Happy National Entrepreneurship Week!

Did you know that President Obama proclaimed November 14 through November 20, 2010, as National Entrepreneurship Week? He also proclaimed November 19, 2010, as National Entrepreneurs’ Day.  President Obama explains how “entrepreneurs embody the promise that lies at the heart of America — that if you have a good idea and work hard enough, the American dream is within your reach”.  So, to all you small business owners and entrepreneurs out there, Happy Entrepreneurship Week!

In honor of Entrepreneurship Week, I’d like to share several quotations about entrepreneurship that I hope you will find inspirational, and maybe even a little funny.  I have included several quotations below:

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work”

–Thomas Alva Edison

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great”

-Mark Twain

“To win without risk is to triumph without glory”

– Corneille

“The cover-your-butt mentality of the workplace will get you only so far. The follow-your-gut mentality of the entrepreneur has the potential to take you anywhere you want to go or run you right out of business–but it’s a whole lot more fun, don’t you think?”
– Bill Rancic winner on Donald Trump’s “The Apprentice”

“Entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity and are able to turn both to their advantage.”

-Niccolo Machiavelli

“The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of People have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer”

-Nolan Busnell

Do you have a favorite quotation that inspires you? Please share it with us.

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Great Videos For Small Business & Startups from the 2010 GrowSmartBiz Conference

My wife and I were so looking forward to attend the 2010 GrowSmartBusiness Conference in Washington DC. We previously covered the reasons that the small business and startup community should have attended this event.  Unfortunately for us we had to miss the great conference due to the stomach flu making an appearance in our household.  So this post is as much for me as it is for the entire small business and startup community.

Just a simple following of the #growsmartbiz hashtag on Twitter will show you that the conference was a huge success.  But the organizers went a step further.  They have put most of the content online in the form of the speakers videos from the day.

So here is a tally of the links you should visit to watch and learn from some of the wonderful speakers from the 2010 GrowSmartBiz Conference:

1. The lunch keynote from Raul Fernandez, Chairman of ObjectVideo, Vice Chairman, Monumental Sport and Entertainment is here.

2. The marketing and innovation session was given by Barry Moltz, author of “Bust a Myth” and it was titled “How Social Media Has Made Customer Service the New Marketing.”

3. Another great session was “Reinvigorating Small Business Innovation” with small business experts Jason Falls, Steve King, Jeremy Epstein, and Duncan Alnay.

4. The final session that included the Marketing Keynote with Rohit Bhargava, Ramon Ray on 6 Rules for Tech Success, Rieva, Lesonsky, 3 Top Small Business Trends for 2011, Shonali Burke on PR & Small Business, and Jill Foster on Public Speech 2.0 in an 140 Character  World.  Check out all of these great videos here.

I sure hope we can make it next year.  What a great conference and thanks for the fantastic content!

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Melted rocks and other browsers

I’m assuming everyone has head of RockMelt by now. Yes? Good! Do you know what it’s supposed to do? Not quite clear on it? That’s ok, it was kept a secret for some time. So what is it?  We’ll get to that in a minute. I thought that with a new browser coming out, that we could take some time and compare what’s already on the market(Why this is called a market, I’m not sure. No one’s paying to get a new browser. Strange…) Anyway, most of this will be my own experience, with links! Except for RockMelt because only my father’s using it and he just downloaded it recently.

Let’s start with RockMelt! This is a new browser for people who use social media constantly(like my father).  People say it’s a browser for Facebook because Facebook is better integrated into it than Twitter or any of the other stuff you may use. According to screenshots, there’s two bars on the side of the browser that are for your social media stuff.  Uh….doesn’t that cut into your browser screen though? It looked ok in the screen shot, but it seems really picture frame like to me. Apparently you must be logged into Facebook to use it.  It looks a lot like Chrome in the screenshot, which makes me wonder if you can customize it to give you themes. To me it doesn’t sound too new. It sounds more like a cross between a browser and a mail client, except without all the pop ups.

