What Does It Cost to Run a Startup? [Infographic]

There are many costs associated with running a startup. Designers, developers, office space and supplies, and travel all add up. While each company will have costs unique to them, it’s pretty safe to say that starting a world-changing company is expensive.

We’ve always said location makes a difference, though. It’s expensive to live and work in big hubs like San Francisco and New York. Investor money can go further in the flyover states than it can on the coasts.

Staff.com–a startup that connects companies with talented remote workers–produced an infographic outlining the costs of starting up in different cities worldwide. They calculated to the cost of office space and the salaries of 2 developers and 1 designer to find which city was most expensive to start up in.

Surprisingly, New York came in third, behind Zurich and Sydney. San Francisco was only marginally cheaper than New York, and Manila came it at the least expensive. In the Philippines, you can apparently start up for $45,000 a year, which is half the salary of 1 developer in Zurich.

Of course, not every startup needs office space, or 2 developers and designer. Coworking can make office space less expensive, and these days a lot of things can be outsourced. Regardless, it’s interesting to see the numbers support the idea that starting up everywhere else has financial benefits, too.

Check out the infographic from Staff.com below:

Staff.com – Connecting Great Companies with Global Talent

4 Must-Read Venture Capitalist Blogs

There’s a lot of noise in the blogosphere, but when it comes to blogging VC’s, founders would do well to pay attention. The great thing about investors who blog is that entrepreneurs can do some initial research before they ever request a meeting. And for those not ready for funding, VC blogs can teach us a lot about the startup atmosphere.

As the content trend grows, more and more VCs blog on a semi-regular basis. Here are some of our favorites:

Brad Feld

Brad Feld is the managing director of the Foundry Group in Boulder, CO. He’s also the author of some of our favorite startup books, including Startup Communities and Do More Faster. As one of the founders of TechStars, he’s a champion of startups and startup ecosystems all over the country. On his blog, Feld talks startup life, startup communities, and the startup scene in Colorado.

Mark Suster

One of the very first articles I read about startups was Entrepreneurshit. The Blog Post on What It’s Really Like. In a world where we often glamorize startups, Suster’s blog is often a refreshing jolt of reality. Startups are hard, but as a 2x founder and partner at Upfront Ventures, he knows it’s not impossible. There’s as much encouragement as tough talk on this blog.

Ben Horowitz

One of the founding partners of Andressen Horowitz, Ben also has plenty of experience as an entrepreneur. His blog is full of wisdom gained from those experiences and discussions of how Andreesen Horowitz operates.

Fred Wilson

As the managing partner at 2 New York VC firms, Flatiron Partners and Union Square Ventures, Fred Wilson has plenty of experience. He’s been in the VC game since 1986, before a lot of current entrepreneurs were out of diapers. His posts are short and sweet, but insightful. My current favorite post is If You Aren’t Technical, Get Technical.

DC Startup Keeps Kids Safe Online

In 2009 brothers Steve and Tim Woda lived the nightmare. Tim’s son was targeted by an online predator, leaving the family feeling vulnerable and fearful. Before the incident, they knew that cyberbullying, sexting, and online predators were a problem, but when it happened in their own family, the dangers of the digital world became very real.

Thankfully the child was unhurt, but the incident caused the two entrepreneurs to step back and think about the problem. We can’t keep our kids from the Internet, so how do we protect them while they grow and mature?

The result of this deep reflection was uKnow. The company creates tools that connect and protect families. Currently, their main product is uKnowKids, a parental dashboard that monitors kids’ various social media feeds.

The tools from the uKnow team utilize social, mobile, and location monitoring to help parents keep track of their kids through a single dashboard. They also offer a notification system to alert the parents if kids engage in illegal or dangerous online behavior. An added layer of analytics keeps parents updated on how their kids use social media and the web.

So, what’s the big deal? There are plenty of parental monitoring devices out there, and it’s easy enough to follow your kids on social media.

The team at uKnow thinks they’re doing it differently. “uKnowKids enables parents to ‘have their child’s back’ without constantly looking over his or her shoulder,” the website says. It’s watching out for them without being intrusive. uKnowKids was also the first monitoring program to offer several features including text slang translation, image monitoring of Facebook and Myspace, and activity and trend analysis.

