here. David Christian, Bright Spark Software, SimpleGlucose is trying an experiment, switching to the ‘freemium’ model: membership is now free with Google Adwords ads in the main members area, later diabetic specific companies (such as manufacturers of blood glucose meters). What do you think? Marcus McConnel, bvsoftware, has released a major upgrade to his hosted…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    The Common Sense Web... An Entrepreneurs' Blog

  • 2010 SXSW, Location based services, Austin Restaurants, etc.

    Chris Treadaway
    12 Mar 2010 | 5:50 am
    A few quick thoughts this morning as we near the event of the year, Austin's SXSW Interactive.  It just keeps getting better every year.Location-based <fill in the blank> is bound to dominate the landscape this year.  Think back even five years ago -- I think a lot of folks in 2005 would've been spooked by any service that collected and revealed the location of users.  But it's another one of those areas where people have relaxed their privacy standards to points unthinkable in recent times.Overall, I think the buzz/reality quotient is very high right now.  The major…

  • Hal Varian on newspaper economics

    Chris Treadaway
    9 Mar 2010 | 11:26 am
    Interesting blog post from Hal Varian, Google's Chief Economist, on newspaper economics.http://googlepublicpolicy.blogspot.com/2010/03/newspaper-economics-online-and-offline.htmlHal points out a few things that I 100% agree with: special interest local advertising was the bell cow for the newspaper business, people consume news and information on social nets, mobile devices, etc. more and more today, experimentation is key to helping newspapers survive and thrive in the 21st Century. Google has been demonized by folks in the newspaper business for making audiences mobile and destroying…

  • Entrepreneur Traits

    Chris Treadaway
    2 Mar 2010 | 8:44 pm
    I caught up this past weekend with an old friend who is most certainly *not* an entrepreneur.  This friend is a corporate guy through and through.  He's so corporate, he just doesn't understand the life of a startup person or why someone would forsake a promising corporate job in exchange for long hours, a small salary (if you're lucky), and the trouble of the early-stage routine.Anyway, he asked me to share with him the traits of someone who would be a good entrepreneur.  I'm not sure if it was a curiosity thing for him or if he really wanted to understand.  Anyway,…

  • Looking to meet .NET startup-friendly folks in Austin

    Chris Treadaway
    1 Mar 2010 | 9:54 am
    Howdy everyone -- quick departure from the norm here.  We happen to be one of those rare Austin startups that run primarily on Microsoft technology.  Most Austin startups are built on Rails or Open Source technology.  It makes sense... the open source stack is relatively easy to get into, there is a huge community of helpful developers out there, and developers can learn as they go.  For us it wasn't a religious decision, but it was the background of our CTO, Robert Starek.  Technical leadership does tend to drive these decisions.Anyway, we've gone to a few events and reached…

  • "Qualified" Candidates

    Chris Treadaway
    24 Feb 2010 | 9:35 pm
    Once you advance beyond the point of being an individual contributor in business, you henceforth have to keep your eyes open to assess people who may be able to join/advance your team.  You should always have a pretty good idea of gaps in your team, and you should always be on the lookout for people who can fill those gaps.  Sometimes those gaps exist at a senior level -- executives, board members, etc.  Other times, those gaps are in specific operational areas.What makes people "qualified" for roles in our business?  Here are some high level thoughts on how I generally assess…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    IttyBiz

  • New Stuff! Marketing for Geeks, Woo Woos, Bloggers, Coaches, Writers, and Tortured Artists

    Naomi Dunford
    12 Mar 2010 | 4:32 pm
    I will write quickly and avoid my usual slickly manufactured wit because the sooner I get this blog post written, the sooner I can go downtown and drink margaritas while shameless fans throw their panties at me. For many moons, we have been getting requests for two things. One, more audio. Two, more products that are specific to industries and professions. (Also, more videos, which we might get to this weekend. I mean, hello?! Have you SEEN the Blowjob Barbie picture?) Word on the street is that if people have to read one more ebook, they’re going to off themselves, and y’all are sick of…

  • What Is YOUR Role?

    Naomi Dunford
    12 Mar 2010 | 8:37 am
    Yes, I am in Austin at SXSW (South by South West Interactive, the conference for cool kids like myself). Out of respect for the 26,348 of you who are NOT at SXSW, I will try not to talk about it too much. I’ve been where you are and I know how lame it is to have every blog you read turn into a starfucking extravaganza about a conference you’re not at. Moving on. I read a lot of books. This is easy, because they keep showing up free in my mailbox. The books I read tend towards the Thought Leader category — books like Linchpin and Trust Agents and A Whole New Mind. These are…

  • Michael / Box of Crayons Video

    Naomi Dunford
    8 Mar 2010 | 6:12 am
    The other night, I went out for dinner with Michael Bungay Stanier, author of Do More Great Work. (Totally not an affiliate link because the Amazon affiliate program is balls.) I have hung out with Michael on several occasions and every time I think he can’t get any cooler, sure enough, he does. So when he said he was going to be in London for the day, I snatched up the chance to hang out with him. (When you read my memoirs, you will be able to hear the full and juicy details of the conversation I had with Jamie leading up to this meeting, but I’ll give you the highlights here: Me: Yes, I…

  • Scribe SEO: The Official Naomi Dunford From IttyBiz Position

    Naomi Dunford
    26 Feb 2010 | 8:14 am
    In somewhat related news, I’m going to Florida! (The relatedness of this news will make itself apparent shortly.) We’ve been getting a lot of questions on the IttyBiz cell phone hotline, as well as through every other medium imaginable, asking what we think of Scribe SEO. I was going to tell you when the hoopla surrounding it died down, probably when I got back from Florida. Then the lovely Brian Clark — chief geek at Scribe HQ — got in touch to say, “Um, hello? Didn’t you say your people really wanted this? The fucking promotion ends today, jackass.”…

  • You Are Not A Bad Person And You’re Not Doing It Wrong

    Naomi Dunford
    15 Feb 2010 | 7:47 pm
    Email. Twitter. Facebook. LinkedIn. Google Buzz. Ponderous. Tumblr. Blogs. Hmm. That’s a lot of stuff. Let’s play a little imagination game. For perspective, we’ll start by looking at my numbers. There are 25,000 or so people reading this blog. There are around 20,000 reading my newsletters. There are 6,000 on Twitter, a few hundred on my much ignored Facebook. Let’s assume that, eliminating duplicates, there are 30,000 or so people regularly tuning into my stuff. Now that we’ve done that, we’ll totally ignore it. (It was just for perspective anyway.) Let’s pretend to erase…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Business of Software Blog

  • Video of Geoffrey Moore at Business of Software 2009

    Neil Davidson
    8 Mar 2010 | 6:06 am
    One of the highlights of last year’s business of software conference was Geoffrey Moore’s talk about innovation. Everybody’s told me the same thing: this session changed the way they do business. For me it was the insight that you need to differentiate between what you have to do brilliantly and what you just need to do well enough. Too often, we get these categories mixed up. We spend too much time overcooking the meat and not enough effort on the sauce. Here’s the video. Set aside an hour of your time and watch it.   I’ll be posting up videos from the other speakers over the…

  • How to get a job where you actually get to make mistakes and do something

    Neil Davidson
    8 Mar 2010 | 2:19 am
    Last week, Seth Godin wrote this in reply to Harvard Business School students seeking advice on how to find a job: “Go to a small company, work for the CEO, get a job where you actually get to make mistakes and do something” Brilliant advice. But what’s the next step? Well, I’m one of the CEOs (we have two) of Red Gate Software. We’re the 14th best small company to work for in the UK. We were featured in this month’s Wired UK magazine as one of twenty businesses worldwide reinventing the way people work. I’m looking for somebody smart and hardworking to work with me for the next…

  • #BoS2010 coming up

    Neil Davidson
    3 Mar 2010 | 12:50 am
    I’m about to start promoting Business of Software 2010. It’s in Boston, October 4th to 6th. The speakers are going to be fantastic. Here’s a sneak preview of the summary video from last year: (You can see a longer, higher resolution video here). If you want to sneak in before I officially announce registration and grab the special early-bird price ($1,595 for the first 100 registrants) then go to the conference web site. (P.S. Next week I’m going to start posting up videos of last year’s speakers. The first one to go up will be Geoffrey “Crossing the Chasm” Moore. Follow me on…

  • What will happen when a software company downs tools for a week?

    Neil Davidson
    4 Feb 2010 | 3:40 am
    Three months ago, four Red Gaters volunteered to lock themselves into a converted barn on the Suffolk coast for a week, ate pizza, drank beer and coded. When Alex, Dom, Nagashree and Rob stumbled back into the office, they’d conceived, gestated and birthed SQL Search. Last week, we launched the product – a free tool to search SQL Server databases. But this blog post isn’t about that. It’s about an idea that popped into my head after reading Dan Pink’s excellent book DriveOne section talks about Atlassian and their FedEx days: the company takes a day off, splits up into adhoc teams,…

  • Ingeniously simple tools ... don't happen by chance

    Neil Davidson
    3 Feb 2010 | 1:53 pm
    Have you ever wondered what pulling a pint of English ale can tell you about software interfaces? Or are you curious about Steve Jobs's magic ability to create news from a vacuum*? These are just two of the topics our user experience folk (they're the people who design Red Gate's software) have covered in our new UX blog. You can read more in pride and preference by Adam Walker and the empty magic of Steve Jobs by Marine Barbaroux.Browse the blog posts, and then put faces to the names. *The iPad is cool, but this is cooler.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Kentucky Startup Blog

  • ParkVu relocating to Louisville & Hiring

    Richard Stump
    8 Mar 2010 | 6:08 am
    Jeff Fedor and Terry Goertz, the founders of ParkVu, contacted me over a year ago through this blog, asking whether Kentucky would be a good place to relocate their startup.  Over the past year they have investigated and compared it to other startup hotbeds and have chosen Kentucky. ParkVu is a mobile consumer media company. We develop products for the Android, BlackBerry, Symbian and Maemo platforms along with OS X and Windows.   They are having a launch party/job event tomorrow night in Louisville, details below and we will have more on their move soon. We’re immediately looking to…

  • startup-slam

    Richard Stump
    4 Mar 2010 | 6:36 am

  • Two Kentucky Energy Startups receive funding

    Richard Stump
    2 Mar 2010 | 6:55 am
    Wellhead Energy Systems, located in Somerset, was approved for an investment of up to $500,000 to develop generator systems that can be placed near natural gas wells to produce electricity for rural communities. Southeast Biofuels, in Mt. Sterling, was approved for a grant of up to $30,000 to develop a portable system that can produce ethanol using sorghum as a feedstock.  Many natural gas wells in Kentucky’s rural areas are unproductive because they lack access to transport pipelines. Wellhead Energy Systems’ technology can take natural gas from these isolated wells, clean it,…

  • Paratechs received funding

    Richard Stump
    26 Feb 2010 | 6:40 am
    Paratechs received $120,000 from the Cabinet for Economic Development’s High-Tech Investment Pool.ParaTechs has an exclusive license to market a patented special line of insect cells developed at the University of Kentucky that employs the baculovirus expression vector system used to manufacture proteins for use in vaccines and therapeutics to prevent or treat a wide range of diseases. The technology improves protein production and helps lower drug manufacturing costs

  • Backupify: good news and Bad news

    Richard Stump
    16 Feb 2010 | 7:20 am
    Louisville based Backupify recently raised and angel round from some prominent national investors and was featured on Techcrunch.   That is the good news.  The bad news is founder Rob May states that the company will probably be moving from Kentucky soon.  The idea that you have to build these type of web services only in Silicon Valley or New York or Boston has been debunked by many.  The growth of Boulder has a tech hub is one good example.  Rob may have had to make this promise in order to raise the funding  but I think he should stand up, be a man, and build his company in…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Gregg Fraley, Author of Jack's Notebook

  • Secret Wish Cartoon #4

    GREGG FRALEY
    2 Mar 2010 | 6:32 am
    Riding the train you get a peek into the lives of other people. It’s one of my favorite places to observe, draw, and reflect. Yes, most have their game faces on already, but sometimes you get an intuition of what’s under the mask. I saw this woman a couple weeks ago riding the train into [...]

  • Glen Beck is NOT Thomas Paine, Not an Innovator

    GREGG FRALEY
    19 Feb 2010 | 6:54 am
    I really hate to post about politics. I am not a pundit. I am a citizen. And the focus of this blog is creativity and innovation. Still, I’ve got something to say. Glen Beck is Not Thomas Paine. Nor is he an innovator. Nor is he a conservative. While visiting the holocaust museum in Berlin my [...]

  • The Ultimate Innovator’s Playlist

    GREGG FRALEY
    15 Feb 2010 | 8:20 am
    It occurred to me that Innovators need music as much as, maybe more than, everyone else. Music is an unparalleled source of inspiration for many people, so why would innovators be any different? So, what would the inspired Innovators ultimate playlist be? I’ve created the ultimate playlist for innovators — based on experience, and suggestions from friends [...]

  • Attention Microsoft – Pace of Innovation Matters

    GREGG FRALEY
    9 Feb 2010 | 9:53 am
    There’s been an interesting dust-up in the press recently, having to do with innovation at Microsoft. An ex-Microsoft employee, Dick Brass, wrote an op-ed piece in the New  York Times, basically saying that Microsoft is failing to innovate.  He says that in spite of good intentions, great employees, and beaucoup resources they don’t have a formal [...]

  • JD Salinger, Lessons in Creativity & Innovation

    GREGG FRALEY
    30 Jan 2010 | 5:50 am
    I feel compelled to write something about J.D. Salinger. I loved his work and read all of it, which sadly for fans such as I, wasn’t really that much.  Beyond Catcher in the Rye, there was Franny and Zooey, Nine Stories, and Raise High the Roombeam Carpenters, and Seymour an Introduction. This is his body of [...]
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    TeenEntrepreneurBlog.com

  • One Remarkable Entrepreneur to Win Minimum $3,000 (Contest)

    admin
    11 Mar 2010 | 8:32 am
    Created by the Renegade CEO’s own Dallas, TX based Marshall Haas, the LimitlessVC BizBreak Contest (@BizBreak on Twitter) has launched and is in full motion. BizBreak is giving 1 remarkable entrepreneur 50% of the BizBreak app profits + $3,000! And what’s different about this VC fund is you [...]

  • The American Free Enterprise Contest- $100,000 in Cash Prizes

    admin
    23 Feb 2010 | 9:49 am
    The American Free Enterprise. Dream Big. campaign is hosting the I Am Free Enterprise Video Contest and offering $100,000 in cash prizes for the most innovative, creative, and compelling story! (Separate and independent of this contest, while noseying around on their website I noticed that they have a section called “Share Your Story” or something to [...]

  • NY Teens to Play HALO for 24 Hours Straight to Raise Money For Charity

    admin
    9 Feb 2010 | 10:21 am
    Update: As it turns out they ended up playing HALO for !!!2 days and 3 hours straight!!! and raised several hundred dollars for Child’s Play. They are accepting donations through March 4, 2010. Video archive is on their site. Three socially inspired teens and childhood friends, Jesse Lifshitz, 17, Joey Katz, 17 and Alex Ainsberg, 17 have decided to take their love [...]

  • Eastern European Teen Entrepreneurs Heat Things Up Post Cold War

    admin
    4 Feb 2010 | 10:16 am
    Harun Merdzanic is a sixteen year old global fashionista situated in Sarajevo Bosnia, and Herzogovina. He describes his life as a French Musical from the 60’s. He is the visionary and blogger behind AccordingtoHarun.blogspot.com Harun was named the Teen Passioneer of the Month (February 2010) and yesterday he was interviewed live on Sue Oliver’s Passions and [...]

  • Girls Going Places Nationwide Competition to Award $30,000 in Prizes for Teen Girl Entrepreneurs

    admin
    21 Jan 2010 | 9:14 am
    This information comes courtesy of Mara Tyler (thanks so much). Additional information about the program and nomination forms for the competition can be found at www.girlsgoingplaces.com and online at YouTube, MySpace and Facebook (Keyword: GirlsGoingPlaces). Note from Shonika - If you fit the bill and are a teen girl that I have personally had experience with, [...]
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Startup Daddy Home Business Development

  • Stop Apologizing for Being In Business.

    Ian Gordon | StartupDaddy.com
    25 Feb 2010 | 10:41 am
    If you’re like a lot of small businesses and freelancers, you get paid for what you know.  You may be a consultant, or a designer, or an accountant (or you may want to be), but in the end, people pay you because you know more about X than they do.  Now if you’re smart, and you’ve been listening to me, you have put yourself out there as an expert in your field.  Whether you have a blog, podcast, or Facebook page, or even just a twitter account, you write or talk about what you know.  You share the good stuff others have written about your field.  You probably do many of…

  • Grass Roots Marketing Is Alive and Well and Working

    Ian Gordon | StartupDaddy.com
    22 Feb 2010 | 8:24 am
    I participated in Podcamp Toronto this weekend, and I was thinking about how to share my experience with you in a way that would benefit you most.  So I won’t post the slides from my presentation, and I’m not going to write about how attending and presenting at conferences is one of the best ways a small business owner can network with peers and keep up with the latest techniques and trends in your market.  Well I will, but later.  First, I wanted to share an observation that will make you some more money.  Sound good? Grass roots marketing; sponsoring local events and…

  • Creating A Professional Presence On Social Media Sites

    Ian Gordon | StartupDaddy.com
    17 Feb 2010 | 8:44 am
    In this episode of Startup Daddy I talk about creating a professional looking presence on social media sites like Facebook and Youtube. Facebook has over 400 million active users.  More than half log in every day and the average user spends about an hour per day there. See why you should be there? In this episode, I talk about some if the little things you can do to make sure your presence on sites like Facebook and Youtube is professional looking.  You need to stand out, and look like the kind of company that cares about the details. Helpful links: - Link on Facebook, to create a Fan Page…

  • From Idea To Company In 7 Days

    Ian Gordon | StartupDaddy.com
    22 Jan 2010 | 6:00 am
    In this episode of Startup Daddy I talk about my new company, Memory Deck.  I hope that by talking about the process I’m going through as I start this new company, you will see that you can do it too. While my partner and I have been researching and planning this for months, when it came time to create the company and form the LLC, we got the whole process done in a week.  Yes, I filled out the application at LegalZoom, and seven days later we had a company with a business checking account, and we were on our way. I’m not smarter than you.  You can do this. Download the Mp3

  • I Wrote On Dad-O-Matic Today About Talking To My Daughter About Haiti

    Ian Gordon | StartupDaddy.com
    20 Jan 2010 | 12:10 pm
    I wrote a post for Dad-O-Matic about talking to our 6 year old about the earthquake in Haiti, and all of the horrific images she catches on TV now and then.  It’s never easy to talk to your kids about death and tragedy but it’s important.  It’s not the usual business fair, but you can read it here.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    The Entrepreneurial Mind

  • New Microfund Launched

    10 Mar 2010 | 11:02 am
    There is a new source of start-up capital in Nashville.  Solidus Company announced today the formation of a microfund to support local entrepreneurs and to help accelerate the growth of start-ups in the Middle Tennessee area.  JumpStart Foundry will focus on very early-stage concepts. Over the next 12 months, the microfund intends to select 10-14 entrepreneurs for the program who will receive financial, business, and technological support to accelerate the growth of their businesses. Each of the selected concepts will receive $15,000 in equity capital and special arrangements with…

  • Job Growth Still Not Happening -- Tax Credits No Solution

    10 Mar 2010 | 3:19 am
    In almost every previous recession it has been small businesses that created the job growth that pulled us out of high unemployment.According to the latest poll of small business owners taken by the NFIB, small businesses are not yet moving into job creation mode.Over the next three months, 8 percent of small business owners surveyed plan to reduce employment (down 2 points), and 13 percent plan to create new jobs (up 3 points), yielding a seasonally adjusted net negative 1 percent of owners planning to create new jobs, unchanged and still more firms planning to cut jobs than planning to…

  • Assessment of Entrepreneurship Education Around the Globe

    9 Mar 2010 | 4:41 am
    Education and training for entrepreneurs worldwide is inadequate, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Special Report: A Global Perspective on Entrepreneurship Education and Training, released today at Babson College, lead sponsor and co-founder of the GEM project. Entrepreneurship education is one of several key factors, along with access to finance, government policies, infrastructure, and others, that influence attitudes about entrepreneurship and people's willingness to start businesses, according to GEM. Interviews with experts in 31 countries around the world found…

  • Spring Break

    8 Mar 2010 | 4:57 am
    We are on spring break this week, so my blogging will be a bit lighter than usual.  Taking some time with family, including a trip down to Miami.  And of course, I will be playing a little golf, as well!

  • NFIB Statement on Job Creation by Small Business

    5 Mar 2010 | 8:22 am
    William C. Dunkelberg, chief economist for the National Federation of Independent Business, issued the following statement this morning on February job numbers based on NFIB's monthly economic survey that will be released on Tuesday, March 9. The survey was conducted through February 28 and reflects 799 small business owner respondents: "In February, small business owners reported a seasonally adjusted decline in average employment per firm of negative 0.13 workers during the prior three months, an improvement from the January reading of negative .52 workers per firm.  Ten percent of the…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    College Mogul

  • Startup Lessons From Syracuse University: Vol. 1

    Alex.Lindahl
    17 Feb 2010 | 7:24 pm
    The following is a guest post by Shay Colson, a graduate student at Syracuse University's School of Information Studies, and co-founder of user-based design firm Capesquared. Transitioning from talking about a new business to actually starting one has been one of the most exciting and empowering experiences I've ever had. It hasn't all been smooth, make no mistake, but it's been interesting and engaging throughout. I’d like to write today about some of the (learning) experiences that my business partners and I are having in this crazy entrepreneurship adventure and try to…

  • Part 1: Guide to Creating Products Linked to Social Entrepreneurship

    Alex.Lindahl
    30 Jan 2010 | 2:01 pm
    The following post is by Mershard Frierson, founder of Mojo Body Fuel, a startup that puts a portion of its proceeds towards planting trees and international aid organizations. Mojo Body Fuel is working in Surigao Del Sur, Philippines and Port-au-prince, Haiti. Mershard is 21 and will be graduating from Fisk University in Nashville in May 2010. [Interested in contributing an article to College Mogul? Shoot Alex Lindahl an email.] Studies show that people are much more likely to switch brands if the product influences or relates to social causes. The following is part 1 of a…

  • Interested In Taking Over College Mogul?

    Alex.Lindahl
    12 Jan 2010 | 8:24 pm
    Hi, This is Alex here. I started College Mogul some time ago and have since moved on. It's a bit difficult to stay in the college loop after being out of school for so long. As I'm not sure what to do with this blog, I'm opening this up for suggestions. I'd be willing to entertain the idea of someone else taking this blog over as long as there is a plan in place. In fact, I'd probably much rather see someone take this over then to let it die. If you are interested in taking over College Mogul or have a good idea for what I should do with it - shoot me an email. Otherwise - check out Clean…

  • DailyTailgate: Simple and witty sports info delivered to you

    Miles.Lennon
    31 Aug 2009 | 7:46 pm
    Calling all sports enthusiasts (and people who should know a bit more about sports): there is a new tool on the market worth checking out. DailyTailgate is a refreshingly simple and witty email newsletter that features hot sports topics as well as personalized sports information in your inbox every morning. Each newsletter features a mix of quotes, facts, witty editorial, schedules, results, and analysis giving you the conversation fodder you need to avoid awkward silence during work lunch or appearing clueless in the eyes of your friends. I had a chance to ask Michael Corcoran,…

  • 8 Free Online Entrepreneurial Finance Classes from MIT

    Alex.Lindahl
    21 Aug 2009 | 3:13 pm
    Running a business is never easy, especially if it’s your first time going it on your own. There are a million things to remember, clients to find, employees to be managed and of course, money to be accounted for. If you don’t have much experience managing the finances of a small business, these free courses from big name colleges like MIT can be just what you need to learn about everything from the basics of accounting to more complex economic theory—and everything in between. 1. Business Analysis Using Financial Statements: Take this course to learn more about how to read…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Jun's Startup Life

  • I don’t need a mentor

    JunLoayza
    1 Mar 2010 | 3:00 am
    I’ve never had a mentor.  Sure there are influential people that give me good and bad advice, but there has never been a go to person that I can turn to in my time of need. I personally view a mentor as someone older and more experienced who takes the time to personally give guidance, advice, and takes an emotional investment in your success.  A mentor is someone who follows up with you with an email or phone call to ask how your venture went, or who is able to meet up with you once a month to offer advice via coffee. I’ve never had that. Maybe its my fault.  Maybe I just come…

  • Answer to a reader: I hate my corporate job. Should I become an entrepreneur?