Moving on to Firefox. They just released a plug in that lets you share website links. Plus they integrated with Gmail.  The plug-in is less involved than RockMelt but it should save you from copying and pasting links into an email. Firefox has released beta 7. I haven’t used Firefox, ever since they stopped giving support for Thunderbird, but a lot of these features sound like stuff Opera and Chrome have already done.  For example Firefox Sync. Everything in Firefox is saved on the cloud, so whenever you use Firefox on another computer you get your preferences, bookmarks, the whole deal. Opera’s already done this. Firefox now can handle more Java intensive sites, like Chrome. Firefox also has a thing called Panorama. It lets you keep websites separate, organizing them into groups. Opera sort of does this, by letting you see some websites as panels, which are hidden. Also now you don’t have to restart your browser whenever you install an add on. Chrome and Opera already have this.  When I used Firefox, I liked the fact that they had all of these themes.

Now on to Chrome!  I used this for a while. The themes are nice, but for me the browser kept on crashing occasionally. It did warn you when you clicked on a link if the site had malicious code in it.  I didn’t like the fact that if you accidentally closed your only tab(I do this a lot) , the whole browser would close. Also, the only way you could get  all of your tabs back at once, was to shut down the window with the tabs still open when you finished your session. It did have a pretty clean feel though.

Now for Opera! This is the one I currently use. The interface took some time to get used to, though not much. I figured out where everything was within a couple of minutes of using it.  I like that all of your bookmarks are grouped into one place, instead of having a folder that says bookmarks below your address bar. Opera has everything in the menu button at the top. Opera also allows you to customize your speed, using Opera Turbo. However, it does warn you that using it may distort some images. There is an option to set it to automatic, so you can browse faster on slower networks. I like the themes on Opera because they are compatible with the Window’s 7 Aero themes. Opera has an option that  enables it to follow the system color scheme, so it matches the rest of your windows. Opera’s speed dial page is also mostly transparent, so you can see your other windows or your desktop. The only thing is that if you turn speed dial off, is that transparency is gone also.

On to Internet Explorer! It works. I’ll say that. I don’t have the new one, so I can’t tell you how that works. Version 8 seems ok. It didn’t crash when I used it. Although the only thing I use it for is viewing pages that Opera has a hard time with, namely Google Docs. I don’t like the fact that Explorer will open up my documents in a new window. Chrome never used to do that.  Explorer has only one style and the buttons make the top look really big, although you can shrink that.

So, what’s your favorite browser and why?

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Building a Start-up Company and Having a Family at the Same Time

I was reading this post on BizSugar the other day and I thought that it was very applicable to our KikScore team so I am sure that it will also be interesting to a lot of other small business owners who also have families.  This post by Tim Jahn makes the argument that entrepreneurs can start a successful business and have a family at the same time if they maintain their focus, have a schedule, and if they set specific goals for themselves.

I definitely agree with Tim that it is possible to start a successful company while having a family, being a new father myself, and I also agree that it is very important to set aside a specific time and day(s) when you plan to complete work for the new company.  I usually try to work on my KikScore tasks on the same nights each week so my wife and I can plan around those nights so that there aren’t as many conflicts as there might otherwise be if my work schedule was constantly changing.

I also think that Tim makes a great point when he talks about having specific goals for yourself.  I find it very helpful to have a set of tasks that I want to complete each week and I make sure to keep these written down for myself each week so that they are completed.  I think that if you are vague or too lofty about your work goals for each week or month that you may start feeling like you are never getting anything done which may lead to frustration pretty quickly.

Again, I think if you are pretty good at managing your time and setting specific goals for yourself then having a family and starting a new business are definitely two things that can peacefully exist in harmony.  What have your experiences been with managing your business and family at the same time?  Any other recommendations you would like to give to our readers?

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Business Cards Go Digital

How many business cards do you have floating around in your desk drawer or purse? Have you ever lost important contact information because you could not locate that little card? Well, in a time when just about everything is going digital…why not business cards?