The 4-year-old company recently completed a $2.2 million funding round and expect to announce a full series A in the coming months. uKnowKids is just the first program in their plans. Soon they hope to release uKnowFamily, which will keep every family member connected. They are also experimenting with a location app that will stand separately from the other two.

The Woda brothers aren’t new to startups or online safety. Prior to uKnow, they were both on the founding team of BuySafe, a software that allows e-tailers to provide a secure shopping environment. They’ve brought that experience over to uKnow and are now working hard to protect kids and families in the digital space.

As a parent myself, I admit I dread the day my kids are let loose on the Internet. It’s a scary world out there, and I’ll definitely check out tools like uKnowKids to protect them.

Funding Friday: It Is Possible to Raise Money Everywhere Else

The common theme in the startup world is that it’s very hard to raise money outside of Silicon Valley. But, let’s be real here. It’s really hard to raise money inside the Valley, too. No one said entrepreneurship was easy, and sometimes the best things are difficult to accomplish.

Sometimes, though, it’s nice to see other companies doing it. Whether it’s a seed round or an IPO filing, watching other companies succeed can be a good reminder than we can, too.

With that in mind, here are 5 companies from everywhere else that raised money recently*:

GROUNDFLOOR, based in North Carolina, raised $125,000 in a seed round. Founders Brian Dally and Nick Bhargava are building a new way to invest, starting with real estate. “The banks aren’t invited, but you are,” it says on the website. The two men have plenty of experience between them, and if you’re interested in investments, you should check them out.
Traxo announced a $4.2 million Series A on the company blog last week. Part social network, part travel itinerary, the Dallas-based company is looking to make the travel process easier.
KidsLink calls itself a “family management tool.” Parents can aggregate and organize essential documents and receive alerts about milestones and seasonal events. The team at KidsLink sees their product as a great solution for the lack of technology in most medical and educational institutions. The Atlanta-based company announced $1 million in funding.
Nextly offers a new browsing solution for online content. You can follow streams and save pages to your collection. The Boston-based startup is a well-designed competitor to StumbleUpon. The $600k in another seed round, and are already backed by prominent angel investors like Dharmesh Shah of Hubspot.
NoWait is an iPad app that allows restaurants to text customers when their table is ready. With offices in Pittsburgh, New York, and (soon) Austin, they are definitely everywhere else. The company raised a $1.9 million Series A.

So, take heart, founders everywhere else. With a great solution and a great team, it is possible to raise money outside of Silicon Valley. However, as these founders probably know, raising money just means the work can get started.

*All funding news and most numbers came from the Mattermark newsletter.

Trends to Watch: Content 101

Content is King.

This was probably the first thing I heard when I started freelancing a few years ago. Back then, it was said in comparison to SEO or social media strategies. The theory went that if you produced good content, you were going to get traffic.

Well, things change quickly on the Internet. The saying is even more true these days, but not in quite the same ways.

Everywhere you look there is “content.” Videos, podcasts, Tweets, Facebook status updates, and plain old articles. There are “content companies” whose sole purpose is to manage or produce content. But, almost every savvy startup or company knows they have to figure out how to utilize content to bring in customers.

So, in the mess of content creation, curation, and syndication (and any other-tion you can think of), how do you know what’s what? What are the different kinds of content companies, and how do they make money?

Never fear. Here’s your brief, Content 101 rundown:

The Media

These are the companies that look a lot like traditional newspapers, just in the digital realm. They focus on reporting and storytelling, often in one vertical. In the startup space, for example, you have PandoDaily and TechCrunch. Nibletz also falls into this category. There are also some very interesting general journalism startups that are playing around with business models to keep more traditional journalism alive.

These companies deal with content in vastly different ways. Some focus on the quality of articles, often producing fewer, more expensive pieces. Others put out tons of articles that are shorter and quicker to read.

There are a variety of ways in which media companies get content in the first place. Some have a staff of writers who are paid to produce, similar to an old-style newsroom. Others solely publish unknown writers, often for free. Most use some hybrid of the two models.

How do they make money?

