Do you really need a business plan?

Neil Patel recently wrote a blog post on “Why Entrepreneurs Shouldn’t Write Business Plans” that Wes Scripps from Forlio Designs tweeted about on twitter (@forlio). It is a good post, you should read it.

Wes asked me, "do you think you need to write a business plan?" My reply is "Yes!" But, I do not think you need to write a profound tome explaining in detail how the future of your business will unfold. The shorter the better. If your business does not make sense within a simple, short description, then you probably don’t have a very strong business proposition.

In this case, it is the journey that is of value, not the destination. A business plan is important because it requires a you to go through a process of looking at exactly what you what to do, for whom and for how much. A business plan demonstrates that you have thought through the market, your customers, your products and services and exactly how you want to execute this concept. You know that the market demands what you want to offer and that you know how to supply the need. Most importantly, you know that you’ve written it all down, made it a firm goal and a real commitment.

Many of Neil’s points in the above blog post are accurate. Sometimes all you need is a good PowerPoint presentation and an executive summary to get funding (although not for the SBA). Your business will constantly evolve and change. You MUST react and be proactive. I think this means going back through the fundamental questions you’ve addressed in your business plan and make sure your new ideas are still relevant. Is your new product valuable to your target customer or are you drifting towards other markets? Are you improving or just doing more of the same? Be strategic. Be conscious in your choices. Don’t re-write your business plan every time you try something new, but use the business planning process as a template for reviewing every new initiative:

• What is happening in the market?
• What are my competitors’ doing?
• Who is my target customer and how many do I hope to reach?
• What are my product(s) / service(s)?
  - How does my company serve our customers?
  - How is our new offering better? Different?
• What kind of sales numbers do I think I can generate?
• How exactly are we going to deliver on our objectives?
• When I do a quick crunch of the numbers, do they make sense? Am I missing anything?
• How much cash do I need to do this?

If you have never written a business plan, you must write one to understand the process. It is not a simple straight forward endeavor. The process will make you enthusiastic one moment, and then overwhelmed the next. In the end, you feel that you have looked comprehensively at what you want to do and believe in your vision for how it will work. That is powerful! And a tool you will use over and over again as you adapt, change, grow and evolve your business.

JGMS is a Colorado Company to Watch

Congratulations to JG Management Systems on their recognition as one of 2009's “Colorado’s Companies to Watch".

www.colorado.companiestowatch.org/

http://www.jgmsinc.com/

When everyone means nothing.

From Seth Godin's Blog: Everyone is clueless

The problem with "everyone" is that in order to reach everyone or teach everyone or sell to everyone, you need to so water down what you've got you end up with almost nothing.

Everyone doesn't go to the chiropractor, everyone doesn't give to charity, everyone has never been to Starbucks. Everyone, in fact, lives a decade behind the times and needs hundreds of impressions and lots of direct experience before they realize something is going on.

You don't want everyone. You want the right someone.

Someone who cares about what you do. Someone who will make a contribution that matters. Someone who will spread the word.

As soon as you start focusing on finding the right someone, things get better, fast. That's because you can ignore everyone and settle in and focus on the people you actually want.

Here's a video that David sent over. I am thrilled at how much this guy loves his job, and I'm inspired by his story of how he turned down Pepsi as a vendor. He turned them down. But everyone wants Pepsi! Exactly. Once he decided he wanted someone, not everyone, his life got a lot better.

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/11/everyone-is-clueless.html

Business Incubator Center NEWS

Entrepreneurship & the Incubator Center in the local press
Have you see it? Recently a number of articles / new stories have run on entrepreneurship, growing businesses and the Incubator Center. Check out this list of recent articles: http://www.gjincubator.org/about/campusnews.php It is really exciting to see so many interesting ideas and growing companies blooming in Grand Valley.

