Looking to drive a little more traffic to your Facebook presence? Try a couple of these strategies. If those don’t trip your trigger, here are a few more ideas for getting the most out of your FB presence If you are beyond Angry Birds and are looking for a few apps to make your life a bit more organized and productive, give these a try. Success is always the goal, but sometimes a business failure isn’t such a bad deal I am definitely a movie-freak, so this list combining some great flicks with an entrepreneurial bent, is pretty cool (yes, I have seen them all) The Ghostbusters tip is a sweet little gem. I’m a Tennessee Titan fan to the core, but I will admit there is something to be learned from the Giants win for all of you aspiring entrepreneurs out there. Having a top of FB fans for your business is great, but does nothing if they don’t come in and shop. John Jantsch over at Duct Tape put together a nice piece on using your online presence to drive traffic to yo... [More]

If you are looking for cash to start your business and getting sick of hearing “no” from Uncle Larry, the bank, your mom, and everyone else you have tried – give the clouds a go – seems to be working for others. I love these articles sharing tips on how to get your business off the ground while you get a paycheck from someone else. Quick advice on why a business plan is still necessary, even if you aren’t going after 3rd party financing. I wouldn’t say it needs to be a novel by any means, by a couple pages to keep you on track is going to be well worth it down the road. barCamp is coming to the Cedar Valley in a couple weeks – www.barcampcv.com - I strongly encourage you to come- Feb 4th. Seth Godin does a great job of explaining what its all about, via the TED imperatives Here is a little motivation for all of you entrepreneurs-in-waiting This is a great piece on the crowdfunding revolution, where things are at in the U.S., and why it m... [More]

Are you sending out signals that your business is in trouble? Customers aren’t going to flock to a sinking ship, so watch out for some of these red flags to keep your brand positive, even if your bottom line isn’t. Starbucks and Howard Schultz are quickly becoming a new power player in peer-to-peer lending. So if the bank turns you down, stop in for coffee and a micro loan to get your ideas off the ground. Looking to land some big VC money is 2012? Tom Kinnear has some advice on how to go about it. A new generation of Farm-preneurs is picking up steam thanks to the popularity of organic and other food trends. One of Seth Godin’s latest posts caught my eye on the power of specialization – “the more or less choice” For many entrepreneur’s, sales is one of the least favorite parts of life on your own. Shying away from it because of your apprehensions is always a fatal flaw. Take a read of this for some ideas on how to make it happen. ... [More]

As an avid The Office watcher (and I know the British version was probably better), this was a good read on the lessons we can learn from Andy Bernard’s struggles in management. Google is buying companies at a crazy clip, so if you are looking to sell out, start there. Nice piece in the Times about the less-attractive side of entrepreneurship. If you are looking at leaving the cubicle behind, read this first. Its December, which means year end is here (among other things), so if you want to avoid Uncle Sam in April, get your tax avoidance strategies in place now When getting ready to start up, here is what not to do. A little love for Iowa’s start up culture. You can have all the drive and ambition in the world, but entrepreneurs also need these 4 things according to Glen Blickenstaff on Inc.com. I tend to agree, especially in regards to making a difference. If you have thought about kicking off a pay-per-click strategy for your business, now is a great time as... [More]

Link-O-Rama for 11/11/11 It’s often said, but not nearly often enough practiced that the best funding to get your business going is sales. It’s always easier to head to the bank or your brother-in-law, but sales trump it all in my opinion. Here is a pretty good primer on how to take a step back and look at your sales process to “Six Sigma It up” a little. One thing that always amazing me when counseling with small business is their lack of process around collecting from customers. If you have a business model where you can’t get cash up front or at time of service, you NEED to have things in place to keep the A/R under control. Here is a great read on how to go about it. Waiting it out and playing nice is not always the answer. And when you’ve worked hard for the sale, the last thing you need is a deadbeat that doesn’t pay. Jeff Haden over at Owner’s Manual always has good stuff to share. Here he delves into the world of Linked In&... [More]

•    In some ways, this video isn’t too far off from the truth on today’s tech start ups – obviously I am generalizing – please don’t send me a bunch of hate mail on how your start up is different.  •    Looking for a way to manage social media?  Check out the Roost.  •    Who doesn’t love a good freebie now and again (or in my case, all the time)?  And if you are going to the trouble of using a promo item for your small business, read this first for a few tips.•    This one doesn’t have a ton of great stuff in it, but I mention it based on the sheer power of all things Harry Potter.  •    If you are constantly hearing “no” as you look for a lending source for your start up, don’t overlook the credit union industry as a source.  Chad Lyons has a good piece here about CU’s as a viable source fo... [More]

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE •    If you think start ups are just for young, newly graduated types who have much less to lose (at least financially speaking), this may open your eyes.  So if you have been using age as an excuse to yourself, eliminate that one and start something!•    Lynn Hicks has a nice article on the challenges start ups face in Iowa.  He did a great job of providing awareness to the vast network of service providers out there willing to help.•    Cedar Rapids’s own Bob Parsons has a little more cash in his pockets after this deal with KKR and others.•    A couple of the tech firms from my incubator got some pub this week, so of course I need to spread the good news here.  They h... [More]

•    For those of you looking for outside cash to fund a start up, here is a little Angel Investor 101•    This is pretty basic, but it’s also right on the money in terms of a guideline for putting an investor pitch together.  •    Most of the info I highlight is about growing your business, but not everybody makes it.  If you are looking at closing up shop – read this first.  I really like the point about knowing what parts of your business are profitable/unprofitable.  If you don’t know that, I think there is still time to resuscitate.  •    Corporation or LLC – this piece offers some high level advice on what to consider.  For most firms, taxes play the biggest role, so start with your accountant.  Of course, they’ll just tell you to talk to your attorney. •    Iowa stays in the top 10 of USA Today’s best states fo... [More]

•    3 easy steps to becoming a millionaire.  Not sure how “easy” they are, but yeah, these are the steps.  I don’t know if LUCK is considered a step, but having a ton of that sure helps too.•    Be sure to read the fine print as you explore crowdfunding options for your start up.•    A few nuggets on some of the most successful start ups ever.  Dare to dream kids.•    Are you suffering from PPD – Pathetic Presentation Disorder – with your PowerPoint decks?  Guy Kawasaki is the man when it comes to this stuff and offers a few tips to Lisa Nirell at Fast Company.  •    Its been 100 years since IBM opened its doors – much has changed, but the mission never has.  According to The Economist, that’s what has kept them around so long.  I guess the message here is to focus on your people and your processes as the produ... [More]

•    Tony Hsieh is an amazing entrepreneur made very famous by his work with Zappos and their corporate culture of customer service and creativity among other things.  Here is a quick Q&A about some of that.•    Are you doing your own book keeping?  Here is a little advice on booking sales.  •    Ranking last in anything is usually not so great.  For women owned businesses in Iowa, it’s something we need to work on.  American Express OPEN just finished a nice piece based on new census data related to women owned businesses and will open some eyes here in Iowa.  I get that we have a slow-paced population growth, Midwestern aversion to risk, et cetera, but other states also fit that mold and seem to be doing better (the Dakotas, Wisconsin).  •    Guy Kawasaki offers some tips on how to be likeable on line.  Most of it is the same as how to be likeable offline.... [More]