    JunLoayza
    9 Feb 2010 | 3:00 am
    Let me start off by saying that I truly appreciate every email that I get from my readers.  I may not be able to get back to you right away, but if you put time and effort into connecting with me and asking a very good question, then I will put an equal amount of effort in my response.  Hence, the person who emailed me last week gets a blog post and video response because of his sincere email and enthusiasm to connect. If you have any questions about entrepreneurship, relationships, or business, please shoot me an email at me [at] JunLoayza.com and I promise to respond to you with an…

  • How to discipline your clients

    JunLoayza
    28 Jan 2010 | 3:00 am
    I was in the client kickoff call with the Director of SEO and Director of PPC.  After an effective 30-minute conference call, the client asks THE question that will set ALL campaign expectations: “When should we schedule our weekly meetings to discuss the campaign progress?” Director of SEO: “Best times for me are Tuesdays or Thursdays before 11am PST” Director of PPC: “Same here” Me (Director of Social Media): “My team does not schedule weekly meetings with our clients; instead, our Account Managers send weekly reports at the end of each week.  We…

  • When you hit the wall…

    JunLoayza
    26 Jan 2010 | 3:00 am
    Three miles from my house I hit the wall.  I pushed as hard as I could, but my noodle legs had no effect on my forward momentum.  I tightly gripped the handle bars to maintain a straight course, but my trembling and sobbing hands uncontrollably caused the wheels to shake back and forth.  My visioned blurred and every gasp for air was accompanied by dry saliva. Never had I felt so tired.  I screamed at the top of my lungs - a feeble attempt at a kiai - but no matter how much my mind wanted to keep pushing, my body gave up. Slowly I pulled over to the side of the curb, and on a nearby patch…

  • Get ready for your socks to be blown off: the Launch of Untemplater!!!

    JunLoayza
    5 Jan 2010 | 6:00 am
    This is for the professional who drags herself out of bed every morning to go to an unfulfilling job… This is for the undergraduate who can’t decide on a major or career path, and has no idea how to live happily… This is for the family who wants to break free of the routine life but has no idea where to start… If you want to take control of your life, work where you want, live how you want, and be who you want to be, then this is for you. I present to you: Untemplater My posts on Untemplater will focus on how I built an internet company with barely any capital.  You…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Chasing the Storm

  • The Mad-est TED talk you might have heard

    buzzoptima@yahoo.com.sg (Shalabh Pandey)
    27 Feb 2010 | 7:52 pm
    Clifford Stall on Blown up zero volume glass containers, a science experiment and an amazing, possible real life chase story! Click the title for complete post. (twitter.com/shalabhpandey)

  • Singapore Government Social Media Initiatives

    buzzoptima@yahoo.com.sg (Shalabh Pandey)
    19 Feb 2010 | 10:35 pm
    Some marketing initiatives from government aided institutions in Singapore Click the title for complete post. (twitter.com/shalabhpandey)

  • Augmented Reality marketing campaigns

    buzzoptima@yahoo.com.sg (Shalabh Pandey)
    3 Feb 2010 | 7:58 pm
    Showcasing some really cool yet workable Augmented Reality concepts Click the title for complete post. (twitter.com/shalabhpandey)

  • And the winner is…

    buzzoptima@yahoo.com.sg (Shalabh Pandey)
    2 Feb 2010 | 10:50 pm
    We decided the winner of the Final cover layout design. And the winner is... Click the title for complete post. (twitter.com/shalabhpandey)

  • Business Evangelism- meet Malcom Gladwell in Singapore

    buzzoptima@yahoo.com.sg (Shalabh Pandey)
    2 Feb 2010 | 6:50 am
    Meet Malcom Gladwell in Singapore- and a deal for ChasingTheStorm readers Click the title for complete post. (twitter.com/shalabhpandey)
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Growthink

  • Here's Your Chance to Pitch Silicon Valley This May

    Dave Lavinsky
    11 Mar 2010 | 12:14 pm
    A couple weeks ago, Growthink hosted the "Startup Success Secrets" expert teleseminar series. We assembled an impressive group of entrepreneurship experts, including Ken Yancey (CEO of SCORE), Ryan Allis (CEO of iContact), and Bambi Francisco of Vator.tv, among others.If you don't recall, Vator.tv is an online community that allows entrepreneurs to showcase their ventures and communicate with customers, partners, and investors.  I fully recommend that you register at Vator.tv.  But that’s actually NOT why I’m writing today...Today, I'm writing to you about Vator's…

  • "Naked" Replay

    Jay Turo
    5 Mar 2010 | 12:29 pm
    Because of the overwhelming response to our webinar last week on modern brand lessons from Mr. Tom Hicks of Naked Juice and Dr. Sears Family Essentials fame, Tom has graciously agreed to sit for a live replay of the webinar.Special Bonus CommentaryThe webinar will also feature bonus commentary from Mr. Michael Galef, Former Vice President of Marketing and Sales of Emergen-C, and current Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Dr. Sears.An Entrepreneurial Team We LoveDr. Sears Family Essentials - a children's natural foods company inspired and branded by the author of one of the…

  • In Spite of Avatar, The Movie Business is Dead

    Jay Turo
    27 Feb 2010 | 12:52 pm
    Nothing is more important to U.S. consumers than their entertainment choices, but are movies and broadcast TV even relevant  in the new world of entertainment?Or will the convergence of content, internet, mobile applications, games and social media be the onrushing asteroids that will soon destroy the movie dinosaurs?Is it a 3-year fad, or will new technologies like 3-D keep going to the movies from being relegated to the dustbin of history like Vaudeville, the afternoon newspaper, the evening news, the variety show, and the compact-disc?Has the U.S. movie box office - traditionally the…

  • Why Money Can In Fact Grow on Trees

    Dave Lavinsky
    25 Feb 2010 | 8:03 am
    Last night at dinner, as my kids were saying "I want this" and "I want that," I said something that you should never tell your kids.What did I say?I said, "you know, money doesn't grow on trees."Why is this so bad?Well the goal of my saying this was to try to show them the value of money. And that we have to work to make money to spend on the things we want.The bad part of this saying is that it paints the wrong picture. It paints the picture that we can't always get what we want. Which is the polar opposite of the attitude I want my kids, and all of the entrepreneurs reading this today, to…

  • Improve Employee Productivity: An Interview with Ken Lodi on The Bamboo Principle

    Dave Lavinsky
    24 Feb 2010 | 1:33 pm
    This is pretty amazing. After being planted, timber bamboo plants are hardly noticeable above the ground for nearly four years. But once their roots are fully formed around the four-year mark, they can grow a remarkable 80 feet in just six weeks.The key to their amazing growth is their extremely solid foundation. To learn about how emerging companies can create a solid foundation for their businesses, the other day, I interviewed Ken Lodi, creator of The Bamboo Principle.What Ken explained to me is that the solid foundation of a company is rooted around its employees. But, importantly, Ken…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    crowdSPRING Blog

  • crowdSPRING on WGN News

    Ross
    11 Mar 2010 | 7:02 am
    Nice to see Chicago’s WGN talk about crowdSPRING in their news segment last night (at 0:55 of the video). Big thanks to @maltier for letting us know about WGN’s story about crowdSPRING.

  • Satisfaction (guaranteed)

    Ross and Mike
    10 Mar 2010 | 11:38 pm
    Later today begins a new day at crowdSPRING and a new approach to our community. When we launched in May of 2008, we offered buyers a simple guarantee, and made an equally simple promise to creatives. We guaranteed “25 entries or your money back” and promised creatives that when a project reached the 25 entry threshold, someone would be paid. Buyers could be confident that they would have a choice of designs, and Creatives could be comfortable knowing that their interests were being protected. Our guarantee was effective – we refunded a very small percentage of the projects…

  • Twitter Link Roundup #31 – Design, Copywriting, Marketing, Small Business, Social Media And More

    Ross
    10 Mar 2010 | 11:12 pm
    Every day on the crowdSPRING Twitter account and on my own Twitter account, I post links to posts or videos I enjoyed reading or viewing. These posts and videos are about design, startups, entrepreneurship, small business, leadership, social media, marketing, and more! Here are some of the links that I’ve liked and shared this past week! A Guide To Typography On The Web – http://bit.ly/9V601u 15 Logos That Look Like Other Things – http://bit.ly/cBOofx 74 Simply Stunning Line Art Logos For Inspiration – http://bit.ly/axawhE 60 Breathtaking Examples Of Beautiful Typography…

  • U.S. Government Embraces Crowdsourcing

    Ross
    10 Mar 2010 | 2:04 pm
    The White House has embraced crowdsourcing, urging federal agencies in a memo issued on March 8, 2010 to use challenges and prizes to crowdsource innovative approaches to governmental initiatives and programs. Within the next 120 days, the administration will release a web-based platform to manage the government’s crowdsourcing efforts. Some of you might recall that the U.S. House of Representatives recently ran a project on crowdSPRING for the redesign of its website. The project was a phenomenal success and the new design has been launched – you can see it here. Earlier in 2009,…

  • 12 Questions: Meet Bryan Blue S. Cuevas (Philippines)

    Audree
    8 Mar 2010 | 12:30 pm
    In our 12 Questions blog series, we feature interviews with someone from the crowdSPRING community. For these interviews, we pick people who add value to our community – in the blog, in the forums, in the projects. Plainly – activities that make crowdSPRING a better community. Be professional, treat others with respect, help us build something very special, and we’ll take notice. We’re very proud to feature Bryan Blue Cuevas (crowdSPRING username: blueii) today. Blue lives and works in Manila, Philippines. 1. Please tell us about yourself. There’s something about interviews that…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Cerdafied...startups, people & the variety Hour

  • "So...is this a reeeeeelaunch?"

    Michael Cerda
    4 Mar 2010 | 12:47 am
    First off, there's been some confusion about the whole Cc:Betty/Threadbox thing. Cc:Betty was something we began to build on Rails in November 2008 on a hypothesis that a smart email assistant could make email discussions better. It was clever; in some cases too clever for it's own good, however we learned a lot about who cared and why. That led to a forthcoming product called Threadbox, which is a completely, newly built product, using XMPP and jQuery. Threadbox aims to change the way people communicate in workgroups. We want to move people from the fragmented inbox to the harnessed…

  • 23 Feb 2010 | 12:39 pm

    Michael Cerda
    23 Feb 2010 | 12:39 pm
    Cc:Betty -> Threadbox launch en route (check) SXSW Details (check) Demo Details (check) Social Business Edge (check) Under the Radar (check) Microphone (check) Guitar (check)

  • Two things I can't talk about...

    Michael Cerda
    14 Dec 2009 | 11:03 pm
    I'm terrible about blogging when there's something I can't quite talk about yet. It's always that one thing I can't talk about that preoccupies my writing mind. There's been a lot of that this year it seems. -About a month before Cc:Betty raised it's seed round, we had a biz dev deal with a major media and communications company. The deal entailed a special implementation of our product, to reside nicely inside a communications service, but branded as Cc:Betty. It wasn't going to be for our ideal target audience per se, but the placement was going to be worthwhile. About 12 hours before the…

  • the sampling process...get out of the way!

    Michael Cerda
    23 Oct 2009 | 12:41 am
    With Internet products it's always a bonus and in some cases critical to be able to get first time visitors into the sampling process. The sampling process an opportunity to try the product and get some level of gratification and understanding of the value proposition quickly. In some cases, a product is so simple and intuitive, that the sampling process is actually using the product. In other cases, you have to bend over backwards to make it work. (Note to self: if that's the case, overhaul). For instance, when I was at Jangl, we had this ability to let people talk and text on the phone…

  • bad netiquette or social media?

    Michael Cerda
    13 Oct 2009 | 4:41 pm
    Scott Yates of Denver New Technology Examiner has been one of the many writers covering the Google Wave hype of the past couple weeks. He's written some mindful stuff about it actually, and had some insightful stuff to say via comments at a WSJ story this week. It was much to my surprise today when my Google alert for Cc:Betty popup a story from none other than Mr. Yates, citing my company as having bad netiquette. "WTF" I said aloud, and I didn't use the abbreviations. Calling someone's hard work a scam are pretty much fighting words as far as I'm concerned. An excerpt from Mr. Yates…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Spartina.com

  • Legal Docs for Seed Money

    3 Mar 2010 | 11:46 am
    While in the past, technolology Series A financing was over $10 million, today, the starting point is often under $1 million. Legal documents used to create these companies need a new look, and  Ted Wang, an attorney at Fenwick & West, and venture firm Andreessen Horowitz, is providing a new format for these early-stage finacing. The Series Seed documents are designed for fundings of between a couple hundred thousand and $1.5 million. They  simplify the old, huge documents, and are not only smaller, but also available on-line.

  • Meet Paul English and Customer Service

    25 Feb 2010 | 6:32 pm
    Here's an article that is quick to read but lasting in its impact. Paul English is a model of an entrepreneur to know. He walks his talk. His travel company, Kayak, is a great example. He believes the customer comes first, and is willing to answer the phone himself. Of course, we also love the fact that he starts his day with meditation and yoga. Dare we say that perhaps that is one of the contributing factors to his success? Umm..yes, we dare!

  • Startup Metrics

    25 Feb 2010 | 6:27 pm
    We have longed encouraged Internet startup entrepreneurs to create a set of metrics right at the start. This way you can track the health and growth of your company. In this indepth article, David Skok gives a really clear set of examples as to what metrics are imperative if you are a new startup The basic premise is that if you are interested in profits (and who isn't), then layer by layer, you look at the components of profits, what makes up profits, etc. Eventually you can see precisely what you are tracking and why. This article needs to be read slowly, and digested as it is almost like a…

  • Affiliate Marketing

    25 Jan 2010 | 1:10 pm
    For a tech startup, an easy source of revenue can often be using affiliate channels. It does take some work to find them, get them signed up, and pick the ones who reach your target audience. However, in general, results are positive. Here's an article that takes a look at the steps in tapping into the affiliate market. Note that the affiliate information is about half-way down the article. Skip the opening and go right to his tips. You'll find them helpful.

  • Hiring Tips for Startups

    25 Jan 2010 | 1:06 pm
    Here's an interesting perspective on how to hire great employees for your startup: hire people who are already working. This article is worth reading just so you can see if you agree. Personally, it's not necessarily a perfect solution. In the article, Hoffman encourages lots of web recruiting. There is another side: stealing people can bring bad karma. If someone is already working, but unhappy, why haven't they left? Also, there is too much of a stigma placed on someone who is not working. Perhaps they are the ones who have the courage to vote with their feet, and walk out…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Usman Sheikh's Entrepreneurial Journey

  • Big wins all started small

    Usman Sheikh
    21 Feb 2010 | 4:54 pm
    Twitter just crossed 50 million tweets a day! An historic day in the company’s history. Everyone is talking about it these days. This is definitely a position all startups aspire to be at one day. An important point to note is that back in July 07 upto Jun 08 it was not on too many people’s radar. It was just another web service, one that not too many people could understand. The journey from where it was, to where it is today, exemplifies an important factor, which is, that all big wins often do start small. Once upon a time, not too long ago twitter comprised of a handful of…

  • 80/20 Rule and Customers

    Usman Sheikh
    15 Feb 2010 | 11:22 pm
    The 80/20 rule is a powerful framework, one that helps us understand the dynamics between inputs and outputs. The rule asserts, that a minority of causes and inputs of effort, results for the majority of the output. When the rule is applied to a customer base, a skewed imbalance is often seen, where a small minority of customers contribute towards a majority of top line revenue. Many business owners overlook this fact and do not spend enough time and effort in ensuring to give exceptional service to their top 20% of customers. I was reading an article on techcrunch a few days ago regarding…

  • It is All About Your Attitude

    Usman Sheikh
    7 Feb 2010 | 1:51 pm
    Image by JustUptown Life as an entrepreneur is undoubtedly very challenging. One always seems to be on a roller coaster ride, with emotions yoyoing up and down on a regular basis. The other day I was forwarded the letter below, it really made me pause and think. The message is a simple one, yet…so many of us tend not to give it the attention it deserves. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. John is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, ‘If I were any…

  • Book Review: Building Brand Value the Playboy Way

    Usman Sheikh
    30 Jan 2010 | 11:49 am
    Marketing really fascinates me. The ability to get people to buy into your vision and what you are selling is something few people/companies pull off really well. The best way to equip yourself for this is to read about brands and their development. The Playboy story, narrated in this book, guides you through the brand being built to where it is today, along with key marketing principles they followed, and ignored. It walks you through the practical implementation of many concepts, which, if read in isolation are not as clear. A core factor that led to the rise of Playboy in the 50’s,…

  • Just Do It!

    Usman Sheikh
    26 Jan 2010 | 11:00 pm
    These words have been immortalized by the Nike slogan. They were also the first ones that came to mind this morning when I read Brad Feld’s post It’s So Hard When Contemplated In Advance And So Easy When You Do It. After a long time, I instantly connected with a post. The feeling he talks about is one I have been witnessing these last couple of weeks on account of a project that was just not going as planned. We had to finally take it into our own hands to get it done. In the beginning it seemed an insurmountable task. I had no idea how we would take it on. Nonetheless, we put our…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    The Mogul Mom Blog

  • Women Entrepreneurs Rock The World Conference

    Heather Allard
    13 Mar 2010 | 8:01 am
    Taryn Rose to Speak at Women Entrepreneurs Rock the World Conference Premium networking & education event to also feature Lisa Price of Carol’s Daughter and Poppy King New York, NY, March 12, 2010 – Savor the Success, the premium business network for women entrepreneurs, recently announced details of their annual event Women Entrepreneurs Rock the World conference to be held May 5-6, 2010 in New York City. Meet the entrepreneurs who are thriving in this economy.  Women Entrepreneurs Rock the World will be jam-packed with hundreds of compelling stories of women who are building…

  • Weigh-In Wednesday: Where Do You Find Inspiration?

    Heather Allard
    3 Mar 2010 | 12:49 pm
    Today I called my graphic designer (and good friend) Shannon Whealy to answer a question she’d sent me by email yesterday. She wasn’t there. An hour later, she called me on my cell phone. I wasn’t there. So she left this message: “Hi Heather, sorry I missed your call – I was at the bus stop with the kids. I’m heading out with another graphic designer for an inspirational day at a museum, but I’ll have my cell if you want to call back.” An inspirational day? That’s something I’ve never heard of before – and it’s absolutely…

  • 8 Ways To Work Smarter and Be Happier

    Heather Allard
    23 Feb 2010 | 1:45 pm
    This is a guest post by Charlie Gilkey, who shares 8 ways for mom entrepreneurs to work smarter and be happier. Let’s start this with a scenario: It’s 9am. You’ve finally gotten your older kids to school, and your younger ones are at daycare for the morning. You’ve got to pick up the kids from daycare at 12pm, feed them, and then juggle your work with taking care of them until you pick up your older kids at school at 3pm. Dinner’s at 6pm, and your husband can help once he gets home at 5:30pm. After everyone eats, it’s 7pm, so it’s time to start…

  • Don’t Get Burned By Your Lightbulb Moment

    Heather Allard
    20 Feb 2010 | 4:00 pm
    Last week, I read an article on StartUpPrincess.com by Margie Zable Fisher called “How to Get Media Coverage for Your Product”. Step #1 in Margie’s how-to? Have a great product. Clearly, to get media coverage for your product, it’s gotta be a great product. She’s absolutely right about that. Margie then goes on to list some of the elements of a great product–priced right, unique, visually appealing–but doesn’t spend a ton of time on it because her article is focused on getting media coverage for your product. I encourage you to read her article…

  • Weigh-In Wednesday: What Plan Do YOU Need Most Now?

    Heather Allard
    16 Feb 2010 | 11:46 am
    OK, it’s Weigh-In Wednesday and today’s question for you is… What plan do YOU need most right now? What plan would help you most right now? Just some ideas… A business plan A financial plan A time management plan A PR plan A product development plan A social media plan An exercise plan Weigh in below in the comments! Can’t wait to hear your answers! Heather Enjoy & Share Related posts:Something New! Weigh-In Wednesday I’m starting something new here on The Mogul Mom, inspired... Weigh-In Wednesday: Where Do You Find Inspiration? Today I called my graphic…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    SimplyRFiD

  • Asset Tracking Best Practices - First Hand Account

    Ashley Lange
    7 Mar 2010 | 3:55 pm
    After moving to our new office in the previous year, SimplyRFiD is now starting an asset tracking program of our own. While figuring out what to tag and going through the process of tracking those items, we thought it could be instructive to show how we're figuring it all out for ourselves. RFID Tagging Tips Determine what items need to be tagged. We focused on items that cost over $100.  Figure out the material the items are made of. Certain RFID tags can work on metal and and others on non-metal, but figuring that out before actually ordering or printing tags saves time  and…

  • Join us for ISC West 2010 in Las Vegas with a Digital Guest Pass

    Ashley Lange
    3 Mar 2010 | 1:00 pm
    It's hard to find a better event for anyone interested in the security industry than ISC West. Everyone from end-users to dealers, installers and manufacturers can benefit from education, product demonstrations and networking during the event. This year's show takes place at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV. The Education Events take place March 23-25 and the Exhibition March 24-26. Of course, SimplyRFiD will be there, showing off our asset tracking solutions and answering questions about using RFID to solve a variety of problems. If you'd like to join…

  • Asset Tracking Best Practices - Where to Start?

    Ashley Lange
    24 Feb 2010 | 9:09 pm
    The words "Asset Tracking" sounds like intimidating, high-concept business jargon, but in reality all  asset tracking really means is to count how many things of value are present. Are all the items that should be in a certain location there? Are all the things that need to move from point A to point B doing so? Whether it's looking for only one item, or counting thousands and thousands, what asset tracking should ultimately give you is a useful number.  Usefulness of Asset Tracking Why that number is useful might be the next question to answer. Considering the…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    This Skin We're In by Dale Beermann

  • Leadership, sans Followers

    Dale Beermann
    2 Mar 2010 | 10:27 am
    "You don't have to lead a team to be a leader."  This was a quote I heard during an event that I was helping organize for the local young professional organization.  It made me realize that I have been taking advantage of opportunities that I didn't even realize were opportunities.I'm not sure that I'd be a great, or even a good manager.  I interact really well with people but that doesn't mean that I can lead a large team effectively.  Maybe I would, but I've never been given the chance.  However, the opportunities that I have been given have been of a slightly different nature.I'm a…

  • Building your own Gaming Company: an Interview with Muse Games

    Dale Beermann
    11 May 2009 | 7:29 am
    This is a guest post by Bukola Ekundayo, a.k.a. Ms. Pixel.  Bukola is an independent marketing consultant specializing in social media and digital and brand management consulting and a contributing writer to SocialCorp: Social Media Goes Corporate (Voices That Matter).  She's also an avid gamer, and Ms. Pixel and I share a close interest in gaming startups.Muse Games is a small startup in New York creating web-based 3D games.  They were kind enough to do an interview with Ms. Pixel to be posted here.  Ms. Pixel: Tell me the story of Muse games Muse Games: We started two years ago with a…

  • Understanding an Entrepreneur's Passion

    Dale Beermann
    14 Apr 2009 | 7:34 pm
    I've written before about what I believe it means to be an entrepreneur. To me, it's a desire to innovate and grow. It's also a desire to avoid failure. This isn't to be confused with having a fear of failure.   Most people will never get out on their own and start a company if they're hampered by a fear of failure. Rather, those that do start their own companies do everything in their power to keep them running. Recently, the story of StumbleUpon made me think about this again. StumbleUpon was bought back by its original founders, with some help from a few new investors. There is a…

  • On MsPixel.com: Coming of Age in the Gaming Industry

    Dale Beermann
    8 Apr 2009 | 9:02 am
    I wrote a little guest post over at MsPixel.com.  I don't write much about the gaming industry so this was a great outlet for me to talk about something that's been running around in my head lately.  Please head on over and check it out.  Here's a little tidbit:"At the pop culture family gathering the gaming industry sits at the kids’ table.  In order for gaming to grow up and prepare its own plate of food, the industry needs to be criticized in the same way as music, movies, and television. "Read the rest...

  • Your Blog's True Identity

    Dale Beermann
    1 Apr 2009 | 6:16 pm
    If you haven't played around with Wordle, go now.  And then come back.The image above is a word cloud of text from my RSS feed.  There are a lot of things that you can learn from a visualization like this, so let's break mine down:Category AnalysisIt's easy to see that I write about entrepreneurship. I've done a decent job of staying on topic but I can also see the other themes that I talk about: blogging, careers; education; and writing.  If you have categories on your blog this can help you better determine what they should be.  In my case, the categories don't match the content too…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    The Entrepreneurial MD

  • Physician business owners - find (or create!) happiness at work

    Philippa Kennealy
    12 Mar 2010 | 1:36 pm
    I've long been a fan of Professor Srikumar Rao, the author of "Are You Ready for Success?" (reviewed here) and the soon to be released "Happiness at Work: Be Resilient, Motivated, and Successful - No Matter What". I love the measured calm and reassurance of his written voice as he reminds us over and over about what really matters. He was kind enough to send me an advance copy of "Happiness at Work" and I was so inspired by the topic and his book that I invited him to be my March Business Development teleclass guest. To my delight, he said yes! I feel passionately that, as physicians who have…

  • How to ensure your idea for an entrepreneurial physician business idea doesn't suck!