Co-working Spaces – it’s a trend!
Many entrepreneurs discover that after a few weeks of working in bunny slippers, their home offices leave them feeling isolated and enervated. Recently, co-working spaces have begun to spring up, offering home-based entrepreneurs a part-time desk where they can find structure, camaraderie and advice. Entrepreneur

Building a factory on your desktop
Ponoko, a New Zealand company, developed a laser cutter that can follow patterns downloaded from the Internet, allowing would-be designers anywhere in the world to create complex shapes in wood and plastic. Artists and entrepreneurs use Ponoko's cutters to make small batches of toys, lampshades and other products. CEO David ten Have says he believes the devices have the potential to turn everyone into a manufacturer. Inc.

Colorado Business Incubation Association Fall Conference

The Colorado Business Incubation Association (CBIA) promotes entrepreneurship throughout Colorado. One of CBIA’s objectives is to provide training and education to its members in the form of one-day conferences twice a year. The programs for these conferences include “lessons learned” from seasoned business incubator managers, legislative updates, identification of resources and many other topics that provide valuable information to planned, emerging and established business incubators.Fall Conference 2009 is being held at the award winning Grand Junction Business Incubator Center on Thursday, October 8th. The theme of this one-day conference is “Business Incubation During These Changing Economic Times”. You will hear from seasoned incubator managers and representatives from organizations that fund incubator start-up costs and ongoing operations and also tour the Business Incubator Center. At the end of the day, we will enjoy some great networking time as we tour two wineries and finish with dinner at the Wine Country Inn!

Click to view the full-day Conference Program and download the Registration Form. Please contact Michelle Alcott (malcott21@comcast.net) or Vicki Jenings (vjenings@colobio.com) if you have questions.

Register Now!

Second Annual COLORADO ENTREPRENEURSHIP MARKETPLACE...business starts here.
Do you want to start your own small business?Do you want to take your small business to the next level?
October 9, 2009
8:00am to 7:00pm - a full-day, but feel free to come and go as you like.Two Rivers Convention CenterGrand Junction, CO

Event Schedule
Six Session TracksAgri-Businness . Financing . Retail & Business Development . Marketing . Community Development . Technology

Click HERE for a detailed outline of the day's events: Event Schedule.

Feel free to come for the whole day or just the session you are most interested in. The $30 registration cost covers as many sessions as you would like to attend. Don't miss the keynote address from Curt Richardson of OtterBox at 3:45pm.
For more information go to http://www.ruralcolorado.org/events-calendar-1/coloentrmrktplace, or call: Michelle Alcott, CRDC Business Manager 303-934-9117 303-934-9117 . malcott@ruralcolorado.org

A success for ALL of Rural Colorado!

Summer Open Market

This FRIDAY the Business Incubator Center will hold a Summer Open Market Place and Treasure Hunt. The event will feature dozens of vendor booths showcasing a variety of our clients from throughout the Valley, live music (Pineapple Crackers!), a business treasure hunt with HUGE prizes, and for the kids, a bump-n-jump, face painting and balloon tying.

See you at the Summer Market Place, on Friday July 17, 2009 from 2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. in the BIC campus parking lot.

Now hear this

The key to problem solving is active listening, yet human beings internalize just 25% to 50% of what they hear, writes psychiatrist Steven Berglas. To be a better listener, Berglas argues that entrepreneurs need to slow down, stop worrying about their image and stop being defensive. Most of all, he suggests, drop the "been there, done that" attitude that gets in the way of taking good advice. Forbes

When customers become consultants

From company names to product design, entrepreneurs are using the Web to give customers input into every aspect of a business, as this article notes. Customers are much cheaper than consultants, and they may also become passionate supporters of companies that engage them. But one Babson College professor warns that too much crowdsourcing can strangle innovation. The Wall Street Journal

Indicators of Entrepreneurial Tendencies

A newly released report by the Kauffman Foundation, Anatomy of an Entrepreneur, reveals that the majority of entrepreneurs had early propensity toward starting companies, judging by their academic performance and socio-economic backgrounds. Kauffman: Anatomy of an Entrepreneur / WSJ: Anatomy Of An Entrepreneur May Not Be What You Think

