Raising Equity and Venture Capital on Main Street

I've spent the past 48 hours more or less consumed by Gary Vaynerchuk. I'd heard about him and finally got around to reading his book, Why Now is the Time to Crush It! (HarperStudio, 2009).
The book is only 142 pages and you can read it in a sitting. But when you finish it, you won't be able to sleep very well. He will challenge you to take whatever your passion is, and use social media to turn it into something big. Once you check out his websites, he gets his claws into you even deeper, with loads of videos in which this sloppily dressed, potty-mouthed guy with a high-pitched voice makes you squirm, knowing that you are not working nearly hard enough to make your vision come to life.

Vaynerchuk made a fortune in his dad's wine business. He built it from $4 million to $60 million in five […]

John Jantsch, author of Duct Tape Marketing, has released a terrific update of his free e-book, "Let's Talk Social Media for Small Business." It's a 42-page absolute must-read for anyone who is starting a business, has a young venture and is still not firmly in command of their social networking strategy.

It's reassuring to know that some of your tax dollars really do go to help build the small business economy. The SBA's "Emerging 200" program, which provides high-level, MBA-like training programs to business owners who have reached at least $400,000 in revenue, is growing.
More cities are being added in 2010, and Native American communities are being added for the first time. The programs last nine months and include 100 hours of classroom time. The 2010 programs will take place in Jacksonville (FL) Dallas, Atlanta, Boston, Baltimore, Detroit, Philadelphia, Memphis and Chicago. The Native American communities will be in Denver, Albuquerque (NM) Gallup (NM), Portland (OR), Milwaukee, Tucson, Phoenix, Oklahoma City, Santa Ana (CA), Seattle and New Orleans.
More than half of the businesses that participated in e200 have seen an increase in revenue, and nearly two-thirds have created new jobs, according to the SBA. Entrepreneurs who have completed the […]

You can do a lot with PHP and a database, which even most cheap hosting plans include.  According to Elance, PHP is the number one skill in demand through their website, which matches freelancers with clients.
If you love PHP, you could be one of ten winners who will receive $250 in cash and one year of premium membership on Elance, valued at $120.
To enter, just take Elance's new PHP Skill Test before November 30, 2009 and demonstrate your code-writing skills.  Elance plans to add more Code Tests in the future but to celebrate the launch of their new "Skills Test" program, Elance is inviting coders to test their skills.  Winners will be chosen from the "best, fastest, and most efficient coders."
Winners announced here on the Elance blog on December 1, 2009.  Complete Contest Information
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My wife and I went to dinner last night to an Italian place near the United Nations. Our captain (let's call him Arturo) came over to tell us about the specials, and something rather noteworthy unfolded. I have been to my share of restaurants and heard the specials hundreds (thousands?) of times. It's always interesting to listen to. Some servers read off a card as if it's their first time hearing the information. Others have tried without success to memorize their lines and look up and to the right to pull a description of the sauce out of their head. Some have accents that are impenetrable (either Italian, Brooklyn or Long Island).
But this was different. Arturo delivered his presentation with pitch-perfect confidence and articulation. His smile conveyed a sense that he had personally relished every dish he described. His vocabulary and cadence created an image in our minds that […]

Remember that famous statement supposedly made by the U.S. Patent Commission in 1899: "Everything that can be invented has been invented." I don't think anyone believes that anymore, but it's surprising how much there is left to do to satisfy consumer demands. If you're struggling to think about what people really want these days, here are a few products and services I wish I could find easily. Maybe my list will give you a few ideas.

A gizmo on my printer ink cartridge or printer that tells me how many pages I have printed on each ink refill. I know the printer companies make a claim about 300 pages per cartridge but I swear I get about 100 max.>/p>
A sound sensor for my eyeglasses, similar to the button I push on my cordless phone base unit when I want to know where the receiver is. I lose my glasses at least […]

The House of Representatives passed a sweeping health care bill by a vote of 220-215, last night, Saturday, November 8, 2009.
According to CNN, H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act has taken a step forward, but, "the Senate will vote on a version of the health care legislation debated in that chamber. If the Senate passes its bill, the House and Senate bills would have to be reconciled into one document and voted on again."
Read the House-Approved Bill (.pdf format - 1,990 pages)
House of Reps Passes Health Care Bill originally appeared on About.com Entrepreneurs on Sunday, November 8th, 2009 at 14:26:02.
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Are your networking enough? If you answer, "yes" chances are you do not understand the value of business networking.  No one can networking enough because the more you connect with others, the easier it will be to grow your business.
Does online networking count? Yes! But it does not take the place of good ol' fashioned face-to-face networking.
If you do not know of any biz networks in your area, start by trying BusinessNetwork.MeetUp.com, a free online service that allows you to start a networking group, or locate existing networks in your area.
If you need more convincing as to why you should get out there and mingle, or some great ideas on how to maxmize your networking experience:

Why You Should Attend Live Networking Events
Two Most Valuable Skills to Network Successfully
The Importance of Being Memorable
How to Cultivate and Endless Network of Endless Referrals
How to Profit From Networking

Are You Networking Enough? originally appeared on […]

SCORE just announced a new "Quick Start Business Plan" tool online.  And it is FREE!  In addition to helping you understand how to write a business plan, SCORE offers free templates to help you assess how financially viable your idea is, including:

Quick start business plan action plan
An Excel cashflow template
Break-even calculator
Chargeable hours template
Business plan template
A Market Research Questionnaire

To access this free lesson and their template tools, visit SCORE.
You can also take advantage of Entrepreneur's articles for creating a Step-By-Step Business Plan Outline.
SCORE Offers Quick Start Business Plan Tool originally appeared on About.com Entrepreneurs on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 11:56:39.
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Entrepreneur's gives a thumbs up to SCORE for recognizing and filling a need to provide seasoned business mentors for our military personnel!
I just received a notice from SCORE promoting an exciting program called, "Veterans: Succeeding in Business." To connect with a fellow vet in business visit SCORE's online counseling system and select, "Veteran Owned Businesses," for advice from a mentor with prior military experience.  You can also visit SCORE's page exclusively for Veteran, National Guard & Reservist Small Biz Owners.
Related Articles:

When Your Employees Go to War
Business Management And War
United States Military Employment and Reemployment Rights Act
Transfering from Guard/Reserve to Active Duty
Transfering from Active Duty to the National Guard or Reserves
Early Retirement for National Guard and Reserves

Business Advice for Military Personnel originally appeared on About.com Entrepreneurs on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 12:07:28.
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