Good question. As in social media, ads are a big source of revenue for media companies. However, most are also exploring other streams like sponsorships, events, and subscriptions/paywalls. This is a huge source of disruption at the moment, and my guess is things will look very different in 20 years than they do even now.

The Platforms

As in everything else, lines are blurring between “media companies” and “media platforms,” but in general a platform company does not produce its own content. Medium is one example. Users hop online and write whatever they want. They don’t need to write consistently; no one’s looking for a blog theme or any kind of upkeep.

Longreads is another example of a platform, though it is used for curation. Users of the site post their favorite long-form journalism articles and essays from all over the place for the enjoyment of other users. Flipboard is another platform that takes your personal preferences into account as it curates news and other content.

Platforms are also working out new ways to make money. Longreads is a subscription service; users pay a small fee to read and recommend on the site. Medium, however, doesn’t really have revenue yet, and no one’s quite sure how they plan to produce some. Users rave about the beauty and simplicity of the design, so it’s hard to believe they’ll be stoked about ads appearing.

Besides the media companies and platform companies, content is growing in other sectors as well. Most e-commerce companies also have some kind of content to draw potential customers to their site. Big corporations are hiring editors and social media experts to manage the content they produce.

If content is king, it’s still anyone’s guess as to what his kingdom will ultimately look like. But, we can always be sure there’ll be stuff to read on the Internet.

Visualead is Redesigning the QR Code

The QR code has now become so ubiquitous, even my mom knows what it is. (And she had that original Nokia phone for, like, 10 years.)

The QR code may be everywhere, but the black and white box design leaves something to be desired. It either completely interrupts the design of the product, or it blends in so perfectly, it’s impossible to spot.

Visualead thinks it has the answer. The Israel startup is redesigning the QR code to make it fun, hip, and more engaging.

Check out their Q&A below:

What does your company do?

Our company is pioneering a change, or as we like to call it – an evolution, in the field of QR codes by introducing a new product to the market – the visual QR code, which utilizes the scannability of the original code but boasts an attractive customizable image, instead of the boring black & white barcode. This is great for mobile marketing, and has proven to increase CTR and user engagement.

Who are the founders, and what are their backgrounds?

Nevo Alva – CEO, MBA from TAU in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, held executive positions in Clearcut and Dreambots startups

Itamar Fridman – CTO, MSc EE from the Technion summa cum laude, worked in Kaminario and Dreambots startups

Uriel Peled – CPO, BSc EE from the Technion summa cum laude, previous position was a R&D team leader at Mellanox

Where are you based?

Israel.

What’s the startup scene like where you are based?

While Israel is a small country, with roughly 7.6 million people, it has approximately 4,800 startup companies and attracts far more venture capital per person than any other country in the world. Dubbed as The Startup Nation, Israel outweighs the United States in venture capital investment per person, totaling $170 per person compared to $70 per person in the US.

What problem do you solve?

We are bent on solving a core problem with the design of the QR code, which is its visual handicap in form of an un-engaging black and white barcode. This in turn causes a decrease in user engagement and CTR. By introducing our product to the market we solve that problem; the visual QR Code is cool, hip and fun and caters to the needs of both individuals and businesses. We really think it’s the next thing in digital marketing, and judging by the response so far – we’re spot on!

Why now?

Our world is becoming increasingly crowded with more and more information and commercials, and we learn to blur them out instantly unless we can gauge their relevancy and usefulness to us straight away. In addition, digital marketing has taken a leap since the introduction of smartphones which the average person uses for web browsing every day. That’s our window of opportunity to help businesses and individuals succeed in marketing ideas correctly though the use of a fashionable tool.

Wouldn’t it be a shame for a great product to go unused just because it was marketed through the wrong channels and gone unnoticed?

What are some of the milestones your startup has already reached?

We’ve had the honor of taking the podium at the Global Mobile Internet Conference in Beijing. Needless to say we were very happy to receive such recognition. Other than that, we have a very impressive daily use of our application, in both private & business sectors, which we’re very proud of.

What are your next milestones?

We are working to develop the next generations of our Visual QR Code technology which would improve the integration of QR Codes into images even more and also support integration of QR Codes onto videos as well

Where can people find out more? Any social media links you want to share?