CAMPUS NEWS

The Price is Right, Right? Establishing Fair Market Value to Buy or Sell a Business.
What would be a fair listing price for a business and how is it determined? Will a lender finance the acquisition? Does selling a business within the industry provide opportunity to command a premium price? Join Mike Schaack, President of The Redstone Group, Ltd., Matt Mayer, President of Mayer Medical Technologies, Inc., and Chris Reddin, Executive Director of the Business Incubator Center in learning about the roles of market analysis and business evaluation in developing a realistic business worth assessment. Cost is $50.Date: Wednesday, August 12 from 8 am - noon

LEADING EDGE – Business Plan Development Program
The Leading Edge Program is an intensive training course that provides business owners and entrepreneurs with expert guidance in the areas of cash flow management, marketing, finance, personnel, legal issues, and more. Each participant will receive hands-on assistance in preparing a complete business plan. Tuition is $275, and includes the NXLEVEL Guide for Entrepreneurs and the NXLEVEL Business Plan Workbook and Resource Guide. When: August 18 - November 10, 200912 Sessions Tuesdays from 6:00 – 9:00 pm Call to register as soon as possible as the class does have a cap on the number of participants and it normally sells out.

Tax Plan Workout: Dealing with the Business Tax Maze
This informative presentation will help you simplify some otherwise confusing tax issues such as tracking and paying all business taxes, computing & filing payroll taxes, depreciation of home or auto use in business, subcontracting vs. employment, sales tax as well as unemployment and use taxes. Cost is $45. Instructor, Pamela J. Belcher, CPA, has many years experience working with entrepreneurs in Mesa County. Other speakers include representatives from the Colorado Dept. of Revenue, Dept. of Labor and Employment and the Mesa County Assessor's Office. When: Thursday, August 20, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm (lunch on your own from noon to 1 pm)

Get the word out! Incubator Clients, let us help promote your success! I am sure that many of you have seen the weekly articles in the Free Press featuring client companies. Well, that support is just one of many ways we can help get the word out about your business. We have a close working relationship with the Daily Sentinel and the local TV news stations as well. We have recently updated our website (www.gjincubator.org) and would love post videos, stories, pictures, snippets, or blurbs about your business. Please send any news you have to creddin@gjincubator.org.

Join us on LinkedIn

Collaboration amongst peers is one of the most important benefits to being part of the Business Incubator Center community. To help enrich this aspect of the program, we would like to suggest that if you are not already a user of the social networking site LinkedIn, please consider joining! The Business Incubator Center now has a group on LinkedIn, and we would like to invite all of you to join us. The more people who are in the group, the more valuable a resource it will become to the Business Incubator Center community. As the community grows, you will be able to find colleagues who may be in similar industries or facing similar growth issues, and it will serve as just one more way that the community can help businesses grow and prosper.

The Business Incubator Center

http://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1554637/
To learn more about how to use LinkedIn to help grow your business go to: http://learn.linkedin.com/entrepreneurs/

Become a fan of The Business Incubator Center on Facebook

The Business Incubator Center is now on Facebook. Click here and login to become a fan and have Business Incubator Center news, events, and videos posted to your personal Facebook page.

TOASTMASTERS: Become the Speaker & Leader You Want to Be

Join us as the downtown Toastmasters meeting moves to the Incubator Campus! Toastmasters participants practice and learn skills by filling a meeting role, ranging from giving a prepared speech or an impromptu one to serving as timer, evaluator or grammarian. There is no instructor; instead, each speech and meeting is critiqued by a member in a positive manner, focusing on what was done right and what could be improved.
Good communicators tend to be good leaders. Incubator Clients are welcome! Attend a meeting or two to observe and participate as much as you like, but membership is required for additional participation.
When: Every Thursday at noon
Where: in the Training Room

The GYM is open! The Business Incubator Center is excited to open a gym on campus that will provide all Incubator Client Companies and their Staff the opportunity to meet their fitness goals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more details or to get a guided tour of our 540 sf facility, contact Kjersti (khudson@gjincubator.org ) or Katie at the front desk. Here’s to a happy and healthy 2009!