    Philippa Kennealy
    9 Mar 2010 | 2:33 pm
    Doctors are full of ideas for businesses. It must be all that frustrated creativity manifesting in the shower! Not all of these ideas, however, will make for a sound entrepreneurial physician business. So how then do you know whether your idea is any good? The Harvard Business Review Newsletter has a few tips for evaluating your physician business opportunity that resonate with what I teach, so here they are in a nutshell. A viable business needs to: Resolve a problem, address a pain or respond to a desire or need that exists "out there" (in the marketplace) Have folks in your target market…

  • Apple customer service provides lessons for physician business owners

    Philippa Kennealy
    7 Mar 2010 | 12:17 pm
    An email exchange last week with an Apple customer service staff member about an iTunes account problem provided me with enough fodder to acknowledge just how impressive a company Apple is when you dig behind the perfect design of their products (despite my Android phone!). This excerpt from the first reply went like this: Hello Philippa,My name is Bev and I understand that the following items x, y and z are not showing up in your iTunes list. I can definitely see your concern and I will be happy to help.Since this was cause by changing iPods, I have gone ahead and posted those missing items…

  • 5 steps to creating your first entrepreneurial physician information product

    Philippa Kennealy
    5 Mar 2010 | 1:23 pm
    The Entrepreneurial MD Newsletter's article for March is about as pragmatic as one can get! It's devoted to answering a question I'm frequently asked by my physician (and non-physician) coaching clients: "If I want to create an information product to sell (or to use as a marketing tool), how do I going about doing it?" Creating information products, be they digital downloads or even physical CDs, is simple enough that I have distilled the process into 5 steps that anyone with a tech-savvy teenager in the house or neighborhood or an interest and a dash of technical skill could follow to create…

  • Two tasty morsels for your physician business

    Philippa Kennealy
    2 Mar 2010 | 11:43 am
    Two emails came across my desk yesterday, each with part 1 of a 5-part series that I thought you'd find valuable as you look to ways to form, and succeed at, your entrepreneurial physician venture or medical practice. The first is article 1, "Forming a Sole Proprietorship" in a 5-weekly series from the Wall Street Journal Online on what the best legal entity is for your new company and business, whether you're starting a business from home or opening a large-scale operation. In their words: Don't underestimate the importance of your choice, as the legal entity you choose will affect how much…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Business Startup Success Club

  • 5 Tips for Backing Up Your QuickBooks Data

    admin
    8 Mar 2010 | 4:51 am
    Guest Post by Shannon Tucker My phone rings, and I’m talking with a QuickBooks user about their catastrophe: QuickBooks won’t open – it gets fatal errors – and the auditors are coming in two days. Me: “How is your backup situation?” Customer: “Not so good. I thought someone else was taking care of that, but it turns out [...]

  • The Truth About Making Money On-line

    Sheryl
    2 Mar 2010 | 5:17 am
    Learn the truth about making money on-line. I’ll be leading a free workshop in Indianapolis where I’ll answer your questions about starting an on-line business. Details are here. Please share this information with others who might be interested. Thanks. Social Bookmarking

  • Home Energy Tax Credits (IRS video w/subtitles, ASL)

    Sheryl
    1 Mar 2010 | 5:03 am
    Social Bookmarking

  • When is That Meal Tax Deductible?

    Sheryl
    28 Feb 2010 | 2:55 pm
    There’s a lot of confusion among taxpayers about what meal and entertainment expenses they can legitimately deduct as business expenses on their tax returns. Professional tax preparers aren’t in complete agreement on the subject either. Not too surprising, considering the length and complexity of the Internal Revenue Code. As I said in an earlier article, in [...]

  • Where to Report Your Business Tax Deductions

    Sheryl
    22 Feb 2010 | 12:36 pm
    The answer to the question “Where do I report my business tax deductions?” depends on three factors: The legal structure of your business The tax form(s) you file The type of expense you’re reporting Since most small business are either unincorporated sole proprietorships or single member LLCs, I’ll answer the question for those entities. For both of these [...]
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    FairSoftware's Blog

  • A Memorable Co-Founders MeetUp

    Alain Raynaud
    12 Mar 2010 | 4:23 pm
    Yesterday was the third Co-Founders MeetUp of Silicon Valley, which set a new attendance record of 120 people. 12 startups pitched their idea with the goal to attract co-founders. The quality of the ideas was very high. Another thing I liked is that this MeetUp truly opens my mind: it’s like a giant idea brainstorming session. It’s captivating. I always learn something new and exciting and find new ideas that I can apply to my own startup. Next time, we’ll try to do even better and make sure we the right mix of technical co-founders. As I remind all the presenters…

  • HARO vs. PrManna: Out of Control Lawyers

    Alain Raynaud
    1 Mar 2010 | 2:11 pm
    If I am to believe this blog post, HelpAReporter, a web site that helps journalists connect with sources, has sent a threatening legal letter to a free competitor called PRManna: From the blog post summary: I stole his idea (bullshit, his service was a mailing list when I built PRManna, and there are tons of sites for this purpose) They’re demanding that I transfer ownership of PRManna.com to Peter Shankman’s company I am a HARO user. The first thing this news prompted me to do is register with PRManna. Then I sent an e-mail to HARO asking if this is true (I have no reason to doubt the…

  • Do I Need a Co-Founder: The 90/50 Rule of Startup Founders

    Alain Raynaud
    1 Feb 2010 | 7:19 am
    Do you wonder if your startup could benefit from having a co-founder? Some people are worried that adding a co-founder will slow them down, it will take too much time to discuss everything. They also think they can pretty much figure out everything on their own so why take the risk to add a co-founder? Statistics on the question are inconclusive. The answer is to apply the 90/50 rule for co-founders. If you tend to agree 90% of the time with your potential co-founder, form a team. If you tend to agree about 50% of the time, keep off, it would kill your startup. Why? You are smart. You can…

  • Opt-Out Policy Gone Wrong: The Google Way

    Alain Raynaud
    14 Jan 2010 | 3:38 am
    I hate spam. Opt-out is the minimum that I expect from all decent sites. Opt-in would be nicer. Imagine my surprise when I received the following card in the mail: When I opted-out, I thought I was sending a clear message to the company that I didn’t want them to contact me and send me adverts and other junk I don’t need. But it looks like smart lawyers found a loophole: apparently I only opted-out of receving e-mail communications. I didn’t opt-out of receiving regular mail, phone calls, personal visits at night, or being followed by car everywhere I go. Standing outside my…

  • Ask: I own a great domain name, how can I turn it into a business?

    Alain Raynaud
    5 Jan 2010 | 11:01 am
    Question: I own a valuable dot-com domain, but I’m not a programmer. I think it could sell for a million dollars someday, with the proper traffic. What sould I do? A: The basic idea here is to build a site to take advantage of the great domain name. By going on FairSoftware and listing your site, you should be able to find a technical co-founder who can program your site or develop content for what is currently a parked domain. Let’s assume it works out pretty well and the combination of the domain name plus the site content becomes successful. An acquirer comes along and offers…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    IDDICTIVE.COM

  • Are Middle-of-the-Road Web Designers an Endangered Species? (and What Can They Do About It?)

    Mark Nagurski
    13 Mar 2010 | 12:01 am
    If you’re a web designer please do not take any offence at what I’m about to say but your business model is about to get broken. Don’t get me wrong, great web designers will always find and do great, creative and useful work. I’m talking about the guys and girls in the middle of the pack (or even moreso the bottom). The designers doing simple web design work for small businesses but not really bringing anything new to the table. What’s Wrong with the Status Quo For more than a decade, local web design companies have been able to make a decent crust by developing…

  • UNIKEA: Hacking Flatpack Furniture into Custom Design

    Mark Nagurski
    12 Mar 2010 | 3:19 am
    I’ve written here before about small companies that piggyback their businesses on the size and brand awareness of another – including three IKEA-related businesses. Pictured above, UNIKEA (unique IKEA), a made-to-order range of furniture from London-based designer Kenyon Yeh, takes this idea in a different direction creating “personal identity from ubiquitous uniformity”. “I have assembled the pieces from a standard IKEA flat pack without following the instructions. Instead, I have simply composed the kits into customized furniture to suit my personal preference,…

  • Tell Me Why You Started Your Business – Get a Plug

    Mark Nagurski
    10 Mar 2010 | 10:58 pm
    Pic: Flowers&Fleurons Why Did You Start? Thanks to everyone who answered our quick survey a few weeks ago about what topics you’d like us to cover. One of the fave replies was ‘inspiration’ and more particularly what motivates entrepreneurs to start their businesses. I think this is a cracking idea. Personally I’ve learned far more about business from conversations with entrepreneurs than you could ever fit into a textbook on the subject. So, with that in mind, I’m setting out to ask as many interesting, innovative and unconventional entrepreneurs as I can…

  • Fiverr: What Would You Do for $5?

    Mark Nagurski
    10 Mar 2010 | 6:41 am
    Pic: spencermann Five bucks isn’t a lot of money – but it’ll still buy you a bite to eat, a cold beer or even your very own personal monster designed and delivered in sticker form (above). Fiverr.com is a marketplace where people offer to do things for $5 – and it’s suprising what you can get for your money: A sticker monster A custom rap song on any subject Someone to sing the entire cheeky girls song A random object from somebody’s house (US only) Someone to phone your ex-partner and tell them they’re bad in bed There are also plenty of more mundane…

  • Packlate: Niche Travel Site with Deep Discounts

    Mark Nagurski
    9 Mar 2010 | 11:51 pm
    You would think that sites like Expedia and TripAdvisor had the online travel world more or less sewn up. But every now and again a new site pushes its head above the parapet and starts to carve out its own little niche. Given the amount of coverage its received in The Washington Post, New York Times and The Wall Street Journal (amongst others) Packlate.com might just be one of the lucky few that does just that. And like so many good ideas, PackLate is surprisingly simple. Best described as a last minute vacation rental marketplace, Packlate works with vacation property managers to take their…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Ops gone wild - rants and raves from the startup trenches

  • Earned vs. need-based loyalty – The Operations Guy post

    Apolinaras Sinkevicius
    13 Mar 2010 | 12:12 am
    Earned vs. need-based loyalty – The Operations Guy post is a post from: Lean Startup Blog - rants and raves from the startup trenches. Call me old fashioned, but I cringe every time I hear another claim about how we are moving into the age of “careerism” and “just in time staffing”. Why? Because we always hear about this fad right at the tail end of every downturn.  It’s like herpes spread by some “experts” who never had to operate a company.I am yet to see a substitute for a loyal team – during bad and good times. Earned loyalty takes time to build, compared to…

  • Dangers of big titles – The Operations Guy post

    Apolinaras Sinkevicius
    9 Mar 2010 | 11:04 am
    Dangers of big titles – The Operations Guy post is a post from: Lean Startup Blog - rants and raves from the startup trenches. In 2007, I was interviewing with a later stage stealth startup in Boston. During my conversation with one of the co-founders, I asked about her title. Her answer has stuck with me to this day. She said: “if you are in a startup and have a title, you are not doing enough work“! This sentiment resonated with me and made me think about why big titles are so dangerous.I have worked for several very innovative “flat hierarchy” companies, where…

  • Change is in the air! Time to pivot.

    Apolinaras Sinkevicius
    3 Mar 2010 | 1:43 pm
    Change is in the air! Time to pivot. is a post from: Lean Startup Blog - rants and raves from the startup trenches. I’ve recently been thinking about how I can further help the readers of this blog and earn even more good “business Karma”. Several of you have mentioned that you’d like a broader range of topics covered on this blog, so I have decided to take LeanStartups.com to the next level by expanding it and adding guest bloggers to my team. As we like to say in the world of startups – time to pivot.I am actively looking for passionate practitioners of marketing, finance,…

  • How a foosball table can kill your startup – part two

    Apolinaras Sinkevicius
    15 Feb 2010 | 1:39 pm
    How a foosball table can kill your startup – part two is a post from: Lean Startup Blog - rants and raves from the startup trenches. Since an article I wrote in June of 2009 called “How a foosball table can kill your startup” is still sparking attention and conversation, I think the time is ripe for me to expand on the topic. Yes, I still believe that tchotchke “benefits” do nothing but waste money.  Instead, use your resources to attract new, retain your best talent, and improve your team’s happiness.Here are additional issues for us to consider:If we tracked the usage of…

  • Beefing up your lean marketing

    Apolinaras Sinkevicius
    7 Feb 2010 | 9:36 pm
    Beefing up your lean marketing is a post from: Lean Startup Blog - rants and raves from the startup trenches. Guest blogger Greg StrosakerGuest blog post by Greg Strosaker As the Lean Startups blog grows, I want to start bringing in other subject matter experts to help better serve my readers. Therefore, I am very excited to introduce Greg Strosaker as my first guest contributor. Greg, who previously worked for 13 years with General Electric as an engineer, has spent the past four years heading up marketing at several small- to mid-size material and industrial equipment firms.  Greg also…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Xconomy

  • Alliance of Angels Director: 2010 Is “A Great Time To Be Starting Something”

    Gregory T. Huang
    12 Mar 2010 | 3:47 pm
    Angel Capital, startups, trends Gregory T. Huang wrote: Angels have been in the air lately—especially around the Northwest. Last month, Atlas Accelerator hosted what might have been the largest-ever gathering of active angel investors in Seattle, at its first investor open house. Wings, a new angel group to invest in medical devices and software, has gotten started. Last week, there were prominent angel investment forums organized by Zino Society (in Seattle) and the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (in Portland). And just today, the Alliance of Angels is finishing up hosting the Angel…

  • Great Expectations Along the Columbia River, as PNNL Reels In Big Energy Problems

    Luke Timmerman
    12 Mar 2010 | 1:30 pm
    energy, people, cleantech Luke Timmerman wrote: There’s a billion-dollar-a-year research operation in the middle of Washington state, with 4,600 staff, working on some of the biggest energy challenges in the world. Yet very few of the locals know a thing about it. And while it hasn’t solved the world’s energy woes, people should start counting on breakthroughs to emerge from there, according to one of the lab’s leaders. “You should have some high expectations of us,” said J. Michael Davis, the associate laboratory director in the Energy and Environment…

  • Olympia: Don’t Crush Biotech With New Taxes

    Robert Nelsen
    12 Mar 2010 | 12:58 pm
    Biotech, Politics, Jobs Robert Nelsen wrote: Washington’s economy is showing signs of recovery. But some major problems persist—unemployment is stuck at a historic high and healthcare costs continue to skyrocket. The biotechnology industry can help alleviate both these problems. Washington is already a major hub of new biotech research and products. Boosting this sector will deliver our state—and our nation—from this economic slump. And if we don’t support it, others such as China and British Columbia are calling those of us in the investment community and asking…

  • ActiveTrak Funded by ProtectCell

    Gregory T. Huang
    12 Mar 2010 | 11:27 am
    deals, startups, Mobile Gregory T. Huang wrote: Portland, OR-based ActiveTrak, a maker of software that helps consumers recover lost or stolen laptops and mobile phones, announced this week it has raised its first round of funding, led by strategic investor ProtectCell, a mobile security and insurance firm based in Michigan. The investment is $500,000, as reported by TechFlash. ActiveTrak (formerly known as GadgetTrak) has been operating since 2007 and is led by founder Ken Westin. Comments | Reprints | Share:        

  • Ligand Drug OK’d in Europe

    Luke Timmerman
    12 Mar 2010 | 9:55 am
    Biotech, Drugs, Autoimmune Luke Timmerman wrote: San Diego-based Ligand Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: LGND) said today that its partner, GlaxoSmithKline, has won clearance to start marketing a new drug for a platelet deficiency in Europe. The treatment, eltrombopag (Revolade), is for patients for idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP), a rare bleeding disorder in which the immune system attacks platelet cells that help people form clots. The drug, discovered by Ligand and developed by GSK, was approved in the U.S. in November 2008, and is marketed under the brand name Promacta. Comments |…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Jim Kukral - Small Business Consultant

  • New Affiliate Marketing Course from University of San Francisco Online

    jim@jimkukral.com (Jim Kukral)
    8 Mar 2010 | 3:37 pm
    In 2009 I was asked by the good people at the University of San Francisco to facilitate the creation of a new online course on the topic of Affiliate Marketing. As you know, I’ve been involved in the affiliate marketing industry for close to 10-years, having produced my first affiliate site way back when. I also work as the emcee for the largest learning and convention in the space called the Affiliate Summit. Today I’m proud to announce that the course is now available for sale, with a $100 coupon! You can register or learn more about it here. Want more information? Here’s…

  • Why Do I Still Care About Twitter Numbers?

    jim@jimkukral.com (Jim Kukral)
    3 Mar 2010 | 11:28 am
    Because my customers, you know, the small business owners and the corporate executives who pay me to speak and do consulting and buy my books… do care. Enough said. Louis Gray is right though, “we”, the social media/Internet geeks that play the most in this sandbox, do in fact need a new metric to look at besides numbers. But sorry, the rest of the world, the people who pay us money and look to us for guidance aren’t ready for it. They like seeing those juicy numbers. To them, it’s credibility. It’s status. Think I’m wrong, tell me why. Uploaded with…

  • I’m Not As Smart As Chris Brogan

    jim@jimkukral.com (Jim Kukral)
    1 Mar 2010 | 7:35 pm
    He’s a maniac. Every time he opens up his mouth, or his fingers on a blog post, I sit back and I have the same thoughts in my head over and over (below in blockquote). “I can’t be this dude. He’s too good. He’s got all the right words and knows how to deliver them the right way.” I mean, watch this video and try to live up to this. But it’s ok that I can’t be Chris, and here’s why. I’m just trying to be myself. Years and years ago I was still under the spell of thinking that I needed to duplicate what other people did in order to be…

  • You Are Awesome

    jim@jimkukral.com (Jim Kukral)
    26 Feb 2010 | 12:10 pm
    My friend Warren Whitlock sent me this great short movie today called Validation. Have a watch below, it’s worth it. Remember, you are awesome. If nobody else will tell you that. I will.

  • Real Women Do Social Media – Giveaway!

    jim@jimkukral.com (Jim Kukral)
    22 Feb 2010 | 4:47 am
    Ladies… do you do social media? Now’s your chance! My good friend, and super-smart and awesome person, Lena West has just released her new course for women called “Real Women Do Social Media“. Essentially, it’s a program for women to learn the in’s and outs of social media. Here’s some info about it. Thus starts yet another year of hearing about social media. It works. It doesn’t. Don’t do this. Do that. Never do THAT! Always do THIS! At this point, you’re not even concerned with what other people are doing; you’d like to…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Information Marketing

  • Introducing My New Business Card

    saripalli
    9 Mar 2010 | 5:56 pm
    There is one thing that I have not done in my business in the last two years, i.e, pass my business card around at the seminars & events. The truth is, I never had one by choice. The last time around when I created a business card it was just a basic one with my [...]

  • Embrace Life: One Of The Best Marketing Videos Of All Times

    saripalli
    5 Mar 2010 | 8:26 am
    I’m sure this video will put tears into your eyes, will make your heart heavy. This is one of the best marketing messages I have seen lately. Hats off to the marketing genius who created this This video has been viewed by over 2 million visitors on youtube. Bookmark it! Hide Sites

  • SriniSaripalli.com Turns Two

    saripalli
    3 Mar 2010 | 1:47 pm
    2004 marked the beginning of the creation of www.SriniSaripalli.com. My, how time flies. It wasn’t until March 2008, that the wordpress blog really made an impact on the site and delivers everything that you now see today. Communication and marketing skills go hand in hand in delivering any type of product and [...]

  • Your Income Is A Direct Outcome Of The Value You Bring To The Marketplace.

    saripalli
    16 Feb 2010 | 2:28 pm
    You might have heard this saying “Income Reflects Value” in other words your income is a direction reflection of the value you bring to the marketplace. On this video today, I share a small idea that made a major shift in my business. I hope you will appreciate it and if you do, please [...]

  • Insider Secret To Delivering Back-To-Back Knock-Out Presentations

    saripalli
    15 Feb 2010 | 9:29 pm
    A while ago one of my seminar attendees asked, how I prepare myself leading into a presentation. I shared several techniques with him, but he liked this technique the most. I thought I would create a video and share it with all. On this video I show you how to record your presentations and [...]
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    This is going to be Big

  • Everything I didn’t learn about startups as a VC (…or why VCs don’t make good entrepreneurs)

    Charlie O'Donnell
    13 Mar 2010 | 12:07 pm
    There are a lot of great venture capitalists who started out as entrepreneurs like Vinod Khosla or Josh Kopelman.  Going the other way, however, seems to be a bit tougher.  In fact, I don’t really know anyone who has successfully gone the other way.  Many entrepreneurs turned VCs wind up going back, but to start out on the investment side and then successfully launch a company seems to happen much less frequently.  There are exceptions to everything, of course, but as someone who started out in venture and investing (GM pension, then Union Square Ventures) and then…

  • People Recommendation vs. Content Recommendation

    Charlie O'Donnell
    10 Mar 2010 | 7:25 am
    Content recommendation for years has been a startup graveyard.  Sure, a few companies like Sphere/Surphace  and StumbleUpon have been able to get out—but the number of folks who have tried to solve this is vast.  I feel it’s sort of like the carnival basketball game—where they put a hoop like four feet from you and tell you that you can win a big prize if you get one in on three shots.  The only thing you don’t realize is that the rim is bent and narrowed in a way that you can’t see and no one ever gets one in.  It feels like someone should be able to do…

  • Perhaps a slight oversimplification of my job, but I'll take the compliment

    Charlie O'Donnell
    9 Mar 2010 | 11:42 pm
    First Round Capital could do zero deals in New York over the next 12 months and they would still have a major impact on the NY startup scene because they’re paying Charlie O’Donnell to hang out in the Ace Hotel Lobby and chat with any entrepreneur who walks up to him. Charlie and the rest of the emerging investor class in NYC are guys who can and will connect the finance guys to the media guys, the tech wonks to the policy wonks and the creatives to the quants. And that’s huge. From Brad Hargreaves BTW...  I'm super excited about First Round's office opening…

  • A practical guide to a first board meeting: Advice from the pros

    Charlie O'Donnell
    3 Mar 2010 | 10:12 am
    As I prep for my first Backupify board meeting, I asked more experienced pros for their take on setting the right tone and starting things off right for productive board participation.  Here’s what I got back: David Hornick, August Capital: "Here's some anti-advice.  When I first invested in VideoEgg I was really excited about the company and thrilled to be working with them...  I was so excited about the company that I was overly-active in the board meeting, to say the least.  I talked over the entrepreneurs.  I talked over the other board members.  I…

  • Five common misconceptions about building a startup in New York City

    Charlie O'Donnell
    1 Mar 2010 | 3:03 pm
    It’s really difficult for me not to get into the thick of discussions about whether or not you can and/or should build a company in New York City.  I grew up here, went to school here, and have worked hard over the last 5+ years to help build up the NYC innovation community.  I’m extremely passionate about the topic and so when my city gets picked on, I tend to respond confidently and with the same (and sometimes greater) force than I perceive the complaint to have.  And sure, there’s a little bit of bull in a china shop in me—but if I didn’t have that, I wouldn’t…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Entrepreneurs-Journey.com by Yaro Starak

  • Horizontal Or Vertical Business Models: Which Is Right For You?

    http://ReplytoYaro.com (Yaro Starak)
    11 Mar 2010 | 10:08 pm
    I recently received this unsolicited email from Craig Shinney (slightly edited to protect identities) – I just wanted to write to tell you that about one year ago, I started getting into Internet marketing and experimenting with all sorts of different methods of the various types of blogs and tools that all the different marketers recommend. It was an amazing journey. The reason I’m writing is to say that you were the first “expert” to catch my attention. I read through your archives almost religiously before branching out to other marketers. After putting up a bunch…

  • Do You Want A Copy Of My Definitive Guide To SEO For Bloggers?

    http://ReplytoYaro.com (Yaro Starak)
    10 Mar 2010 | 5:03 am
    It was early 2006. I had been blogging for over a year and felt I had achieved something. My blog had recently surpassed 1,000 RSS subscribers (what is RSS), making it at the time the most popular website I had ever built. The income was solid – up to $2,000 a month at best – and it was growing. I loved what I was doing. My plan, based on all the Internet marketing advice I studied from the experts to “create a product”, was to start by releasing an ebook to test the waters as my first product. I had already begun to grow my email list, focusing on the idea of teaching…

  • Why You Need Your Own Product – Membership Site Mastermind Open

    http://ReplytoYaro.com (Yaro Starak)
    8 Mar 2010 | 10:44 pm
    Rather than throw you head first into my very long sales page for the opening of Membership Site Mastermind, I’m going to show you just the video here on my blog, to help keep you on focus . This video was taken directly from my sales page, however it’s full of great content – not just a pitch – including my story about why I decided to launch a membership site after spending the previous year writing an ebook (which I still haven’t released!), how I launched my membership site and why I think it’s so important you sell your own product online if you want…

  • Joanna Martin Explains How She Did A $60K Launch With A Tiny Email List

    http://ReplytoYaro.com (Yaro Starak)
    4 Mar 2010 | 4:07 pm
    Press play to begin streaming the audio or right click the text link and choose save as or save link. Download the MP3 [ 40 Minutes - 55 MB ] Dr Joanna Martin used to be a practicing medical doctor in Tasmania, then left that role to become an aspiring actor. Today she is a professional speaker focusing specifically on how to sell from the stage. Joanna makes incredible money, to the tune of a seven figure business, by speaking around the world, however that’s not what this interview is about. In late 2009 Joanna and her husband Greg were at an Internet marketing event I attended and we…

  • How Stable Is Your Online Income

    http://ReplytoYaro.com (Yaro Starak)
    1 Mar 2010 | 11:29 pm
    I’ve made some form of income from the Internet for the past ten years. That’s incredible for me to consider, as I look back over the years how for such a long time I felt very insecure about where my next paycheck was going to come from and whether there would be another one the following month. For the first five years, roughly from 2000 to 2005, my income from the Internet varied, reflecting the choices I had made and my own variable focus. It went something like this… I made spare change money selling stuff from around my house on eBay I played a card game called Magic:…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Men With Pens

  • How to Avoid Wasting Your Blog Client’s Money

    Taylor
    11 Mar 2010 | 10:00 pm
    There are people out there that have been readers for a long time – they’re like old friends by now, and I’m always glad to see them. One of those old friends is Rebecca Laffar-Smith, who tossed me a guest post that I think carries a pretty cool message worth thinking about. Enjoy! We’ve all heard the hype that every business must have a blog. And many online copywriters are thrilled to land a new blogging gig – so thrilled they rarely pause to wonder if writing for their client’s blog is really the best investment of that person’s marketing budget. Have…

  • Three Reasons You Need to Convince Newbies They Need a Website

    James
    9 Mar 2010 | 10:00 pm
    We recently started a side project working with people who have never had a website, a blog, or anything that requires more than opening an email – and sometimes they can’t even do that. They’re all small business owners. When I spoke with them about their business, they all had one common question: “Why is having a website such a big deal?” Most people asking this question smile and nod when you tell them they really need a website, but most of them are thinking, “This person is trying to sell me something I don’t need. I’ve been doing fine for the past 10…

  • What Happens to Your Website If You Die?