Have you ever heard of Poken? Well if you hadn’t already heard of Poken, then it was only a matter of time before you did. TechCrunch Europe recently named Poken in the Best Real World Gadget of 2009. A Poken is a thumb drive designed to replace traditional business cards. The Poken is described as a “social business card” that people can access online. Users are encouraged to attach their Poken to their keychain or to keep it in their pocket. Poken users can connect with other Poken users by simply touching their Pokens together. When the two Pokens touch, they exchange contact information. The idea is that a Poken can eliminate the need to carry around a stack of business cards. The Poken stores contact information for you, easily and compactly. The Poken is “one home for all your connections and all of their information”.

There are many Poken designs to chose from. Some resemble little animals, others have fun designs. The PokenSpark collection glow green when they touch other Pokens. The glow is meant to resemble “that flash of emotion and excitement” that come from “connecting with people”.  The PokenPulse collection is more “sleek & sexy” with the “jet black and white trim”. If you visit the Poken website you’ll discover a whole world of Pokens. The idea is that users pick the Poken that reflects their unique personality or style.

Personally, I am a little disturbed by the PokenSpark that is desiged to replace that feeling that comes from connecting with people. On the other hand, I like the fact that digital business cards are greener than their paper alternatives.

So what do you think about Pokens? Will they be successful in the United States? Would you consider purchasing one? Do you know anyone who has already purchased a Poken?

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4 Reasons SmallBiz & Startups Should Attend Friday's GrowSmartBiz Conference in DC

On Friday, November 5, 2010, the Second Annual GrowSmartBiz Conference will take place at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Washington DC.  If last year’s conference gives us any idea about how this year’s one will be, you can expect a full day of great tips from real subject matter experts across a wide range of topics that impact small business and startups. I have to say last year my wife (who owns a small business) and I both attended and we could not stop talking about the energy, the people we met, the important tips we learned and frankly all of the fun we had in one day.  Besides our experience going to SXSW in 2009 when I co-presented, this is hands down one of my personal favorite conferences I have attended – and I even worked the conference last year manning the “SmallBiz Answers Booth” with PR specialists, lawyers, marketers, developers and startup founders.

So here are 4 independent reasons to attend this year’s GrowSmartBiz Conference:

1. The Speakers Are Awesome and Experienced Starting with the keynotes that include Successful Entrepreneur Raul Fernandez all the way to the speakers and moderator at the four track sessions and excellent.  The speaker list includes small business, technology, social media and PR kings like Ramon Ray (recently on MSNBC), Brent Leary, Marissa Levin, Joe Libava, Steven King, Jill Foster, Shonali Burke, Tinu Abayomi-Paul, Ken Yancey and Rohit Bhargava. And this is just a few of the names that will be there on Friday.  The full speaker list can be found here and Jill Foster has a great summary of the lineup on her excellent blog Live Your Talk.

2. The Topics Are Going to be Highly Informative Building off last year’s conference, the organizers this year broke the conference into four main tracks: 1) Marketing & Innovation; 2) Small Business, Government & Non-Profits; 3) Technology as a Tool for Your Business; and 4) Entrepreneur Bootcamp.  Each of these four tracks has a dense topic list that includes Socal Media Marketing, Learning How to Tell Your Business Story, How to Track and Keep Customers, 6 Rules for Tech Success and Tips for Smart Hiring Practices.  These are just some of the great topics (see full agenda)  that will help any small business and startup.

3. Great Networking Opportunities It has been reported in many places (and I have heard first hand) that small businesses would like to spend more time networking and learning from each other.  Well GrowSmartBiz took the feedback from last year;’s conference and created more opportunities for the small business attendees to network and meet each other.  This year there are multiple times during the day when you can meet the fellow attendees and also ask the speakers questions after their presentations.  More networking means more learning and more business opportunities for your business.