Video Lab Training Session
Topic: Learn to use the new video lab…and make better use of your website.
When: Call Chris to schedule a time
Where: in the video lab on the second floor of the technology building

NEWS June 22, 2009

The Coming Entrepreneurial Boom
Economists know that entrepreneurship will drive the economy back to health, but many people may be surprised to learn that the baby boom generation is behind the wheel, according to a new study by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The study, "The Coming Entrepreneurship Boom," found that several facts have emerged in the course of Kauffman Foundation research that indicate the United States might be on the cusp of an entrepreneurship boom -- not in spite of an aging population but because of it. Kauffman Foundation

Ugly shoes, beautiful story

Margot Fraser tried on her first pair of Birkenstocks during a tour of German health spas in 1966. She liked them so much she talked the manufacturer into a U.S. distributorship, only to find that no shoe retailers would touch the clunky, cork-soled sandals. Undeterred, Fraser exhibited at a health-food store convention and quickly signed up 20 or 30 customers. In the '70s, "the new generation adopted them as an emblem," helping Birkenstock USA become a $50 million company. Inc.


CALLING FOR VENDORS!
This July the Business Incubator Center will hold a Summer Open Market Place and Treasure Hunt. The event will feature vendor booths showcasing a variety of our clients from throughout the Valley, live music, a business treasure hunt with prizes, and for the kids, a bump-n-jump, face painting and balloon tying. The Summer Market Place will take place July 17, 2009 from 2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and will be located at the BIC campus parking lot. We expect approximately 300 to 400 attendees and guarantee an afternoon and evening of fun while celebrating local business and entrepreneurship.
How do you get involved?

- Mark your calendars – Friday, July 17 from 2:00pm to 8:00pm

- Want to have a booth to showcase your products or service? Vendor applications are available. Contact Annalisa Pearson for details: apearson@gjincubator.org or 243-5242 or register your booth here.

- Be a sponsor! Contact Chris Reddin to talk about of potential event sponsorship opportunities: creddin@gjincubator.org or 243-5242.

- Tell a friend... no tell all your friends and co-workers!

As you know, here in the Grand Valley we are a community that prides itself on its independence and ability to create our own prosperity. In these times of economic uncertainty, it is critical that our community seizes upon the opportunities at hand and that we do all we can to grow our own businesses. This work is exactly what we do at the Business Incubator Center. Today we are supporting hundreds of clients as they start and grow the businesses that will lead our community to forward. We are very excited to put on this event to highlight these businesses and show the community the opportunities, innovation and positive growth we see every day in our clients.

Business Incubator Center NEWS

More than Half of Fortune 500 Companies Were Founded in Recession or Bear Market.
A recent study by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation finds a silver lining in today's challenging economic times: Recessions can spur entrepreneurship, which leads to the creation of much-needed new jobs. The study The Economic Future Just Happened found that more than half of the companies on the 2009 Fortune 500 list were launched during a recession or bear market, along with nearly half of the firms on the 2008 Inc. list of America's fastest-growing companies. The report also suggests a broader economic trend, with job creation from startup companies proving to be less volatile and sensitive to downturns when compared to the overall economy.

Not your father's taco cart
The lowly lunch truck is getting a gourmet makeover. With prices running around $150,000, mobile kitchens are a cheaper way for entrepreneurs to get into the restaurant business -- or for existing chefs to boost their revenue. Sales are down 20% to 25% at Hudson's on the Bend, a fine-dining restaurant in Austin, Texas, but chef-owner Jeff Blank says his new lunch truck, with an average check of less than $10, has made up the difference. The Wall Street Journal

The Start-up Guru: Y Combinator's Paul Graham
Paul Graham's startup factory, Y Combinator, funds about 40 companies a year at about $25,000 each, then provides them with lots of advice, networking and other resources. Of the 145 companies launched since 2005, about 80% are still in business, and some are the darlings of Silicon Valley. Inc.

