Look Who’s Coming To Everywhere Else Cincinnati, Agenda Released!

Over 40 startup and entrepreneurial influencers are set to speak at our national startup conference, which begins Sunday evening at 8pm.

Kicking off on Sunday, September 29th at 8pm with a Kick Off Party at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill in downtown Cincinnati, hundreds of entrepreneurs, startup founders, supporters and investors from across the country and around the world are converging on Cincinnati for the two and a half day startup conference.

Jeff Hoffman, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Priceline and Ubid, John Bracken, co-founder of E-Vite and Speek, Derek Flanzriach, founder of Greatist, Wil Schroeter, founder of Fundable, Ethan Austin, founder of GiveForward, Scott Gerber, founder of the Young Entrepreneur Council, Carla Valdes, Partner at Fortify Ventures and over 30 more nationally known speakers will be featured in keynotes, panels and networking events during the event at the Duke Energy Convention Center.

Washington DC based film entrepreneur Justin Gutwein will introduce the documentary series Startupland to the audience on Monday morning.

Everywhere Else Cincinnati will also highlight women in entrepreneurship throughout the conference including a talk with Janice Fraser, CEO and Co-founder of LUXor. Fortify Ventures General Partner Carla Valdes will address the audience on getting past the gatekeeper as both a woman and a startup founder. West Capital’s Madeleine Ludlow, will participate in the high profile panel “Not all money is created equal and location matters to investors”. BrandHUB’s Nicole Ball, is moderating a panel on why branding and design are important to a startup and Nibletz Media’s Managing Editor Monica Selby will moderate a discussion on addressing media needs of startups.

Monday evening will end with the “Halftime Party” sponsored by Nashville Tennessee’s CentreSource.

The complete agenda for Everywhere Else Cincinnati is below and a final batch of attendee tickets have been released at http://eecincinnati.com

Everywhere Else Agenda

Sunday Sept 29th
- 8pm-11pm Kickoff Party Hosted by Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber & CincyTech at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill Downtown Cincinnati

Monday Sept 30th
- 8:30am Registration Opens
- 9am-9:15am Opening Remarks from Kyle Sandler & Nick Tippmann
- 9:15am-9:35am Dave Knox – Building a Top Startup Accelerator Everywhere Else
- 9:35am-9:55am Carla Valdes – Rapid fire Q&A on getting past the gate keeper
- 9:55am-10:15am Jonathan Perrelli & Justin Gutwein – Startupland, an Honest and Authentic Portrial of What It Takes To Be an Entrepreneur
- 10:15am-10:45am Andrew Warner (KEYNOTE) – Entrepreneurs & Their Inner Insecurities
- 10:45am-11am Coffee Break Presented by Soapbox Media
- 11am-11:30am – Panel: Catching the Attention of an Accelerator Everywhere Else. Moderator: Nick Tippmann. Panelist Blake Miller, Mike Bott, Brian Raney, Jonathon Perrelli
- 11:30am-11:50am – Art McMahon – The New World of Private Placements: A Brief Legal Overview. Presented by Taft Law
- 11:45pm-12:05pm – Fred Killingsworth – Mobile Payment Solutions: Enabling Unprecedented Opportunities. Presented by Vantiv
- 12pm-1:30pm Lunch Break
- 1:30pm-1:50pm John T Meyer – Don’t Be Everyone Else at Everywhere Else
- 1:50pm-2:10pm Rob Woodbridge – Top 4 Mobile Business Models and How To Optimize Them For Revenue
- 2:10pm-2:30pm Derek Flanzriach – Getting To Over 1M Unique Visitors Per Month In Less Than a Year Using Social & Content
- 2:30pm-3pm Jeff Hoffman (KEYNOTE) – Entrepreneur’s Bootcamp: Keys to Entrepreneuring Success
- 3pm-3:15pm Afternoon Break Present by Vantiv
- 3:15pm-3:45pm Panel: The New and Ever Changing World of Content & Media. Moderator: Monica Selby. Panelist: Ryan O’Connell, Derek Flanziach, Rob Woodbridge, Scott Gerber, Andrew Warner
- 3:45pm-4:05pm John Bracken – Rising Above The Noise
- 4:05pm-4:25pm Andy Sparks – Should You Stay Put?
- 4:25pm-4:45pm – Jake Stutzman – Meaning, Not Money
- 4:45pm-5:05pm – Mark Richey – Capital Risk and Speed
- 5:05pm-5:55pm Startup Pitches
- 5:55pm-6pm Closing Remarks
- 6:15pm-8:15pm VIP Investor & Startup Only Happy Hour at the Hyatt Regency
- 8:30pm-11pm Halftime Party Hosted by Centresource at Rhinegeist Brewery

