Small Business Entrepreneur blog

Education and training for entrepreneurs worldwide is inadequate, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM)

2010-03-09T19:01:49Z

pecial 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 that in almost every country entrepreneurship education and training was inadequate, especially in primary and secondary schools.

In surveys with more than 100,000 individuals, GEM found that 80% of entrepreneurship education and training is provided through formal channels such as primary and secondary level schooling, and through university degree programs. This is significant because most formal training is at the primary and secondary school levels.

“Training at a young age cultivates an entrepreneurial spirit early on, but college-level training is important too, because it validates entrepreneurship as a potential career path,” says report author and Babson Professor Donna Kelley. “Besides skill-building, training increases an individual’s awareness of entrepreneurship and their intent to start a business, and improves perceptions about their ability to do so,” says Kelley.

Sixty percent of individuals engaged in entrepreneurship training acquire it from informal sources, which GEM defines as non credit-bearing courses at a university, local business organization, or government agency, or self-study using books and Internet courses. “Access to informal programs is a good thing too, because entrepreneurs can obtain the specific skill sets they need to achieve their immediate goals,” says Alicia Coduras, from IE Business School in Spain and lead author of the report.

GEM also learned that entrepreneurship training is of most benefit to individuals in wealthier countries where the entrepreneurial environment is rich in conditions that allow new businesses to thrive. “For entrepreneurship training to be productive in low-income countries, it needs to be complemented by beneficial government policies, infrastructure, and other basic requirements,” says Kristie Seawright, GEM Executive Director.

To view the full report go to: http://www.gemconsortium.org/download.asp?fid=1005

For more on GEM go to: www.gemconsortium.org

Other GEM findings:

Across 38 countries, where training in starting a business was measured, only 21% of the adult population had received training.
Training appears to have the greatest effect on early-stage entrepreneurial activity in wealthier, innovation-driven countries with favorable institutional frameworks.
The highest levels of training were found in Finland and Chile, countries with government initiatives aimed at stimulating and preparing individuals to start businesses.
Men are more likely than women to seek training.
Younger individuals are more likely to have received training in starting a business, reflecting a recent rise in entrepreneurship education in many countries’ formal educational systems.

About the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor

The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor has conducted surveys worldwide on entrepreneurship since 1999. GEM was co-founded by Babson College and the London Business School. Babson College maintains a position as lead sponsor of the project, and Universidad del Desarollo in Santiago, Chile, and Reykjavik University in Iceland are also sponsors of the project.

GEM has become the world’s most comprehensive research consortium dedicated to understanding the relationship between entrepreneurship and national economic development. It has provided the most comprehensive comparative data about attitudes toward entrepreneurs, start-up business activities, and plans for starting and building businesses, globally, by geographic region, and by country.

GEM publishes annual global reports and GEM national teams publish individual country-level reports. In addition, GEM publishes special reports on topics including women in entrepreneurship, high-growth ventures and entrepreneurial finance.

This special report on entrepreneurship education and training draws on additional questions developed around this topic for the GEM 2008 APS (adult population survey) questionnaire. Data for this report was gathered by members of 38 national GEM teams. The report was authored by Alicia Coduras, IE Business School, Spain; Jonathan Levie, University of Strathclyde, Scotland; Donna Kelley, Babson College, USA; Rognvaldur Saemundsson, Reykjavik University, Iceland; andThomas Schott, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark.

Grant to help train small business owners throughout New York City

2010-03-09T18:59:10Z

Financial literacy nonprofit Operation HOPE (HOPE) announced today a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) to help train small business owners and promote innovation and competitiveness in small business throughout New York City. The award is one of many set to prepare and encourage American regions for growth and success in the ailing economy.

The program, which will be administered by the HOPE Center located in Harlem, will help future entrepreneurs navigate through the often time confusing steps that lead to creating a new business. The funds will help HOPE bolster the already existing Entrepreneurship Program and focus on creating a small business technical support aspect to their curriculum. Operation HOPE has been active in the New York area for the last two years operating a full service center at 2511 Frederick Douglass Boulevard in Harlem.

“We are excited to join forces with the EDA in helping advance American small business and recover from this economic slowdown with sound fundamentals,” said Operation HOPE Founder, Chairman and CEO John Hope Bryant. “America is at its best when we invest in human capital and embrace innovation and change.”

The U.S. Economic Development Administration recognized the value of HOPE in 1999, providing $200,000 to help fund the flagship Inner City Cyber Café, in Los Angeles. In 2002, the agency provided funding to support HOPE’s Small Business Initiative.

The EDA’s investment priorities are designed to establish a foundation for sustainable job growth and the building of durable regional economies throughout the United States. This foundation builds upon two key economic drivers - innovation and regional collaboration. Innovation is the key to global competitiveness, new and better jobs, a resilient economy, and the attainment of national economic goals. Regional collaboration is essential for economic recovery because regions are the centers of competition in the new global economy and those that work together to leverage resources and use strengths to overcome weaknesses will fare better than those that do not. EDA encourages its partners around the country to develop initiatives that advance new ideas and creative approaches to address rapidly evolving economic conditions.

“Operation HOPE is a strong partner in the effort to rebuild economically distressed communities around the country to foster growth and job creation. The U.S. Economic Development Administration looks forward to collaborating with the organization to support entrepreneurs and small businesses in New York City,” said John Fernandez, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development who heads EDA.

The HOPE Center, New York has served over 30,000 individuals in the Harlem and surrounding areas since opening its doors in October, 2007. To date, the Center has educated and counseled over 2500 adults in financial literacy, provided small business technical assistance counseling to 308 small businesses and helped individuals obtain over 11 million dollars in mortgage and business loans.

About Economic Development Administration (EDA)

The Economic Development Administration (EDA) marks 45 years of public service, leading the federal economic development agenda by promoting competitiveness and preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. EDA is an agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce that partners with distressed communities throughout the United States to foster job creation, regional collaboration and innovation.

About Operation HOPE, Inc. (HOPE)

Operation HOPE is America’s leading nonprofit social investment banking and financial literacy empowerment organization. With more than 400 private sector partners, 1500 nonprofit organizations and schools, and 100 government partners in 69 major U.S. cities as well as South Africa, HOPE has raised more than $500 million in its pursuit of educating, assisting and inspiring the next generation of global stakeholders. Through international initiatives and its three principal programs, Banking on Our Future (teaching school children about money), HOPE Coalition America (Mortgage HOPE Crisis Hotline, 1-888-388-HOPE, financial emergency preparedness and disaster relief), and Walk-In HOPE Centers (loans, bill pay, computer literacy, understanding banking principles), Operation HOPE has delivered services to more than one million low-wealth individuals and assumed the responsibility of piloting the Silver Rights Movement towards making free enterprise and capitalism relevant to all underserved communities. To learn more about HOPE, visit www.operationhope.org, or read our blog at www.operationhope.org/blog.