Sure! You can learn more about us at our website.

Feel free to follow us on Twitter or on Facebook!

You can also view our short on the Visual QR Code on YouTube:

Zulily Is An IPO for Everywhere Else

There’s been a flurry of activity since Twitter filed their S-1 last week. Will it be a repeat of Facebook’s IPO? Why aren’t there any women on the board? Does that matter? And, by the way, isn’t the company still losing money?

So much digital ink has been spilled over the Twitter filing, it’s hard to remember what we wrote about before it.

Thankfully, the cycle has turned, and we have something new to write about. Two days ago another startup filed to take the IPO plunge. It’s probably safe to say that Zulily is much less well-known than Twitter and hasn’t had quite the same impact worldwide as the social media company. If you aren’t a mom, you probably haven’t heard of Zulily.

The Seattle-based flash sales site is the picture of a successful company from everywhere else. In 2009, founders Darrell Cavens and Mark Vadon saw a problem: it was difficult to buy unique, inexpensive clothes for children. If they bought clothes from Target, 20 other kids had the same shirt, but if they shelled out more money, the clothes were stained or torn in a matter of hours.

The two dads figured out a fun way to solve the problem and how much users were willing to pay for it. When all the other daily deals and flash sale sites were struggling, Zulily doubled down and continued to grow.

3 years later, they’re running a company with the coveted $1 billion valuation and filing IPO paperwork.

Twitter and Zulily have completely different business models, but thanks to filing IPOs in the same week, the comparisons are inevitable. Twitter undoubtedly has more users and more impact worldwide. However, Zulily has figured out how to get cash from their customers, which means they bring in more revenue than Twitter at the moment. Money in the bank is always, always a good thing.

Of course, that doesn’t mean Twitter is a bad company or a bad investment. Without a doubt, Twitter is changing the way information is spread, and there’s plenty to like about that. And with millions of users worldwide the potential (social media’s favorite word) for revenue is massive.

Zulily’s story is an inspiration to companies everywhere else. Not everyone can–or should want to–build the next paradigm-shifting social media company. Silicon Valley has proven particularly good at that, and the world is different because of it.

However in the next 20-30 years, entrepreneurs everywhere else will prove very good at building black ink companies that solve problems in other aspects of life. Education, healthcare, government, and logistics are all ripe for disruption, and who knows what industries will be invented in the coming decade. Big problems will be solved in hubs all over the world, as well as Silicon Valley.

A flash sales site may not solve a “big” problem, but Zulily’s IPO is more step in proving the power of everywhere else.

Geeklist Is Gearing Up For the Next #Hack4Good

This past summer Geeklist–the social platform for developers–launched a series of hackathons that had a global view from day one. #Hack4Good takes the typical hackathon/Startup Weekend format and turns it into a engine of social good. Rather than building companies in a weekend, participants work on real solutions for real problems. No photo sharing apps or black car service allowed.

Now, that’s something I can get excited about.

The hackathon doesn’t just happen in one city, though. On the announced date, developers around the world gather in their individual cities and hack their way into some social problem solving. The first #Hack4Good was held in June, with events in San Francisco, San Diego, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Tel Aviv, and Lisbon. There were some pretty cool projects produced.

The next #Hack4Good will be held October 4-6 in cities like New York, New Delhi, Kathmandu, Minsk, and more. Cincinnati (host also to a certain national startup conference) is also participating in the global event. If your city isn’t involved yet, you can hop online to participate.

The hackathon is mobile-focused, meaning projects are built on Android, iOS, Windows phone, or special sponsor Moovweb. Various API’s are opened for participant use, and each location offers prizes for the best teams.

#Hack4Good is looking to solve real world problems, which means many of the projects are instantly scalable. Natural disasters, famine, and war affect most our world, and the problems they cause extend to the majority of the population. Solutions that come from #Hack4Good could “change the world” in the best possible way.

“We feel the team at Geeklist knows what the developer/tech community is capable of solving and is organizing hackers for social good, honest efforts, to solve real serious problems with their second global hackathon for good,” said Charlie Key, CEO of Modulus, one of the sponsors of the Cincinnati hackathon.