Tuesday Oct 1st
- 9am-9:10am Opening Remarks from Kyle Sandler & Nick Tippmann
- 9:10am-9:30am Mark Hasebroock – Llamas and Mocassins
- 9:30am-9:50am Denver Hutt – Life Is What Happens While We’re Busy Making Other Plans
- 9:50am-10:10am Blair Garrou – Top 10 Ways for a Startup to Thrive (and Survive) in the Midcontinent
- 10:10am-10:40am Joe Medved (KEYNOTE) – How to Source Your Investors
- 10:40am-11:15am Panel: Not All Money Is Created Equal and Location Matters to Investors. Moderator: Bob Coy. Panelist: Madeleine Ludlow, Blair Garrou, Joe Medved, Jonathon Perrelli, Mark Hasebroock
- 11:15am-11:30am Coffee Break Presented by West Capital & Draper Triangle
- 11:30am-11:50pm Patrick Woods – From pitch to personality: brand personality and why it matters
- 11:50am-12:10pm – Evan Owens – Horror Stories From Product Development
- 12:10pm-12:30pm – Janice Fraser – Lean UX + Design for Startups
- 12:30pm-2pm Lunch Break
- 2pm-2:20pm James Dickerson – What I Learned From My Startup’s Failure
- 2:20pm-2:40pm Raghu Betina – Getting Your Feet Wet in Programming
- 2:40pm-3:00pm Alan Berkson – You Got Customers, Now How Do You Keep ‘em? Presented by Freskdesk
- 3pm-3:30pm Scott Gerber (KEYNOTE) – Why Should Never Get a “Real” Job
- 3:30pm-3:45pm Afternoon Break Presented by Taft
- 3:45pm-4:15pm Panel: Why Branding and Design Are Crucial to a Startup Moderator: Nicole Ball. Panelist: Patrick Woods, Jake Stutzman, John T Meyer, Janice Fraser, Evan Owens
- 4:15pm-4:35pm Ethan Austin – Culture ≠ Ping pong: How To Build a Startup Culture That Drives Success
- 4:35pm-4:55pm Jared Steffes – Don’t Be a Liar and Your Startup Sucks.
- 4:55pm-5:25pm Wil Schroter (KEYNOTE) – How Crowdfunding is Changing Startup Fundraising Forever
- 5:25pm-5:55pm Startup Awards Presented by CincyTech & Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber
- 5:55pm-6pm Closing Remarks from Kyle Sandler and Nick
- 8:00pm-11pm Postgame Party Hosted by Nibletz Media at Rhinegeist Brewery

Don’t have your ticket? No worries. We released a few more tickets, and you can get yours at eecincinnati.com

5 Strategies for a Carbon-Neutral Startup

The fact that the business industry is trending towards actively incorporating more sustainable business practices is no secret. Consumer interest and the possibility of increased profit margins are demanding it. Making an effort to reduce harmful emissions, curb energy consumption, and eliminate waste has turned out to be excellent opportunities for small businesses to build customer loyalty and lower operating costs at the same time.

Start measuring. Start saving

One way to dramatically decrease the carbon footprint your business will develop over time is to get serious about your energy consumption from the start. One way to effectively maintain low operating costs is to effectively manage how much energy your business consumes regularly.

Fortunately there are energy monitoring systems available that provide in-depth tracking of how much electricity your home or office consumes daily and can provide you with actionable data, accessible from anywhere, that helps you make smart business decisions concerning your energy needs.

Cut costs by using less paper

If a typical office worker uses approximately 10,000 sheets of paper each year then going paperless will naturally help lower your operating costs and improve your environmental standing. So before you go out and purchase tons of paper or start printing invoices and customer data consider one of the many paperless options available that make retrieving, sharing ,and transferring files and information more convenient and also boosts employee productivity and the overall efficiency of your business in the process.

Is “work from anywhere” right for your business?

There is an increasing trend of companies that are promoting a “work from anywhere” culture in to their structure. With the help of technology, accomplishing work-related tasks from a mobile location is not just easy, it’s pretty commonplace. Employees can easily participate in video conference calls, respond to emails, and complete sales on the go. All of these options make it possible for savvy business owners to lower the expense of maintaining office space and at the same time allow more flexibility with employee schedules.

Take advantage of Software as a Service (SaaS)

Taking advantage of internet-based software and cloud applications can also greatly reduce the impact your startup has on the environment. For example, using Quickbooks online for your accounting needs and Adobe Creative Cloud for your design needs eliminates the need the need to purchase multiple software licenses in order to grow your business.

Many businesses are finding value in software as a service (SaaS) products, and not just because they can significantly reduce operating costs. Many small business owners are jumping on the bandwagon because these platforms can significantly reduce carbon footprints by all but eliminating IT support costs since hardware and software maintenance for your business applications is outsourced to the vendor.

Buy recycled and reuse often

Taking advantage of recycled office supplies is another highly effective way to launch a more sustainable business. Items like ink toner, cartridges, and most paper products can be recycled at no cost to you. Even outdated electronics can be recycled, regardless of brand or condition.

Because the materials used don’t have to be harvested or refined a second time adopting a policy of reusing items like binders, paper clips and bubble mailers and also purchasing office supplies made from recycled materials will definitely have an appreciative impact on your bottom line.

Although many of the carbon offsetting initiatives in use today undoubtedly require a financial investment upfront, they will nevertheless pay for themselves in a relatively short amount of time and increase the flexibility and productivity of your business along with it.

Zoe Maldonado is a blogger for TechBreach and enjoys writing about all things mobile and electronic and spending time with her very active twin boys.

Techstars & Sprint Announce Sprint Mobile Health Accelerator

Techstars, one of the most recognized accelerators in the world, is expanding its US footprint into the already lively Kansas City startup community. Earlier this year Techstars co-founder and Foundry Group founder Brad Feld bought a house in Kansas City to house a startup to work on their company, utilizing KC’s 1gb ethernet. Kansas City was the second city in the country, behind Chattanooga, to offer 1gb ethernet to residences and businesses.

But it wasn’t Kansas City’s Google Fiber that attracted Techstars to the region. They’ve partnered with Kansas City’s biggest tech company, Sprint, the third largest wireless carrier in the country. Sprint has always been a friend to innovation. They were the first wireless carrier to hold an annual developer summit for developers to collaborate, and learn about developing on Sprint’s wide range of services.

Sprint and Techstars are centering this accelerator around the growing mobile health segment. Monitoring devices, e-prescriptions, mobile EDR’s and other health based mobile technology startups will work in the three month Techstars-modeled accelerator format at the new accelerator.

“We have been watching Kansas City from afar, seeing it come together, and now we’re excited to join the community and help it grow. It’s great to see Sprint giving first through their tremendous network of resources and executive knowledge. It makes all the difference for the companies we fund through the program,” Techstars co-founder David Cohen said on the official Techstars blog.