Organization to identify, promote, and advance green business opportunities in the mid-Atlantic region

2010-03-07T15:15:46Z

Cleantech Alliance Mid-Atlantic (CAMA) was founded in 2008 by professionals active in the cleantech and alternative energy industries to provide a forum bringing together investors, inventors, executives, entrepreneurs, scientists, academics, policy makers, and others in order to identify, promote, and advance opportunities in those industries throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

In 2009, operating as Renewable Energy Business Network (Mid-Atlantic), CAMA brought together a total of over 1,000 professionals at six investor and social networking events held in Philadelphia, Villanova, Huntingdon Valley, and Wilmington, and featuring speakers from the investment, government, and entrepreneurial communities.

In 2010, under its new name, CAMA’s leadership is committed to promoting continued expansion of relationships and opportunities among alternative energy and cleantech professionals in the mid-Atlantic region, including at the 2nd Annual Mid-Atlantic Cleantech Investment Forum to be held on March 25, 2010 at the Academy of Natural Sciences, and featuring speakers from CenterPoint Energy, Element Partners, Battelle Ventures, GE Capital/GE Equity, and DuPont Ventures. Register here!

In addition, in March 2010, CAMA will launch an updated, interactive Web site, where investors, entrepreneurs, and company executives can meet each other, share information, including success stories, and ultimately collaborate on alternative energy and cleantech opportunities in the region.

Book review: the upside of FEAR by Weldon Long

2010-03-07T09:50:56Z

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I received “The Upside of Fear: How One Man Broke the Cycle of Prison, Poverty, and Addiction ” for reviewing. I knew from the pitch about the book that it was about a convicted criminal that broke out of the Cycle of Prison, poverty and addiction and become a successful entrepreneur.

I soon discovered that the book it’s more like a thriller book, because for the first half it’s actually describing the crimes done by the author for which he has convicted more than 13 years. But this first half does an excellent job at saying that taking control of your life and create the life of your dreams is in your hands, no matter how you might be living today. This is exactly why you can’t let it go until you finish reading – I could hardly wait to see how can you turn from being so low to being a successful entrepreneur.

Reading the book I realized it resonates with so many things I believe and write myself here on the Small Business Entrepreneurship blog. Take for example the fear on entrepreneurship – keeps most people of following their dreams and become what they have envisioned. But what if it’s all in your head and you live your life being in the prison of your own mind? Who is actually in the prison, the fellow that was drinking drugging and committing crimes but decided to take responsibility for the quality and circumstances of his life?

Another thing that I discovered through my series of Entrepreneur Interviews is that waiting for “a better moment” to start a business never puts you in a successful position – don’t think things will somehow happen. Actually doing something good or not so good means that you achieved something, instead of waiting for things to happen. As Weldon says, stop thinking there is something special about you and just wait for things to happen.

Then, there is something else I discovered while talking with people willing to become entrepreneurs and never had the courage to do it: they think that successful entrepreneurs have something special, some ideas and abilities or even luck and this won’t be happening to them. Weldon, now having a dream house in Maui, having run multi-million dollar companies born out of nothing says he is “an average guy living a spectacular life”. And admits that no matter how successful entrepreneurs are it doesn’t mean they don’t have challenges and problems to solve: “the difference between successful people and losers is not the nature of their problems; it’s the nature of their responses to those problems. I came to understand that I had absolute control over how I responded to problems”.

I found amazing the way Weldon changed his perception about life in general while being in prison. I think that actually being in prison worked in his favor – he was at the absolute lowest and the only way out was up or dying. Problem is that most of the people live in the prison made out by society – you get the fake feeling that you are free to do whatever you want but actually forced to act following the society “models of success” – working a 9 to 5 job, buying a house, a second car and spend your life useless to your retirement. And because of the fake “freedom feeling” you don’t put yourself in motion to live the life you dream to have. And as Weldon says about him starting to improve his life “what was amazing was that the only thing that had changed was the way I thought about things”.

I’m not going to tell you about the process Weldon took to change his life. You should read the book because your way of understanding the process might be different from mine and you should discover things that relate better with your inner feelings. I do have the feeling that this might be an unfinished book – I never read a motivational book in a hurry to see how it ends - and I feel like waiting for the sequel. I will definitively keep an eye on what comes next in Weldon life.

The nonprofit National Entrepreneurship Network – India

2010-03-06T07:40:38Z

The nonprofit National Entrepreneurship Network was established in 2003 with a mission to create and support high-growth entrepreneurs, driving job-creation and economic growth in India.

NEN represents India’s largest and most dynamic community of new and future high-growth entrepreneurs, with over 70,000 members in 30 cities. It provides critical support to start-ups and early-stage entrepreneurs through high-impact entrepreneurship education; access to mentors and experts; fast-track access to incubation and funding; and learning tools and materials. It partners with over 470 top-tier academic institutes in India to help them develop vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystems on campus, which develop and support new and future entrepreneurs. In addition, it runs Entrepreneurship Week India, the country’s largest entrepreneurship-awareness campaign. In 2009, E Week India featured over 3500 events with more than 350,000 participants.

NEN was co-founded by IIT Bombay; IIM Ahmedabad; BITS, Pilani; SP Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai; Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Bangalore.

It is primarily supported by the Wadhwani Foundation, a philanthropic initiative of Dr. Romesh Wadhwani, Chairman of the Symphony Technology Group, and has offices in Bangalore and Mumbai.

NEN’s model for advancing entrepreneurship rests firmly on its partnership approach, making it both scalable and effective. Rather than deliver support directly, NEN partners with academic institutes to help them build an effective and a vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystem on campus to develop and support entrepreneurs. Institutes that NEN partners with are those that are already motivated to provide entrepreneurship programmes to their students, and appreciate the investment NEN makes to enhance their ability to do so.

In addition, NEN uses a group-purchasing model to aggregate support for institutes, members and entrepreneurs. Support includes a bank of volunteers for speaking and mentoring opportunities; corporations eager to support innovation; fast-track access to funding and incubation; learning tools and materials.

Wadhwani Foundation – Accelerating Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies

2010-03-06T07:36:51Z

Launched in 2000, the Wadhwani Foundation is a not-for-profit organization founded by Dr. Romesh Wadhwani, an IT entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, California.

Our Mission
To help individuals achieve their full potential, regardless of background.

We believe entrepreneurship is a powerful tool for individuals to realize their potential. Entrepreneurship is more than starting a business; it is a way of thinking, and a critical driver of growth in any economy. Entrepreneurs bring to market new products and services, and devise better and more efficient ways to operate. In doing so, they create valuable, productive new jobs. Successful entrepreneurs create wealth for themselves, their families, their communities and society.

Our Strategy
We employ a two-pronged strategy to fulfill our mission:

To inspire, educate and nurture new entrepreneurs, we develop and fund not-for-profit programs and organizations that create entrepreneurial education, build networks, raise awareness, perform research and help develop a supportive policy environment.

In addition, certain sections of the population need extra support – individuals who due to physical and economic constraints often do not have the opportunity to explore, let alone reach, their full potential. We therefore fund not-for-profit efforts to empower the disadvantaged, with a focus on helping the disabled gain productive employment.

Welcome to HUSUM WindEnergy, 21 – 25 September 2010

2010-03-06T07:31:18Z

Besides being the most important international wind energy trade fair, HUSUM WindEnergy has also been the most important meeting place for the industry’s actors, movers and shakers for a good 20 years. Every two years HUSUM WindEnergy, as both shop window and market place, provides the best environment for making new business contacts and consolidating existing contacts.