    James
    8 Mar 2010 | 2:37 am
    My great-aunt passed on this winter. We thought everything would be quite simple – read the will, carry out her last wishes and move on. Things weren’t so simple. We found her will, and the executor named within let everyone know the details of it. He made arrangements and began carrying out my great aunt’s last wishes. And while going through her paperwork, the executor found another will. This will was different from the first – considerably so. It didn’t even list the same executor. So, the new executor had to contact a lot of people and do some backtracking, then…

  • How to Succeed in Freelancing: Say No to Solo

    James
    4 Mar 2010 | 10:00 pm
    This is the fifth and final post in a special five-part series on using the magic of yes and no to earn more money, better clients and work you really love to do. Click here to read the other articles in the series: Why you should say no to your clients Learn how to make more money while working less Discover how to set rates for your freelance business How to feel relaxed with your schedule Then sit back and enjoy today’s post on how to get even more out of your freelance business than you thought possible. You’ll be taking your freelance career to the next level in no time.

  • How to Succeed in Freelancing: Say No to Fast Work

    James
    3 Mar 2010 | 10:00 pm
    This is the fourth post in a special five-part series on using the magic of yes and no to earn more money, better clients and work you really love to do. Click here to read more on how to say no to clients, click here to how to work less and earn more, or click here to discover how you can get the rates you deserve. Then sit back and enjoy today’s post on how to turn down clients and still be successful. You’ll be relaxing your way to a freelance business that lets you breathe and still pay the bills. Ah, the rush job. A client emails you in a panic and the tone is so urgent that…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    OnStartups

  • Inbound Networking: 42 People I Want To Connect With at SXSW

    Dharmesh Shah
    10 Mar 2010 | 7:35 am
    I’m going to be presenting at the big and boisterous SXSW conference in Austin, Texas this Saturday.  I’ll be talking about Inbound Marketing.  More specifically, I’ll be talking about some insider lessons we’ve learned building a marketing machine at HubSpot.  We’ll even be sharing some relatively confidential data.  The session is at 11:30 a.m. on the Day Stage. Here are the details: Inbound Marketing at SXSW In any case, from what I hear, the event is supposed to be lots of fun, but huge.  As an introvert, I’m generally not a big fan…

  • The 10 Most Tempting Software Startup Categories

    Dharmesh Shah
    1 Mar 2010 | 3:55 am
    I’ve been in the software startup business for a long time.   One thing I have found interesting is that amongst first-time software entrepreneurs, certain “patterns” of applications kept recurring.  Time and time again, entrepreneurs are tempted by one of these application categories.  Not that it’s always a bad thing — I just found it curious.  1. Project Management / Time Tracking / Bug Tracking This is likely because the developer had to work at some point with existing software that just sucked and thought “Hey, I can build something…

  • Why I Wish My Competitors Well And You Should Too

    Dharmesh Shah
    22 Feb 2010 | 6:32 am
    I’m going to start with a story — which includes a confession.  When I started my first company, I didn’t start with a grand mission.  The idea behind the business wasn’t transformational.  It wasn’t going to change the world.  Historians weren’t going to write about it after I was dead.  And all of that was OK.  Even though there was no grand mission — I was solving a problem and meeting a market need that I cared about.  Wait, let me clarify that a bit.  I cared in the sense that if I didn’t solve it, I was…

  • Why Venture Capitalists Avoid Innovation: They Like Making Money

    Dharmesh Shah
    18 Feb 2010 | 4:33 am
    The following is a guest post from Andy Singleton, the founder of Assemba.  Assembla provides online workspaces for distributed software teams, and helps many startups build their products.  Any given innovation is much more likely to fail than to succeed.  Innovation as a whole may even be unprofitable for the innovators.  Fortunately, we keep doing it, because in economic terms, innovations are durable (they last forever) and non-rivalrous (anybody can use them), so over the long term, society benefits a lot from the successful innovations.  As a society, we look…

  • 9 Quick Tips Learned While Raising $33 Million In Venture Capital

    Dharmesh Shah
    7 Feb 2010 | 11:48 pm
    As the market improves, my guess is that many of you will likely be thinking about raising funding for your company.  With my latest startup, I’m now a venture-backed startup founder (I’ve raised $33 million in three rounds of capital for my marketing software company).  So, I’ve got some direct experience with the process.  Several of the companies I’m an angel investor in or otherwise involved with have also been in the fund-raising process.  So, along the way, I’ve learned a few things, and I’d like to share them with you.  There’s…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Startup Meme

  • Social Networks Like Facebook And Twitter Continue To Gain Popularity As Marketing Tools Amongst Firms

    Sardar Mohkim Khan
    10 Mar 2010 | 9:48 am
    When you talk about success of one platform and more importantly hear how every Tom, Dick and Harry is nibbling advantage off it, the bigger names tend to speed up their activity on the same. Facebook therefore is no exception. We have seen how big brands are using social networks to their advantage, leveraging the massive population they pull towards them. Examples would include brands like Adidas, Nike, Motorola, Microsoft with its Bing, just to name a few. According to the stats from the latest report, well over 75% of online retailers utilize the social network. Those numbers are for the…

  • Facebook To Bring Location Features Soon

    Sardar Mohkim Khan
    9 Mar 2010 | 11:30 am
    Wow! Facebook is heading over to location based features and will be introducing these in the coming month. This would enable users to add their location with friends on the social network, letting your network know where you are. These features would also enable the developer community to leverage users sharing their location and design related activities and apps for more location centered user experience. I know many would be pissed and create a havoc on why is the social network using their location to design apps as bait. But cry as you may, the social network had already included that…

  • Register And Get Apple! Are You Kidding? It’s The Latest Facebook Scam

    Sardar Mohkim Khan
    8 Mar 2010 | 11:12 am
    What’s the best way to boost the number of fans on your fan page? Exploit their desires, something which many have done out and about on Facebook. The latest to surface is the scam that says it will give you Apple’s latest gadget, the iPad for free only if you are to register your information as well as the cell phone number on the destination site. Of course the deal is worth falling for the bait. I mean especially those die hard Apple fans who would do anything to sniff the tiniest bit of news or just a touch on the Apple devices, would readily have fallen prey to it. The worst part is…

  • Absolut Vodka Brings Jay-Z’s NY-Z To Facebook, Thanks To ABSOLUT Fan Page

    Sardar Mohkim Khan
    5 Mar 2010 | 12:57 pm
    Well you might be too far to attend Metallica’s concert in Israel at half a price thanks to Facebook and even more as they might not be held in your city, but complain not! At least Jay-Z fans who are spread across the globe. The artist has made up a deal with Absolut Vodka to bring his fans a latest documentary titled; NY-Z. So what makes it worth a mention? Well Absolut Vodka is going to stream the same on its Facebook fan page from March 22. All you have to do is the obvious, become a fan of the beverage and the documentary would showcase the happenings both on stage and off it in the…

  • Quit Smoking On Facebook!

    Sardar Mohkim Khan
    5 Mar 2010 | 12:34 pm
    Wow. First they had chewing gums to help you quit smoking, then came sessions to help you with that followed by electronic cigarettes. Well this year there is a new way to quit smoking as the world celebrates the No Smoking Day. Some smart folks out there have created an app for the largest social network, Facebook. The idea is to get all the smokers challenge each other and friends alike to quit smoking where success will be rewarded and a lot of boos for failure. Sounds interesting, especially the idea of Wall of Shame, which puts the photos of smokers who find nooks and corners to continue…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Click to Client

  • Why Good Trumps Great: The Evolution of Business

    Shama
    9 Mar 2010 | 4:32 pm
    If I could call this post a manifesto, I would. And, perhaps it is just that. This mini manifesto is written for all business owners and at-heart entrepreneurs. This past weekend, I attended a dinner hosted by good friend and colleague Suzanne Falter Barns. Tim Kelley spoke at the dinner about the old vs. new paradigm of business, and the thirty of us present chimed in. The main message: Greed is Out. Purpose is In. The businesses of the past focused solely on growth. But, today’s landscape is different. Growth is a small percent of what makes a company truly great. A small company can rule…

  • 7 Ways to Make an Event More Memorable

    Shama
    5 Mar 2010 | 2:46 pm
    Just got back yesterday from speaking at the Social Business Bootcamp in Dallas. See me smiling in the picture? It was a great event, and it got me thinking about what makes an event truly memorable. Event planners and conference hosts, take note. 1) Don’t overlook a great MC. A Master of Ceremonies is often an afterthought for many events, but the MC sets the mood. And, a good one makes the whole event better. Couch surfing Ori was the MC yesterday and his humor really helped the audience relax. A good MC will make the speaker’s job easier. 2) Loan out video (point and shoot) and…

  • Why No One Will Fan Your Facebook Fan Page

    Shama
    3 Mar 2010 | 8:31 pm
    Let’s face it. Your fan page is the equivalent of the party in college that no one wanted to attend.  Sure, your mom and best friend may be your fans. They may fan your auto shop or financial services consulting page on Facebook. But, for the most part – no one else will. People Fan Pages Based on Their OWN Identities. I learned this lesson in graduate school while researching for my thesis. People don’t join groups or fan pages because of you or what you offer. They join because of them. Facebook is the ultimate mirror. We create profiles that reflect who we are as human beings. We…

  • How to Build Offline Relationships with Bloggers

    Shama
    28 Feb 2010 | 8:18 pm
    I recently had the pleasure of being invited to a dinner party hosted by Bing – yes, the search engine. Bing invited 13 Dallas bloggers to a great Dallas restaurant to demonstrate their search engine. I’ve attended a few events where companies strive to connect with bloggers. Tres Generaciones did a good job, and so did Bing. In fact, we (at the Marketing Zen group) have also hosted events on behalf of clients who want to connect with key local influencers. I find that all these events have five key elements. 1) FOOD. Is there anything more universally pleasing? Food is a great…

  • Articles About Using Social Media as a Marketing Tool

    Shama
    22 Feb 2010 | 8:49 pm
    The wonderful thing about a blog is that you can compile all your thoughts in one place. The downside is that key articles sometimes get buried after a while. I decided to do a round-up of our most read articles on social media. So, here are the most popular articles I’ve written about using social media as a marketing tool: 10 Reasons NOT to do Social Media Marketing – For all the wonderful reasons there are to do social media marketing, there are also reasons not to partake. This post lists the top 10 reasons to not participate just yet. So, you want to be a Social Media…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Blogtrepreneur | Entrepreneur Blog

  • 17 Videos to Help You Grow Your Business

    The amount of free quality video content available on the Internet is truly phenomenal. Whatever you want to learn, there is almost certainly a video to teach you. The following videos are presented to help you market and grow your business, with some inspiration thrown in for good measure. Enjoy, and let us know your [...]

  • 12 No-Cost Tools to Help Improve Your SEO

    Even to some who have been online for years, SEO can be somewhat of a mystery. While there are a lot of differing opinions on the techniques that are the most effective for getting your site to the top of the search engines, there’s no doubt that a key factor in your success is being [...]

  • Set and Accomplish Your Goals: 5 Easy Steps

    In business and in life, we all need goals if we want to be any better off than we are right now. There are a million different methods for setting and accomplishing goals, which is great, as not every method works for everyone. The following five step process is easy to implement and [...]

  • CoTweet – What it is and Why You Need It

    You have a Twitter account, right? Of course you do. And you’ve read a lot of blog posts and articles on our site and everywhere else about optimizing your Twitter efforts for business. But you might still be struggling to efficiently, effectively connect with your customers and prospects using Twitter. Well, fret no more. If [...]

  • The Socially Responsible Entrepreneur – Are You One?

    As recent as ten years ago, terms like, “renewable,” “fair trade,” and “sustainability” were considered the vocabulary of the fringe. These words were uttered mostly by those some referred to as “tree huggers” and “granolas,” and “real” entrepreneurs were more concerned with making some cold hard cash than with making a difference. That’s not to [...]Check it out: Payday advanceservices for fast cash needs.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    The Blog of Author Tim Ferriss

  • Why Grow? and Other Wisdom from 37Signals

    Tim Ferriss
    8 Mar 2010 | 2:07 am
    The path to profitability doesn’t need to be complicated. (Photo: El Photopakismo) I’ve known the guys at 37Signals for a little while. I first met Jason Fried at SXSW in 2008, and I then got to know David Heinemeier Hansson (DHH) over e-mail and in person last year. On a fundamental level, I think, our philosophies just mesh well. Comfortably situated in Chicago outside of the “start-up” echo chamber, 37Signals is focused on getting sh*t done instead of chasing the Silicon Valley venture capital death spiral. Financing has it’s place, but it’s a means to…

  • 5 Travel Lessons You Can Use at Home

    Tim Ferriss
    25 Feb 2010 | 9:09 pm
    Rolf Potts is one of my favorite writers, and his book Vagabonding was one of only four books I recommended as “fundamental” in The 4-Hour Workweek. It was also one of two books, the other being

  • Random Episode 8 – 2010 Resolutions with Kevin Rose and Tim Ferriss

    Tim Ferriss
    17 Jan 2010 | 10:52 am
    This new, long overdue Random episode covers our personal resolutions–personal, business, physical, and otherwise–as well as favorite recent gifts (both given and received). The video is recorded on two cameras, including Glenn’s new experimental HD delight. Topics include: - Chocolate - Powerlifting - Filtering false friends - Funny hats - The art of the decline … and naked ladies. Best to give the video 10-20 minutes to buffer before watching. It’s a big ‘un. Please let us know in the comments what you’d like our next show topic to be! If you missed…

  • The First Time Online – Enjoy While You Can

    Tim Ferriss
    8 Jan 2010 | 2:00 am
    Most of you have never seen this. I really hope you enjoy it. To download, just sign into Vimeo and you’re set. If you Final Cut it up, please set to a Crystal Method or Sevendust soundtrack :) In other breaking news: I need only 120 more Amazon reviews to beat The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, a dream I’ve had since 2007! Not because I dislike him, but precisely the opposite — he’s one of my writing role models and I long viewed his book as untouchable. If you’ve read the 4HWW but haven’t left a short review on Amazon, please take 30 seconds and help…

  • Thank You, Facebook Bankruptcy, and Late Christmas Presents

    Tim Ferriss
    6 Jan 2010 | 3:08 am
    (Photo: source) Thank you… Thank you… Thank you! The last two blog posts have moved me more than any others, and the new expanded 4-Hour Workweek has hit #4 on The New York Times bestseller list and #3 on the USA Today Money list! In a future post, I will explain exactly what I did in PR and marketing (including recordings and screenshots) to help it happen, but the reality is: you made it happen. You all rock. For buying the book? No. For making this community what it is. For helping one another and sharing your stories and lessons learned. For teaching me more than I can ever…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Caroline Middlebrook

  • Turning Attention to Marketing IMAutomator

    Caroline Middlebrook
    6 Mar 2010 | 2:06 am
    Now that IMAutomator has officially been released to the public, it’s time to turn my attention to the marketing of it. So far all of my efforts have been focused on developing the software itself but that has gone much faster recently and with the first paid release now just a matter of weeks away, I need to lay down a marketing plan. Marketing From Scratch The website itself is not brand new – I knew the name of the software back in the conceptual stages and registered the domain a long time ago but I have done absolutely no marketing whatsoever. The reason for this is that I…

  • Social Bookmarking Just Got Quicker – IMAutomator Is Live!

    Caroline Middlebrook
    2 Mar 2010 | 9:04 am
    I have been discussing my software project on this blog for well over a year now and today the day has finally come to announce the software properly! Over the last few weeks I have had 100 members privately testing the software and now the kinks have been ironed out, many more social bookmarking sites have been added, and the software is ready for public release! There are no more membership restrictions at this time so go ahead and create your free account now! It is called IMAutomator and the first tool is social bookmarking software and a second tool is in development now. Visit the…

  • Stats & Analysis for February 2010 – $1,188 Earned

    Caroline Middlebrook
    1 Mar 2010 | 5:04 am
    Income Become a Blogger – $356.88 Bluehost – $270 Teaching Sells – $137 Market Samurari – $118.08 The Bloggers Bible – $114.06 Unique Article Wizard – $53.60 Traffic Rush – $44.87 Twitter Rockstar – $42.32 Niche Adsense Themes – $30.77 Mass Outsource Mastermind – $20.93 Total income earned during February 2010: $1,188.51 It’s interesting how the income is very close to last month’s yet the breakdown is different. The highest payout is from the Become a Blogger promotion. Hopefully this should boost income for a little while as it is designed as a six…

  • Self Disclipline When You Work From Home on the Internet

    Caroline Middlebrook
    18 Feb 2010 | 4:55 am
    I have been self employed on three separate occasions, for a total of 10 years. When self employed I have always worked from home, and for 5 of them, I have worked from home on the Internet. I have written before about how I love the freedom that it gives me. I even use my laptop as a mobile office sometimes! Working from home allows you to set your own hours of work. You can get up whenever you want, have breaks whenever you want, start as late or finish as late as you want. You can wear what you like (right now as I write this I am wearing pyjamas and that’s not just for effect…

  • Help Dr Mani Perform 47 Operations for Children with CHD in 2010

    Caroline Middlebrook
    11 Feb 2010 | 2:05 am
    Dr Mani is a surgeon and an Internet Marketer. However his marketing efforts are used to fund his aims to perform life saving surgery on children with Congenital Heart Defects. He donates his own time to do this despite working as a full time surgeon and supporting his own family. This year his ambition is greater than ever, wishing to perform 47 such surgeries – almost one per week! Each surgery costs around $2,500 to perform, but aided by a government subsidy, the cost is reduced to $1,250 for each surgery. Dr Mani is hoping to raise enough money this year to fund these 47 operations.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    TylerCruz.com: An Internet Entrepreneur's Journey

  • $600 Weight Loss Challenge: Cruz vs Piotrowski

    Tyler Cruz
    11 Mar 2010 | 7:38 pm
    Last year, I competed in a weight loss challenge against Jonathan Volk in which we both ended up managing to lose 10 pounds each. Due to the (personal) success of that competition, and since it’s already been nearly a year since the last competition started, I am engaging in yet another blogging weight loss challenge. This will come to the chagrin of many readers, as I know that a lot of you simply aren’t interested in these types of posts, but I have raised the stakes for this competition so maybe it will now be a bit more interesting than it was previously. Some of you may ask what the…

  • The Secrets to Blogging Success (Minus the Secrets)

    Glen
    9 Mar 2010 | 9:32 pm
    This is a post by Glen who writes about viral marketing at ViperChill. He’s had a lot of public success with blogging over the last 18 months so wants to share some of the things he’s learned. At 16, I built my first ever blog. That was almost 5 years ago, and I’m still blogging to this day. Despite having recently sold the 10th biggest personal development blog in the world and gaining 2,000+ subscribers on my marketing blog in the last 4 months, I used to be a total blogging failure. ViperChill, the site I recently relaunched, is the first blog I ran. In my naivety, I…

  • Jonathan Volk’s Free Affiliate Marketing Guide

    Tyler Cruz
    8 Mar 2010 | 11:53 am
    If you do any kind of affiliate marketing online then chances are you’ve heard of Jonathan Volk. You may also recognize his name from when we competed against each other in a weight loss challenge last year. He’s also one of my blog link partners. Jonathan Volk is a well known name in the affiliate marketing industry as he is a true super affiliate, regularly generating around $400,000 a month. Okay sure, that’s gross, but you could still assume around $150,000 net profit each month. That’s $35,000 profit a week! Oh yeah, and he’s only 23. For the first time ever, Jonathan Volk has…

  • An In-Depth Review and Case Study of Infolinks

    Tyler Cruz
    2 Mar 2010 | 11:44 am
    The following is a paid review and is completely of my own opinion and is not influenced by being paid. If you’re interested in having me review your site or product, please view my advertising page. Five weeks ago, the Vice President of Infolinks, Tomer Treves, contacted me asking me to try their In-Text advertising network as a publisher. I replied saying I wasn’t interested as I had previously used other In-Text advertising networks such as Kontera and IntelliTXT with horrible results (incredibly low payouts, irrelevant ads, etc.). Tomer was persistent and replied by saying that…

  • Yahoo and Microsoft Search Platforms Merge

    Tyler Cruz
    27 Feb 2010 | 9:20 pm
    Yahoo and Microsoft have been in discussions to merge their search platforms, Yahoo Marketing Solutions and Microsoft AdCenter, for some time. Not too long ago, they announced that they had come to an agreement and would be merging in the future. Last week, both Microsoft and Yahoo! sent out e-mails to their search marketing advertisers, announcing that they have now received regulatory clearance to form a search alliance. So it looks like things are moving along and this merger is really going to happen. In the announcement, they introduce us to SearchAlliance.com, which gives more…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Inventor Spot

  • Honda Considering Sportier CR-Z Hybrid...Possible Si?

    George Delozier
    13 Mar 2010 | 7:43 pm
    While the Honda CR-Z Hybrid may be able to provide a respectable number of miles per gallon, some are wishing it could also offer a bit more performance for the money. Honda as responded to this accordingly, by opening the doors for a Type-R variant of the CR-Z.

  • The 'Wipe Shirt' Keeps Eyeglasses And Shirts Clean

    Steve Levenstein
    13 Mar 2010 | 5:01 pm
    The "Wipe Shirt" - say that carefully - combines a stylish white dress shirt with a microfiber pad. Both your eyeglasses and your shirts will stay cleaner though wearing it may cause you to look geekier.

  • Simplify Dicipline With The Time Out Pad

    Kim Patterson
    13 Mar 2010 | 3:42 pm
    If you have a young child you are probably all too familiar with the struggles of discipline.  The Time Out Pad is made to help alleviate some of the stress and bewilderment associated with disciplining young children.