Kevin McGinnis, Sprint’s Vice President of Development, will help oversee the program which is taking applications now through December 6th. Startups that are selected will be notified in early January 2014 and the first session will kick off in March.

“Kansas City increasingly is gaining recognition on the national level as an emerging entrepreneurial technology center,” McGinnis told Cohen. “Sprint has been expanding its work with startups and other ventures that are developing intriguing innovations. The Sprint Accelerator will act as a catalyst for growth in this market.”

You can apply here.

8 Tips for Successfully Pitching an Investor

Question: What’s your TOP recommendation for an entrepreneur pitching an investor, based on your own success — OR failure?

Share Your Big Vision, Not a Product Tour

“It’s a rookie error for an entrepreneur to pitch an investor with the equivalent of a product tour. Investors are usually more interested in the big picture — your vision for your business, why they’ll be a good match, and how your company will return their money handsomely. If your slide deck or in-person presentation seems to linger too long on touring your site or demonstrating your product, it may convey that you don’t have a sense of the larger mission. Spend less time on the nitty-gritty upfront; rather, capture the investor’s interest with your passion for the bigger picture. Once the investor has a sense of that, s/he can always ask you for a deep-dive into the product tour. And if they do, it likely means you’ve piqued their interest.”

– Doreen Bloch | CEO / Founder, Poshly Inc.

Find the True Believers

“Investors will mostly say no. And contrary to what many entrepreneurs may think, it’s not your job to convince them why they’re wrong but, instead, to find investors that think you’re right. I’ve found that’s the hardest part, really — spending time speaking with investors who aren’t convinced can be a huge waste when, at the end of the day, they aren’t likely to invest in something they’re not sure of to begin with. That’s their job. Not heeding this has been my biggest mistake so far in fundraising and pitching — and eaten up time I could have been searching for true believers and advocates instead.”

– Derek Flanzraich | CEO and Founder, Greatist

Win the Battle at the Beginning

“When pitching to an investor, you’ve got to win the battle ahead of time. I think doing PR and branding work for your company in advance is important. Make sure that when someone Googles you, they see great results. Make sure you’ve built a relationship with one of the partners at the firm. The deal should already be close to being done before you pitch; the “partner meeting” is suppose to be a formality that allows the other partners to feel good about the deal and ask their questions. If you are talking to an individual investor make sure you have milestones that align with your financial projections. Anytime I’ve been able to inform an investor exactly how we plan to produce the projected revenue concisely and clearly, we’ve gotten the deal done.”

– Raoul Davis | CEO, Ascendent Group

Know What an Investor Fears

“The biggest thing an investor fears isn’t what you think it is. Investing in something that fails isn’t an investor’s biggest concern. The thing an investor truly fears most is missing out on something big. The surest way to land an investor is to convince her that your project is a big opportunity not to be missed out on. The best proof of your opportunity is social proof, specifically by having other respected investors on board. Once you find one eager investor, the rest are easy.”

– Corbett Barr | Founder, Insanely Useful Media

Be Cocky to Seal the Deal

“My team and I are super nice people. We originally walked into investor meetings with a huge smile on our faces and a perfectly practiced pitch. Unfortunately, we found out that nice guys finish last. It wasn’t until we changed our approach that we finally closed our million-dollar round. Instead of being friendly and nice, we acted cocky and brash, as if the investor was lucky to be meeting with us. Of course, we were still very respectful, but we stayed away from thanking them for the meeting or sounding too eager for their money. We successfully closed investor pitches when we mentally decided that we are the prize and that the investor needs to impress us in order to take the money.”

– Jun Loayza | President, Ecommerce Rules

Communicate Your Milestones to Build Confidence

“Potential investors want to know where their money is going and what their investment will help you to accomplish. Perhaps most importantly, they want some assurance that you will wisely use their money to hit milestones that will, in the future, allow you to raise additional money. Instill your would-be investors with confidence by clearly connecting the dots between their investment and your business goals. Create a compelling narrative that shows that you will be able to accomplish X, Y, and Z with their money — which will most certainly guarantee future investments.”

– David Ehrenberg | Chief Financial Officer, Early Growth Financial Services

Do All Your Homework

“The golden rule for meeting with investors is doing your homework. There are two things you absolutely need to know: which industries they invest in and what prior investments they’ve made. This is really the bare minimum; it’s also nice to know a bit about their personal and professional background: where they went to school, what they’ve been posting about on their blog, and what outside interests they have. These things will help target the conversation and demonstrate that you’re a professional and have done your research. You need to show these people that you’re a capable and reliable recipient of their money, and solid preparation will help you jump out of the starting gate in good style.”

– John Harthorne | Founder and CEO, MassChallenge

Do NOT Talk Valuation

“Talking valuation during a pitch is shortsighted for an early-stage investor pitch, and just one of many components that will be discussed at a later stage of the investor discussion. Instead, focus on the team and the technology (you should actually show it to them). Clearly explain the stages of your startup and the reasons why you are requesting a certain dollar figure. Keep the dollar figure on target to a run-rate to achieve your goals through that stage.”

– Carmen Benitez | Co-Founder and Managing Director, Fetch Plus

The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

Cyanogen’s Startup Was Cyanogen, Closes $7 Million Series A Round

Cyanogenmod, Seattle Startup, Series A, Venture Capital, Steve Kondik

(img: Technobuffalo.com)

Back in May we ran a story on Steve “Cyanogen” Kondik, the Android developer behind the Cyanogen Mod operating system that runs, and improves, the Android operating system. The popular “rom” has millions of users who root their Android device to run the open sourced software.