HUSUM WindEnergy (21-25 September 2010) is expecting around 800 exhibitors and 25,000 visitors from 70 nations, continuing the success and enjoyment of past exhibitions.

HUSUM WindEnergy’s trademark is the optimistic, happy and infectious atmosphere that serves as the best possible foundation for concluding major deals and presenting successful projects.

Green Business Summit April 13-14, 2010

2010-03-06T07:23:24Z

Lipscomb University invites you to the region’s premiere green business event, the 3rd annual Green Business Summit on the Lipscomb University campus, April 13-14, 2010. Please join us to discover your own waypoints on the journey for sustainable prosperity and success in 2010 and beyond! Click here for more location information and directions.

2010 Green Business Summit

The mission of Lipscomb University’s Green Business Summit is to guide our sustainable economic journey by connecting the nation’s most successful green entrepreneurs, Tennessee’s pioneering green business leaders, and those who seek to learn from this collective wisdom for new prosperity in our state. Each waypoint that we discover along our journey illuminates further evidence of this transition.

The 2010 Green Business Summit is presented by Waste Management and will include two full days of workshops, a Green Business Exchange, two Keynote Luncheons, the “Tokens” Radio Show, and the first annual Green Business Leadership awards, presented by Waste Management.

April 13th

• Welcome Breakfast
• Four 1.25 hour sessions of three concurrent workshops

• Green Design Collaboration

• Increased Profitability with Green Energy

• Sustainable Business Practices 101

• Green Media and Marketing

• Carbon Footprint Calculation

• Going Green Affordably

• Green Business Exchange
• Networking Breaks
• Keynote Luncheon

• VIP Reception
• “Tokens” radio show themed “Waypoints on the Journey”

April 14th

• Network Breakfast

• Three 1.25 hour sessions of three concurrent workshops

• Greening Existing Assets

• Green Credentials, Standards, and Certifications

• Sustainable Business Practices, Advanced

• Sustainable Waste Management

• International Opportunities

• Green Business Exchange

• Keynote Luncheon with Tom Szaky, CEO, Terracycle
• Waste Management Green Business Leadership Awards

• Lipscomb University Campus Tour of Green Initiatives

Solar Energy Identifies New Business Opportunities

2010-03-06T07:20:50Z

Solar Energy Limited announced today that it has been evaluating various options for moving forward, not only in the field of renewable energy but also in other opportune sectors of today’s economy.

Solar has spent much of the last 12 years involved in a variety of development stage R&D projects. The company is now focused on opportunities that are more advanced in nature. Solar has identified two opportunities that it is now investigating and the success of each will be dependent on its ability to raise the funding necessary to finance the transactions.

Solar has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of a private company operating as Solar Electric (formerly Discover Power). The transaction includes entering into management contracts with the 2 founders of Solar Electric who have been in the business of providing Solar Solutions to a wide variety of customers for over 15 years. The ultimate aim is to have retail outlets where the customer can in one stop have someone design and install a solar system for his home or business including filling out any Government grants/rebates and buy back agreements with the utility companies.

The second opportunity identified is that Solar has been presented with an offer to finance and acquire certain mining assets from Pelaton Mining, Inc. The property is a large alluvial gold deposit in SE Tanzania. Some $2.1M for exploration costs has been spent on the property and a 43.101 geological report is available. $3M is needed to place into production a facility that will process 4000 m(3)/day averaging 1 gm/m(3.)

Both projects are subject to Solar’s ongoing due diligence and its ability to raise the funds necessary to implement the business plans. More information will be forthcoming in due course.

Forward Looking Statements A number of statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements. A safe-harbor provision may not be applicable to the forward-looking statements made in this press release. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including the sufficiency of existing capital resources, and Solar’s ability to finance those business opportunities identified herein. The actual results that Solar may achieve could differ materially from any forward-looking statements due to such risks and uncertainties. Solar encourages the public to read the information provided here in conjunction with its most recent filings on Form 10-KSB and Form 10-QSB. Solar’s public filings may be viewed at “http://www.sec.gov”

Canada to invest $10 million in young entrepreneurs

2010-03-06T07:03:42Z

In today’s federal budget, Prime Minister Stephen Harper strengthened the government’s partnership with the Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) with the announcement of $10 million in funding. The funds will ensure that CYBF continues to help aspiring young entrepreneurs open businesses in communities across Canada, creating jobs while strengthening Canada’s economic recovery.

“At CYBF we know that youth entrepreneurship is fundamental to Canada’s economic recovery and long-term competitiveness,” explained Vivian Prokop, chief executive officer of CYBF. “The government’s continued investment in CYBF is recognition of our role as an important partner in job creation, economic development and building a culture of entrepreneurship in Canada. This federal funding, coupled with effective public and private partnerships, demonstrates an understanding that young entrepreneurs have great potential to generate ideas and drive innovation in Canada’s communities from coast to coast.”

With the $10 million, CYBF will continue to provide economic stimulus by enabling the launch of an estimated 500 new businesses over the next year. These businesses will generate an estimated 2,500 new jobs, $63 million in revenues within three years. Beyond the financial benefits of new businesses, CYBF entrepreneurs will also be valuable to Canadians on a social level, providing role models for young people and inspiring them to consider entrepreneurship as a career option.

There has never been a more important time to invest in young entrepreneurs. Not only has the recent recession negatively impacted small business in Canada, but more than 70% of small business owners are set to retire by 2020. Today’s federal funding acknowledged the need for Canada to cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit and encourage entrepreneurship as a viable career option.

About The Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF)

The Canadian Youth Business Foundation (CYBF) is a national charity dedicated to growing our nation’s economy one young entrepreneur at a time. We look at character not collateral, when providing youth, age 18-34, with pre-launch coaching, business resources, start-up financing and mentoring, to help them launch and sustain a successful entrepreneurial business.

Founded in 1996, to date, CYBF has invested in more than 3,500 young entrepreneurs in communities across Canada. These businesses have generated over $92 million in tax and export revenues, and have created more than 16,900 new jobs. Through CYBF’s national network of community partners, we are able to deliver our program coast to coast with more than 3,100 volunteers across Canada.

For more information on CYBF, please visit www.cybf.ca

Why do entrepreneurs cope better with the crisis than simple employees?

2010-03-04T21:21:09Z

Recently I have been doing a lot of interviews to get on board a few more people to the software business I’m currently working on (and being a shareholder). I would say that about 90% of the people coming at the interviews where laid off or working in troubled companies, about 5% are exceptional professionals willing to get a better job not related to the crisis, and the other 5%, also in trouble, are freelancers or small business owners themselves looking for partnerships. I’m putting freelancers and small business owners together because in a way a freelancer works more or less like a small entrepreneur – has to find opportunities, market themselves, close the deals, do the work, and make some money. Also, the 5% exceptional professionals provide high end services and are truly not affected by the crisis, so they are out of the discussion for now.

