It wasn't all that long ago when outsourcing certain aspects of your business like basic software development or support services to save money was commonplace. Now, companies are discovering that sending work abroad may not be as cost-effective as once thought. [Read More]
Posted at 12:30PM Nov 23, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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When you officially launch your startup and send out a flurry of press releases, the silence can be deafening while you wait for the phone to ring and reporters to call you. Here are some tips to improve your chances of getting noticed by the media. [Read More]
Posted at 12:22PM Nov 23, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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Anil Dash, co-founder of popular blogging platform Six Apart announced today's official launch of Expert Labs, an initiative designed to put the collective expertise of the American public in front of the nation's policy makers and legislatures. Tapping into the idea of crowdsourcing, Expert Labs is a grassroots effort of sorts that will help federal agencies tap into the wisdom of the very people they serve. [Read More]
Posted at 11:47AM Nov 23, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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Portland, Oregon, one of the most heavily-populated cities in the Pacific Northwest, is quickly becoming known for its favorable startup climate. According to Portland's recently published Economic Development Strategy, city officials and business leaders plan to keep the momentum going and reach out to more startups, but are they doing enough? [Read More]
Posted at 06:20AM Nov 19, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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Busy entrepreneurs need to stay on top of all the latest startup information, but who has the time? Here's a look at what went on around blogosphere and in the news last week, in case you missed it. [Read More]
Posted at 07:44PM Nov 16, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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Everywhere you turn, there are stories of new or updated government policies designed to help entrepreneurs launch startups that will help jump-start the economy. With the amount of state and national reforms aimed at lessening the recession, it's not always readily apparent how they impact small businesses and what opportunities these new policies bring. The Policy Dialogue on Entrepreneurship can help you sort things out. [Read More]
Posted at 07:37AM Nov 16, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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No matter what kind of startup you're launching, you'll need at least some basic computer software to create invoices, write letters, and develop spreadsheets to track inventory or accounts payable. There are plenty of commercial software suites that offer the applications you need, but they're typically pretty pricey. OpenOffice.org is a great, and free, alternative.
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Posted at 08:05AM Nov 13, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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Inc.com posted a terrific article this week explaining why its sometimes all right to say no to a customer. In fact, some entrepreneurs are discovering that ditching problem clients actually helps their bottom line in the long run. [Read More]
Posted at 07:34AM Nov 12, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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A new study shows that when it comes to rescuing Americans from rising unemployment and a sagging economy, startups may swoop in to save the day. In fact, according the report commissioned by the Kauffman Foundation, 8 million of the 12 million new jobs created in 2007 were with businesses less than five years old. [Read More]
Posted at 11:59PM Nov 10, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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Busy entrepreneurs need to stay on top of all the latest startup information, but who has the time? Here's a look at what went on around blogosphere and in the news this week, in case you missed it. [Read More]
Posted at 08:33PM Nov 06, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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If you're thinking of launching a technology startup, now might be a really good time to move ahead with your plans. Venture capital firm Greylock Partners announced this week intentions to funnel $575 million into a fund designed to promote new tech businesses.[Read More]
Posted at 12:34PM Nov 06, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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When Raphael Mudge decided to launch a startup last year, one of his biggest fears was was "walking into a job interview with my head held low because I didn't succeed." Indeed, the first iteration of his style checker software went nowhere at first. Fortunately, Mudge was undeterred. He kept at it and his perseverance paid off when After the Deadline (AtD) was acquired a year later by Automattic, the company behind popular blogging software WordPress. [Read More]
Posted at 07:05PM Nov 04, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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The disaster plans of most small businesses that manage critical information include data backup methods like storing nightly tapes in fireproof safes and transmitting data to off-site storage facilities on a regular basis, but with collecting massive amounts of data from documents, email programs, and media files comes the potential for bloat. It's easy to waste storage space -- and money -- by saving unnecessary data during backups. What's the answer to safely reducing bloat and cutting costs? Deduplicating.