After creating the initial Cyanogenmod, the project became a community effort with several developers working on future releases of the firmware that when installed, allows users to take advantage of many of the benefits Google has in the Android Operating system.

Android’s biggest manufacturer, Samsung, took notice of Kondik and his work with Cyanogenmod. Kondik moved from his Pittsburgh roots to Seattle to work on Samsung’s Android team.

Kondik posted a note on his Facebook page looking for developers in the Seattle area. We reached out to Kondik at the time, and told us he was working on a startup but couldn’t tell us what it was. Knowing that Cyanogen is the most popular “Rom” for Android, we were quite curious as to what could be so interesting that Kondik would quit that job at Samsung and get his feet wet in the startup world.

It was revealed last week that Kondik had teamed up with Kirt McMaster,a cofounder of Boost Mobile, to turn Cyanogenmod from a community based effort, happening in garages and basements across the globe, to an actual company where they could push out the latest features faster.

Kondik wrote on the company blog that McMaster had contacted him by email last year and they were able to secure venture capital meetings in December. Those meetings led to a $7 million dollar series A round led by Benchmark with RedPoint ventures also participating. A confidential source told us by phone that CyanogenMod had turned down other investors including Google Ventures.

Kondik is adamant that the community know that Cyanogenmod won’t fundamentally change, but rather get better. Now they won’t have to worry about raising money from the community for new servers or having to use day jobs to support their development.

With the $7 million dollars, CyanogenMod became CyanogenMod Inc. They also opened up offices in Seattle and Palo Alto. Kondik was also able to bring three long time members of the Cyanogen team to work for the company full time. Kondik first recruited Koushik “Koush” Dutta. They also brought Chris Soyars Head of Infrastructure and designer Dobie Wollert from Google.

Monetization

We were tremendously excited to hear that a project that started out community based, and built up a huge following, was getting funded. But we were curious about how Cyanogenmod was going to make money. After all they just raised $7 million dollars from some of the biggest VC’s around; surely thode investors would want their money back. Also, Cyanogenmod itself is free and Kondik has already indicated it would stay that way.

We spoke with industry analyst Russell Holly over the weekend who assured us that the “ROM” or “OS” would remain free. Cyanogenmod is looking at hardware partnerships that they couldn’t get before because they weren’t a “real company,” and there should be news on their first hardware partnership in the coming week.

They will also work on other features outside the realm of their operating system that could become premium features. For the immediate future we can expect quicker, more thorough releases.

“Our mass market plan is for the second half of 2014, which will include services and third-party integration,” McMaster explained to Fortune.com. “We’ll begin to make money on services we can build and integrate in ways that Google or Apple (AAPL) don’t necessarily do for their own business reasons. We’re not beholden to any OEM or mobile operator.”

When we originally read that statement, we were curious as to the implications stemming from “Apple” being in McMaster’s statement. Holly told us that while we won’t see a “CyanogenMod” for Apple anytime soon, services that may link the two operating systems could be forthcoming. As a hypothetical example Holly brought up the fact that while great in their own systems, FaceTime and Google Hangout were incapable of talking with each other. A more streamlined messaging service may be something the new CyanogeMod takes on.

While that still paves no direct route to monetization, Cyanogemod seems to be in a much better predicament than several social startups that have ballooned to astronomical valuations and huge funding rounds without a solid plan for growth. Undoubtedly the investors will see their money back, in the meantime though, they have now funded a collective of some of the best mobile OS developers in the world.

Findo out more about Cyanogenmod here.

No Active Shooter At DC Area Mall, It Was Just a 16-Year-Old Viner

Over the past two decades when the words “active shooter” are put together with “teenager,” it usually involves a suspect of some sort. That’s not what happened this weekend at Tyson’s Corner Mall in Northern Virginia.

Vine, the Twitter owned short form video app, has created huge internet sensations in the few short months it’s been on the market. People love Vine; they are addicted to making silly little six second videos th

at loop and watching the creativity of their favorite viners.

Vine has catapulted several teenagers into stardom, some of whom have hundreds of thousands if not millions of followers on the service. These teenage “Viners” like LohAnthony, Kayden Stephenson and Mathew Espinosa do little more than smile at the camera, sing a little song or just talk about what they had for dinner. There’s not much you can do in six seconds, but it’s that short time frame which makes vine so addictive.

Some may remember Kayden Stephenson from American Idol last year. The 16-year-old Oklahoma City teenager has cystic fibrosis. His disease affects his breathing and also makes the 16 year old look a lot younger. He has a decent voice, but it was his story that won over the hearts of American Idol judges last year. Unfortunately he

didn’t last long on the show, but as soon as Vine was released he bulked up on followers. As for the other two, they are just normal teenagers with a sense of humor and a way with their peers.

Fast forward now to this past Saturday. Espinosa, who lives in Woodbridge Virginia, decided he was going to meetup with some of his Vine followers/fans at Tyson’s Corner mall, one of the largest shopping malls in the Metro DC area.

Although it was never revealed how many people Espinosa thought would attend his little meetup, over 10,000 screaming girls came to see the blonde teenager who bares a slight resemblance to Justin Bieber. Fox 5 reports that some of the girls came from over 5 hours away.

Espinosa arrived at the mall and shook a few hands and gave a few autographs. At one point mall security and police had to escort him out of the mall.

That wasn’t before curious mall goers were trying to find out what was going on, why all these teenager girls were at the mall. At one point someone got confused and said that they were shooting a video where all the fans had congregated. Well as you can see from the Fox 5 video below, shooting a video quickly became “shooting” and all hell broke loose.

People started screaming and running from the mall. Others started calling the police and the local news stations. The Washington DC suburbs have been on high alert since a gunman killed 12 and injured even more at the DC Navy Yard last week.