Throughout the interviews I could sense there is a fundamental difference between the 90% people coming from troubled companies and the 5% troubled freelancers or small business owners. I didn’t know what it was until this evening when I’ve had a breakthrough: panic levels where different.

Panic level was different

For the vast majority of the 90% group getting laid off was a fundamental problem. For the 5% small business entrepreneurs, shutting down the business, having a hard time surviving looked like a surmountable situation. How is that possible when most people are more afraid of opening a business and failing than having a job and loosing it? After all having your own business is a big risk, right? Well, the interviews showed differently. And I think I know why.

Why do entrepreneur cope better with the crisis than employees?

Well, to start, having your own business is not really riskier. John Crickett from www.businessopportunitiesandideas.co.uk has an interesting point of view regarding the risks taken by an entrepreneur versus the risks of being an employee. His article kind of supports my discovery regarding the panic levels, so I’m going to take some of his ideas and add my owns.

Being an employee means you have only one customer; being an entrepreneur comes with more customers. While most employees don’t think that way, they are actually selling. They sell their work to the employer. Entrepreneurs are also selling but have more customers, therefore an employee is more dependent on “his customer”.
Employees have less control. Let’s say you are a programmer. That’s good, but if your employer gets into trouble with sales, revenues, funds for paycheck you can’t really do much, because you only code. You can’t do much if you’re getting laid off. Entrepreneurs on the other hand can do whatever it takes to make things work – change business line, do partnerships, get help, find funds and investors. They have a chance to improve things.
Entrepreneurs know from start-up they might be failing. Employees don’t get a job with the thought they might be failing. And therefore the crisis don’t change that much for entrepreneurs, which prepares them better mentally.
Entrepreneurs are business problem solvers (regardless of the crisis). Crisis or no crisis, entrepreneurs have challenges and need to find solutions on a constant base. This shapes their minds to cope better with challenges, it’s like getting trained for the crisis.
Entrepreneurs remain entrepreneurs even if they are failing; employees become un-employed. Having your business turned to ashes doesn’t make you less entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurs have more people helping them getting past the crisis. Employees are on their own. What I’m trying to say is that basically an entrepreneur through the people he hires gets an entire group of people that work to make the business work: sales, marketing, production – more minds to help stay afloat.
Entrepreneurs have better exit plans. Probably because they know from the beginning they might be failing, most entrepreneurs have exit plans. Including getting a job. It’s not the end of the World.
Entrepreneurs have an asset to sell, something more than just their work. Coming back to the initial idea that employees sell their work, entrepreneurs have a business to sell and that’s usually more valuable than one man’s work. Might be physical assets – buildings, machinery, might be customer base, might be the idea. It’s more.

I didn’t realised so far, but last year my decision to be more than an employee with a “secured job during the crisis” might be just the best thing I did in years. Even better than 5 years ago when I started my first own business in non-crisis times. Glad to be an entrepreneur. It puts me on the better side of the crisis.

Rice University Team Wins First Place in Thailand Business Plan Competition

2010-03-04T19:46:40Z

The Rice University business plan team, Indirect Imaging, won first place in the mai Bangkok Business Challenge, hosted by the Sasin Business School at Chulalongkorn University, Feb. 25-27. The team also won “Best Presentation” in their competitive group. Sixteen teams from around the world were invited to present at the competition and the top six presented in the final round. Rice was the only school from the United States that was selected to present at the competition; the other semi-finalist teams came from Europe, Australia, and Asia.

“This is huge for us,” said Robert Kester, chief operating officer of Indirect Imaging. “I think this experience validated our technology as well as our business plan moving forward. We are really excited about the opportunities this opens up for us.”

Indirect Imaging has invented a revolutionary new camera which is capable of determining the chemical composition of an area or subject within a digital photograph, instantly. These instant images can identify a myriad of chemical, organic, biological and mechanical conditions. The applications are found in food growing, harvesting and testing as well as surveillance and geological imaging. Biological applications for blood and dermal conditions are also in the near term view.

The business plan is based on a Rice University technology developed out of Dr. Tomasz Tkaczyk’s lab. Robert Kester, a bioengineering Ph.D. student at the Brown School of Engineering working with Tkaczyk is the company COO, and Jones Graduate School of Business MBA student Allison Lami will serve as CEO. Lami brought on three additional MBA students: Tadzia GrandPré, Frances Parker and Anne Robin to compete in the competition.

“This is a great example of what students from the School of Engineering and the Jones School can accomplish when they work together and call on the expertise of the Rice Alliance,” said Sallie Keller, dean of the Brown School of Engineering. “We are working toward more of these collaborations in the future and I’m sure they will result, not only in competition success for our students, but in innovations that fuel new, successful businesses.”

Indirect Imaging won $10,000 in cash at the Thailand competition to further their business. Lami and Kester are currently finalizing the agreement with Rice University Office of Technology Transfer to license the technology. They hope to develop it to be used in a variety of applications.

The team was mentored over the past year by Tom Kraft, formerly Director of Client Services at the Houston Technology Center (HTC). The team leader, Allison Lami, has been serving as an HTC intern and their company, Indirect Imaging, is now a candidate company of the HTC. Dennis Murphree, instructor of the Jones School creative entrepreneurship class and one of the founders of the Rice Business Plan Competition, also helped coach the team along with his class co-instructor Brain Hoogendam. The team was supported by the Jones Partners, corporate supporters of the Jones School, with aid for travel expenses to the Thailand competition.

“I believe this is the first time a Rice University team has won first place in a major business plan competition,” said Brad Burke, managing director of the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, organizers and hosts of the Rice Business Plan Competition. “Indirect Imaging will represent Rice at the Rice Business Plan Competition in April. Prior to that, they have been selected to compete in the WBT University Technology Commercialization Competition as well as the Venture Challenge at San Diego State University. Both of these competitions will help them prepare for the Rice Business Plan Competition, which is the world’s richest and largest competition with more than $800,000 in cash and prizes.”

Are small businesses are showing signs of an economic rebound?

2010-03-03T21:29:46Z

This is the main finding of the just-released Intuit Small Business Employment Index, a new, monthly report that provides unique, near real-time insight into employment trends of the smallest of small businesses.

Intuit Inc., the nation’s leading small business payroll provider, based its report on data from businesses with fewer than 20 employees, which comprise 87 percent of the total U.S. private employer base. While the Intuit Small Business Employment Index offers macroeconomic insight about the economy generally, it does not indicate or represent changes in Intuit’s business results for any period.

“Employment for these small businesses began trending upward in mid-2009, a good sign for the overall economy,” said Dr. Susan Woodward, the nationally-recognized economist who worked with Intuit to create the index.

“This index is an indicator that the small business employment situation may be getting better,” added Woodward, who was chief economist of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and later of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. “Small businesses generally recover faster than larger businesses because they begin hiring sooner than big businesses. To see these figures showing a rise in employment at small businesses is very heartening at a time when good news is scarce.”

Nearly 150,000 New Jobs Since June 2009

Although overall employment has declined since December 2007, the most recent monthly change in the Intuit Small Business Employment Index is positive. While this month-over-month change is small, up 0.2 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis, it continues an upward trend that began around the middle of 2009. Employment grew nearly 0.8 percent over the past eight months, which is 1.1 percent at an annual rate. This translates into nearly 40,000 new jobs for February 2010 and nearly 150,000 new jobs since June 2009.