  • VACO Autofit Helmet Automatically Sculpts Around Your Dome

    Chris Weiss
    13 Mar 2010 | 9:00 am
    A new technology in snow sports, VACO Autofit promises to deliver a ski helmet with superior fit, usability and protection.

  • The Samurai Maid Cafe... Stop In For A Slice!

    Steve Levenstein
    13 Mar 2010 | 3:01 am
    Maid cafes? Tokyo's full of 'em. Samurai cafes? Seen it on TV. Wouldn't it be cool if there was a Samurai Maid Cafe? Yes it would... and yes there is!
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Force of Good

  • Today is Exhibit A

    Lance Weatherby
    4 Mar 2010 | 5:16 am
    It was one month ago today that a wrote a little article about there being too many events in Atlanta.  How events are causing fragmentation when what is needed is engagement.  This point of view left me hanging like Ray Barnes and a redesigned state flag.  Event organizers howled in protest.  Entrepreneurs generally agreed.  Privately many tech leaders told me I was correct.Well today is Exhibit A.ATDC/TAG Entrepreneurs Society from 7:30 - 10:00 am.Angel Lounge 11:30 - 1:30 pmGeorgia Tech College of Management Business Plan Competition Reception 6:00 - 8:00 pm.StartupLounge Atlanta 6:00…

  • A Small Orange Acquired

    Lance Weatherby
    2 Mar 2010 | 5:43 am
    As TechDrawl reported over the weekend, A Small Orange's web hosting business has been acquired by Brent Oxley, the founder of Host Gator.  A Small Orange founder Tim Dorr is retaining his design business A Small Orange Web Design.  Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Tim went out plopped down a reservation on a Tesla S.  Tim and I had a few conversations about the deal as it was coming together.  It's a good deal.  My advice, which was the same advice I gave team Twitpay, was to take it.  Tim's not going to retire anytime soon but he can pretty much do whatever he…

  • Washout Weekend

    Lance Weatherby
    1 Mar 2010 | 8:11 am
    As the organizer of Atlanta Startup Weekend I have been involved with a few companies that emerge from the event.  And as they move forward there is always an issue.  An issue of equity holders and complexity of the cap table.  This issue has been a subject of conversations within both Skribit and Twitpay.  Investors don't like the look of the cap table of Startup Weekend companies.  Too many founders.  Too much complexity.  To an investor it is a bit of a mess.  Something to be avoided.  But how to do so?The big news a few weeks back was that Twitpay was acquired for $100,000.

  • Mob at Cypress Street

    Lance Weatherby
    24 Feb 2010 | 7:39 am
    So I came into the offfice today and was greeted with this:The Scoutmob link led to a 50% off deal at Cypress Street Pint & Plate, a place I go to often for lunch and after work to meet with people about startup related activities.  Like the place a lot.  Even pointed the JungleDisk folks there for their recent Startup Tweetup Atlanta.  So I replied:Which led to the question: To which I messaged: So go grab that Scoutmob Cypress Street deal and let's get together on April 1 to welcome in spring.  It should be a great night for good food, good friends, and good beer on the patio…

  • Right About Wrong

    Lance Weatherby
    22 Feb 2010 | 7:54 am
    My little stream of consciousness write ups that I threw together about the companies presenting at Startup Riot sure did result in a few comments and personal emails.  Here's the deal.  I have seen thousands of startups since I entered the tech world.  Literally.  And after a while you start developing a bit of a rapid cognition sense.  And here's the real deal.  Four of the six early stage technology companies that I have invested in have provided positive returns (two are still in play).  So when it gets to be real serious check writing time I am doing something right…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    TargetStars

  • On Brushing and Flossing and…Social Media

    This is a guest post by Claudia Anderson, Owner of Family Dental Care Park Ridge. Be sure to follow her on Twitter (@ParkRidgeDDS) and Facebook. I am a dentist.  You know, the person you have a love/hate relationship with at least twice a year.   The person who lulls you into a sense of calm with quiet [...]

  • Skribit: The Cure for Writer’s Block

    As a blogger, I am sure at some point in time you have had a case of writer's block. If you want to get the cure, then I highly suggest you check out Skribit.

  • Book Review: The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

    Many times entrepreneurs (especially those in the startup phase) often feel that they are unable to take their business to the next level due to the lack of funds, experience, etc. According to Mike Michalowicz, author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, even if you are experiencing the aforementioned problems, “…you have a shot at making this work.” I was hooked from the moment I read those words! A Toilet Entrepreneur (TPE) is someone who is able to “fight in the trenches” by efficiently utilizing the resources they have which often times can be viewed as having the equivalent of…

  • How to Experience Guest Blogging Success

    I do not think I need to convince you about the importance of blogging. However, if you are looking for ways to take your blog to the next level, you should entertain the idea of being a guest blogger. Guest blogging is the ultimate win-win situation for bloggers. The guest blogger is able to expand [...]

  • Share your plans via Plancast

  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    The Next Women

  • Women Who Tech Panel at SWSX: Has The Glass Ceiling Ever Smacked You In The Butt?

    This week the allmighty SWSX conference takes place in Texas, USA, where the world gathers to discuss new developments in technology. As women & technology is still a hot debated topic, Allyson Kapin, of Women who Tech is leading a panel on the issue. She says in the Austin Chronicle: While 30% of the tech labor [...]

  • Being an Ambassador for Female Entrepreneurs, that is: without the Chocolate!

    Nadine Hill, aka The Dream PA, is UK Ambassador for Women Enterprise.  She tells TheNextWomen about her new role: If you are a woman in her mid 30’s like me, you may remember a chocolate advert from the 1990’s where the Ambassador had many Receptions, noted in Society!  As an Ambassador for Enterprise UK, I’m [...]

  • Female Internet Hero: Audio Interview with Caterina Fake of Hunch and Flickr

    As part of our Female Internet Heroes series, and in conjunction with NCWIT (the National Center for Women & Information Technology), The NextWomen are publishing audio interviews highlighting a diverse group of women innovators from small companies, larger corporations, and non-profits, whose ideas and products are changing the way we think, work, play, and communicate. [...]

  • The Ladies go Gaga for Music Entrepreneurs

    Here The NextWomen Events Editor, Misae Richwoods, waxes lyrical about Music4point5. ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾ When it comes to the old sing-a-long, two girls who’ve been backing many an act are Petra Johansson and Rassami Hok Ljungberg, whose duo…

  • The NextWomen Invite Female Entrepreneurs to Dine with Michelle Dewberry and Chiconomise

    Continuing with their ever popular series of Kitchen Dinners, The NextWomen are excited to announce their newest feast – Dine with Chiconmise on Wednesday March 24th, 2010 in London.  Join Michelle Dewberry in The NextWomen’s very own kitchen for an intimate dinner and learn more about the ‘act of living stylishly for less’ from the [...]
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Active Garage

  • Author’s Journey #12: How to create a content plan for your book?

    Roger Parker
    11 Mar 2010 | 11:38 pm
    Before you can write your book, you need to create a content plan for your book. Mind mapping makes it easy to identify and organize your ideas. Mind mapping software, see directory here, allows you to work visually. Ideas are displayed as clouds, or topics, organized around the main topic. The main topic can be the title of a book, a newsletter editorial calendar, or a quarterly marketing plan. When creating the content plan for #Book Title Tweet: 140 Bite-Sized Ideas for Creating Compelling Titles for Articles, Books, and Events, I followed the same 3-step process I always use when starting…

  • Dancing for your Tribe

    Guy Ralfe
    11 Mar 2010 | 12:10 am
    For the 4th time in my life I am resigning and taking a step into the unknown world of no job. This time I am doing it on a small scale, I am only moving my family across 8 states and not between continents. I don’t know what it is – maybe we just have a strong nomadic gene! I have been working at Maconomy for a little over 3 ¼ years and am closing the door on the most exciting, hectic, challenging and learning chapter in my career. I would like to say a big Thank You to all at Maconomy who have pushed, supported, helped and laughed with me. If  you think you have the heart and attitude…

  • Once I make a commitment…

    Himanshu Jhamb
    9 Mar 2010 | 11:05 pm
    I have to prepare you, the reader, before you watch the video that goes along with this post. This is from a hit bollywood movie “Wanted” (which I found particularly cheesy and a bit in the spirit of the gladly forgotten 90’s era when bollywood unfortunately, had forgot how to make good movies). Though the movie was a typical masala movie, this particular dialogue from the movie had hit me just as intensely as the hero (Salman Khan) hits pretty much everyone throughout the movie. So, what’s a bollywood promo for a movie I found quite cheesy doing on Active Garage? It…

  • Change Management #7 – Products: A tip to assure Darwinian survival

    Gary Monti
    8 Mar 2010 | 11:05 pm
    Should your experiences bringing products to market or providing services be added to the director’s cut of Jurassic Park?  Do critics and competition surround your brainchild like a pack of hungry raptors?  At the same time do you have to fight to maintain your position in the organizational herd? Business, like nature, can be uncompromising in its response to your product and services. Provide what is needed and you live to see another day and get the opportunity to move your business forward. Take too big of a misstep and your business can be crippled or killed. Darwin offers guidance…

  • Before you fight them… Choose them wisely!

    Himanshu Jhamb
    7 Mar 2010 | 11:05 pm
    We’ve all heard this many times in our workplaces – “The customer is always right” and “All customers are equally important”. Well… I am going to challenge these in this post and will focus more on the latter one. This topic came up in one of my recent conversations with a publishing industry thought leader, Gordon Tibbitts, President, Atypon Systems where both of us were talking about the capacity of individuals and the choices we, as individuals, have to make in order to utilize our limited capacities effectively. At a point in the conversation…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    VC Ready Law Blog

  • Common Contract Terms: Indemnification

    ben
    19 Feb 2010 | 11:50 am
    If you own your own business, sooner or later you’ll encounter a contract with legal terms that will send you scrambling for a dictionary (or a lawyer). We can’t rid the world of legalese (believe it or not, there’s often a good reason for it), but we can try to make reading legal documents a little less mind-numbing by describing a few concepts that appear in almost every contract you’ll ever read and explaining why they may matter to you. A Quick caveat: Indemnification is one of the most nuanced areas of commercial contract law, so this is necessarily a very simplistic overview. If…

  • Price-based antidilution protection

    ben
    25 Jan 2010 | 10:36 am
    Price-based antidilution protection reduces the dilutive effect on an investor of a later financing at a lower valuation (a “down-round” financing). Price-based antidilution protection of some sort is a characteristic of most preferred stock and operates by increasing the number of shares of common stock into which a share of preferred stock converts (i.e. it increases the “conversion ratio”). There are two types of antidilution protection often found in angel and VC financings: full ratchet and weighted average. Full ratchet antidilution adjusts the conversion price of outstanding…

  • Why founders should assign IP to their company

    ben
    15 Jan 2010 | 6:52 am
    A problem we encounter with startling regularity is a team of founders where some or all of them have not assigned the relevant intellectual property they’ve developed to their company. This may not seem like a big deal when the value of unassigned IP is hard to determine, but it can become one if the IP turns out to be critical to the company’s business. A founder can use unassigned IP to extract a high price from the company (and his fellow founders) at a critical time, such as when the company is seeking financing and the potential investors insist (as they will) that the company…

  • Introducing VC Ready’s Daily Tidbit

    ben
    15 Jan 2010 | 6:46 am
    After a long winter’s nap, the VC Ready Blog is back! To kick off the new year, we’re introducing a daily Twitter/Facebook supplement to our blog: the VC Ready Law Group Daily Tidbit. Each week (Monday through Friday) the Daily Tidbit will offer a Twitter-sized (max. 140 characters) piece of information or advice on a topic relevant to entrepreneurs. To receive the Daily Tidbit, you can follow us on Twitter (@vcready) or become a fan of VC Ready Law Group on Facebook. If you’d like to suggest a topic for the Daily Tidbit or for our blog, contact us!

  • How to determine the right equity structure for your startup

    ben
    14 Dec 2009 | 12:31 pm
    When you’re ready to incorporate, you’ll need to give some thought to the proper equity structure for your business. Because equity is a currency startups can trade for money or services, your company’s initial equity structure should take into account your plans for near-term growth. There are no hard-and-fast rules on the proper equity structure for a company, but here are a few things you’ll want to think about. How many shares should be authorized? The number of shares “authorized” in the corporation’s charter is the maximum number the company can issue without amending its…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    The Wright Place TV

  • The 5 Income Streams For One Person Businesses

    Dr. Letitia Wright
    12 Mar 2010 | 9:44 pm
    By Tsvetanka Petrova Many business owners get confused as to where the money is going to come from. There are 5 different income streams and they all require different strategies to get the ball rolling: 1. One-On-One clients – Weather you connect with your clients face to face or on the phone, you are trading time for [...]

  • Lawsuits Make Quick PR

    Dr. Letitia Wright
    12 Mar 2010 | 5:52 pm
    I love this commercial, I think it’s really funny! Lindsay Lohan is now suing because she says they are making fun of her. While you might think this is crazy, its excellent PR. Everyone will be talking about it until she drops the case. Just for the price of someone filing a lawsuit, she is now the thing [...]

  • Efficiently Ineffective

    Dr. Letitia Wright
    9 Mar 2010 | 5:47 pm
    Efficiently Ineffective If you’re anything like me, you’ve wanted to be more efficient in your business. I went through a phase where I was analyzing every little thing I did to make it more efficient. The trouble was that I didn’t look at whether the task even mattered before streamlining it. I’ve since developed the EASE checklist to know whether [...]

  • What Re-invents Your Business?

    Dr. Letitia Wright
    8 Mar 2010 | 8:15 am
    What are the things that make you add something to your business? Is it a post from Seth Godin? It is a great book you read? It is a session with your Virtual Assistant or Your Business Coach? It is customer service complaints or articles that you find on the web. It is ideas [...]

  • Specify Your Business Investment for Amazing Money Market Rates

    Dr. Letitia Wright
    4 Mar 2010 | 11:02 am
    If you’re starting your own business, whether it is online or not, you’re probably staring to think about investing time, money, effort..etc. You may have the money to invest in your busines, but chances are, in times like these, you will probably need to borrow money at some point. This leads to finding the best [...]
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Everyone's Blog Posts - Under30CEO

  • Soma Pictor. Drug Information Keyword P Soma. Soma Buy On Line. Soma Cheap Overnight Fedex

    Chuvachek
    drug information keyword p xanax phentermine cheap overnight fedex online soma with free shipping drug information keyword p oxycodone buy xanax online cod buy ultram buy soma on line drug information keyword p ambien buy dreampharmaceuticals online soma soma a narcotic bupropion buy soma online bupropion antidepres cheap soma without prescription overnight delivery buy soma without prescription needed buy soma on line no prescription buy soma online no membership buy percocet percocet lortab percocet online drug information keyword p ativan buying soma online without prescription purchasing…

  • Diversity Scholarships. Scholarships For No Religion But Beliefs. Music Education Scholarships. Scholarships Based On Community Service

    Chuvachishka
    sc tri-county electric scholarships for seniors education scholarship special education fellowships and scholarships kodak scholarships education scholarships africa kenya adult continuing education scholarship an objective for scholarship scholarships for no religion but beliefs music student scholarship online music education melbourne scholarship themes scholarships based on community service diversity scholarships diversity scholarships in ohio indian scholarships grad school scholarships music education scholarships international journal of nursing education scholarship music education…

  • Online-roulette Games Craps. Playing The Odds Craps. Casino Craps Play. Craps Money Lotteriesonline Onlinesex

    Isolevman
    play video poker online casino game on line craps games casino chip displays heart shape casino craps play new free play casino games poker playing cards casino art collectibles free play money for pokerstars casino craps game multiplayer online game craps bplay craps golden palace online casino casinopoker craps pokerplayer online-roulette games craps pokercasino craps pokerplayers online-game craps the-casino-guide bets craps games online free on line craps games playing the dark side in craps play craps online craps odds playing hard ways play for free casino games slots onlineskillsgame…

  • Double Bucks Online Slots. Free Game Online Poker Poker Slot. Free Slot Playing. Bingo Slots Pokerplayer Poker

    Isolevman
    casino free machine playing slot backgammon bingo buyin pokerplayer blackjack free poker lessons games online playing slot machines for free online bonus free playing round slot double diamond slots online free machine online playing slot free online double diamonds slots free fun online slot machine play double bucks online slots free online slots and video poker online slots gambling super double lotto free money playing slot win online multiplayer poker games free slots bingoonline onlineroulette tournamentpoker play free online poker machine games pokerplayers poker-tournament…

  • 4th Std Mathematics Scholarship Paper. Lmpd Scholarship And Grants. Examples Of Scholarship Essays. Ncaa Scholarship Rules

    Chuvachek
    bhic scholarships and grants archives examples of scholarship letters examples of scholarship recommendation letters ncaa scholarships grants and scholarships for mathematics teachers examples of scholarship personal essay examples of scholarship essays ncaa college scholarship rules college grants and scholarships lmpd scholarship and grants 4th std mathematics scholarship paper examples of scholarship application letters ncaa scholarship rules scholarships and grants grants and scholarships for women official national nursing grants and scholarships grants and scholarships for short women…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    OPEN Forum Articles

  • The Small Business Guide to Google Apps

    12 Mar 2010 | 12:30 pm
    From Matt Silverman: Google Apps for business has a number of benefits over traditional business IT and desktop software. Using the full suite essentially places all of your data and entire workflow in the cloud, meaning you can access it all anywhere, anytime, from any Internet connection. At $50 per user per year, the fully integrated apps system is certainly cost-effective, and even adding the free versions of Gmail, Calendar, and Google Docs into your workflow can keep your employees coordinated. For more casual users, or even those who might not be acquainted with Google Apps, here's a…

  • How to Build a Company You Can Sell

    12 Mar 2010 | 12:07 pm
    From John Warrillow: Ninety-nine out of one hundred businesses are not sellable because their owwners, as the experts, are requested by customers personally. Thus, the business becomes centered around owners, and a business that is too dependent on its owner is not sellable. You can be part of the one percent who create a sellable business by following these eight steps: Identify a scalable product or service. Scalable products and services exhibit three qualities. First, they are broadly valuable so that more people will want them . Second, providing them is a teachable skill so that…

  • The Three Budgets

    12 Mar 2010 | 11:53 am
    From Trent Hamm: We're all optimistic about the future of our business.  Without that optimism, we wouldn't be able to push through the challenges of small business ownership.  Our dream of a sunny future and our internal drive for success keeps us moving forward. This positive attitude is often reflected when we budget.  We'll project our revenue under the assumption that our business will do well in the coming year - and plan our spending for the coming year accordingly. More than once, however, I've found myself bitten by this kind of optimism.  I'll be spending within…

  • 8 DIY Marketers Tools For Making Your Business Look Bigger

    12 Mar 2010 | 8:52 am
    From Ivana Taylor: When I looked at my e-mail and saw a message from MSNBC, I thought it was spam.  MSNBC wanted to know if I would consider participating in a web series that paired entrepreneurs with small business mentors.  I would be one of the mentors in addition to Tony Hawk and Daisy Fuentes.  There was just one problem – MSNBC wanted to bring a camera crew to my offices along with a fledgling entrepreneur to see how my team and I produced Strategy Stew, DIYMarketers and our “get-chosen” strategies for clients!  The producer was surprised to find…

  • Ten Tips and Twenty Questions for Unleashing Innovation

    12 Mar 2010 | 8:33 am
    From Matthew E. May: If you search Amazon for “Innovation,” you’ll get over 39,000 book titles. I’ve read a tiny fraction of the total, but a much larger fraction of the true standouts. And I’ve written a couple books myself. Innovation is a huge topic, and you can slice and dice it in, well, tens of thousands of ways. Can such a large topic be boiled down to a few enduring principles and ten strategies in an 800-word column? Let’s try. The challenge begins with the definition of innovation. Most of the definitions I’ve seen are overly complicated,…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Steve Blank

  • Teaching Entrepreneurship – By Getting Out of the Building

    steveblank
    11 Mar 2010 | 6:00 am
    One of the classes I teach in the engineering school at Stanford is E145: the Fundamentals of Technology Entrepreneurship, an introduction to building a scalable startup. While the class is open to everyone at the University, we want to teach science and engineering undergraduates how they can take a technical idea and turn it into a profitable and scalable company. The class which was authored by Tom Byers, is offered every quarter and taught by four different professors.  But thanks to Tom, we all get to teach it with a slightly emphasis. I taught the class this semester with Ann Miura-Ko…

  • The Secret History of Silicon Valley Part 15: Agena – The Secret Space Truck, Ferret’s and Stanford

    steveblank
    8 Mar 2010 | 6:00 am
    This post is the latest in the “Secret History Series.”  They’ll make much more sense if you read some of the earlier ones for context. See the Secret History video and slides as well as the bibliography for sources and supplemental reading. ———— By the early 1960’s Lockheed Missiles Division in Sunnyvale was quickly becoming the largest employer in what would be later called Silicon Valley.  Along with its publically acknowledged contract to build the Polaris Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM,) Lockheed was also secretly building the first photo…

  • Perfection By Subtraction – The Minimum Feature Set

    steveblank
    4 Mar 2010 | 6:00 am
    “By knowing things that exist, you can know that which does not exist.” Book of Five Rings I was having coffee with a former student who was complained that my idea of building a first product release with a minimum feature set was a bad idea. (One of the principles of Customer Development is to get out of the building and understand the smallest feature-set customers will pay for in the first release.) “Steve, you’re wrong. I can’t get more than one of ten potential customers to think that this is something they’d buy.”  I asked, “So what does the one who likes it…

  • Death By Competitive Analysis

    steveblank
    1 Mar 2010 | 6:00 am
    Trading emails with a startup CEO building an iPhone app, I asked him why potential customers would buy his product.  In response he sent me a competitive analysis. It looked like every competitive analysis I had done for 20 years, (ok maybe better.) And it made me sad. Looking at the spreadsheet, I realized that competitive analysis tables are one of the ways professional marketers screw up startups from day one. And I had done my share. Here’s why. Prove What I Already Believe Most competitive analyses are: 1) sales documents for investors and/or 2) an attempt to rationalize the founders…

  • Customer Development for Web Startups

    steveblank
    25 Feb 2010 | 6:00 am
    Customer Development is a technique startups use to quickly iterate and test each part of their business model.  How you execute Customer Development varies, depending on your type of business. In my book, “The Four Steps to the Epiphany” I use enterprise software as the business model example. Ash Maurya, the CEO of WiredReach, has extended my work by building a model of Customer Development for Web Startups. I think his process models are pretty good. Go read both of his posts on Discovery and Validation for web startups. His two key slides are at the end of this post but the…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    First Class Fashionista

  • Mo’Nique’s Academy Awards Dress Designer

    First Class Fashionista
    12 Mar 2010 | 6:07 pm
    Mo’Nique and husband Sidney Hicks on the Red Carpet of the 2010 Academy Awards. Mo’Nique’s red carpet hairstyle and dress at the 2010 Academy Awards. Who is Mo’Nique’s 2010 Academy Awards Dress Designer? Mo’Nique is wearing an electric blue jersey dress by Tadashi Shoji on the red carpet of the 82nd Annual Academy Awards held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 7, 2010. First Class Fashionista would like to invite you to shop: Discount Designer Clothes Discount Designer Shoes Discount Designer Handbags *BOOKMARK THIS SITE for Updates* Red…

  • Meryl Streep’s Academy Awards Dress Designer

    First Class Fashionista
    12 Mar 2010 | 5:40 pm
    Meryl Streep on the Red Carpet of the 2010 Academy Awards. Meryl Streep’s red carpet hairstyle and dress at the 2010 Academy Awards. Who is Meryl Streep’s 2010 Academy Awards Dress Designer? Meryl Streep is wearing a dress designed by Chris March, one of my favorite Project Runway contestants, on the red carpet of the 82nd Annual Academy Awards held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 7, 2010. First Class Fashionista would like to invite you to shop: Discount Designer Clothes Discount Designer Shoes Discount Designer Handbags *BOOKMARK THIS SITE for Updates* Red…

  • Jennifer Lopez’s Academy Awards Dress Designer

    First Class Fashionista
    12 Mar 2010 | 5:25 pm
    Jennifer Lopez on the Red Carpet of the 2010 Academy Awards. Jennifer Lopez’s red carpet hairstyle and dress at the 2010 Academy Awards. Who is Jennifer Lopez’s 2010 Academy Awards Dress Designer? Jennifer Lopez is wearing an Armani Prive gown on the red carpet of the 82nd Annual Academy Awards held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 7, 2010. First Class Fashionista would like to invite you to shop: Discount Designer Clothes Discount Designer Shoes Discount Designer Handbags *BOOKMARK THIS SITE for Updates* Red Carpet Dresses

  • Sarah Jessica Parker’s Academy Awards Dress Designer

    First Class Fashionista
    12 Mar 2010 | 5:04 pm
    Sarah Jessica Parker on the Red Carpet of the 2010 Academy Awards. Sarah Jessica Parker’s red carpet hairstyle and dress at the 2010 Academy Awards. Who is Sarah Jessica Parker’s 2010 Academy Awards Dress Designer? Sarah Jessica Parker is wearing a Chanel Couture gown on the red carpet of the 82nd Annual Academy Awards held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 7, 2010. First Class Fashionista would like to invite you to shop: Discount Designer Clothes Discount Designer Shoes Discount Designer Handbags *BOOKMARK THIS SITE for Updates* Red Carpet Dresses

  • Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Academy Awards Dress Designer

    First Class Fashionista
    12 Mar 2010 | 1:03 pm
    Maggie Gyllenhaal on the Red Carpet of the 2010 Academy Awards. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s red carpet hairstyle and dress at the 2010 Academy Awards. Who is Maggie Gyllenhaal’s 2010 Academy Awards Dress Designer? Maggie Gyllenhaal is wearing a tropical floor-length dress by Dries Van Noten on the red carpet of the 82nd Annual Academy Awards held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 7, 2010. First Class Fashionista would like to invite you to shop: Discount Designer Clothes Discount Designer Shoes Discount Designer Handbags *BOOKMARK THIS SITE for Updates* Red Carpet…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Jeff Hilimire

  • SxSW 2010 – Day 1

    jeffhilimire
    12 Mar 2010 | 6:09 pm
    I’m going to attempt to write an update at the end of each day at SxSW. We’ll see how that goes, but if this day was anything like the next four, I’ll certainly have some fun stuff to report. Oh and if you like you can see all my pics while I’m at SxSW here. I arrived in Austin early afternoon and after checking in (yes on Foursquare, MyTown, Gowalla and Whrrl but I meant at my hotel), Josh and I immediately went to the ZonePerfect live.create. Lounge. It’s an AMAZING venue that Engauge produces for Zone as a part of SxSW and you can read more about it here. Engauge created a…

  • To Kindle or to iPad…

    jeffhilimire
    8 Mar 2010 | 5:31 am
    Unfortunately this suits me to a T.  I’ve been a very happy Kindle user for a few years now but the concept of being able to check email, surf the web, watch a movie…AND read ebooks is extremely appealing.  Of course we’ll see if the readability on the iPad is even close to the Kindle, which I very much doubt.  The question then will be, will the pros outweigh the cons. Any other Kindle lovers considering making the switch? via CHART OF THE DAY: Kindle Owners Already Wishing They Had An iPad Instead.