This is obviously the power of Vine that Gary Vee is banking on.

Cracked Already: Chaos Computer Club Crack’s Apple’s New TouchID

Germany’s Chaos Computer Club has reportedly cracked Apple’s newest feature, TouchID. As you probably know, people lucky enough to pick up an iPhone 5S this weekend are able to open their iPhone and charge their iTunes account with a simple thumb print.

Using some pretty comprehensive technology, the fingerprint scanner, built into the iPhone 5s’ home button, scans the users fingerprint. Rather than comparing it to a stored fingerprint locally or on a server,the technology compares the data in the fingerprint to verify the identity of the user. It also requires that the user be alive, breathing and attached to the person it belongs to.

For their customer’s protection, Apple has blocked the TouchID feature from developers. Apple insists that no one actually has a saved version of the fingerprint, but for now the technology is protected from anyone not working at One Infinite Loop.

Well despite being protected from developers, hackers have been able to crack the TouchID feature.

The biometrics team at Germany’s Chaos Computer Club were able to use a hacking technique that dates back to 1994 in order to breach the TouchID security.

The blog nakedsecurity has simplified the procedure for cloning fingerprints and then unlocking an iPhone 5s to these 7 steps:

Take a hi-res (2400dpi) photograph of the fingerprint.
Digitally invert the image so that the valleys of the print are black.
Laser print (1200dpi) the image with a very thick toner setting.
Smear white woodglue (or latex) over the printout and allow to set.
Carefully peel off the glue or latex sheet.
Breathe on the surface so it’s slightly moist and conductive.
Unlock phone.

What’s more in this story is that the hackers at Chaos Computer Club didn’t use a picture of the iPhone owners fingerprint to clone, rather they lifted the print off of a glass surface and were able to make a working duplicate.

Now obviously this is a lot of steps to take to just get access into someone else’s iPhone, but it sure beats cutting a finger off (which won’t work anyway).

Rookie Mistakes Startups Make All Too Often

When an entrepreneur is preparing to launch his first business venture, he works hard to avoid making critical mistakes. But there have been plenty of instances where business rookies made blunders that almost cost them their financial futures. If you are a business rookie, then you can smooth out your startup by learning from the mistakes of others.

Not Delivering on Promises

Image via Flickr by hz536n/George Thomas

Business rookies think that making big promises is the best way to get people interested in a new business venture. But if you do not deliver on those promises, then it could cost you dearly. In 1958, Ford marketed the Edsel as the “futuristic automobile of the future.” The anticipation was so heavy that people waited weeks just to see the new design. When it was finally released, the Edsel did not deliver on any of the marketing hype that preceded it, and it cost Ford money and severely damaged the company’s reputation.

Not Scouting the Competition

In the 1970’s, Betamax and VHS were competing to see which would be the home video format of choice. Sony was pushing the Betamax, but the bulky Betamax machines and limited tape recording time were no match for JVC’s VHS format. Sony made the mistake of not doing a comprehensive analysis of the competition before releasing its product. It is a mistake that too many rookie business owners make, and it can stop their business cold.

Not Incorporating

When you incorporate your business, it becomes its own legal entity and offers you protection from legal action. If you are not incorporated, then a customer could sue your company, and you could lose your home, your car and everything else. If you are incorporated, then you have a level of protection against legal action that can help to protect your personal assets from exposure.

Not Getting Good Money Advice

New business owners have a lot on their minds, and they need to focus on their business to make good decisions. To try to save money, rookie business owners will often neglect getting financial advice from experts because they think it is too expensive. The truth is that good financial advice can pay for itself. You can follow Fisher Investments on Twitter @FisherInvestUK to get good money advice that you can use.

Not Making Wise Decisions

The DeLorean Motor Company started building luxury cars in 1980, and their cars quickly became sought after status symbols. In 1983, founder John DeLorean was recorded telling a government informant that he thought a suitcase full of cocaine was “as good as gold,” and everything changed. It was later revealed that entrapment charges against the officers conducting the investigation allowed DeLorean to go free, but the damage was done. As a business rookie, you need to always think about your business, and make the right decisions for your company and your own future.

A business rookie is always learning important business lessons that should help him become a better business professional. But it is always a good idea to try to avoid making the big rookie mistakes that could cost you the business you have built, and everything you own.

What Do You Do With Your “Aha” Moment?

Eureka! Bingo! Aha.

The “aha moment:” the very second you know that what’s in your head makes sense. Sometimes this “aha moment” means more, though. Your aha moment is that idea that makes your eyes light up and your “free time” turn into daydreaming and/or planning sessions.

Everyone has ideas, but not everyone has an “aha” moment. But, those that do have some pretty special stories.

Though I didn’t know it the first time we shook hands, Brandon Twitty, Founder and President of Dead Inventory Management System (DIMS), is a Marine. “Tatted up” a bit, he gives the impression of a Dwayne Johnson, The Rock, mixed with a young Rocky Balboa at first glance.

“In my eyes, there are two types of ‘aha moments,’” he says. “One is, ‘yeah, I’ve got an idea, and yeah, it’s going to work.’ The other is, ‘I don’t care about anything; I don’t want another job, and this is what I want to do.’”

Most people would still consider the United States to be the wealthiest country in the world. There’s another thing that Americans are usually famous for too: waste. Witnessing firsthand this now commonplace aspect of American life, Twitty saw the opportunity lying in front of him (and all of the other employees of his former company, for that matter) quite literally being thrown in the trash.

What exactly happened, though? He explains, saying, “I was there on a Saturday, and I saw all these guys walking and wheeling away big boxes of [automation parts]. I’m an automation engineer, and I can write programs for automation lines. I knew how to program these machines. But these guys were coming back with nothing, and I knew that the only thing down there was the dumpster. ‘What did you do with all that stuff?’ I asked them. They said they threw it away. So I went and got it and sold it. That was valuable stuff.”