Compensation and Hours Worked

In addition to analyzing small business employment, the Intuit Index also measures compensation and hours worked. Monthly average compensation per employee has been flat since September 2008. It remained flat in February at $2,559, down by 0.1 percent compared to the prior month. Due to volatility in compensation, this is still considered flat and does not represent a downward trend. Hourly employees worked an average of 101.4 hours in February.

About the Index

The Intuit Small Business Employment Index is based on online data from approximately 50,000 small business employers with fewer than 20 employees who use Intuit Online Payroll. Intuit reports data for three categories: small business employment, compensation and hours worked. Intuit will analyze and publish the data at the beginning of each month.

“Small businesses offer a unique view into the American economy,” said Cameron Schmidt, vice president of Intuit’s Employee Management Solutions division. “Because Intuit provides payroll for more than 1 million of them, we understand the ebb and flow of business. This index provides the first real insight into employment and compensation trends at the smallest of these businesses.”

Dr. Woodward highlighted the significance of Intuit’s data: “The Intuit Online Payroll data offers interesting macroeconomic insight to what is happening nationally to small businesses in close to real time.”

The Index data reflects monthly employment activity in small businesses, and is adjusted to account for changes in Intuit’s Online Payroll customer base. The percent change is measured monthly using the change in employment for existing Intuit Online Payroll customers from one month to the next. The set of customers changes each month so the measurement is the change, for each pair of months, for customers who are present in both the earlier and the later month.

Further information about the Intuit Small Business Employment Index is available at:www.intuitinc.com/payrollindex.

About Intuit Inc.

Intuit Inc. is a leading provider of business and financial management solutions for small and mid-sized businesses; financial institutions, including banks and credit unions; consumers and accounting professionals. Its flagship products and services, including QuickBooks(R), Quicken(R) and TurboTax(R), simplify small business management and payroll processing, personal finance, and tax preparation and filing. ProSeries(R) and Lacerte(R) are Intuit’s leading tax preparation offerings for professional accountants. The company’s financial institutions division, anchored by Digital Insight, provides on-demand banking services to help banks and credit unions serve businesses and consumers with innovative solutions.

Minnesota Marketplace for Entrepreneurs event – March 30th

2010-03-03T21:26:12Z

Area entrepreneurs will be able to access a variety of resources at one event — the Minnesota Marketplace for Entrepreneurs — from noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 30, at the Verizon Wireless Center.

The Minnesota Marketplace for Entrepreneurs will include educational sessions, which will cover business topics for entrepreneurs and inventors. Entrepreneurs may also participate in a competition in which they describe their business in three minutes. The event is free and open to the public.

The marketplace will include booths where businesses and service providers showcase their products and services for entrepreneurs. Those wishing to exhibit can visit mnmarketplace.org to register and get details on an early bird discount for exhibitors registering by Friday. Entrepreneurs also will have the opportunity to exhibit at the event at no charge and sell their products through a consignment store operated by the Minnesota State University Entrepreneurship Club. The registration deadline for all exhibitors is March 23.

The event is presented by Bethany Lutheran College, Greater Mankato Business Accelerator, Minnesota Inventors Congress, MSU, Riverbend Center for Entrepreneurial Facilitation, South Central College, South Central Small Business Development Center and Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation.

MIT students launch new MIT Entrepreneurship Review

2010-03-03T21:17:17Z

MIT today announced the launch of the MIT Entrepreneurship Review (MITER), a free online publication produced and written by MIT students dedicated to analyzing trends in entrepreneurship at MIT and beyond.

MITER is written for current and aspiring entrepreneurs as well as investors, and will provide insight into new technologies and innovations emerging from MIT and other entrepreneurial hot spots around the world. Topics will fall into four main categories including energy; Web/mobile/IT; life sciences; and general entrepreneurship.

A cross-disciplinary group of MIT PhD, graduate, undergraduate students, and alumni all selected for their entrepreneurial drive and experience comprise the MITER team. These students represent the MIT’s Biomedical Enterprise Program, School of Engineering, Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Division, Leaders for Global Operations Program, Department of Physics, Department of Political Science, Sloan School of Management, and Technology and Policy Program. The team will craft stories on such topics as bringing engineering and scientific-based offerings to the marketplace, company profiles, and new innovations coming down the MIT pipeline.

MITER enjoys the support of a prominent Editorial Advisory Board and Operational Advisory Board.
“The over-arching theme of our publication is how to bridge the gap between academic discourse and the public in the field of entrepreneurship,” says MIT Sloan MBA Erdin Beshimov. Beshimov, along with MBAs Rob Lemos and Eduard Viladesau, founded MITER under the guidance of faculty advisors Bill Aulet, managing director of the MIT Entrepreneurship Center; Fiona Murray, associate professor of technological innovation, entrepreneurship, and strategic management at MIT Sloan; and Scott Stern, visiting professor of technological innovation, entrepreneurship, and strategic management at MIT Sloan.

MITER can be accessed at http://miter.mit.edu. Readers may also subscribe to content through RSS feeds and newsletters. MITER welcomes its readers to its Facebook Page (listed under MIT Entrepreneurship Review) and to its Twitter updates at twitter.com/MITEReview.

Business Opportunities for Companies Involved in Infrastructure Development in India

2010-03-03T21:12:26Z

With 46% of the Indian 2010-11 budget outlay going to infrastructure and further stress on PPPs (Public Private Partnership), the budget has sent all the right signals to infrastructure development companies. 20 kms per day of national highway construction is an ambitious target but also something that the country needs desperately. It is a well acknowledged fact that the lack of infrastructure is negatively impacting the growth of economic sectors in the country.

It is interesting to note that the Finance Minister referred to development of eco-friendly (and world-class infrastructure) around six industrial investment nodes. This points to a focus on sustainability in future development projects. It will also mean the use of more locally developed materials, adherence to international environmental standards and better all – climate infrastructure.

In the implementation of the budgetary vision, a lot of new projects will be rolled out. Apart from the construction players, it also means more business for companies dealing in concrete, steel, paints, fabrication, rehabilitation and design software.

Implementation of safety standards and effective project management to deliver projects on time will be the key for all future projects in the country.

For this reasons, International Quality and Productivity Centre (IQPC), the global provider of tailored, industry-driven conferences, will explore successful strategies to maximize opportunities in India’s infrastructure growth in both roads and railways.

Bridges India is an exclusive two-day conference and two-day interactive workshops, taking place at the Taj Mahal hotel, New Delhi, from 24-27 May 2010. it is where regional and international experts will showcase their latest projects and discuss future plans across the full array of flyovers, elevated roads, sea-links, elevated metro structures and railway bridges.