  • 5 qualities every entrepreneur should have

    jeffhilimire
    3 Mar 2010 | 8:00 am
    I read this on Fred Wilson’s blog and couldn’t agree more. He lists the 5 characteristics he sees the most in successful entrepreneurs: 1) A stubborn belief in one’s self 2) A confidence bordering on arrogance 3) A desire to accept risk and ambiguity, and the ability to live with them 4) An ability to construct a vision and sell it to many others 5) A magnet for talent What would you add to this list?

  • Possibly one of the best commercials I’ve ever seen

    jeffhilimire
    2 Mar 2010 | 8:00 am
    And its for wearing a seatbelt.  I almost never post a spot like this but damn, so simple but SO well done.  I love this.

  • Huh, Facebook passing Google in search…game over?

    jeffhilimire
    1 Mar 2010 | 5:03 am
    According to Web measurement firm Compete Inc., Facebook has passed search-engine giant Google to become the top source for traffic to major portals like Yahoo and MSN, and is among the leaders for other types of sites. via Facebook directs more online users than Google. In case you missed this, thought I’d point out how massively HUGE this data is.  Social media has always been the best way to engage with customers, typically focusing on the end of the sales funnel.  If it starts encroaching on Google’s dominance over search…game over.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Making Money Online With Young Entrepreneur Michael Dunlop

  • Teen Millionaires – How Did They Do It

    Michael
    8 Mar 2010 | 9:29 am
    Teen Millionaires Hi Everyone, This video features one of my favorite young entrepreneurs Cameron Johnson – whom I have been fortunate enough to meet and also to have interviewed in the past. Cameron Johnson has been featured in over two-hundred newspapers, magazines and television stations worldwide including Newsweek, BusinessWeek, USA Today, The New York Times, The New York Post, Time Magazine, MSNBC, CNBC, ABC, and dozens in Japan as well. Also in this video is Ashley Qualls, the head of whateverlife.com – who I have also interviewed in the past. Enjoy the interview – it…

  • Adam Horwitz – How I Got Started Online

    Michael
    25 Feb 2010 | 8:57 am
    Hi Everyone, A couple of weeks ago I did a post at my IncomeDiary.com website titled: The True Story Of My Overnight Success Partly confessional and partly inspirational the post got a lot of good responses. You see a lot of people seem to think that successful people ALWAYS were successful or they are in someway different from everyone else, yet I have discovered that just about every successful Internet Marketer was unsuccessful first. Most of us made a few false starts before we hit the Big Time. I know I did Likewise today’s featured Young Entrepreneur, Adam Horwitz had a few…

  • Smart Funding For Start-up Entrepreneurs – The Limitless VC Contest

    Michael
    16 Feb 2010 | 11:57 pm
    Attention Start-up Entrepreneurs Hi Everyone, Today we have a special opportunity for you all. Marshall Haas has just launched an iPhone app and business competition that you all should should enter. Marshall was a scholarship winner from the Underground Online Seminar 5 last year where we met for the first time. My website: IncomeDiary.com is one of the proud sponsors. Marshall’s iPhone app is called BizBreak which is tied to a competition called The Limitless VC Contest. The winner of the contest will receive $3,000 to fund or further their business plus mentoring from 5 veteran…

  • Rebeca Krones Interview, Making Money out of Honey!

    Michael
    11 Feb 2010 | 12:46 am
    Hi Everyone, Today we have something a little different – an interview with a ‘bricks and mortar’ entrepreneur – Rebeca Krones of Tropical Traders Specialty Foods. Rebeca is based in Oakland, CA and Captain Cook, HI. Rebeca makes a great point that the only way to succeed long-term in your own business is by setting your company’s vision, mission and goals early-on. These values must permeate each decision made in the company. When you are living your values through your business, the alignment is evident. Enjoy the interview — I have to say that I am now…

  • Cheni Yerushalmi Interview, Support For Start-up Companies & Entrepreneurs

    Michael
    4 Feb 2010 | 4:00 am
    Don’t Believe in a Downturn, Believe in Opportunity Hi Everyone, Today we have a wonderful interview with Cheni Yerushalmi, the founder of Sunshineny.com, a truly unique business that rents out office space to entrepreneurs in New York City. Cheni’s clients include Gary Vaynerchuk. Indeed it was at Cheni’s Lafayette Street location that I met Gary Vaynerchuk last year. What an amazing location – what a BUZZ and what a Great Place to do business. Gary Vaynerchuk puts it best: I am unable to wrap my head around the fact as to why any entrepreneur in NYC would not be in this…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Finding Benjamin

  • Finding Benjamin Crib Notes- Business Idea

    ChrisH
    2 Mar 2010 | 10:05 am
    It’s been awhile since the last crib note, but that doesn’t mean there has been a lack of excitement at the HOP. Joe and I are in the initial stages of creating a business plan for a new idea we want to launch before the snow melts. We plan to start a “do-it-all” service, including snow shoveling, yard work, junk removal, etc. Essentially anything you can think of that two college students would be capable of. The “do-it-all” service will also include a grocery delivery service that we expect will be popular among the elderly folks. We plan to document this…

  • Benjamania 2/28

    ChrisH
    28 Feb 2010 | 12:48 pm
    Watch to see who wins!

  • Limitless VC Contest

    meganH
    22 Feb 2010 | 10:55 am
    Aspiring entrepreneur? Looking for a way to gain some start-up funding and some valuable mentoring? Check out the Limitless VC contest. Unlike the many prestigious business plan competitions that while rewarding can be time consuming and require a lot of effort, this contest asks you to do nothing more than to submit a 2-minute pitch video to youtube – the funnier and more outrageous, the better! This contest is tied in with an iPhone app called BizBreak, which is a boss-punching game aimed at helping you get some much-needed stress relief. All in the spirit of entrepreneurship, the…

  • BENJAMANIA 2/20

    ChrisH
    20 Feb 2010 | 12:50 pm
    Watch the video to see the winners! We will email the winners with further instruction. Come back to see when the next drawing is!

  • BENJAMANIA Promo

    ChrisH
    15 Feb 2010 | 1:30 pm
    New Benjamania drawing this Saturday!! (2/20) Go here to submit your lucky number now! INVITE FIVE FRIENDS AND YOU GET TO SUBMIT A SECOND NUMBER TO INCREASE YOUR OWN ODDS!!
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    START-UP BIZTALK

  • From Reading to Writing to Speaking; Create your Business "First"

    6 Mar 2010 | 7:34 am
    Since age five, I've been an avid reader. At least this is what my mom tells me. I remember graduating at the top of my class from kindergarten and being given a book of fairy tales from the teachers. This is my only vivid memory of kindergarten (well except for the time I got my finger chopped off by another kid while playing with the metal gate but that's a long story).My friends had no idea how to even begin reading the book that was given to me, but I loved it. Apparently, my kindergarten teachers had given up on trying to get me to "nap" because I would always curl up with a book while…

  • Are Basic Business Principles Dead? (An Entrepreneurial Tribute to Black History month)

    28 Feb 2010 | 1:39 pm
    As we wave goodbye to Black History month and welcome women history month, I wanted to take a moment to reflect upon the footprints that African American entrepreneurs and inventors have left. The "wheels" of business is not and should not be re-invented. Regardless of your age or background, the roads that past entrepreneurs have paved are indicators of future successes for current and future entrepreneurs.So, the answer to the question is no! Basic business principles are alive, more alive than they've ever been. If you're still unsure, study the businesses that managed to stay alive during…

  • Thinking about Growing your Business in 2010?

    20 Feb 2010 | 8:15 pm
    If you own a small business or start-up, you will be relieved to learn that entrepreneurs have found success in sticking to their plans in 2010. Successful entrepreneurs are not running to hide because of a difficult economy. Instead, they are following basic business principles to grow their businesses. This week I attended a conference that I attend annually; GROW 2010. It's hosted by Marty Grunder! Inc in Dayton Ohio. If you're a regular subscriber to this blog, you know that I've mentioned this conference before. Besides the fact that I admire and respect the host a lot because of his…

  • 12 Months to your Business Launch

    14 Feb 2010 | 6:33 pm
    Two years ago I started a business that centered around the theme of helping aspiring entrepreneurs and start-ups create a business model within a year. Before that, I was working in banking and advising people to do the same. Why a year? Two reasons: 1) My "field" experience (if you want to call it that) has told me that it takes that time to at least get a structure around a business idea and 2) it is the most crucial time for a startup.Throughout the years, I've worked on the back-end with start-ups, I've helped some small businesses remodel existing ideas and I've helped people go from…

  • Who wants to know a "Nobody?" Everybody!

    5 Feb 2010 | 7:47 am
    So here's some real talk for you: stop trying to be a know-it-all-smarter-than-everyone-else-local-celebrity-too-full-of-myself-talk-a-lot-without-doing-you're-beneath-me-acting somebody. I could go on with this list but I'll stop here.People really don't care about status. And the ones that care only about your "celebrity" status, are called groupies. That's right, I think entrepreneurs can have groupies too. Stop and ask yourself, do you really have a "loyal" following or do you have "groupies?" My friend always quotes this saying during his speeches and I love it, "if you want to know…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Matt Wilson

  • Set your Blog Goals

    Matt Wilson
    4 Mar 2010 | 12:20 pm
    I was inspired by a recent blog post by my friend Srinivas Rao @SkoolofLife how he actually created a marketing plan for his blog.  @Under30CEO we always say treat your blog like a business–be serious about it.  This takes it to the next level. Q1 Marketing Plan Skooloflife View more presentations from srinirao2k10.

  • South Dakota Entrepreneurship

    Matt Wilson
    17 Feb 2010 | 9:40 pm
    This past week I spoke at University of South Dakota at their E-Evening. I had an absolute blast, the people were amazing and I’d like to thank everyone who attended, sent me mail afterwards and heard about Under30CEO for the first time. We are really trying to make it THE resource for young entrepreneurs. You can read the whole story here and get more information on our college speaking tour, but I wanted to show off a few highlights and of course some great testimonials I was able to grab.  There are some big things coming with this blog and I stated a goal on Twitter: (Check out how…

  • Under30CEO Announces BizBreak Limitless VC Contest

    Matt Wilson
    16 Feb 2010 | 8:35 pm
    Hello everyone, today we have a short guest post from my business partner @JaredOToole about the contest we are running giving away huge prize money for one lucky entrepreneur and some mentorship from some major multi-millionaire entrepreneurs. A special thanks to Marshall Haas for putting together the contest and iPhone app.  Tune in as Jared explains the rest and check out our post on Under30CEO.com the resource for young entrepreneurs! Full details can be found on BizBreakApp.com

  • Don’t Wait for Success to Enjoy Your Business

    Matt Wilson
    8 Dec 2009 | 5:44 pm
    Too many people are playing the end game, waiting for success and their trip to Tahiti and their Four Hour Work Week to be happy. Start enjoying what you are doing now!

  • The Meaning of Life with Snoop Dogg

    Matt Wilson
    11 Nov 2009 | 8:58 am
    Today I read: The Meaning of Life by Esquire Magazine.A compilation of interviews, people from Economists to actors to Snoop Dogg that talk about their thoughts on life and how it should be lived.Lots of great stories, not super deep and philosophical but some good humor and pictures.What I got out of it, the reaffirmation of: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness Every day you have the choice, either make yourself happy or make yourself sad.In America we have the rights that allow us to chase happiness.A lot of entrepreneurs play with the end goal in mind—retirement, to make a million…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Feint

  • Musings from a Founder

    Anthony
    12 Mar 2010 | 3:31 am
    This post: Random Thoughts on Being an Entreprenur is one of my all time favourites.   It inspired me to go back through my endless pages of notes (i don’t throw out any of my notebooks) and collect some of the musings I’ve had over the past two years.  By no means am I an expert on being a founder/entrepreneur, but the past year or so, I’ve seen things really take off and would like to share some of my thoughts. Running a web app that people rely on is painful.  When your app breaks it hurts real bad. I would rather have a website that matters than one that just makes…

  • How to Live Anywhere….Ridiculously

    Anthony
    8 Mar 2010 | 4:23 am
    According to Karol Gajda, you shouldn’t buy How To Live Anywhere, his latest ebook.  In fact he does a pretty good job of persuading you not to buy it on the sales page….but obviously it didn’t work as I did end up buying a copy, and I thought I would give it a quick review. First off, How to Live Anywhere, is my type of ebook.   Yes, it does cover one of my passions (lifestyle design), but what I really like about it, is the format.    This is the kind of book you skip around as its really a series of short essays much like my all time favorite read Getting Real…

  • Weekend Reading: Lets Get Passive

    Anthony
    5 Mar 2010 | 4:39 pm
    I‘ve had a very productive week, hows your week been?  I redesigned the landing page for the flipped book,  added new features to Task.fm (in beta), and launched a couple of niche mini sites. Here are some of the posts that caught my eye this past week: My Massive Passive Income Brain Dump – its always nice to see people using your advice.  This is a great motivating post. Here’s Why I don’t Have a Full Time Virtual Assistant – There are a number of schools of thought when it comes to hiring a VA.   Pat explains why he doesn’t use a full-time…

  • Is Your Business Becoming a Chore?

    Anthony
    3 Mar 2010 | 4:09 am
    Whether its a web app, blog or info product, if you’re business is becoming a chore, its destined to fail. The word “passion” has been thrown around a bit recently.  Long articles on “finding your passion” have been written and although the advice in these articles is most likely good, I prefer to look at it from a simplified approach If you wake up and get excited about your business each morning, you’ve found your passion Excitement Passion and excitement go hand in hand.  You can’t have one without the other.  Therefore, its the perfect way to…

  • How to Stop Getting Frustrated on a Slow Day

    Anthony
    28 Feb 2010 | 6:01 pm
    We all have them, you know, those slow days where nothing seems to happen. You’re dying to get some work done, but instead you get stuck in a procrastination death cycle, flicking between Twitter, Facebook and your inbox. These days, usually being the Weekends or Public Holidays, are fairly common. And just because you’re working, doesn’t mean anyone else is. Yesterday, I had one of those days. Or I was having one of those days, until I decided to do something about it. Instead of getting frustrated by the situation, I used this simple technique: Stop the Cycle The first,…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    TheFunded Founder Institute News

  • Last Weekend to Apply in Singapore

    11 Mar 2010 | 7:00 pm
    The Founder Institute in Singapore has accepted over 30 applicants, and there are just a half dozen spots remaining in the program. The final application deadline is Sunday, March 14th, so take a moment to apply here.The Singapore program has attracted top local and global mentors, including Adeo Ressi, CEO, TheFunded.comAdeo Ressi is Founding Member of TheFunded.com, an online community of 12,000 CEOs to research, rate, and review funding sources worldwide. Adeo also runs the Founder Institute, a mentoring program that helps entrepreneurs launch hundreds of world-class companies each year.

  • San Diego Special Open Community Session on Tuesday

    11 Mar 2010 | 10:55 am
    New and experienced entrepreneurs, future founders and co-founders, and all those passionate about startups are invited to a special Open Community Session of the Founder Institute on Tuesday evening, March 16, 2010, in San Diego. At this free event you can meet some of our Mentors and Founders from the recently graduated Fall 2009 Semester, as well as enjoy food, drinks, and informative talks. The directors of the program will also be there to answer any questions you have.  Our space is very limited, so be sure to register today and claim a spot: http://sdfi.eventbrite.com The…

  • San Diego Exposure

    9 Mar 2010 | 9:00 am
    There is a great article in the San Diego Union-Tribune by Dean Calbreat discussing the Graduates, the Mentors and the startup ecosystem in Southern California. "After going through a four-month business boot camp, a dozen local entrepreneurs have become the first graduating class in San Diego of The Founders Institute - a program that matches would-be startups with successful chief executives from other firms. A number of the graduates, ranging from students at San Diego State University to middle-aged workers with well-established careers, now say they are on their way to launching…

  • Founder Institute, San Diego - Spring Session

    8 Mar 2010 | 1:51 pm
    If you can benefit from training and mentorship to make your startup more successful, please apply to the second San Diego semester. The first semester in San Diego was the highest rated by participating Founders in the history of the Founder Institute. If you know a founder that needs help, encourage them to join the program.Early Applications due March 14th, 2010. Classes begin April 6, 2010.  Apply here.The Institute is run by founders for founders, providing a framework for successful entrepreneurs to share their experiences and to help. We've already lined up an impressive group of…

  • The Benefits of Graduating

    6 Mar 2010 | 2:00 pm
    As the Institute attracts candidates for semesters in San Diego, Paris, Singapore and Denver, a number of applicants asked about the benefits once the program is over. Graduating from the Founder Institute is challenging. A Founder needs to develop an engaging idea for a technology company, plan out the business, work on an offering and incorporate a company, all within a four month timeframe. For the Graduates, there are multiple rewards. Here are ten, ordered from tangible to intangible: Bonus Pool: Each Graduate joins a ten year Bonus Pool that distributes cash generated from peer success.
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    NavidZolfaghari.com

  • Twitter for Dummies

    2 Mar 2010 | 7:53 am
    If you have a business and haven’t hopped on the Twitter train yet, it’s never too late. Twitter is a micro blogging platform that allows you to engage your (unlimited) audience. It is very easy to use and effective if used properly. Most people however use this service incorrectly and don’t ever get to reap the plentiful benefits of the Twitter world. Let me help you.Let’s start with a glossary of terms:• Tweep is a person who uses Twitter• Tweet is a 140 character or less sentence from a Tweeter• Followers are people who have clicked to follow you, and who therefore will see…

  • So I have an idea... now what?

    2 Mar 2010 | 7:51 am
    You’ve got the next big idea, and are going to start making millions from day one. We’ve all had these foolish dreams. What makes the foolish is that most people don’t plan and execute a game plan to make that happen. Below we’ve laid out some steps to help make your dream a reality.1) Do research. Does this new and original idea currently exist? If it does, what is your competitive advantage? Is there really a market for this? What problem are you solving and where is the value added? What are the barriers to entry? Is this even feasible? It’s also important to address personal…

  • Charlie Bit My Finger!

    2 Mar 2010 | 7:49 am
    The term “viral” is a huge buzz word these days on the internet. People talk about viral videos, or ad campaigns but they don’t really know much about the process by which something goes “viral.” Long gone is the time when you can just upload a funny video to YouTube and hope that it randomly gets thousands or millions of views. Viral content nowadays requires active marketing in order to ensure that it has a good chance of becoming one of the most viewed pieces of content on the internet. This is no easy task, and there is always a bit of luck involved with how the content will be…

  • The Power of the Lens

    2 Mar 2010 | 7:46 am
    If you own or operate a website and you are not using http://www.squidoo.com to help your marketing efforts you are behind the eight ball. Squidoo is a fast growing, popular site that allows users to make “lenses” about any topic that they choose to. These lenses are basically a 1-page website that is easy to use and create. These lenses range from people’s personal lists of the Top 100 Guitar Solos, to detailed guides to affiliate marketing and search engine optimization.Why should you be involved with Squidoo? The first and most important reason is that it is a very useful way to help…

  • Feelin' Lucky?

    18 Feb 2010 | 10:34 am
    Approximately half of American adults spend $45 billion annually on some 35,000 lottery games in 40 states. Studies show that the heaviest lotto players (the 20% of people who contributed about 80% of the revenue) disproportionately are low income, minority men who have less than a college degree. A lot of people don't really take a look at their daily choices. As an avid poker player, I make sure nearly all my decisions is a +ev (positive expected value) play. Let's take a look at why playing the lotto is most often a -ev play. In order to win the Florida Lottery, you need to correctly guess…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    A Smart Bear

  • Employed with a side of startup

    Jason
    8 Mar 2010 | 6:30 am
    (P.S. Are you going to SxSW?  If so, drop me a line and we'll coordinate.) Most people start their first company while they still have a day job. It makes sense: You don't need loans, and you don't need funding. If you "fail" all you've lost is time, but considering the fun, the stories, and everything you'll have learned, that's hardly a failure. You just need to give up all your free time which, if you've caught the "founders" bug, is A-OK with you. But you've also placed yourself in a hazardous, potentially legally ambiguous situation. If managed improperly, you're unnecessarily risking…

  • Startup Fitness

    Jason
    5 Mar 2010 | 6:30 am
    This is a guest post by Mike Schoeffler, founder of iPhone running application Roadbud. He writes a refreshingly approachable fitness blog I hesitate to take issue with Jason’s Sacrifice your health for your startup — particularly after his wife gave her up-close-and-personal. His main point is dead on — we need to unhealthily obsess over our creations. But take this too far and your productivity drops off the cliff. As founder of a run/bike app startup, I can write off my workouts. I have a ready excuse for squeezing in a little “sweat equity” — I need to get in shape…

  • An Experiment with Guest Posts

    Jason
    4 Mar 2010 | 6:30 am
    When I asked recently whether you'd like to see other people guest-posting here, the response was far more positive than I expected. But as much as you're open to hearing new voices, you were also clear that you come here for quality content (not quantity), for entrepreneurial perspective (not product pitches), and for my taste in topics, especially "behind the scenes" admissions of agony, humiliation, and mortifying unease. (Gee, is this therapy for me or for you? Probably both... I feel myself transforming into the Dr. Laura of bootstrapped entrepreneurs...) So over the next few months I'm…

  • Pick one and own it

    Jason
    1 Mar 2010 | 6:30 am
    What if your company were allowed only one advantage over the competition? What would a sales call look like, starting with your 30-second pitch, then dealing with skeptical questions, trying to earn this potential customer's interest, respect, and eventually money, all with only one advantage? Impossible, or just pointless?  Neither! You should go through this exercise because this skill is valuable in every sales call. Sometimes you're defending the few advantages you have over a specific competitor. Sometimes you're arguing the virtues of small businesses over large ones. Sometimes you're…

  • CapitalFactory: Your startup gets $20k cash + 20 mentors for a summer

    Jason
    26 Feb 2010 | 6:30 am
    Help me spread the word about this program! I'm a mentor and investor in CapitalFactory, a seed-stage startup mentorship program in Austin, TX. Each year we pick 5 companies to participate in a 10-week summer program which includes: 20 real mentors Twenty entrepreneurs who have actually been in your shoes — creating companies from scratch, growing to millions in revenue, and often selling them. No posers, no one who was "there for the ride." Here's the list; see for yourself. You'll get both one-on-one time and weekly group meetings. $20,000 in cash You can spend it however you want…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Venture Bin

  • Rss.im – Instant Messenger RSS

    admin
    12 Mar 2010 | 2:46 am
    Rss.im is a simple solution to send information directly to your favorite Instant Messenger system through RSS. Just type the url feed and you are able to recieve the updates. Venture Slogan: Rss.im Rss.im’s own description: “…Stay on top of things with instant notifications. Read feeds updates through your favorite messaging client…” Venture Link: rss.im Source: Netwebapp No related posts. No related posts.