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Posted at 06:59PM Nov 04, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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Earlier this year, Bump Technologies received a phone call from Apple, Inc. letting the co-founders know its flagship product, Bump, was the one billionth app to be downloaded from the iTunes App Store. Thanks to the resulting media coverage, Bump is one of the most popular apps in the store, and investor firm Sequoia Ventures is anxious to flood the new company with $3 million in first-round funding. [Read More]
Posted at 08:21AM Nov 03, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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Busy entrepreneurs need to stay on top of all the latest startup information, but who has the time? Here's a look at what went on around blogosphere and in the news last week, in case you missed it. [Read More]
Posted at 08:46AM Nov 02, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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Free and open source content management systems (CMS) like Drupal and Joomla have given entrepreneurs everywhere an opportunity to bootstrap their concepts quickly and effectively. What's the difference between them, and which one is right for you? Let's take a look. [Read More]
Posted at 07:57AM Oct 30, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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When San Antonio, TX-based entrepreneurs Dean McCall, Rudy De La Garza, and Linda Mills discovered how difficult it was for investors and local tech startups to find each other, they decided to do something about it. Seeing the need for an incubator to help new businesses grow, the trio decided to form the Idea Finishing School to help entrepreneurs get across that nebulous finish line. [Read More]
Posted at 07:45AM Oct 30, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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In the excitement of launching your new company, you'll no doubt spend a few minutes registering a domain name in anticipation of eventually building a Web site. While you're at it, take a little extra time and also register the name on popular social networking Web sites like Facebook and Twitter, even if you're not sure you'll use them. Here's why. [Read More]
Posted at 08:54AM Oct 29, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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Scary. Nerve-wracking. Exciting. Game-changing. There are several ways to describe what it's like to pitch to a venture capitalist (VC) or angel investor, but boring typically isn't one of them. Considering the possibilities that go along with an large influx of cash, the experience of pitching a VC is both invigorating and anxiety-ridden at the same time. Here are six ways to make the job a little easier. [Read More]
Posted at 07:59PM Oct 27, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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A new collaboration initiative between the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Treasury Department could have far-reaching implications in the ability for startups to acquire new loans and raise capital. Under the new plan, if small banks can show they support small-business lending, they'll have access to a portion of government funds which they can borrow at a 3% dividend rate. [Read More]
Posted at 07:52PM Oct 27, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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According to a report in U.S. News & World Report, even though more than 90% of venture capital and angel funding goes to men, female entrepreneurs are still thriving. In fact, the number of women-owned businesses grew nearly 20% between 1997 and 2004. If funding is so unbalanced, what accounts for the explosion of startups launched by women? [Read More]
Posted at 01:35PM Oct 27, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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Ask anyone starting up a business and they'll tell you about their mile-long todo list. Does it make sense, then, to add blogging to an already overcrowded list of responsibilities? When it comes to building a blog for your new company, then the answer is unequivocally yes.[Read More]
Posted at 10:22AM Oct 24, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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Busy entrepreneurs need to stay on top of all the latest startup information, but who has the time? Here's a look at what went on around blogosphere and in the news last week, in case you missed it. [Read More]
Posted at 10:20AM Oct 24, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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Earlier this week, I talked about the importance of maintaining a company blog. Another very important arrow in your marketing quiver is a Facebook page where Facebook users can gather to interact with you and other customers. [Read More]
Posted at 10:11AM Oct 24, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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A Twitter account is a must-have tool in every new startups marketing arsenal. Unlike a mostly one-directional company Web site, Twitter lets customers interact directly with companies and gives businesses the ability to communicate one-on-one directly with the consumer. Once you set up a Twitter account for your company, here are six tools and resources that can help you make the best of everything Twitter has to offer. [Read More]
Posted at 08:02PM Oct 21, 2009
by Joann Yates in Sun
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