I asked him if the company had a problem with what he was doing, to which he responded with a nonchalant, “No, they don’t care. They do it every four months.”

After asking around the company a bit, he was able to hit the nail on the head. The reason his and other companies around the world throw perfectly good, usable products away: it’s a hassle. Companies could list the products on eBay, but it took too much time. They could keep the inventory in a corner and try to sell it later on, but it takes up dollars and space in the warehouse. Nothing was easy, and nobody wanted to take the time to do it.

Boom. Cue “aha” moment number one.

Twitty programmed a scanner to scan all the extra items in the warehouse companies wanted to sell. “You scanned the item, the scanner took that information and pulled all of the necessary data from the web, and it created a listing for that item. It basically created a full eBay listing in three to five seconds.”

For any of you who have ever tried making any money off of eBay, you know it’s impossible to list items that quickly and that efficiently. Now imagine doing an entire warehouse full of items. I’ll take the scanner.

The second “aha” moment came more like a slowly-realized epiphany.

When Twitty was asked why he thought he could get away with this, his answer was simple.

“I’m a Marine; I’ve been through hell and back. Then I was working 80 hours a week – every week – and I didn’t go home until I got the machine I was working on up and running again. If we had orders to fill before the end of the year, I was there on Christmas Eve…The work wasn’t worth the pay. I knew that I could do all of this stuff by myself,” he said. So he did. Aha.

“As an entrepreneur, you realize you can’t do it all by yourself. So it’s important to have a good team to back up your ‘aha’ moment, and I think I’ve got a good team,” Twitty finished.

(Note: Since then, DIMS has now moved to a cloud-based system for their own online marketplace: www.manufacturersinventory.com.) DIMS was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in St. Louis, MO, where they became part of the Spring 2013 class of the St. Louis-based Capitol Innovators accelerator program. Check out www.deadinventorymanagement.com for more information or follow them on Twitter (@DIMSystem and @mfrinv).

Tyler Sondag is a startup connoisseur with a hand in anything and everything you could imagine. Hailing from the ever-developing Northwest Mississippi, an alum of Saint Louis University and currently a transplant to St. Louis, Missouri, one of his main missions in life is to get and keep young people engaged in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Young Entrepreneur Council Launches Startup Insurance

Startup Insurance, Health Insurance, YEC, Scott Gerber

With the Affordable Care Act set to take effect in January 2014, many entrepreneurs and business owners still have serious concerns and fears about potential increases to premiums, state exchanges and compliance-related issues. To help them navigate the health insurance landscape, YEC (Young Entrepreneur Council), an invite-only organization of elite entrepreneurs, has launched StartupInsurance, a health insurance destination created by business owners for business owners with a carefully curated collective of providers and affordable insurance plans from across the nation.

StartupInsurance provides startups, business owners, and job-unlocked individuals–people who are likely to transition into self-employment as a result of being able to purchase health insurance options outside of traditional employers–with direct access to affordable, quality health insurance options, while removing confusion and time inefficiencies from the purchasing process. StartupInsurance connects the self-employed, their families and their employees to major medical health insurance options that will be fully compliant with the Affordable Care Act by 2014, ensuring that those insured individuals who purchase qualifying plans avoid tax penalties.

“As our nation becomes more entrepreneurial, and more Americans launch startups, start small businesses, and join the booming gig economy, YEC wants to be there to support business owners and newly job-unlocked individuals by providing them with access to quality, affordable health care insurance options throughout the United States,” said Scott Gerber, founder of Young Entrepreneur Council.

Through its direct carrier partnerships, StartupInsurance customers will benefit from access to one of the largest major medical footprints in the United States. Insurance options will be available in nearly every state across the nation via StartupInsurance.com. (Specifics about our carrier partners and available health insurance options are available upon request)

“In speaking to thousands of entrepreneurs, freelancers and small business owners over the years, we have learned what is important to them, what’s working for them–and most importantly, what isn’t,” said Scott Gerber, founder of YEC. “This direct feedback has guided our thinking in creating StartupInsurance–a destination created by the very people it’s serving.”

In the coming weeks, StartupInsurance’s health insurance options will also be made available to the business customers and members of various organizations and corporations, including FedEx, Grasshopper, Wave Apps, LegalZoom, Moo, Startup Weekend, Dwolla, Crowdspring, 99designs and others.

“As a leader in the small business space, Wave understands how important it is for business owners to find affordable healthcare for themselves and their employees,” said Kirk Simpson, co-founder and CEO of Wave. “We are excited to provide our customers with bestc of breed insurance products through YEC’s StartupInsurance and SmallBusinessInsurance. As we enter uncertain times with the changing healthcare landscape, these insurance products will bring certainty and predictability for our customers.”

In addition to StartupInsurance, YEC is also launching FreelancerHealthcare (www.FreelancerHealthcare.com) and SmallBusinessInsurance (www.SMBinsurance.com) to assist freelancers and small business owners, respectively. StartupInsurance is the first of several business products and back office services that YEC’s new services division will bring to market to help power business owners and America’s thriving gig economy.

Self-employed individuals and business owners interested in StartupInsurance can get quick quotes and apply online at www.StartupInsurance.com or call (888) 707-1484. Organizations interested in connecting their customers and members with StartupInsurance options can contact info@theyec.org for more information. StartupInsurance videos, embed codes and collateral at http://startupinsurance.com/materials.php

Find out more about Startup Insurance and the YEC When Scott Gerber speaks at this national startup conference Sep 29-Oct 1st in Cincinnati.