  • Fundmojo – Your financial “mojo”

    admin
    11 Mar 2010 | 2:26 am
    Fundmojo is a service that provides you information and advisors on financials. Also, it´s a community of financial experts that can help you manage your money. Venture Slogan: Fundmojo. Fundmojo’s own description: “…Fund Mojo provides investors and financial advisors with deep financial intelligence through systematic data collection, correlation and analysis, as well as a community and gateway [...] No related posts.

  • Smak.ly – Bloggers social community

    admin
    10 Mar 2010 | 2:58 am
    Smakl.y is a solution to get more traffic in your blog. It´s a community of bloggers that shares their content through a widget. Add your blog to the network and get some link “love”. Venture Slogan: Smakly. Smak.ly’s own description: “…Smak.ly is a social community for bloggers to share their content with the world through our social [...] Related posts:Waze – The community of road conditions Skribit – Helping write your posts Ubervu – The social metrics and analytics

  • Dotgov – The mobile government

    admin
    9 Mar 2010 | 2:55 am
    Dotgov is a developing mobile platform that offers the posibility to give information about your city government news. It´s a mobile app for local government to gives citizens access to city & county services and information. Venture Slogan: Put your government in your pocket. Dotgov’s own description: “…DotGov, Inc. is a new Gov 2.0 start-up company. We [...] Related posts:App.itize.us – The iPhone app blog Waze – The community of road conditions

  • Whosrich.me – The shopping social network

    admin
    8 Mar 2010 | 2:11 am
    Whosrich.me is a social network to keep your friends informed about your last buys. It´s a simple solution to show wthat you bought and search for your friends shops. Share your purchases and recive feedback from your friends. Venture Slogan: Want to see what your friends spend their money on? Whosrich.me’s own description: “…WhosRich.me is a social [...] Related posts:Mixingbowl – Food and meals social network Friendsell – The social buying and selling site Adflyer – The free ad marketplace and shopping
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Finding Benjamin

  • Finding Benjamin Crib Notes- Business Idea

    ChrisH
    2 Mar 2010 | 10:05 am
    It’s been awhile since the last crib note, but that doesn’t mean there has been a lack of excitement at the HOP. Joe and I are in the initial stages of creating a business plan for a new idea we want to launch before the snow melts. We plan to start a “do-it-all” service, including snow shoveling, yard work, junk removal, etc. Essentially anything you can think of that two college students would be capable of. The “do-it-all” service will also include a grocery delivery service that we expect will be popular among the elderly folks. We plan to document this…

  • Benjamania 2/28

    ChrisH
    28 Feb 2010 | 12:48 pm
    Watch to see who wins!

  • Limitless VC Contest

    meganH
    22 Feb 2010 | 10:55 am
    Aspiring entrepreneur? Looking for a way to gain some start-up funding and some valuable mentoring? Check out the Limitless VC contest. Unlike the many prestigious business plan competitions that while rewarding can be time consuming and require a lot of effort, this contest asks you to do nothing more than to submit a 2-minute pitch video to youtube – the funnier and more outrageous, the better! This contest is tied in with an iPhone app called BizBreak, which is a boss-punching game aimed at helping you get some much-needed stress relief. All in the spirit of entrepreneurship, the…

  • BENJAMANIA 2/20

    ChrisH
    20 Feb 2010 | 12:50 pm
    Watch the video to see the winners! We will email the winners with further instruction. Come back to see when the next drawing is!

  • BENJAMANIA Promo

    ChrisH
    15 Feb 2010 | 1:30 pm
    New Benjamania drawing this Saturday!! (2/20) Go here to submit your lucky number now! INVITE FIVE FRIENDS AND YOU GET TO SUBMIT A SECOND NUMBER TO INCREASE YOUR OWN ODDS!!
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Sentiment of Success

  • Creativity: The Organization of Randomness (plus a prize!)

    my1ambition
    4 Mar 2010 | 10:55 pm
    Imagination is greater than Knowledge Albert Einstein Creativity is a funny thing. It isn’t thinking, yet its highly intuitive. And it isn’t always rational, yet it solves the toughest problems. When we think of someone as “brilliant,” we rarely refer to IQ points (after 120 it really doesn’t seem to matter).  We are referring to [...]

  • The Economy: Is It Really Getting Better?

    my1ambition
    3 Mar 2010 | 11:09 am
    What We See People are optimistic, The Dow remains above 10,000, inflation fears seem over-estimated, and the financial crisis seems isolated in places like Greece, California, and random long-expected lay-offs. I just met with a manufacturer of fashion apparel and she was telling us how many designers who were previously afraid to launch their collections are [...]

  • Why Invest in Gold?

    my1ambition
    24 Feb 2010 | 11:47 pm
    By Levik Dubov Simple Answer: The reason why investors own precious metals, is to insure themselves from a debasement of currency at a greater rate than available market returns. Few people actually own precious metals physically, and those who do often do for the wrong reasons. Gold is not a reliable vehicle for appreciation, yet it is an [...]

  • 10 Tips for Entrepreneurs

    my1ambition
    22 Feb 2010 | 7:07 pm
    Original article “10 Tips for Entrepreneurs” by Kevin Rose, Founder of Digg With (blue) additions by me, Levik Dubov 1: Just Build It: You don’t need anyone’s approval and in fact, you probably won’t get it, so don’t even try. Absolutely! The key to building a great company is having the ability to envision beforehand what it’s supposed [...]

  • Living Life on Purpose

    my1ambition
    18 Jan 2010 | 7:44 pm
    The following is the re-edited pre-2 AM version I wonder if people feel their lives as a pursuit of but a necessary happiness. A race back to the original finish line. A never-ending loop that seems to go on ad infinitum. Or a maze that seems to have neither a finish or an exit. What is [...]
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Current Mom

  • Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months: a Book Review

    Katherine Lewis
    13 Mar 2010 | 9:40 pm
    Startup Sunday So many people dream of becoming an entrepreneur but have no idea how to translate the fantasy into action items. In her new book Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months, Melinda Emerson has written a comprehensive road...

  • Morning Breakfast Musings

    Karen Paul-Stern
    13 Mar 2010 | 6:00 am
    Sharing Saturday As I pour the 3 millionth serving of bad breakfast cereal into my son's bowl today, I consider the areas where I have fallen down as a parent. All the things I swore I wouldn't do, all the...

  • Talk to Your Teenagers about the West Memphis Three

    Jenny Vidas
    12 Mar 2010 | 1:00 am
    Family Friday Issues like potty-training and temper tantrums have dominated my world recently, but this week I'll address a much darker topic, one more germane to those of you with adolescents. You may have heard rumblings in the media lately...

  • Traveling with Toddler and Technology

    Lyn Millett
    11 Mar 2010 | 10:52 am
    Image by Lyn Millett via FlickrTechnology Thursday Last summer I wrote about all the technology we loaded into our car for a week-long road trip to visit family. We are gearing up for another such road trip and once again...

  • Pizzazz and Policy: The Oscars and the Obamas' International Women's Day

    Stacy Feuer
    10 Mar 2010 | 9:25 am
    Work Wednesday While everyone I know was watching the Oscars on Sunday night, I was busy doing all sorts of mundane stuff. Like rooting through the closets to find the kids some spring clothes that fit. And editing a dense...
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Sramana Mitra on Strategy

  • Entrepreneur Journeys Book Review: If You’ve The Will, You Will Make The Way

    mkelly
    13 Mar 2010 | 12:47 pm
    Here is Devesh Dwivedi’s review of Sramana Mitra’s Bootstrapping book for Amazon: “Very inspiring.  It’s a powerhouse of twelve inspirational stories of how aspiring entrepreneurs went from zero (or almost zero) to millions of a stable and sustainable business… Wait a minute, no, not by raising capital from VCs but by bootstrapping their projects and doing more with less… which is exactly what this book communicates to the aspiring entrepreneurs who are hung up on ‘I don’t have the money’ or ‘VCs are not interested’ kind of excuses… If you’ve…

  • Vision India 2020 Book Review: An Addictive Read

    mkelly
    13 Mar 2010 | 12:19 pm
    In case you missed it, YourStory spoke with Sramana Mitra about entrepreneurship, India, and her new book in this interview earlier this week.  From a review of Sramana Mitra’s Vision India 2020 byKanishk Rastogi on Amazon.com: “Futuristic vision and an entrepreneurial spirit perfectly blended by a simple, yet effective writing style, that is precisely how I’d like to summarize my whole review. It has been quite long time since I have read such a great book about India. In fact, I think it is the first one in its league. Sramana Mitra has done a marvelous work by writing this book.

  • Partner Events

    mkelly
    13 Mar 2010 | 11:36 am
    Entrepreneur Commons – March 25, 2010 Entrepreneur Commons – April 5, 2010 Entrepreneur Commons – March 25, 2010 The Regus San Francisco-Soma office and Entrepreneur Commons are happy to announce the launch of a new Entrepreneur Commons chapter in San Francisco. Come and meet other entrepreneurs to network, learn from their experiences, and share your expertise with others. All interested entrepreneurs are welcome to join for the launch event. After the launch meeting, the group will be closed, and any new members will need to be approved by that core group.  This meeting will start…

  • Servicing IT: ServiceNow CEO Fred Luddy (Part 3)

    Jared
    12 Mar 2010 | 11:59 pm
    SM: Did you bootstrap ServiceNow? FL: In the beginning it was completely bootstrapped. I had a couple guys volunteering who worked on nights and weekends, and that helped me out. However, it was really just me and a dozen customers at that point. SM: How did you find those twelve customers? FL: I made phone calls and literally drove up and down the coast of San Diego County to talk small businesses into using our product. SM: How much did you charge them? FL: Nothing. They were customers by virtue of the fact that they used our software and gave us feedback. They were wonderful about giving…

  • Forbes Column 2010: An Underused Tool For Job Recovery

    Sramana Mitra
    12 Mar 2010 | 3:10 am
    With unemployment soaring, incubators can help people move into self-employment–and create jobs. See how in this week’s Forbes column, An Underused Tool For Job Recovery.
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    rosskimbarovsky.com

  • Not Every Failure Is A Learning Experience

    Ross
    9 Mar 2010 | 9:02 pm
    Many entrepreneurs and investors – especially in Silicon Valley – believe that failure is acceptable. Mark Suster writes: I prefer second time (or more) entrepreneurs.  Sure, I would love to work with people who have had multiple successes.  But I’m not afraid of entrepreneurs that didn’t succeed the first time.  I want to work with talented [...]

  • To Innovate, You Have To Stay Dissatisfied

    Ross
    8 Mar 2010 | 9:02 pm
    Success makes some people complacent. Other people expect to continue to succeed by doing the things that made them successful. This is not always possible, however. To innovate, you have to stay dissatisfied. Here’s why: Do you agree?

  • Startup Tip: The Dirty Secret About Features

    Ross
    8 Mar 2010 | 5:45 am
    I have little doubt that every investor has heard an entrepreneur touting how their new product or service will “crush” the competition with great features that the competition hasn’t yet seen. Many entrepreneurs – especially aspiring entrepreneurs – believe that product or service features represent a great competitive advantage. There’s a dirty secret about features [...]

  • Buzzwords and the Credibility Problem

    Ross
    3 Mar 2010 | 10:19 am
    It’s tempting to promote a product, service or company by using popular buzzwords. The formula is simple: pick some buzzwords, string them together in a few sentences, and voila! Buzzwords can be appropriate and convenient. But 90% of the time, they are misused. I am growing increasingly sensitive to how I use buzzwords, because I am noticing [...]

  • Not Everything That Can Be Counted Counts

    Ross
    1 Mar 2010 | 12:09 pm
    It’s tempting for startups to count everything that can be counted. After all, prospective investors and the media are often influenced by numbers of followers, visitors, users, paying customers, etc. But there are a number of challenges when trying to count everything. Relying too much on statistics can be very distracting and can lead to decision [...]
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    The Underdog Entrepreneur of the Silicon Valley. It's 'ruff'.

  • Modern Entrepreneur = Rice Paddy Farmers

    Michelle Lee
    4 Mar 2010 | 12:32 pm
    One of the books I'm reading, "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell, has a section on the intricacies of rice farming, how difficult it is to harvest this product and how it takes it a certain farmer to raise this crop. It's uncanny how there are deep parallels to the complications of rice farming and modern day entrepreneurship. Check out these excerpts:"What redeemed the life of a rice farmer, however

  • The Silent Entrepreneur Speech

    Michelle Lee
    5 Feb 2010 | 1:48 am
    When I was in elementary school, I was chosen to recite the MLK 'I Have a Dream" speech in front of the Santa Clara County school board. I believed it. When i was in jr. high, I was chosen to recite a graduation speech I wrote called 'Believe in Yourself'. I did. In high school, I recited a baccalaureate speech about our hopeful future. I was hopeful. As college class president and Senator, I

  • Something My Husband Would Say

    Michelle Lee
    30 Jan 2010 | 2:34 pm
    You know your wife works in online media when she tells me to make my arguments shorter preferably 140 characters or less. (True. I said that to him.)

  • Moving Fast AND Slow

    Michelle Lee
    5 Jan 2010 | 6:50 pm
    Instant gratification does not come to those who are starting something new. And it doesn't feel so right all the time. Patience and tenacity is what's needed. But when you're alone on an island how much more patience and tenacity does one need - isn't it already a requirement? Once you have given all of your patience, you are required to give more. I move, think, and act fast. Yet, things move

  • First Public Mention

    Michelle Lee
    28 Dec 2009 | 12:32 pm
    Mamabread featured in the Mercury News today. Very sweet!Read the feature here.Cheers!
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    The Startupist

  • What is an Entrepreneur?

    ethan
    8 Mar 2010 | 8:54 pm
    At first glance this may seem to be a redundant question, especially for a website containing articles about entrepreneurship.  Before you decide that you already have a clear picture in your mind of what an entrepreneur is, I encourage you to finish reading and also read the article I that I will link to at the end of the post. Many times, especially in the online arena, we tend to think of entrepreneurs as innovators.  People such as Steve Jobs (Apple), Mark Zuckerburg (Facebook), and Aaron Patzer (Mint.com) come to mind.  These are the people who have thought up and created a…

  • Building Businesses on a Micro-scale

    ethan
    3 Mar 2010 | 9:01 pm
    One thing that I find extremely admirable about entrepreneurs is the way in which they aspire to take on the problems and opportunities of the world.  So many entrepreneurs aspire to create the next Google, Facebook, Twitter, WalMart, and *insert mega-successful industry leading business here*.  A bit of statistical analysis and a look at the amount of awesome and potentially great ideas now sitting TechCrunch Deadpool reveals that your chances of doing so are relatively low.  This of course is no reason to stop being optimistic, but it may be time to refocus your sights on building a…

  • Startups: Expect Change, Navigate Change, Get Lucky [video]

    ethan
    16 Feb 2010 | 9:29 pm
    This excellent clip from The Business Insider features Kevin Ryan and Marc Andreessen.  Each addresses the process of change, and how to navigate it when very little information or precedent is available.  Change and deviation from the originally projected model and purpose of a startup comapny is inevitable, how a startup deals with it and navigates it will likely define the company and could even predict the future success or failure of the company.  Watch and learn:

  • Book Review: Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk

    ethan
    7 Feb 2010 | 8:39 am
    Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk is the latest in the line of books designed to equip readers with the knowledge and tools to start their own home-based business on the internet.  Tim Ferriss captured this market roughly 3 years ago, with case studies and data to back up his studies on creating a virtually automated, metrics driven, “muse”.  Ferriss also advocated  social engineering techniques as a way to maximize impact with less effort.  Crush It, on the other hand, advocates finding the subject that you are most passionate about and working as much as possible to create…

  • Entrepreneurs: Here is your Chance to get Featured in a Book.

    ethan
    4 Feb 2010 | 5:11 pm
    I received an email today from Scott Gerber, CEO of Gerber Enterprises and columnist at Entrepreneur Magazine, announcing his new project AskGerber.com.  AskGerber will be officially launched this coming spring in the form of a daily web-show offering up-front answers, advice, for entrepreneurs and businesses.  Scott will also feature resources and tools which will help you and your business avoid mistakes and takes steps closer to success. In addition to this, Scott is also in the midst of writing a book called Never Get a Real Job (look for it in Dec. 2010).  As he writes the book , he…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    thriveal.com

  • Becoming Paperless in Your Business: Bill.com (Video)

    thriveal
    11 Mar 2010 | 7:11 am
    We implement and deploy this system called Bill.com.  So sweet.  The firm uses it internally too. Makes your business paperless (we’re paperless), and could even eliminate staff!  The bomb. And when you hook it to our remote hosted QuickBooks offerings, you’ll be the envy of your competition. Check it: Tweet This (and such) Hide Sites $$('div.d2780').each( function(e) { e.visualEffect('slide_up',{duration:1.5}) });

  • GoSee: Thriveal’s Three on Thursday

    thriveal
    11 Mar 2010 | 4:00 am
    1.  Rules that Warren Buffet lives by – GoSee 2. GelaSkins lets you design your own art cover for your iPhone, gaming console or MacBook – GoSee 3.  Bye, bye desktop (so says Google) – GoSee Thanks, Jason M. Blumer Tweet This (and such) Hide Sites $$('div.d2756').each( function(e) { e.visualEffect('slide_up',{duration:1.5}) });

  • Guest Post: Run Your Business Ideas Through a GRINDER!

    thriveal
    10 Mar 2010 | 4:00 am
    My friend and marketing coach at Biztrek, Gil Gerretsen, contributed a Guest Post for this week.  Twelve great questions you need to ask yourself before getting into a business venture.  It’s a Guest Video Post – check it out: Many people have called Gil Gerretsen an oracle – a leader who has a unique ability to [...]

  • Tuesday Tax Time: Crime Does Pay (or at least get you a tax deduction)

    thriveal
    9 Mar 2010 | 4:00 am
    The Tax Court recently allowed a dentist to deduct restitution payments (plus interest) on his Schedule C during tax time.  His wife bilked insurers out of money for services he never rendered.  She went to Women’s Prison and he paid everybody back.  The payments were paying back the insurers for lost funds (as opposed to [...]

  • Monday Morning Message

    thriveal
    8 Mar 2010 | 4:00 am
    “It is absurd to hold that a man ought to be ashamed of being unable to defend himself with his limbs but not of being unable to defend himself with speech and reason, when the use of reason is more distinctive of a human being than the use of his limbs.” Aristotle Tweet This (and such) Hide Sites $$('div.d2790').each( [...]
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Brent Britton

  • ideas2happy at Tedxtampabay

    bcjb
    24 Feb 2010 | 8:23 pm
    I presented ideas2happy at TedxTampaBay a couple of weeks ago. My thesis is that obsessive focus on shareholder wealth maximization leads to evil, but that obsessive focus on customer and employee happiness leads to shareholder wealth maximization. Video here. Slides here. I hold up the philosophies of Google (“don’t be evil”) and Zappos (“delivering happiness”) as examples.

  • A nation adrift

    bcjb
    3 Feb 2010 | 7:25 am
    Ever paused to reflect on the odd nature of jurisdiction? The rules that govern your behavior change as you move to different sections of the earth’s crust. Don’t like the rules here? Go stand on another rock. Land-centric provincialism seems increasingly archaic in the age of the internet, a truly global village where the rock you’re standing on is neither obvious nor relevant to your participation. But I’d wager it’s not going away on anything less than a truly tectonic timescale, however. Turns out, as discussed in this discovery.com article, if you actually…

  • Top Ten Legal Issues for Startups

    bcjb
    19 Jan 2010 | 7:35 pm
    The (rather spartan) slides from my recent talk, TOp Ten Legal Issues for Startups, are here: http://www.slideshare.net/bcjb/top-ten-legal-issues-for-startups Video coming soon.

  • What is Facebook?

    bcjb
    28 Dec 2009 | 10:53 am
    I’ve gotten a little play lately for saying, “Linkedin is your resume; Twitter is your personality.” (Borges, Marketing 2.0: Bridging the Gap between Seller and Buyer through Social Media Marketing, 2009.) Now I’m being asked, in so many words, “OK bub, you think you’re so full of pith and vinegar… Let’s have a metaphor for Facebook, and make it apt.” Alright, here goes. Facebook is your life as a cocktail party. And everyone’s coming. Everyone. Remember how your peeps used to be stratified into groups based on how and when you met…

  • A New Theory of Business: From Idea to Happy

    bcjb
    8 Dec 2009 | 8:26 am
    For 15 years or so I have been pursuing an agenda dubbed “ideas2money,” a slightly tongue-in-cheek abstraction of the premise that all business is about monetizing good ideas, in turn premised on the relatively venerable notion that the sole role of any business is maximizing profit and, thus, shareholder wealth. After observing progressive companies such as Zappos (and, to some extent, Google), however, I propose a new theory of business = ideas2happy, whereby profits are maximized in any business whose primary goal is to maximize customer happiness. According to Zappos CEO Tony…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Unsolicited Business Advice from Carol Roth

  • BAM! CUSTOMER SERVICE: Carol Roth Interviews Barry Moltz on Video!

    admin
    9 Mar 2010 | 7:15 am
    From The CarolRoth.com Entrepreneurship Interview Series I thought we would shake things up a bit for this interview with “recovering entrepre-holic”, small business author and speaker Barry Moltz.  Having started three companies and advised many more, Barry brings unique depth and breadth with his small business insights.  You may know Barry from his blogs at Crain’s [...]

  • Starting a Business to Do More of What You Love? You May Want to Think Again…

    admin
    23 Feb 2010 | 3:13 pm
    One of the main reasons that aspiring entrepreneurs take the plunge into entrepreneurship is to do more of what they love. They are inspired by a passion and want to pursue more of it, only do find that once they start their business they are actually doing less of it. Don't take my word for it though; here is feedback from a whole host of passionate entrepreneurs about where they are spending their time...

  • New Job, New Career or New Business? Carol Roth Interviews Alexandra Levit

    admin
    16 Feb 2010 | 11:29 am
    From The CarolRoth.com Entrepreneurship Interview Series There is a very interesting dynamic in deciding between a career path and business ownership, which I discuss in detail with Alexandra Levit, Wall Street Journal and Metro US career/workplace columnist.  Alexandra is also the author of several books, including the bestselling They Don’t Teach Corporate in College, MillennialTweet and [...]

  • Thinking Big: Carol Roth Interviews Michael Port

    admin
    9 Feb 2010 | 7:44 am
    From The CarolRoth.com Entrepreneurship Interview Series Marketing guru Michael Port delivers so many valuable insights in this 30-minute interview, you will probably want to listen to it twice.  One of the Top 5 most popular business coaches in the world, Michael is a New York Times Bestselling author of four books including Book Yourself Solid, Beyond [...]

  • Guest Blog: Don’t Let Your Fear Make You Act Stupid by Chip Bell and John R. Patterson

    admin
    2 Feb 2010 | 7:10 am
    Customers are your most important asset. Make sure that you let them know they are valued and perhaps try to upsell them on a related product or service. And definitely don’t slap them in the face with a general solicitation that proves you have no grasp over who your customer is!
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Lessons Learned

  • For Startups, How Much Process Is Too Much? (for Harvard Business Review)

    Eric
    11 Mar 2010 | 5:53 am
    In the latest article for my series in HBR, I discuss the problem of how to figure out how much process startups should have. I often hear that what makes startups effective is their complete lack of process, but I don't think this is correct. Process is not the same as bureaucracy. In fact, I believe process is a form of discipline. When done right, it can help startups accelerate even as they scale. You can view previous entries: Is Entrepreneurship a Management Science? Two Ways to Hold Entrepreneurs Accountable Beware of Vanity Metrics I'm a little late on the cross-post, but hope you'll…

  • Startup Lessons Learned - the Conference (April 23, 2010 in SF)

    Eric
    9 Mar 2010 | 6:29 am
    Today we are opening up registration for the first ever Startup Lessons Learned Conference on April 23, 2010 in San Francisco. I'm incredibly excited. The event is being produced in partnership with Charles Hudson, who puts on many of Silicon Valley's top events, including the forthcoming Freemium Summit. The Startup Lessons Learned Conference is by-and-for entrepreneurs, and only entrepreneurs. We have a lineup of speakers who are primarily active practitioners of the lean startup methodology. They'll be speaking about their real-life experiences trying to put these ideas into practice.