Are you a developer, UI/UX guru, or design specialist interested in changing the world? It’s not too late to sign up in your city or online.

YEC Founder Scott Gerber Knows The Most Important Question to Ask

Scott Gerber woke up the mid-afternoon crowd at Everywhere Else Cincinnati. The fast talking, pacing New Yorker, pulled everyone together and mixed them all up in the middle of the room. Then, he instructed them to look to someone next to them and ask the most important question:

How can I help you?

After 30 seconds, he cut off the buzz and pointed out all the business cards exchanged and conversations started. The exercise highlighted the thesis on which he’s built the Young Entrepreneur Council: social capital is the most valuable currency in the age of social media.

According to Fast Company, the most important role people can take on in the current economy is that of the superconnector. The superconnector spends his time trying to connect other people–even if on the surface they have nothing in common. The superconnector can see relationship possibilities where other people might not.

So, how do you become a superconnector? As with anything we do, the most important thing to get right is the mindset. Our instinct as people is to figure out what we can get from people. Within in 20 seconds, we decide if the person we’re talking to can help us.

The superconnector, however, asks first, “How can I help you?” They give (A LOT) before they take. And, they dedicate real, meaningful time to the people they meet. Gerber insists that we must walk away from the phones, walk away from the computer, and spend real time with the people we come across. We tend to think people with a lot of Twitter followers are influential, but that’s an ego metric that means far less than real conversations.

Gerber’s talk rings true in a world with fewer and fewer set industries. We live in a “slash” world (I’m an editor/writer/mom, for example). Gone are the days in which we spend 40 years in the same job, honing the same craft. In the mobile world we live in, becoming a superconnector can be the best way to not only grow your own career, but also give back to society at large.

To learn more about Scott Gerber, follow him on Twitter and visit theyec.org.

SoftBank Capital’s Joe Medved Tells the Truth About Getting VC Attention

It’s investor morning at Everywhere Else Cincinnati. We have some talented VC’s talking to the crowd, including a keynote from Joe Medved of Soft Bank Capital.

Medved’s talk was a gold mine for new founders considering raising capital. Seriously, he gave away all the secrets, even the ones to the most common question founders have:

How do I get a VC’s attention!

Medved had all the answers, some of them a little surprising.

Referrals, referrals, referrals. Without a doubt, the number one way to get a VC’s attention is a great referral. VC’s get pitches from thousands of companies a year, and they have to cut through the noise somehow. To drive the point home, Medved talked about that general info email address every company has on their website. “We may have taken a few meetings from that email address, but I’m pretty sure we’ve never actually invested in a company that used it.”
Networking was the second best way Medved listed for connecting with an investor. Conferences like our Everywhere Else series are great places to meet personable, helpful VCs. Meetups are also a great place, especially if they are super niche. For example, if you’re a hardware company and you meet an investor at a hardware tech meetup, you can feel confident they’re interested in hardware deals.
Don’t have a the kind of meetup you need close to you? Start it yourself! Proving that you’re a connector and can get things done is a great way to prove your worth to anyone, but especially and investor.
Medved, like all of us, talked regretfully about that massively full inbox. For busy investors, a better way to engage online could be commenting on their blogs or interacting with them on Twitter. This type of communication will grow, but at the moment, it’s often easier for VCs to interact on those platforms than through email.
Alternative sites like AngelList are far down the list, but they are still a good way to begin connecting. Crowdfunding can also be effective because once your prove the market value of your product, investment can seem a lot less risky.
Finally, apply to an accelerator, particularly one that engages lots of investors as mentors. These accelerators are set up to filter through cold proposals, so the investors that commit to mentoring know that some of the initial due diligence has already been done. If you handle the accelerator wisely, you have 3 months to prove your worth and get to know the VCs on a personal level. We all like to work with people we like, so a personal relationship is always a good thing.

That’s just a small portion of the great content we’re hearing at Everwhere Else. Stay tuned as we roll through day 2 in Cincinnati.

Startupland Director Announces Vine Pitch Contest at Everywhere Else

There’s already a lot happening at Everywhere Else Cincinnati, and we’re not even through the first morning!