CAMPUS LIFE

Tax Plan Workout: Dealing with the Business Tax Maze
This informative presentation will help you simplify some otherwise confusing tax issues such as tracking and paying all business taxes, computing & filing payroll taxes, depreciation of home or auto use in business, subcontracting vs. employment, sales tax as well as unemployment and use taxes. Cost is $45. Instructor, Pamela J. Belcher, CPA, has many years experience working with entrepreneurs in Mesa County. Other speakers include representatives from the Colorado Dept. of Revenue, Dept. of Labor and Employment and the Mesa County Assessor’s Office.
Date: June 18, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm (lunch on your own from noon to 1 pm)

Cut the Fat: Lean Enterprise for a Mean Office Operation
In this interactive eight-hour training, your team will learn how to apply the key principles of Lean to your administrative processes. High-retention learning is accomplished through both classroom time and three rounds of simulation. Each round of simulation is followed by classroom learning focused on the basic building blocks of Lean Enterprise; participants then work as a group to modify their simulation work environment based upon their newly-acquired knowledge. Metrics are calculated between rounds to quantitatively measure incremental results of the improvements as the group evolves into a Lean organization. The training also includes two breakout sessions where participants can apply their learning to come up with opportunities and projects to improve their own work environment.
Who should come? Anyone who handles sale, customer service, engineering, estimating, purchasing, accounting, and other administrative and office responsibilities are the target audience of this workshop. Topics include: the basic principles of Lean, how to identify and eliminate waste, what are the Lean tools, how to apply Lean thinking to increase productivity, decrease costs and streamline the flow of products and information. Cost is $235 per person.
Date: June 23, from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm

LEADING EDGE – Business Plan Development Program
The Leading Edge Program is an intensive training course that provides business owners and entrepreneurs with expert guidance in the areas of cash flow management, marketing, finance, personnel, legal issues, and more. Each participant will receive hands-on assistance in preparing a complete business plan. Tuition is $275, and includes the NXLEVEL Guide for Entrepreneurs and the NXLEVEL Business Plan Workbook and Resource Guide.
When: August 18 - November 10, 200912 Sessions Tuesdays from 6:00 – 9:00 pm Call to register as soon as possible as the class does have a cap on the number of participants and it normally sells out.

NEWS

Incubator Entrepreneurship Survey
Take our quick survey, "Are you an Entrepreneur?" We are collecting information about entrepreneurship in the valley and want ot hear from you. It takes only seconds to complete: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB2292FUERTTQ Thank you!

"Incubator kitchens" provide ingredients for business success
Budding food entrepreneurs are turning to rentable, fully stocked "incubator kitchens," complete with health-inspector approval, to help them get started. About 60 such kitchens exist in the U.S., providing a valuable resource for some chefs. Los Angeles Times (4/21)

Creating A Vibrant Entrepreneurship Ecosystem
Policymakers in Washington are debating how and where stimulus funding should be used to accelerate job creation and economic development through innovation clusters and business incubators. Babson College Professor Mark Rice suggests that short term stimulus should leverage the existing innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem; and simultaneously, opportunities to innovate with respect to the structure, processes and resources of the ecosystem should be explored. His article is available in Science Progress http://tinyurl.com/c6sf7p or view the short video summary at YouTube

Change is good for business
There are fewer decision makers in small businesses, which means that such businesses usually adapt faster to changes, says business coach Marvin Powell of Centreville, Va. The Wall Street Journal looks at five small businesses that have developed new products to adapt to the market: a personal trainer, a landscaper, a wood supplier, a pool maker and a commercial-property-management company. The Wall Street Journal/Dow Jones Newswires

Become a fan of The Business Incubator Center on Facebook
The Business Incubator Center is now on Facebook. Click here and login to become a fan and have Business Incubator Center news, events, and videos posted to your personal Facebook page.