No Worries, You Can’t Open The New iPhone 5S With A Severed Finger

By now we’ve all heard that the brand new iPhone 5s, that hits stores this Friday, will come with a new locking feature called TouchID. Apple’s first soiree into biometrics is designed to protect your phone from anyone but yourself. At first glance it’s a great feature. Some even took to social media to call it a “relationship saver.”

Now perhaps I’ve watched too much Scandal or Burn Notice, but once this feature was announced I started having these strange thoughts. What if you had really sensitive information on your iPhone, you know like top secret spy stuff. Now we all know the NSA can probably look at it anyway, but what if spies came and wanted to get in your iPhone 5. What if the only way to do it was to chop off your finger?

What if your significant other decided to pull a Lorena Bobbit with your thumb. Maybe they think you were cheating, so they cut your finger off to get into your phone and see all of your text messages.

Well rest assured. I wasn’t the only one with these crazy thoughts. In fact there were so many people thinking about these particular scenarios that Sebastien Taveau, Chief Technology Officer at Validity Sensors and an expert on biometric technology like Apple’s issued a statement:

“The [RF capacitive sensor] technology is built in a way that the [fingerprint] image has to be taken from a live finger. No one in biometrics wants to talk about cut fingers and dead bodies, but at the end of the day we are still asked to remove the fears of consumers and make sure that they understand that [a severed finger] will not work.”

Aren’t you relieved now?

Of course as SourceFed suggests, nothing can prevent someone from making you unlock your iPhone 5s at gunpoint. I see the plot of a new action film brewing.

Why Niche Conferences Provide the Best ROI for Startups

It’s easy to assume bigger is always better — especially when you’re a small business trying to grow. When it comes to choosing a conference to attend, though, it’s not size that matters as much as niche.

By choosing conferences that have the most industry-specific content and the greatest networking opportunities for your business — as well as making a deliberate effort to meet people before, during, and after the events — you can maximize the ROI of each conference you attend, even if it’s not a monster like TED.

Large vs. Niche Conferences

Huge conferences try to appeal to a diverse pool of potential attendees, casting very large nets and offering a wide range of topics. This is great for a conference trying to sell tickets, but not for small business owners in need of specific, applicable content.

Small business owners with limited budgets need content and opportunities that meet the exact needs of their businesses to make an event worthwhile. Many niche conferences offer great educational panels and workshops for a lower ticket price than some of the big-name conferences, and it’s often easier to connect afterward with speakers.

Another advantage niche conferences have over larger, broader conferences like TED is the type of people they attract. The attendees of smaller conferences tend to be CEOs, presidents, or business owners. Having a pool of decision-makers to mingle with makes niche events networking goldmines.

How to Capitalize on Your Conference

To ensure a conference experience is a valuable one, there are steps a business owner should take before, during, and after:

Before

By doing your homework on each conference’s speaker lineup and event itinerary before you buy tickets, you can get a detailed view of the exact topics covered. Make sure the content, workshops, and speakers connect with the type of business you are and touch on the issues that are important to you.

Investigate the reputation of the organization hosting the conference. A lot of conferences look and sound attractive, but they turn out to be big pitchfests. Make sure the conference you’re attending is committed to providing you with useful material — not just providing its speakers an opportunity to sell their products and services.
Seek out social proof by talking to those who attended the year before. If the conference is new, research the speakers to make sure they’re knowledgeable.

During

With the proper approach, each session can provide value. Just keep asking one question: How does this apply to me/my business?

Listen to the questions others ask. There might be a way to apply the answers given to your own business. Don’t hesitate to connect with someone who asked an interesting question later on, either; sometimes, the most valuable insights emerge from discussions sparked in panels.
Take notes in the moment. I keep a single sheet of paper in the front of my notebook to log my “biggest takeaways.” These are the ideas I want to tackle right away once I get home, but I might lose track of them if I don’t write them down on the spot.
Stay socially active. It’s common for conferences to boast having the coolest parties and networking opportunities, but no amount of “cool” can automate the networking process. You still have to put yourself out there to make connections.

After

The day you get back is crucial. While it’s tempting to dive right in to answering your backlog of emails, right after the conference is when you’re the most motivated to take action on anything you picked up.

Pull out your “biggest takeaways,” and use them to lead a brainstorming session with your team. Decide which ideas are the best for your business, as well as how you’ll implement them.
If you don’t have a team, take out your calendar and designate a time to focus on each idea on your “biggest takeaways” list. This can keep you from losing the momentum and motivation you gained from the conference.

Although big-name conferences may hold a lot of appeal, it’s important to remember that great things come in small packages when you’re deciding where to put your hard-earned money. Look for niche events where you can really connect — you’ll get more than you ever bargained for.

Lena Requist established herself as a powerful force in business before joining ONTRAPORT as COO in 2009. The organization’s own event, Ontrapalooza, is later this fall, Lena has a passion for helping female entrepreneurs and is the founder of a virtual Women in Business group, where empowered women can share their strengths, struggles, and triumphs with each other. Connect with Lena on Google+ or Twitter.

Speaking of conferences, do you have your ticket for Everywhere Else Tennessee?

Boulder Tech Is OK! Mobilizing To Help Those In The Canyon

Boulder startups, Brad Feld, David Cohen, Techstars, Boulder Floods

Techstars David Cohen took to Twitter to report everyone was ok and helped mobilize cleanup efforts

Brad Feld, the author of Startup Communities and the founder and managing director of Foundry Group, is one of the Boulder tech community’s most notable figures and a champion for startups and Colorado. When news broke out about the intense downpours and rain that hammered Boulder over this past weekend Feld was vacationing at Vail and watching the coverage on TV, reports USA Today.