We’ve talked about the new Startupland documentary before. The new movie, set to premiere in February, chronicles the lives of startup founders going through The Fort accelerator in Washington, DC.

It’s been quite a summer for Justin Gutwein. He finished filming the movie, closed out a successful Kickstarter campaign, and is now wrapping up post-production on the documentary. His team has also grown, they’re adding a few new interviews to the documentary, and finalizing the tour schedule.

Most people would think that’s enough going on, but entrepreneurs know we’re never too busy for another great idea.

Today at Everywhere Else Cincinnati, Gutwein announced a first of its kind Vine Pitch Contest. It’s simple enough to enter. Just record an 8 second pitch on Vine and mention @startup_land and #VinePitch. At the end of the month, the Vine with the most (real) retweets will win an iPad.

“It’s a creative and fun way for us to engage our audience in a way that resonates them, it’s about sharing ideas, and having fun with them,” Gutwein told me. “We also know how important the pitch is for any entrepreneur in any industry – so thought that we would put a fun challenge together to see if people could put something effective and creative into less than eight seconds!”

And you thought an elevator pitch was hard!

For all the rules and official stuff, head over to the Startupland site. The first contest opens tomorrow, October 1, and closes on October 31.

Google Chooses 7 “Tech Hubs” Across North America

What makes a city a “tech hub”? In years past we thought of Silicon Valley as THE tech hub, since it was the home of so many technology companies. New York and Austin have carved “tech hub” niches for themselves recently by producing more and more successful startups.

But, now there’s a new standard for becoming a tech hub: What does Google think?

On Wednesday Google announced the development of its Tech Hub Network. Initially, 7 cities were chosen to receive Google money, products, and mentors for their startups. In each city there is a partner organization that will have contact with Google, and those organizations will each host a “Googler,” who will share best practices with startup leaders and work to connect them with Google and the other tech hubs.

In true everywhere else fashion, Google seems to have purposely stayed away from cities more often known for technology. But, you’ll probably recognize most of them from the pages of Nibletz. Here are the 7 organizations that were chosen to kick off the Tech Hub Network:

1871 (Chicago)
American Underground (Durham, NC)
Coco (Minneapolis, MN)
Communitech (Waterloo, Ontario)
Galvanize (Denver, CO)
Grand Circus (Detroit, MI)
Nashville Entrepreneur Center (Nashville, TN)

“These seven Tech Hub partners represent to us some of the very best-in-class organizations having an impact on startups and helping them directly succeed,” Mary Grove, Google’s director of global entrepreneur outreach, said.

Besides money and mentorship, there’s another, subtler benefit to Google’s presence in their tech hubs: recruitment. As more and more companies choose to stay away from the Valley, more cities are competing for that talent. Google Tech Hubs will have one more edge on other cities when it comes to enticing talented developers and engineers.

“Anytime Google names a city as a place they are going to be, the entire tech community takes notice,” Nashville Entrepreneur Center CEO Michael Burcham told The Tennessean. “I think it will be helpful us as we are recruiting coders and engineers to our city.”

There is money changing hands, but Google says it’s all in sponsorships. As of now, they have no plans to take equity in the startups coming from each city. Still, it’s not a financial wash for Google. Right now, many startups choose to launch in iOS because it’s often simpler to do so than in Android. But, with more Google engineers scattered across the country, it makes sense that we could see an increase in Android launches. (This Android girl is doing a happy dance!)

When big name Silicon Valley companies start to take notice of ecosystems everywhere else, it’s a sure sign that it’s time to “start where u are.”

So you’re a last minute person, a few tickets remain for this startup conference.

Startup Phenomenon: The Conference for Ecosystems Everywhere Else

As you know, we are fast approaching Everywhere Else Cincinnati. We’re gearing up for an awesome two days of speakers, networking, and pitching. We’re focusing on educating the early stage entrepreneur everywhere else. Have you gotten your tickets yet?

It’s true all of us at Nibletz are working hard to bring you the best conference everywhere else. But, when we heard about another event happening in November, we couldn’t help but take notice.

Startup Phenomenon is hoping to catalyze startup communities. I think the quote on the home page says it all:

For all the talk of disruption, the startup world has started to look a lot like any traditional industry—a geographic consolidation of power where just a few established players hold the keys. It’s time for a change. It’s time for the rest of the world to get in the game.