CAMPUS LIFE

Social Networking for Business: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and more
Social networks are an increasingly important way to build customer relationships, expand your contact database and increase your company's visibility on the web. Understanding these new tools is especially valuable in a down economy. On Wednesday, April 15, from 6 to 9 p.m. at The Business Incubator Center, Andrew BE of Elegant Technologies Limited will lead a Social Networking workshop to demonstrate how these networks can be used as build your "brand".
At the workshop, you will learn how to use social networks to cultivate contacts, establish relationships with potential customers, build profiles to become more "findable," and hone search techniques and strategies. Cost: $35.
For more info go to: http://www.elegantwebsitedesign.com/blog/
When: Thursday, May 7 from 5:30 - 9:00pm

Government Contracting
Whether you’re a seasoned veteran in the government contracting arena or just getting started, this event is a must. Federal, State, and Local governments purchase billions of dollars worth of products and services from businesses through government contracts. Learn of the latest developments in government contracting, HUB zones, minority and disadvantaged business certifications. Cost is $55 and includes lunch.
Speakers include;
· Dale Wells from Sterling Innovations
· Chip Brazelton from CDOT
· Carolyn Terrell and Greg Lopez from the SBA

When: Wednesday, May 13 from 9:00am to 4: 00pm

Get the word out!
Incubator Clients, let us help promote your success! I am sure that many of you have seen the weekly articles in the Free Press featuring client companies. Well, that support is just one of many ways we can help get the word out about your business. We have a close working relationship with the Daily Sentinel and the local TV news stations as well. We have recently updated our website (http://www.gjincubator.org/) and would love post videos, stories, pictures, snippets, or blurbs about your business. Please send any news you have to creddin@gjincubator.org.

Business Incubator Center NEWS

Incubator Entrepreneurship Survey
Take our quick survey, "Are you an Entrepreneur?" We are collecting information about entrepreneurship in the valley and want ot hear from you. It takes only seconds to complete: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB2292FUERTTQ Thank you!

Tip from Wesley Scripps of Forlio Designs LLC
http://gotvmail.com/ is a neat website that provides toll-free numbers for small businesses. It gives a big company feel to any small business. I recommend it to my clients because it makes life a little simpler and the cost is low. Forlio Designs LLC

How to be an (open) design star
German design star Ronen Kadushin is aiming to revolutionize home decor by applying the principles of open-source computing to the proprietary world of furniture design. Consumers are invited to visit Kadushin's Web site, download free specifications and AutoCAD files, and make their own pieces. Kadushin encourages creative modifications of his designs, and he even encourages users to send a photo of their adaptations. Wired

Public relations is alternative to ad-budget cut
The line between journalism and marketing has blurred in the convergence of new media, and since advertising is expensive, public relations is a solid avenue for getting the word out about what a company can offer. The key to getting a journalist to report on a company is doing the homework to find out what content is appropriate for a particular audience and focusing on how the company can offer what the audience wants. BusinessWeek

Ideablob
Specialized in small business banking needs, the Advanta Bank Corporation began Ideablob.com as an outreach effort to help small business owners and entrepreneurs grow their businesses. Using the strength of crowds, Ideablob is a virtual location where business ideas/concepts are exposed, nurtured and rewarded. In monthly contests, rewards of $10,000 are given to the best proposal of the month voted by the website community. Virtual expert advisors provide additional assistance and guidance to those who submit ideas. Only open to participants from the United States, the website recently began a new service, Boblive, where live pitches are made in physical venues around the country with the objective of improving business concepts and ideas.
(Source: Adapted from http://www.ideablob.com/

CAMPUS NEWS

Get the word out!
Incubator Clients, let us help promote your success! I am sure that many of you have seen the weekly articles in the Free Press featuring client companies. Well, that support is just one of many ways we can help get the word out about your business. We have a close working relationship with the Daily Sentinel and the local TV news stations as well. We have recently updated our website (www.gjincubator.org) and would love post videos, stories, pictures, snippets, or blurbs about your business. Please send any news you have to creddin@gjincubator.org.