Bridges India, hosting valuable contributions from 18 industry experts, provides an excellent platform to explore business opportunities, find solutions to construction challenges, benchmark your current practices, and build industry partnerships that will result in mutual business growth. Speakers include S.K. Malik, Additional Member (Civil Engineering), Railway Board, S.K. Nirmal, Chief General Manager (Technical), NHAI, S.M. Sabnis, Joint Managing Director (Additional Charge), MRDC and G.R. Madan, Director – MRTS, MMRDA

International projects featured include the Hong Kong-Macau Bridge and Abu Dhabi’s iconic Sheikh Zayed Bridge. The technological advancements used in construction of elevated structures from theHong Kong, Dubai and Mecca metro will also be presented.

Since this event will be attended by delegates from different companies working in the region, attendees will get the chance to be exposed to best practices and establish a networking community for the benefit of the business.

The summit is supported by Mageba Switzerland, Sofistix and Tensacciai India Pvt Ltd as Associate Sponsors and by Afcons, Encardio Rite, Pranav Construction and VSL as exhibitors.

Topics that will be addressed at the forum include: ensuring deliverability of projects on time, optimizing design to minimize materials and cost, adherence to safety standards, finding a balance between aesthetics and functionality, examining the uniqueness of railway bridges, correct selection of material and, overcoming structural engineering challenges.

For more information visit http://www.bridges-india.com

Business seminar on how to run a profitable franchise business in the Baltics

2010-03-03T21:10:24Z

Aspiring Entrepreneurs in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will Learn the Ins and Outs of Starting Their Own Franchise Business

WSI, the global leader in Internet marketing solutions operating in over 80 countries worldwide, is organizing a 3-city seminar series in the Baltics to educate aspiring entrepreneurs on how to run a profitable franchise business. The business opportunity seminar series will kick off in Tallinn, Estonia on March 1, move to Riga, Latvia on March 3 and end in Vilnius, Lithuania on March 5. With two sessions taking place in each city, local entrepreneurs will learn the ins and outs of operating a successful business and the revenue opportunities available through the WSI franchise.

Ron McArthur, president of WSI, says, “Over the past year, the word ‘recession’ resounded among various markets all over the world, impacting the decisions of business people everywhere. Many people were laid off from their long-time corporate positions where they earned a comfortable salary, and were forced to look at other career options. As a result, WSI has seen a considerably increase in the number of Internet marketing franchise offices opening around the world. Through our business opportunity seminar series, WSI aims to educate entrepreneurs on the freedom and advantages of owning a business and the benefits associated with the WSI Internet marketing franchise opportunity.”

The seminar series will be facilitated by Armin Tull, the WSI Master Franchisee in the Baltics. Joining the seminars as a special guest speaker will be Ray MacNeil, International Franchise Director at WSI Head Office. Ray will give attendees a 360-degree overview of a typical franchise system and the opportunities of WSI’s Internet marketing franchise. There will be two sessions for each seminar:

· March 1 at 12 PM or 6 PM – City Hotel Portus, Tallinn, Estonia
· March 3 at 12 PM or 6 PM – Elefant Hotel, Riga, Latvia,
· March 5 at 12 PM or 6 PM – Reval Hotel Lietuva, Vilnius, Lithuania

Registrations cost 19 Euros, and more information can be found at: http://www.wsibaltics.com/wsi-seminar-english-2

Ray MacNeil, International Franchise Director at WSI Corporate, says, “According to ZenithOptimedia, this year, Internet advertising is expected to reach $13 million USD in Estonia, $12.9 million in Latvia and $18.9 million in Lithuania. As marketers begin shifting more of their advertising budgets from traditional channels to the Internet, our WSI franchisees are experiencing substantial increase in business. Our franchisees are specially trained and certified to offer advanced Internet marketing strategies that include pay-per-click (PPC), search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, lead generation, Web analytics and more. Attendees will learn about these revenue opportunities at these seminars.”

The WSI franchise opportunity includes one of the most complete and comprehensive training and certification programs available, along with a dynamic business coaching and support program custom-tailored to meet the unique needs of each new franchisee. WSI is committed to the profitability of its franchise network and the SMB market. Its ongoing corporate initiatives toward this goal contribute to the company’s long-standing and continuing excellence in the industry’s most well recognized franchise listing.

About WSI
WSI is the world’s #1 franchise offering Internet marketing services to suit the needs of multiple industries. The company has the world’s largest Internet Consultants’ network operating in over 80 countries and a 100-person strong head office in Toronto, Canada. WSI Internet Marketing Consultants have helped thousands of small and medium-sized businesses realize their online marketing potential. By using innovative Internet technologies and advanced Internet marketing strategies, businesses can have a WSI Internet Marketing System tailored to their individual needs to elevate their Internet presence and profitability to new levels. In 2009, WSI was the proud recipient of 5 Standard of Excellence Awards at the Annual WebAwards Competition organized by the Web Marketing Association (WMA). WSI has been ranked the #1 Internet Services Franchise in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500 listing for 10 years in a row. Entrepreneur Magazine also ranks WSI at #13 among the Top Home Based Franchises and #49 in America’s Top Global Franchises. With the support and cooperation of its customers, franchise network, employees, suppliers and charitable organizations, WSI aims to help make child poverty history through its global outreach program. For more information about WSI’s offerings and business opportunities, please visit our website at www.wsicorporate.com.

10 Not so obvious reasons why your small business might be failing

2010-03-03T20:39:54Z

I wrote on several occasions about business failure and fear of failure… Just as a short reminder most of the people fear that: they are not going to find customers, not going to be able to fund the business, or simply don’t have a good enough business to make a business out of it. I’m not going to deny that these are all good reasons why you can’t start a business because indeed if you don’t have customers, money to start and at least an idea about what your business could be about, chances are that you can’t build a business on these premises.

But wait! If you don’t have customers, funding and what to do, it should mean a start-up would fail in what? 3 months? I don’t have at hand any statistics, but I bet most business don’t fail in the first 3 months – they say they fail in the first 5 years! I don’t know how this sounds to you, but to me it sounds that they fail for some other reasons. And wanna be entrepreneurs fear about the wrong things! I’m not really an expert in why small business are failing in the 5 years (I’m sure there are statistics to show why), but if you are reading my blog for some reason, let me tell you my version of things.