That’s what the Startup Phenomenon team is hoping to do: inspire the rest of the world to get in the game.

“We were working with Brad Feld to create an event this November about startup communities (all based on his Startup Revolution books). But in the course of planning that conference, we’ve realized that it was too big for just one event,” said John Bradley, Senior VP, Content and Strategy, for the Van Heyst Group.

Absolutely. Why do one event when you can do a bunch? We at Nibletz totally agree!

Earlier this month, the Startup Phenomenon kicked off with a women’s event in Boulder. 500 men and women gathered for the one day conference at the University of Colorado, and they heard 42 speakers talk about the different issues surrounding gender diversity in the startup world.

But, of course, that’s not all. After the flagship event in November, the team will move on to planning events in Omaha, Reykjavik, Nairobi, Auckland, and Moscow. There is even talk of a Middle East event, though there are few details on that at the moment.

Brad Feld and Jim Collins will anchor the main event in November. Feld is a huge advocate of startups everywhere else, and he writes a lot about what it takes to creates a successful ecosystem. Collins has authored several books, including Built to Last.

That event boasts hundreds of speakers or panelists and a pitch contest. At the conference, there will also be “hubs” in which leaders from several industries will get together and talk about the various challenges they are facing in the startup world. Leaders in the fields of entrepreneurship and leaders, food, earth technology, capital, health and wellness, and science and arts hope to come away with new ideas about how to tackle innovation in their own spheres.

Lately, it seems there is no shortage of conferences and events for startups. Each good event, though, has its own value proposition. Startup Phenomenon is for those entrepreneurs who are passionate about building their communities, who are making the commitment to grow the startup cluster where they are.

That’s a value proposition Nibletz and its readers can get behind! Learn more about Startup Phenomenon here.

Make sure you have your ticket or Startup Avenue booth for this national startup conference.

Circle Helps Families Redefine Internet Use

Recently, I downloaded the Kindle FreeTime app for my Kindle Fire. It allows my boys to essentially have their own Kindles within my Kindle, complete with parent controls and set time limits on games, books, and apps.

It’s worked beautifully. The boys are slowly getting acquainted with technology, but I don’t have to worry about them racking up Angry Birds charges by accidentally clicking through to the Internet. And the time limits I’ve already programmed in keep us from fighting over when Kindle time is done.

This is great for my kids now, but how am I going to help them manage that time as they get older? And, frankly, my husband and I need a little control over our devices, too. With our jobs, it’s really easy to get sucked into social media, emails, and texts, even during our limited family time.

It’s one of those problems I have, but I didn’t really realize I had it until I got an email explaining Circle. All at one time, I was made aware of the problem AND the solution. I love that.

Circle works as a kind of middleman between the home router and the different devices used by family members. Through an iOS app, the administrator can manage everything from how long someone can use social media to which category of websites kids are allowed to access. There is also a “pause” mode, ensuring a device-free dinner or family time.

I know what you’re thinking. “My kids can figure out how disable that in 2 seconds flat.”

The team at Circle has thought of that. The device has no off button, so it can’t be turned off. If it is unplugged from the wall, it continues to run on the internal battery. When that battery starts to die, the administrator receives a notification on his or her cell phone. For now, that’s as failsafe as it gets.

Using Circle in the home can ensure that everyone is learning to manage their online time responsibly, adults as well as children.

“As a parent, we have an obligation to learn how to live with technology and help our children explore the internet in a balanced, safe and smart way,” said Circle founder and CMO, Crystal Wiley in a statement. “Circle empowers me to stay on top of and effectively examine my household’s internet habits, and provides tools to improve our family’s online experience.”

Taking a page from Apple’s playbook, the team at Circle has made the device simple and beautiful. The tiny box will fit into the décor of any home, without all the wires and black boxes we typically associate with technology.

Circle recently announced a new Kickstarter campaign, aimed at raising the money they need to bring the product fully to market in 2014. As of publication, they were at X of their $250,000. If you’re like me and thinking, “Hey, I didn’t realize I need that, but I do!” head over and pledge a few dollars.