Social Networking for Business: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and more
Social networks are an increasingly important way to build customer relationships, expand your contact database and increase your company's visibility on the web. Understanding these new tools is especially valuable in a down economy. On Wednesday, April 15, from 6 to 9 p.m. at The Business Incubator Center, Andrew BE of Elegant Technologies Limited will lead a Social Networking workshop to demonstrate how these networks can be used as build your "brand".
At the workshop, you will learn how to use social networks to cultivate contacts, establish relationships with potential customers, build profiles to become more "findable," and hone search techniques and strategies. Cost: $35.
For more info go to: http://www.elegantwebsitedesign.com/blog/
When: Wednesday, April 15 from 6:00 - 9:00pm SOLD OUT (add your name to the wait-list for a second session coming soon)

Government Contracting
Whether you’re a seasoned veteran in the government contracting arena or just getting started, this event is a must. Federal, State, and Local governments purchase billions of dollars worth of products and services from businesses through government contracts. Learn of the latest developments in government contracting, HUB zones, minority and disadvantaged business certifications. Cost is $55 and includes lunch.
Speakers include;
· Dale Wells from Sterling Innovations
· Chip Brazelton from CDOT
· Carolyn Terrell and Greg Lopez from the SBA

When: Wednesday, May 13 from 9:00am to 4: 00pm
Join us on LinkedIn
Collaboration amongst peers is one of the most important benefits to being part of the Business Incubator Center community. To help enrich this aspect of the program, we would like to suggest that if you are not already a user of the social networking site LinkedIn, please consider joining! The Business Incubator Center now has a group on LinkedIn, and we would like to invite all of you to join us. The more people who are in the group, the more valuable a resource it will become to the Business Incubator Center community. As the community grows, you will be able to find colleagues who may be in similar industries or facing similar growth issues, and it will serve as just one more way that the community can help businesses grow and prosper.
The Business Incubator Centerhttp://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1554637/
To learn more about how to use LinkedIn to help grow your business go to: http://learn.linkedin.com/entrepreneurs/

TOASTMASTERS: Become the Speaker & Leader You Want to Be
Join us as the downtown Toastmasters meeting moves to the Incubator Campus! Toastmasters participants practice and learn skills by filling a meeting role, ranging from giving a prepared speech or an impromptu one to serving as timer, evaluator or grammarian. There is no instructor; instead, each speech and meeting is critiqued by a member in a positive manner, focusing on what was done right and what could be improved.
Good communicators tend to be good leaders. Incubator Clients are welcome! Attend a meeting or two to observe and participate as much as you like, but membership is required for additional participation.
When: Every Thursday at noon
Where: in the Training Room

The GYM is open!
The Business Incubator Center is excited to open a gym on campus that will provide all Incubator Client Companies and their Staff the opportunity to meet their fitness goals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more details or to get a guided tour of our 540 sf facility, contact Kjersti (khudson@gjincubator.org ) or Katie at the front desk. Here’s to a happy and healthy 2009!

Video Lab Training Session
Topic: Learn to use the new video lab…and make better use of your website.
When: Call Chris to schedule a time
Where: in the video lab on the second floor of the technology building

Business Incubator Center NEWS

StartUp Nation "Elevator Pitch" Contest
Winning businesses receive one-hour meeting with top-tier investors and a Toshiba Satellite Pro S300 laptop, plus a one-year GoToMeeting account.Deadline to apply: Video pitches by March 20Details: www.startupnation.com/elevator-pitch-2009

American Security Challenge
Six winners will present their business plans for national security technologies during the American Security Challenge event in Washington, D.C. Top prize is $100,000.Deadline: Executive summaries by March 30Details:
www.americansecuritychallenge.com

Inc. 500/5000
ListTop companies will be featured in Inc. magazine and the Inc.com Web site, and are invited to the Inc. 500/5000 conference in New York, among other opportunities.Deadline to apply: Applications by March 31.Details: www.inc.com/5000

How to build a powerful business network
Who cares how many people are in your LinkedIn network? What really matters is the strength of your bonds to people who can help you achieve your mission, writes executive coach Scott Eblin. To do that takes smart network management, which Eblin distills into five rules. Among them: Clearly declare your intentions and make your requests specific. The Next Level Blog

Do Your Employees Pass This “Easy” Etiquette Audit? by Jodi Smith
Believe it or not, the etiquette consulting field is a recessionary business. Think about it, when you have a choice between two restaurants, both in the same area, both in the same price range, both with solid menus, and one makes you feel like Norm walking into Cheers when you come through the door and the other can barely be bothered to take down your name as you wait for a table… The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

Campus Life….