Not so obvious reasons why your business might be failing

You can’t see the forest because of the trees. That’s one of the classics, you have so many things to do as an entrepreneur that you need to become the hardest long hours employee of your own business. Everything that can’t be done by one of the employees, gets to be done by the entrepreneur, regardless of the work load. So, what happens is that before you know it, you develop some sort of business autism: you care so focused on the daily business that you are left with little time to watch for opportunities, competition and what your bigger goal is.
Doing well, or too well. Why on Earth doing too well is a reason to fail?? Simply put, there is nothing that puts you in motion better than hunger and if you stop being alert and looking for opportunities things will change. Can be a legislation change, a new competitor entering the market or anything else. And because you felt well secured because of your well being it might happen that you won’t have the best product, best marketing or best sales to cope with the business environment changes. I think the current crisis is the best example, way too many business were caught off guard.
Changing interests and goals. Usually, when starting a business, entrepreneurs are well focused on making it work. Ask any start-up entrepreneur and they will say there is nothing more important and requiring more attention than the new business. Problem is that people interests are changing: family balance sometimes comes first, having some time of your own, getting sick. So unless you manage to build a healthy enough business that is going to sustain itself without your intervention, it’s going to go belly up.
Building a business on wrong values. I use to say that your business is your little baby. So, you want your child to leave a healthy moral life, with good values? Well, you should, because sooner or later a business build on bad values will go down: employees will leave, deals will get harder to get, bad mana and negative aura will build up against you.
Starting the business with wrong partners (wrong as in not suitable). While a start-up it’s sometimes hard to know what are the best partners you should get. You’re selling them the business idea, so not so much to sell. If you don’t have much to sell, then you can’t ask for much in exchange. In the beginning it might not be much of a problem, but if money will come, trouble will come. They have something to win, you might be having something to loose. And if these fundamental issues arise business might end up badly.
Failing to adapt. Again, I haven’t looked lately on any statistics on this, but from my experience, a lot of businesses end up doing something else than they were supposed to do as focus. I will give you my own business example – about 5 years ago I started my first business (exited about a year ago) with a clear goal: making software products. Along the way it turned on doing Web Design and PR. This doesn’t mean the business failed, it means the business adapted to do something better, accordingly to its strong points and market opportunities. So if you’re not prepared to adapt and do something completely different following opportunities it might spell trouble.
Un-willingness to let someone else take control if you are not up to the job. As said earlier, every entrepreneur has paternal feelings about his business. You’re the all mighty creator, you’re the absolute ruler. Thing is that this doesn’t mean you’re the best CEO. In fact being an entrepreneur is quite opposite of being an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs have an idea, spot an opportunity, then do whatever they need to do to make it work, including hiring the right people to manage the business. If you think being a CEO is what entrepreneurship is about, then you might be a business owner, but not an entrepreneur after all.
Non-ability to cope with problems. No matter how successful you think a certain entrepreneur is, you can be sure he has to deal with problems. When you start up you think that if the business will make enough money, you won’t be having any other problems. Wrong. If you business makes money it just means you won’t have the money problem, but have all the rest. Problems with competition, hiring people, launching new products, all problems are still there except the money problem. Having a business making money does not bail you out of the rest of the problems. So if you’re not prepared to be a problem solver all your entrepreneurial path, things will go down eventually.
Backup exit plan. Wait, exiting your own business doesn’t mean you failed? If you believe exiting your business means failure you’re dead wrong. Remember, an entrepreneur is the person that spots opportunities and make something out of them – this could mean one business ore 100 businesses. In fact, not having an exit plan makes you fail for real – you’ll get so obsessed that you need to make things work for you in that particular business that you won’t be able to act toward the real goals.
Loosing life balance. Life balance can be lost in many ways as an entrepreneur and I’m not talking only about not having enough time to spend with your family or to do whatever you want to do. There is also greed. There is also health. There is goodwill and leaving a social life in your community. Loosing control over your own life and destiny.

Of course, I can almost hear you saying: I don’t need to worry about these now. Now I just need that money making idea to start a business and have it turn into a successful thing now. I will worry later about the other things. And that’s why most business are failing in the first 5 years.

Growing Businesses Foundation – GBF – Nigeria

2010-02-28T22:12:10Z

GBF was birthed as a non-profit organization in 1999 to promote sustainable economic development led by socially responsible businesses via collaboration between businesses, governments and nonprofit organizations. It was set up to be the leading platform for Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) and economic development in Nigeria through non-governmental and non-profit operations.

GBF has built a private sector driven non-profit to promote a sustainable homegrown model for building viable partnerships that enable development at the community level. Through various intermediations between the private sector and the bottom of the pyramid (BOP), we are able to support local cooperative enterprises facilitating meaningful development in several communities across 34 states in Nigeria. Using micro lending as a platform, GBF has been facilitating direct contact with BOP entrepreneurs and farmers over the last 10 years.

GBF acts as intermediary and consultant to the private sector in the design of services that cater to the underserved communities and marginalized peoples. GBF acts on the principle that the best help is self-help and our objectives include empowering micro, small and medium scale entrepreneurs to grow their businesses in a socially, ecologically, economically and culturally sustainable manner.

With operations across 34 States of the Federation, GBF has been able to directly or indirectly impact the lives of over 2 million Nigerians. To attain this goal, GBF has invested in and promoted partners that include, but are not limited to 22 Micro Finance institutions, 576 Cooperatives/CBOs, 4 Micro Finance Banks, and many thousands of entrepreneurs.

GBF has 44 permanent staff, 39 contract staff and over 100 temporary staff in 6 offices, operating in 34 states across all 6 geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

Young Entrepreneur Program hosted by Shasta College and College of the Siskiyous

2010-02-28T22:04:06Z

The SBDC hosted by Shasta College and College of the Siskiyous offers a special and unique program - the Young Entrepreneurs Program or YEP. YEP provides a unique combination of consultant one on one resources in addition to trainings and seminars aimed at young people between the ages of 14 and 27. YEP is diverse in its outreach and delivery methods, with Websites, blogs, social networking sites, virtual reality games, youth-oriented trainers and business simulation products all designed to teach business management, finance, marketing, sales and e-commerce skills. We host an Annual YEP Business Concept and Elevator Competition in the spring of each year.

The ultimate desired outcome for YEP is to have young people more interested in self-employment as a career option. Through YEP projects, students will also garner transferable business skills for both self employment and the job market, understand the relevance of education and choose to stay in school or pursue higher education, and develop life management and problem solving skills.

Lancaster University to Introduce Software Entrepreneurship module to help young entrepreneurs

2010-02-27T11:55:44Z

The new module Software Innovation and Entrepreneurship, provides students with practical knowledge of software markets, software business models, software distribution and software business management aspects. It interrelates these business topics with a deep understanding of the technology and software engineering trends shaping the next generation of web and mobile applications.

Since 2006, Agitavi has been working with Microsoft to develop a Software Entrepreneurship for Students Curriculum with the goal to bridge the gap between technology education and entrepreneurial skill-set development. The program is designed to help a university improve the teachings of entrepreneurship in the area of IT and to provide students with knowledge and tools to develop successful and sustainable software ventures.

Gerd Kortuem, Head of The Lancaster e-Business in Innovation Programme at Lancaster is proud to be one of the first academic programmes to incorporate these materials into a University curriculum.

“We have worked with Agitavi and Microsoft over the last 18 months to develop changes to our degree programs that fit in with best practice thinking on software entrepreneurship education, giving our students the access to the latest global research and teachings on what is such a young and dynamic discipline.”

Jyoti Banerjee, Director of Agitavi is delighted to be able to work with a leading institute like Lancaster University.

“We find that our industry perspective is modified and improved when we work with the professors from Lancaster. Our goal is to find deeper and richer ways to collaborate between industry and academia, we can make a difference to the economies we are operating in”, he said.

For more information on the program visit www.agitavi.com.

Yale Entrepreneurial Society

2010-02-27T11:49:20Z

Founded in 1999, the Yale Entrepreneurial Society (YES) is Yale’s principal business organization. YES is a completely undergraduate-student-run, independent 501(c)3 non-profit corporation dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship and innovation in the greater Yale community. YES coordinates and supports educational resources, seed capital, and networking and mentorship opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs to bring Yale ideas and innovations into the world and create dynamic new ventures that contribute to the revitalization of New Haven. YES’s principal initiatives include our annual $50,000 Y50K Entrepreneurship Competition, our regional conferences, Yale’s business publication the Yale Entrepreneur, and our New Haven High Schools Entrepreneurship Initiative.