4. Pre-Event Happy Hour This year a night before the conference happy hour for speakers, bloggers, the media, attendees and sponsors is being organized.  This way you can start networking even before the conference begins!  Who knows your question or story may end up being referenced or mentioned on Friday by one of the speakers.  My wife’s website got mentioned last year during Ramon Ray’s presentation after he met her right before his speaking session. Here is the information on the Thursday evening Happy Hour!

These are just some of the reasons to sign up and attend on Friday.   Last year there were well over 400 attendees live in person and hundreds more that watched it streaming live from as far as Australia.

Hope to see you there! By the way, here is the signup information at the Washington Business Journal site.

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20% Less Spam for Thanksgiving This Year!

To be honest with you, I actually really liked Spam when I was kid.  I don’t know what it was about that imitation, rubbery, ham-like substance but I am fairly certain that my Mom had me convinced it was real meat…either that, or I just didn’t know enough to think anything of it.  Jump forward 20 years, and Spam (emails) have become the bain of every Internet user’s existence.  Well, we are all in luck according to this article in the New York Times a couple days ago that indicates that these Spam emails should be decreasing by about 20% in the United States.

This article gives more details about how a major “spam kingpin” was recently arrested by Moscow police.  Apparently Igor Gusev was paying spammers handsomely to send emails promoting online pharmacies through his SpamIt.com domain.  The New York Times article goes on to talk about how known mass spammers and other cyber security threats have operated in public view for years but that recently the Russian government has started to try and clean up this image while also trying to partner with Silicon Valley to bring more commerce to the country.

While the reason for this Spam clean-up may be a little back-handed, I think that this is definitely good news for online security in general and a much needed step in the right direction.  Have you noticed a lower level of Spam email in your inbox over the course of the last 3-4 weeks?

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Happy Customers Want to Share Their Positive Experiences

This weekend I went to a Mexican restaurant that just opened in the area with a couple of friends. We were greeted by the entire wait staff and the manager when we entered. The food was good, not amazing, but because the wait staff was so kind and attentive we left very happy and satisfied. After leaving we all felt strongly that we wanted to post a positive review of the restaurant online for others to see. We were so appreciative of the fabulous service, that we wanted to return the favor by recommending the restaurant to others. We did post a glowing review online, we also recommended the restaurant to a friend who then ate at the restaurant the very next day.

A recent study by Harbinger found that women are more likely to share information about positive experiences over negative experiences that they’ve had with products/services. The survey asked women about several categories including ,but not limited to, information on food and beverages and appliances. Most women stated that the reason they were compelled to share positive experiences with others was because they wanted to “share the good experiences.” More women were inspired to share positive experiences rather than negative experiences. The survey found that women will share positive reviews with friends and family face-to-face and through websites.

So, people like to share positive experiences with others. If you are a small business owner, make sure that you’ve made it easy for customers who’ve had positive experiences with your company to spread the word. Encourage customers to submit feedback through your website by creating an area for customer to post reviews. Allowing customers to post reviews on your websites gives you a better understanding of what your customers like and don’t like about your product/services. An additional benefit of soliciting customer feedback on company websites was pointed out in a recent emarketer.com article that explained that as people contribute reviews on business website they “have a higher affinity and loyalty to the brand” and they feel that they’ve “left something behind of themselves” and so they will return to the site “more engaged”. So, if you’re a business owner and you aren’t soliciting customer reviews on your website..start!

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4 Changes you should be aware of if you are thinking of starting a small business

# All of these changes are from the book Finding Fertile Ground: Identifying Extraordinary Opportunities for New Ventures by Dr. Scott A. Shane, which you can buy here. We’re using this in my Entrepreneurial Opportunity Class right now and I thought I’d share. The rest of it is my own words.