  • Startup Visa update

    Eric
    6 Mar 2010 | 6:54 pm
    As I write this, I am traveling at 30,000 feet on Virgin America's excellent IAD->SFO nonstop, following an intense few days of conversations in Washington, DC about the Startup Visa. This trip was designed to build momentum following last week's announcement that Senators Kerry and Lugar have introduced a Senate bill to make the Startup Visa a reality: the Startup Visa Act of 2010. This follows Congressman Jared Polis, who has introduced a similar bill as part of comprehensive immigration reform in the House. Our trip was bipartisan, bicameral, and bi-branches-of-government. Everywhere we…

  • Kiwi lean startup + Australia next

    Eric
    28 Feb 2010 | 3:49 am
    Wrapping up a fabulous few weeks in New Zealand, where I had the privilege of attending some great events, like Kiwi Foo and Webstock; met some amazing entrepreneurs and inventors (yes, including a jet pack); and generally enjoyed a supportive and enthusiastic reception. I want to especially thank the dozens of Kiwis who acted as my guardians and escorts from place to place, even driving me around on the wrong side of the road Every tourist will tell you that New Zealand is a beautiful country, and they are not kidding.   I would add that the people I met were extraordinarily welcoming,…

  • Why diversity matters (the meritocracy business)

    Eric
    22 Feb 2010 | 5:55 pm
    Diversity is the canary in the coal mine for meritocracy. As entrepreneurs, more than any other industry, we’re in the meritocracy business. The companies that make decisions based on merit, rather than title, politics, or hierarchy execute faster and learn faster than their competitors. For startups (and other innovators), that’s a decisive advantage. So when a team lacks diversity, that’s a bad sign. What are the odds that the decisions that were made to create that team were really meritocratic? That’s why I care a lot about diversity: not for its own sake, but because it is a…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Master of 500 Hats

  • Better Get Ready.

    Dave
    8 Mar 2010 | 5:47 am
    Dear Hype: I Still Love You Madly -- c u *Real Soon*...

  • Social CRM: The New Rules (by Jeremiah Owyang, Altimeter Group)

    Dave
    5 Mar 2010 | 10:06 am
    Why Jeremiah Owyang & Ray Wang rock + why Altimeter Group is kicking ass: Social CRM: The New Rules of Relationship Management (blog post) Social CRM: The New Rules (white paper)View more documents from Jeremiah Owyang.(this is also why Forrester shoulda never let the "franchise player" contracts expire on Jeremiah, Ray, or Charlene)

  • Geeks, Startups, Entrepreneurs, Investors visit DC to Stump for Startup Visa Act of 2010

    Dave
    4 Mar 2010 | 1:14 pm
    StartupVisa.com in da HOUSE!  (and i really do mean in the House... as in the Houses of Congress). Today, the Startup Visa Posse came to DC to visit several reps on Capitol Hill to promote awareness for the Startup Visa Act of 2010.  People we met with included Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO), Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO), and staffers for Sen. Lugar (R-IN) & Sen. Kerry (D-MA).  Later today we'll be meeting with administration representatives from the White House, State Dept, Commerce Dept, as well as DHS, SBA, and several other federal organizations with impressive TLAs.So far,…

  • Geek Meets Chic; Feet Meet Floor. Just Dance (GaGa)

    Dave
    6 Feb 2010 | 5:34 am
    I ain't Chic, i'm just a Geek.  But i can Dance ok. congrats Carol on a great ChicMeetsGeek event

  • With Apologies to Kathy Sierra & Paul Graham: Make Something Users Care About... Enough to F**K or KILL.

    Dave
    4 Feb 2010 | 5:11 pm
    A brief excerpt from my talk at Twiistup in LA last week (thanks Danielle): (apologies to Kathy Sierra & Paul Graham for stealing their most excellent content)  
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Big Red Tomato Company

  • Where are we now?

    Matthew Needham
    11 Mar 2010 | 9:00 pm
    I thought I’d wrap this week up with a quick review of what we’ve covered so far this month and also what we’re going to be talking about in the next few weeks in the March Money Month. In the last week we’ve talked mainly about debt, the week before we looked at what it meant to be rich and what it all means.  Specifically we’ve looked at: What it means to be rich A book review of rich dad poor dad The secrets of getting rich The differences between good and bad debt and how to control bad debt A Book review of  I will teach you to be rich and finally, Are you…

  • Do you want to retire rich or do you want to retire dead?

    Matthew Needham
    10 Mar 2010 | 9:00 pm
    Yesterday I was reading my Twitter Feed when I spotted a link on @breakingnews quoting a story on CNN Money that 43% of Americans have less than $10k saved towards retirement The CNN story refers to a survey, conducted by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, that’s just been released which also said that 27% of Americans have less than $1000 towards retirement. (I’m assuming thus 27% is included in the 43% as that would be catastrophic) The fact of the matter is that less and less people are saving for retirement (dropping from 75% of Americans to 69% in 2009). Which will end…

  • Wednesday Wisdom

    Matthew Needham
    9 Mar 2010 | 9:00 pm
    photo credit: jessica.garro I Will Teach You To Be Rich March is Money Month and the Wednesday Wisdom’s during the month of March are dedicated to the personal finance books which have shaped my life and will undoubtedly help you. In terms of return, these books have paid for themselves many times over and that’s why you should add these books to your reading list now. The subject of this week’s Wednesday Wisdom is I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi: This is the newest book in my personal collection around personal finance, primarily because I’d read some of Ramit’s…

  • Control Your Debt (part #2)

    Matthew Needham
    8 Mar 2010 | 9:00 pm
    photo credit: kalleboo This is the second part of a two part post on controlling debt, which is the first step to finanicial freedom. In the first post we looked at the  difference between Good Debt and Bad Debt, in part two we look at strategies for dealing with bad debt.  If you missed the first part of the post you can catch up here : Good Debt and Bad Debt In this post we look at the strategies for dealing with ‘bad debt’ Dealing with ‘Bad Debt’ If you want to know the difference between good debt and bad,  for the purposes of this post we’re defining good…

  • Control your debt

    Matthew Needham
    7 Mar 2010 | 9:00 pm
    photo credit: xJasonRogersx In The Secrets of Becoming Rich we talked about the six steps to creating a solid foundation to build your wealth. In case you’ve not read the six steps, you can catch up here. This post is part one of a two part post looking at controling your debt. In this post specifically, we’re going to look at the difference between Good Debt and Bad Debt, in part two we look at strategies for dealing with bad debt. Good Debt v’s Bad Debt The secret to long term financial freedom is similar to going on a diet. We all know that in order to loose weight we…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    David Cancel

  • My Favorite Boston Startup Resources

    David Cancel
    8 Mar 2010 | 10:46 am
    Performable Customer Development Lunch A couple of people have recently asked me for a list of Boston startup resources. Here’s a list of my favorite local events and email lists. Events: WebInno – The biggest web startup event in the area, everyone attends these at some point, you should too. David Biesel and the folks at Venrock do a great job organizing and sponsoring these. PopSignal – Invite only event put on by my friends Jay Meattle, Rob Go and Brian Balfour. Highest quality event in the area, small crowd, only startup founders and free drinks from great sponsors such…

  • Lean Startups in Boston

    David Cancel
    1 Feb 2010 | 9:30 am
    Next month I’ll be speaking at the MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge Lean Startups Event. The event will take place on the campus of MIT at the Stata Center on February 24 at 6:30pm. More details can be found here. I’ll be talking about our experiences running an agile product, customer and engineering process at Performable. The Boston Lean Startup Circle are having their monthly meetup later that same night if you’re feeling up for two startup events in one night.

  • Customer Development Lunch with Dan Martell

    David Cancel
    23 Jan 2010 | 6:25 pm
    If you’re a startuper or marketer in Boston I’d like to invite you to join us this week at Performable’s 3rd Customer Development Lunch, this Tuesday (January 26th, 2010) at 12:30pm. We’ll be welcoming serial entrepreneur and fellow marketing metrics geek Dan Martell to Boston. Dan is a canadian entrepreneur now residing in Silicon Valley; he is the co-founder of FlowTown a social email discovery platform. Our first Customer Development Lunch featured our Advisor, Sean Ellis, and was graciously hosted and sponsored by Spark Capital. Our second lunch featured Jonathan…

  • The Future of Ghostery

    David Cancel
    19 Jan 2010 | 6:01 am
    To the Ghostery Community, Since starting Ghostery last year my goal has been to provide my fellow consumers with a free service built on the principles of transparency and consumer control. I am proud of the overwhelming response to Ghostery; over the past year, over 2 million people have installed Ghostery and joined our community. Over the past months, as my focus switched to my new company, Performable, I made the decision that Ghostery should be in the hands of those who can give it the resources it needs to grow. I am happy to announce the sale of Ghostery to Better Advertising. Better…

  • Customer Development Lunch with Jonathan Mendez

    David Cancel
    5 Jan 2010 | 6:05 am
    If you’re a startuper or marketer in Boston I’d like to invite you to join us this week at our 2nd Customer Development Lunch, this Thursday (January 7th, 2010) at 12:30pm. Our first Customer Development Lunch featured our Advisor, Sean Ellis, and was graciously hosted by Spark Capital. Our second lunch will feature Jonathan Mendez and will be hosted by our friends at Compete. I’d also like to take this opportunity to announce that Jonathan Mendez has joined our Advisory Board at Performable. Jonathan was Founder & Chief Strategy Officer of the marketing services…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    The Entreprenette Gazette

  • Do celebrity endorsements hurt or help your business?

    Sarah Shaw
    10 Mar 2010 | 4:00 am
    People often wonder if a celebrity endorsement can hurt or help your business.   Here are 25 tips to help you see the good the bad and the ugly and make the best choice for your own brand.  You decide if you want to roll out the red carpet or not! 1.  Is bad press good press? Well, as they say, even bad press is good but I don’t always agree with that.  Just look at Tiger Woods. Sure, there will be lots of people who will still buy the products he endorses but there must be some concern that bad press of a celebrity could hurt the product, otherwise big companies wouldn’t…

  • How do I convert Facebook fans into customers?

    Sarah Shaw
    10 Mar 2010 | 4:00 am
    I asked my good friend and social media confidant Lindsay Wilson of Social Media Heaven to respond to this inquiry as she is really the know it all here! Dear Sarah, I have started a business and am growing in year two, but feel like I could be getting more sales if I could turn my fans into customers. How can I grow, with no budget, my online business? Thanks – Maleah  http://www.chachatea.net Maleah, I always measure the success of Social Media on how much it’s meeting your business’s goals, so great question! First off, you are a business and the expectation of people on…

  • How can I make my website more appealing to magazines?

    Sarah Shaw
    3 Mar 2010 | 4:00 am
    Hi Sarah, I own a small jewelry company. I am trying with very little capital to get PR. I have emailed every editor with no luck. Mother’s Day is the best day of the year for my engraved jewelry as it is engraved with kids names and birthdates. I would love advise on how to get my product out there in time for Mother’s Day. Thank you Lori Gilman   www.love2designjewelry.com Dear Lori, Thanks for asking this question and for being an example to other up and coming designers who might be in the same position as you are.  I did take a look at your website and I  love your…

  • Why watching TV can help you get your products to celebrities!

    Sarah Shaw
    2 Mar 2010 | 4:00 am
    Have you ever thought of watching TV as part of your job? Well I never did either until many years ago my publicist asked me which TV shows I wanted to see my handbags on.    I had to admit that I had no idea as I never thought to “watch” with that in mind!  I had never even thought of that as a possibility to be honest……. So I started to change the way I watched TV.  I started to make lists of the shows and the actresses that I wanted to carry my bags.  I even visualized it. It didn’t happen overnight or anything……Rome wasn’t built in a day agreed?  But it did happen…

  • How do you know if your idea is a good one?

    Sarah Shaw
    25 Feb 2010 | 9:34 am
    Dear Sarah, I would love to know how you move pass the is this a dumb idea or should I go for it? How do you know? I have been stuck on a product idea for a couple of years but scared to bring it to life for fear of failure…fear that is a dumb idea… And you always hear people say trust yourself, believe in yourself but when it comes to something like this should you follow that instinct? And what would be the 1st step – it seems very overwhelming and daunting so that in itself can keep a person from trying! Thank you. Michelle Morton Michelle, I am so glad you asked this…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Startups.com | Your Business. Your Questions.

  • website host at Google App Engine - integrating with Maybank2u, CIMB clicks

    sy
    13 Mar 2010 | 7:54 pm
    I am from Malaysia. I would like to host my business site at Google App Engine. I am doing flower business, that before customer order flower, they need to pay me. I saw AirAsia website using Maybank2u, CIMB clicks and other bank service, besides providing credit cards as payment method. Anybody has experince in this? Is it possible to do so if my website is host at Google App Engine? Does it involve any third party payment gateway? Any API used? How do they charge merchant on using these service?

  • website host at Google App Engine - integrating with PayPal for payments

    sy
    13 Mar 2010 | 7:46 pm
    I would like to make my flower business goes online. So I will build a web system for my business, to let customer to login & order flower online. I plan to host my website at Google App Engine. I would like to integrate with Paypal as my payment method, meaning when customer want to order flowers online, they need to pay me in advance through Paypal. Is it possible with hosting at Google App Engine, I use Paypal as my payment method in my website? Is it works well? Anybody has this experience before?

  • Suggest name for Computer Repair company…

    Tony
    13 Mar 2010 | 7:30 pm
    Since I am unemployed at the moment, I decided to start a small business for computer repair. Can you help out with some ideas for the name for this new company? I was thinking of something like Computer Associates, or Computer Squad, but they sound a little cheesy. I wanted something a little more professional. Thanks for any suggestions.

  • Is there a program or software available that translates a caller's native language into native language that entrepreneur speaks?

    Alana W.
    13 Mar 2010 | 6:51 pm
    If for instance a foreign customer calls your company's customer service to ask questions regarding your product(s) or services or to get help and their English isn't that great or they don't speak English at all. Is there software available that will translate what they are saying in their native tongue (e.g. Mandarin) to the language that your sales representative or consultant traditionally speaks (e.g. English) to help address that customer's call?

  • How do users feel about donating to free service websites, that are run by companies?

    nbolton
    13 Mar 2010 | 10:34 am
    I own a free service website, which I do for fun really. Originally I labelled it with my company name to make the website more attractive to serious businesses. However, I could really do with some spare beer money, so I was thinking about putting a donation button on the site, however I'm worried users will shy away from donating to a company. To rephrase: Would you rather donate to a company or an individual? And likewise, would you rather use a website run by a company or an individual?
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Entrepreneur Solo

  • Daily Digest for March 14th

    admin
    13 Mar 2010 | 3:39 pm
    admin One of my sites has achieved a bounce rate of 4.65% on referrals from EZine Articles. That’s good isn’t it? #30DCHome [grahunt]. admin posted And Valencia At Least Has Stopped. admin posted And Valencia At Least Has Stopped. Fallas in Valencia with Video of Crazy Fireworks. admin And Valencia At Least Has Stopped. Fallas in Valencia with Video of Crazy Fireworks http://post.ly/SUU3 [grahunt]. admin Fantastic, site has been hacked and that is why it keeps disappearing. Looks like I have a busy day of contact with hosting company [grahunt]. admin RT @mikecj: New post: Saturday…

  • Malware and Hacking

    admin
    13 Mar 2010 | 7:37 am
    Somehow my site has been hacked so it keeps disappearing. Therefore there is less stuff going up onto the site at the moment while Hostgator try to sort it out. I will keep you informed but currently if the site or individual posts keep disappearing you know why.     Technorati Tags: Hack attack, Hacking and malware

  • Do Productivity (Or Procrastination) Have Long Tails?

    admin
    10 Mar 2010 | 10:23 am
    It is estimated that more than half of the searches done on Google daily are unique. ie not everyone is searching for Justin Bieber, although according to trending topics in Twitter it may seem that way. As I work in real estate I will give an example from that. Valencia Property may be a general search term but “3 bed townhouse near the beach in Valencia” may well get you a very much better result. (The Google results are in red.) The person searching will find exactly what they want with the second search supposedly but a lot more people will search for the first. This means…

  • Hobbies? Do Me A Favour I Have Three Kids

    admin
    8 Mar 2010 | 12:49 am
    ]Hello, my name is Graham and I am an activityholic. I think I will use this blog to introduce a new word into the English language. I was asked the question at the weekend, what are your hobbies? After stopping laughing I had a few thoughts but the first was the following. I am currently doing six projects, quite a few of which are in the startup phase ie; getting them off the ground demands more work. I run a business that requires me to be there and dealing with people face to face, something I really like doing in the huge majority of cases. I maintain three blogs with content on a very…

  • Controlling the Conversation – Brand Control

    admin
    7 Mar 2010 | 2:19 pm
    Brand Control Wordpress Plugin I suppose that in whatever business you are in you always have that one unhappy customer who you cannot please whatever you do. They suck your time and however you overdeliver they are still not happy. Giving an inch and taking a hell of a lot more than a mile is their mantra. How would it be if you could at least find what they are posting about you online and control that too by putting out fires before they develop. (By the way you need to sack that customer as described in the Pareto Principal Post) Online reputation management is more and more important as…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    how2startup

  • Believe It: Why Nurture Trumps Nature in Entrepreneurship

    admin
    1 Mar 2010 | 3:49 pm
    The last few days have seen a small firestorm around the question of “are entrepreneurs born or made?” with Fred Wilson, Vivek Wadhwa, Mark Suster, and Coach Wei weighing in. While I think as often happens much of the argument is semantic -do you define entrepreneur to mean the founder of a $1B company, or a small business owner growing her marketing consulting business- there are some core beliefs I have in this area. First, my credentials. Well, this won’t be a long list. But what I can say is that I was fortunate enough to take Marvin Minksy’s Society of Mind class…

  • Upcoming Topics on how2startup

    admin
    24 Feb 2010 | 6:13 pm
    Word seems to be trickling out about this blog so I guess I better get it in gear! As part of the open nature of how2startup, I wanted to share some of the topics I am slating for upcoming posts. I’d like to leverage an embeddable voting widget to let people suggest new topics and vote these up/down (considered UserVoice but their price ramp is pretty steep) but that will come later. For now, some topics I am mulling or feel I have an opinion on worth sharing: Fundraising Angels, VCs, and Vangelis (yes that is my working title, no do not steal it) FAQ: “When is the right time to…

  • About how2startup

    admin
    16 Feb 2010 | 11:57 pm
    I’ve been an entrepreneur, in one capacity or another, for over 15 years. I’ve been fortunate to develop a network of fellow entrepreneurs (David Cancel, Nabeel Hyatt, Andy Payne …), co-founders (Rebecca Xiong, Geoff Menegay), board members (George Bell, Bob Davis, John Pleasants …), advisors (Coach Wei, Eric Silberstein …), team members (Brian Morgan, Dr. Raymond Lau, Evan Schumacher …) among myriad others that has helped me learn, question and grow. I have advised dozens of fellow entrepreneurs starting out, and have always found it very rewarding (and,…
 
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    Pattern Interrupt

  • Is There a Magic Zone of Narcissistic Utility?

    5 Mar 2010 | 6:45 pm
    I'm sitting here at a cafe, thinking about the interplay of narcissism and utility in the context of social applications... That's how lame my Friday nights are :) Fun personal exercise... Draw an X/Y graph, with Narcissism as the Y and Utility as the X, and map how you personally feel about various social apps out there. There is no objective measurement here, but I find that the apps I have a "hard time with" are low on utility (for me) and and least moderately narcissistic. There is a magic zone where high narcissism is twinned with utility and creates a great feedback loop. I think…

  • Abiding by Rajeev's Rule

    26 Feb 2010 | 11:24 am
      I was talking to an aspiring young entrepreneur last night at a party. She's in the early stages of founding her first company and asked if I'd be willing to help her out. Her company is not in my strikezone, but I know I can help with some block and tackle basics, so I instantly said "yes". Then this morning, I just got off the phone talking to another early stage veteran who politely took my call to help me hash out a challenge at a new venture I'm working with... In 12 hours, I was on both sides of the kind of interaction that makes Silicon Valley what it is. I sometimes wish it…

  • Brutal Bootstrapping

    30 Jan 2010 | 2:54 pm
    When I co-founded my most recent company back in 2007, my partner Steve and I shook hands on a commitment to bootstrapping this one with 100% self-funding. This decision was made not because we have anything against venture money, as both of us have had and currently enjoy positive experiences with venture-backed firms. We simply hypothesized that we had a capital efficient business model that could work as a self-funded play. We knew that if we could run hard to profitability on our own funds, we'd enjoy huge flexibility in how we run the firm, in perpetuity. We both agree today that it was…

  • The Work/Life Flatspace

    18 Jan 2010 | 10:59 am
    Just had an interesting insight with an entrepreneur friend of mine over the weekend. Alex is a technologist I'm working with on an early stage company just getting off the ground. We were colllaborating on an issue throughout the weekend. In the spirit of levity, I made an offhand comment about this weekend being heavily tilted towards the  "work" side of the "work vs life" balance. But, Alex made an interesting retort with total sincerity, "I disagree. The notion that there should be balance between work and life is the problem itself. Its all just life flatspace with different nodes…

  • Momentum Trumps Prfectn

    16 Jan 2010 | 12:00 pm
    For any startup, there is an ever-shifting balance required between the desire to "Get Stuff Going" (Momentum) and the desire to "Get Stuff Just Right" (Perfection). While the qualities of Momentum and Perfection are obviously both very important, I would argue that Momentum should always trump Perfection early on. Getting confused on this can screw up a company before it even gets started.Momentum is the fuel for literally every aspect of the young company's operational success: Team assembly, product development, funding and revenues. Starting a company is an unnatural act. It therefore…
  • add this feed to my.Alltop

    matt crowe

  • Life boils down to just one simple thing….Choices

    matt
    11 Mar 2010 | 10:23 am
    “Our lives are the sum total of the choices we have made.” ~ Wayne DyerToday I was surfing Facebook and came across some old friends from high school.  These are people I haven’t seen for years, since I decided to move away from where I grew up and spent all of my childhood in pursuit of my dreams.  It made me think that everything in life just boils down to one simple thing:ChoicesI chose to move away and get out of the small town where I grew up and the small town mentality that came with it.  It wasn’t for me.  Was it right or wrong?   Neither.  Just different.  It makes me…

  • Are you a Sheep? Take The “Am I A Sheep Test”

    matt
    7 Mar 2010 | 7:29 pm
    Lets be honest here. Most people in American Society are sheep.Most people are followers. Most people unknowingly (and knowingly) follow what society says is right or wrong, what their family and friends think is right for them, or what is safe at all costs to prevent straying away from the pack.  All the while not listening to their inner voice, their soul, and their true self where their purpose resides.You see it all over the place: Politics, Companies, and Fashion to name a few.I don’t believe we are here on this planet to live lives of mediocrity. Not a single damn one of use.

  • We all need to take a drink sometimes….

    matt
    2 Mar 2010 | 9:00 pm
    Many of the answers we need in life can be found in nature.   Water is the essential function that all animals on our planet need to survive.  Maybe this ant had a tough day and needed to rest for a moment after carrying loads all day long.  I don’t know.What I do know is that we all need to take a “drink” sometimes. A “drink” not in the sense of going to the local bar and having a stiff cocktail or not even in the sense of downing a glass of water.  But a drink in the sense to just simply recharge. Much like animals in nature we all get thirsty at times…

  • What Does This Photo Make You Think?

    matt
    1 Mar 2010 | 5:24 pm
    I came across this very powerful photo and wanted to share it with my followers. We we all see things through different lenses so I would like to know what this photo makes you think. Leave comments below……

  • We Are All Human

    matt
    26 Feb 2010 | 10:35 am
    Everyone makes mistakes.I have made hundreds, probably thousands of mistakes in my life. That is what makes all of us human.Mistakes are there to be learned from, not to be dwelled on or persecuted about.  I also believe that it is our duty that when we learn important lessons to move on and teach what we have learned to others so they don’t have to endure the same pains and heartaches as we have.~ LIFE IS MEANT TO BE LIVED IN EVERY SECOND OF EVERY MOMENT. ~ If you think you don’t make mistakes get off your high horse, get your ego out of the way, and look to see that the world is full…
Log in