YES is one of the most involved undergraduate organizations on campus, actively shaping the culture and future of Yale and New Haven. We are building a strong entrepreneurship community and a culture of innovation on campus and in the city. Our staffers’ endeavors and our entrepreneurs’ enterprises are contributing to the rapid economic development of New Haven and to Yale’s ability to compete for and produce the innovators and leaders of tomorrow

Consultancy on Starting and doing business in Philippines for foreign companies

2010-02-27T11:13:45Z

Foreign companies starting or doing business in the Philippines must register their company with various government agencies including the SEC and BIR . Foreign companies that are over 60% export can be fully foreign owned in the Philippines through a Branch or Domestic Corporation.

Kittelson & Carpo was founded by a Filipino corporate tax lawyer and an American Outsourcing Consultant in Makati, Metro-Manila to provide dynamic assistance to foreign BPO and outsourcing companies starting and doing business in the Philippines. Our main areas of expertise are business registration with government agencies, taxation, employment, payroll, accounting and HR recruitment.

In the last three years K&C has registered more than 100 foreign companies setting up businesses in the Philippines.

K&C provides assistance to:

determine the appropriate business vehicle for your company
understand and manage the risks and cost of doing business in the Philippines
determine your eligibility for tax incentives available under Philippine law
implement your business strategy which includes SEC registration and availment of certain tax incentives with PEZA or BOI.

Once the business registration and tax incentives are addressed K&C then assists with working Visas and Permits for foreign employees, office space, HR staffing, payroll and accounting services. We will open doors to various industries in the Philippine business environment. Kittelson & Carpo Consulting is essentially a “One-Stop-Shop” for companies starting their business in the Philippines.

K&C can advise on the most suitable business enterprise for you considering the company’s intentions, foreign ownership restrictions , tax , income and corporate concerns when doing business in the Philippines.

Development of Green Business in this critical economy

2010-02-27T10:49:44Z

Members of the Green Business League made an exploratory visit to the island territory of Puerto Rico to discuss development of Green Business in this critical economy. Energy costs for businesses in Puerto Rico are very high, and energy reduction strategies can be greatly helped by encouraging the efficiencies of Green business practices.

Rennie Rodriquez and R Michael Richmond traveled to Puerto Rico to meet with San Juan business men and various political leaders to discuss the opportunities for Puerto Rican businesses to implement Green practices that have the versatility that apply to any business. The Green Business League offers a process of implementation and verification that is very affordable and effective. Regardless of whether a business rents, leases, or owns the building; the ability to install Green practices allows a custom application that provides a Green business certification that can be respected.

Areas such as Puerto Rico are more confined communities with unique issues that need to be aggressively addressed because there is less toleration for long-term environmental problems. Examples of waste management illustrate the point. There is not vast areas that can continue to absorb waste without major impact. Water conservation is more intensely felt, and energy can be expensive and over-stressed.

The answer to these pressing issues is the engagement of all levels of the community to make fundamental changes in the way daily operations are done. Businesses consume larger portions of community resources, which means that they should be the leaders in this issue. The Green Business League encourages businesses step up and government leaders to assist in the effort.

Rennie Rodriguez is the Green Business League director for development and can be reached for assistance through the Green Business League office. Those interested in participating in the Puerto Rican project should email the GBL office or call for assistance. This effort is a positive impact program with important implications for this island territory.

Build Your Eco Consulting Business training course

2010-02-27T10:45:54Z

The Earth Savers Institute, a Florida-based eco education and certification firm, today announced the release of the “Build Your Eco Consulting Business” training course. The online course is intended to train individuals to become Certified Eco Consultants, and thereafter to deliver “Eco Consulting” services to businesses, organizations, colleges, K-12 schools, entrepreneurs and individuals.

Going Green Can Be Fun
The Earth Savers Institute calls their training style ‘Eco Edutainment’ because it incorporates interesting audios, easy-to-read text, amusing videos, many of which are animated or use stop motion techniques. A couple even use talking fruit and vegetables. “No one wants to be bored,” claims Earth Savers Institute founder, Scott Cardinal. “Certainly no one wants to pay to be bored. And there are more interesting topics to talk about in life than alternative fuels, recycling, and composting. We didn’t want people falling asleep. We wanted this to fun. Going Green can be interesting. Eco can be fun.”

Instructors for the Earth Savers Institute include established Eco Consultants, Sustainability Specialists, Eco Entrepreneurs, Marketing Directors, Healthy Living Experts, Green Business Strategists, Environmental Activists, Eco-friendly Actors, and even a couple of Eco Comedians.

Responding To The Economy
No matter what size a business or organization, they want and need to keep an eye on their bottom line, cut costs, and save money whenever and wherever they can. Earth Savers Institute has trained eco-consultants across the U.S.A. who conduct Eco Action Audits and implement Green Change Plans for Businesses, Organizations, Schools, Entrepreneurs, and Individuals. As part of an Environmental Practice Assessment, a trained eco-consultant administers a 500+-point assessment that focuses on major categories, including Office Supplies, Energy Consumption, Reduce + Reuse + Recycle, Infrastructure & Construction, Vendors & Business Partners, and Corporate Kindness. Once a baseline is gathered, Eco Consultants produce a confidential customized findings report which identifies areas with the potential for positive environmental change and have the potential for return on investment. Further Consulting is then available to help implement the changes, establish a green supply chain, educate staff, and more.

Going Green Is Good Business
Studies have shown that many people prefer working with and for a company that cares about People and the Planet. Earning an Eco Certification helps motivate staff, increase the value of business, helps businesses, organizations, and schools become better steward of the environment, and will help slash a lot of costs and save money.

Businesses and Organizations do not have to own an organic market or manufacture eco-friendly products in order for them to be a “green company.” They simply need to be interested in being sustainable, creating a healthier working environment, not wasting resources, and adopting eco business practices. Every office could use an Eco Strategy that will be more than talking about relevant changes, which will be a lot more than adding recycling containers and changing light bulbs. Doing it the right way will impress and excite and inspire loyalty within companies or organization, the community, and with their supply chain, customers and clients.

Scholarships Are Available
Thanks to a generous grant from an Earth Savers Institute supporter, ESI is offering a limited number of partial scholarships to take our Eco Certification Training Course. Priority will be given to: (1) ESI Graduates, (2) Individuals from underrepresented communities, (3) Invited guests of ESI graduates, (4) Individuals who have not received a scholarship for a previous ESI Course, and (6) Individuals in financial need.

About Earth Savers Institute
The Earth Savers Institute is the Official Training Affiliate of Green Earth Corporate Kindness Organization (GECKO), which is a 501(C) 3 (tax-exempt) non-profit corporation dedicated to helping businesses & non-profits become better steward
s of the environment. GECKO is perhaps the only Non-Profit organization in the United States with the sole mandate of helping companies & non-profits improve their environmental practices. Their collective MISSION is to address