Changes in Industry

1. Part of an industry? Then this should be easier for you.
2. Not part of an industry or been out of an industry for a while? Then just pick one or keep your eye on the one you left. Look at blogs, the newspaper(which is how I get most of my news), your contacts in the industry(if you have any. If you don’t, get some!)
3. If there is, then you can start looking for ways to solve that need
4. Once you’ve found the change, see if there is a need for something.
5. If there isn’t, then either keep looking in the same industry, look in another industry or change your focus
6. Start looking people! For this, go check out blogs such as engadget and other blogs that stay on top of new technology. Chances are that once the tech hits the newspapers or magazines such as Wired and PopSci it’ s old news

Changes in Technology

1. Again, if there’s a need and you know , or have an idea, of how to fill it, the go for it! If not, keep looking, you’ll find something.
2. Heard about the new Healthcare regulations. Who hasn’t? Regulations such as these, are good for making people need a product or service that lets them comply with the rules.

Changes in Regulation

1. DoseSpot did this for prescriptions, which allowed doctors to comply with new Healthcare guidelines. If any of you went to the UMD Boot Camp thing yesterday, you might have heard the founder speak.
2. So again, if you see a need then go for it! Otherwise keep looking

Demographic Change

1. [For people in the US]Watch the census for demographic change. They have yet to release the results and I don’t think they’re done analyzing the data yet. keep an eye out for the results.
2. [For people outside the US] Ask your government for your country’s census results.
3. If there is major demographic change, such as one group becoming more prominent in one part of a country or an increase of immigration of a certain group, then you could possibly start a niche company that aims to fulfill the needs of that group.

Anyone have anything they’d like to add?

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Sexting and Supercookies: Two things that begin with the letter S

Did you hear about Apple’s new patent? No? Well, go here. Apparently Apple has created a device that would monitor the content of text messages.  This means that parents could set controls to stop their kids from sending sexually explicit text messages (referred to as sexting). But according to the post, it could be used to help kids with their vocabulary and other educational uses. What about the other implications of this? Apple could partner with the government to help them monitor employee text messages, which would help prevent employees from spilling State secrets and sending other text messages that could potentially harm the government. Or Apple could provide the intelligence agencies with access to customer data which may or may not help keep people safe.  (Remember wiretapping) Apple may have a patent on the device, but not on the idea, which means that someone out there could make software which would do the same thing as the device.

Speaking of coding (because you have to do coding to make software), did you hear about the guy who created a supercookie? No, this is not a joke, Samy Kamkar, you may remember him from the Samy worm-the thing that took down MySpace (who uses that anymore?), has created a cookie that’s very hard to delete. He calls it an Evercookie, but some other people and I are calling it a Supercookie (it sounds better) because it stores information in more places than a traditional cookie (wow, that makes them sound old). Kamkar, according to the NyTimes, has the blueprints (the code) available to anyone who wants to look at it. Beware of more supercookies in the future!  How did he create the supercookie? I have no idea, but I do know that he used HTML 5, which should be integrated into everything on the web soon, to do it.

This does not look that cool. They need a cooler logo.

What is HTML 5?  The latest version of hypertext markup language or HTML for short. Who remembered that HTML stood for that before reading this post or the NYTimes article? *Sees hands* Ok, a couple of people. Now you know. What does it do? It’s supposed to make it easier to view multimedia content without downloading all the plug-ins, add-ons, widgets…..etc. It’ll also make it easier to check email offline(how does that work anyway?), and find stuff on your smartphone. It’ll also make it easier to track data, which depending on how it’s done and what it’s done for may be a bad thing. Anyone, besides me, feeling paranoid or slightly nervous yet? The data is supposed to be collected in large amounts and stored on your hard drive while online. Wait a minute! If the data’s stored on your hard drive, won’t it take up space?…..I have no idea how that works and this PowerPoint doesn’t really help, but it’s great for explaining the basics of HTML 5.

The big 5 (Chrome, Explorer, Opera, Safari, Firefox) all support parts of HTML 5, but only Chrome supports most of it. (At the time the PowerPoint was created.) However, according to Google’s own JavaScript conformance test thing (called Sputnik, which is still in testing); Opera and Safari perform better than Chrome or Firefox. But, the test is performed for a computer running XP, so that might skew the results.

So what do you think? Please, only comments relevant to this post or the last post’s character contest (which is still open by the way).

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