Feld keeps a condominium in downtown Boulder, but his primary home is in the nearby mountains. By most accounts the town of Boulder weathered the storm quite well. It was those in the canyon and in the mountains that were hit hardest. Feld took to his popular blog, Feld Thoughts, to let people know that he was a-ok but he wasn’t able to get to his home in the mountains.

One of the biggest themes when Feld and others talk about Boulder is the tight knit community that’s formed around entrepreneurs, technology, and startups. Last July when wild fires ravaged parts of Colorado, Boulder’s tech community banded together to raise money through fundraising drives, t-shirt sales, and other impromptu crowdfunding efforts to help others.

The same holds true today after the floods and rain.

Techstars co-founder David Cohen echoed Feld’s initial sentiment reporting on Twitter that the town of Boulder was ok, but the canyon roads were washed out. Feld also took to Twitter to organize people to help others who had flooded basements. 15 people quickly mobilized just off Cohen’s tweets.

Techstars alum Benny Joseph, whose startup GoodApril was acquired by Intuit before demo day this year, wanted to give back as well. USA Today reports that although GoodApril has moved to the California offices of Intuit, Boulder had a special place in their hearts,and they donated $20,000 to clean up efforts.

Boulder again has shown the community in “Startup Community”

From Conference Volunteer To Startup Founder, Audrey Jones Is In The Zone

Last February I had no idea who Audrey Jones was. We were preparing for Everywhere Else Memphis and knee deep in getting ready. diPR consulting’s Danielle Inez was recruiting volunteers and handling many of the pre-show logistics.

When the conference time finally arrived, we met up with all of the onsite volunteers. Audrey Jones was one of them. She told us in an interview that she had heard good things about the conference and was curious about what it was all about. She received an email from one of the civic groups she works with for volunteers and decided she would sign up for one shift.

That day, she took control of registration and front end organization and then stayed on throughout the entire conference, never missing a beat. It was like we had planned and rehearsed her role for months, but for Jones, organization and execution come naturally. It’s one of the qualities her full time employer, Memphis based AutoZone loves about her.

In fact several people from AutoZone’s marketing and IT departments attended at least some part of the inaugural conference in Memphis. At some point during the conference an AutoZone employee came up to me and congratulated us on a job well done. He then said that we could have Audrey for the remaining two days of the conference, but not only that she wouldn’t have to take time off, AutoZone was paying her to work for us.

But this story isn’t about a great conference volunteer or a great company in Memphis. The story continues.

Jones was so intrigued by what she witnessed at the Startup Conference that she started spending her free time with Start Co, the Memphis organization that serves as an umbrella for many of Memphis’ startup efforts. Jones stayed in touch with many of the people she met at the conference from across the country and started to work on an idea.

What intrigued Jones most about Start Co and their various startup initiatives was Upstart Memphis, a women’s startup initiative that included a women’s only 48 Hour Launch and a women’s only startup accelerator.

Jones’ preliminary idea revolved around the way that parents, loved ones, family members, and caregivers communicate. There’s so much technology out there now that phone trees are pretty much dead wood.

“It’s a platform that allows parents to list their children’s emergency contact information electronically. It’s the alternative to the cluttered file cabinet in emergency situations. Parents can grant access to whomever needs access, like sittrs, tutors, daycare and childcare providers,” Jones told us.

Jones had no idea she was an entrepreneur or a startup founder in January of this year. By spring she was talking to people about this idea. Then Start Co put a call out to women led startups to apply for their inaugural summer cohort for their women’s accelerator. Jones admitted she felt like she didn’t think she would get in, but went forward with the application process, even citing Nibletz as a reference after her work with the conference.

Kids360 was one of the four startups selected for the women’s only cohort that puts the women founded startups through a bootcamp-style, intense business and entrepreneurial accelerator. The hope for Start Co co-presidents Andre Fowlkes and Eric Mathews is that founders will be launch ready at the end of the accelerator, which is really just the beginning.

For Jones it’s been non stop since the accelerator kicked off at the beginning of the summer. She continues to work full time for AutoZone and spends another 40-50 hours a week on Kids360.

“Audrey is a great example of the type of entrepreneur we find here in Memphis. She is constantly grinding whether it’s her own startup, helping others or on her job. She’s putting the resources of StartCo to work for her every chance she gets,” Mathews told us by email.

It helps that Audrey works for AutoZone, a company founded by serial entrepreneur Pitt Hyde. The company was very supportive during those few days of the conference and continues to support Jones with a little extra flexibility in her schedule while she is going through the accelerator program. This isn’t the first time that AutoZone has supported one of their employees going through one of Start Co’s accelerator programs. In fact it’s their third go round and they would continue to do it over and over again, Jones tells us.

Why?

“Because entrepreneurs make the best employees,” Jones told us. She is very open about her startup and what she is doing in the program. Everyone on her team all the way up to Pitt Hyde knows that she’s in the program. “Whenever I see Mr. Hyde in the halls I smile with my AutoZone uniform on and re-pitch him again,” Jones said.

“We’ve seen quite a few entrepreneurs come through the ranks at Autozone, which is very supportive of our young entrepreneurs and Start Co. Audrey markes the third time that we’ve been able to help an Autozone employee hone in their inner entrepreneur,” Mathews said.

Hyde is also very supportive of entrepreneurial efforts in Memphis. He is a major supporter and director for Memphis Bioworks and their Zeroto510 accelerator, which is run in partnership with Bioworks and Start Co.

So now with just weeks to go before demo day at the UpStart accelerator, Jones is gearing up to have a booth at Everywhere Else Cincinnati’s Startup Avenue. She’s looking forward to real life pitch practice, talking to investors, and of course helping out the Everywhere Else team.

You can find out more about Kids360 at kids360now.com

It’s not too late to get your own booth or attendee ticket for Everywhere Else Cincinnati.

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