Get the word out!
Incubator Clients, let us help promote your success! I am sure that many of you have seen the weekly articles in the Free Press featuring client companies. Well, that support is just one of many ways we can help get the word out about your business. We have a close working relationship with the Daily Sentinel and the local TV news stations as well. We have recently updated our website (www.gjincubator.org) and would love post videos, stories, pictures, snippets, or blurbs about your business. Please send any news you have to creddin@gjincubator.org.

Client Company Lunch
Topic: ‘da Economy
Speaker: Chris Reddin will share data from various recent presentations on the health of the economy
Date: Tuesday, March 17 at noon in the training room
Food: Catering by Decadence

What Matters Most: Values-Based Approach to Time and Life Management
Achieve what matters most and gain better control of your personal and professional life through values-based time and life management skills. What Matters Most is adapted from the work of Steven Covey, a recognized expert in time and life management. This class will help you focus on your personal values and priorities, then execute around those priorities. The principles and processes we’ll discuss can help set your course for a more successful and fulfilling life. Cost: $69.
When: Tuesday, April 7 from 8:30 AM - 12:00pm

Social Networking for Business: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and more
Social networks are an increasingly important way to build customer relationships, expand your contact database and increase your company's visibility on the web. Understanding these new tools is especially valuable in a down economy. On Wednesday, April 15, from 6 to 9 p.m. at The Business Incubator Center, Andrew BE of Elegant Technologies Limited will lead a Social Networking workshop to demonstrate how these networks can be used as build your "brand".
At the workshop, you will learn how to use social networks to cultivate contacts, establish relationships with potential customers, build profiles to become more "findable," and hone search techniques and strategies. Cost: $35.
When: Thursday April 16 from 6:00 - 9:00pm

Join us on LinkedIn
Collaboration amongst peers is one of the most important benefits to being part of the Business Incubator Center community. To help enrich this aspect of the program, we would like to suggest that if you are not already a user of the social networking site LinkedIn, please consider joining! The Business Incubator Center now has a group on LinkedIn, and we would like to invite all of you to join us. The more people who are in the group, the more valuable a resource it will become to the Business Incubator Center community. As the community grows, you will be able to find colleagues who may be in similar industries or facing similar growth issues, and it will serve as just one more way that the community can help businesses grow and prosper.
The Business Incubator Centerhttp://www.linkedin.com/e/vgh/1554637/
To learn more about how to use LinkedIn to help grow your business go to: http://learn.linkedin.com/entrepreneurs/

TOASTMASTERS: Become the Speaker & Leader You Want to Be
Join us as the downtown Toastmasters meeting moves to the Incubator Campus! Toastmasters participants practice and learn skills by filling a meeting role, ranging from giving a prepared speech or an impromptu one to serving as timer, evaluator or grammarian. There is no instructor; instead, each speech and meeting is critiqued by a member in a positive manner, focusing on what was done right and what could be improved.
Good communicators tend to be good leaders. Incubator Clients are welcome! Attend a meeting or two to observe and participate as much as you like, but membership is required for additional participation.
When: Every Thursday at noon
Where: in the Training Room

The GYM is open!
The Business Incubator Center is excited to open a gym on campus that will provide all Incubator Client Companies and their Staff the opportunity to meet their fitness goals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more details or to get a guided tour of our 540 sf facility, contact Kjersti (khudson@gjincubator.org ) or Katie at the front desk. Here’s to a happy and healthy 2009!

Video Lab Training Session
Topic: Learn to use the new video lab…and make better use of your website.
When: Call Chris to schedule a time
Where: in the video lab on the second floor of the technology building