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The 5 Phoniest Entrepreneurs
Dec 29th
As American children, we are told that people are often wealthy because they are hard workers who built empires on boot straps and elbow grease. As we get older, we realize that there is an even more important component of success in America: connections, and pretending you are successful and lying until enough people believe you. If you learned this lesson after 2003, “then start a reality show” pops up somewhere in there. For all our talk of head-down hard work, some of the most recognizable entrepreneurs in America are rank phonies who were handed billions of dollars on silver platters and used it to wipe their ass, saying “I heard Bravo’s into edgy shit like that”.
Simon Cowell
Simon Cowell was the face of British snark for much of the Aughts. His put-downs and insults of American Idol contestants are nothing short of legendary, and somewhere in the process he created one of the most popular shows in American history. American Idol regularly puts its time slot to shame by garnering viewers by the tens of millions. The songs and artists that come out of American Idol have produced numerous chart-topping hits and netted Cowell’s label millions.
If by this point you’re thinking of Simon Cowell as some sort of genius who worked his way up from the mail room to spearhead a titan of a TV show and record label, you’re actually kind of correct. But that’s only because, by all accounts, Cowell was an insufferable twat for his entire life and the mail room was the only position even his rich and well-connected father could get for him. Cowell’s father eventually flexed his muscles again, netting Simon as position as an assistant to a high-ranking executive at A&R.
It is true that Cowell deserves some credit for his successes beyond this point, not the least of which was American Idol. But to the rest of us who could only get an entry-level position at a record label through clandestine liaisons in the mens’ room, the point remains that Cowell’s monumental arrogance and general douchebaggery would have gotten him precisely nowhere without his father’s intervention.
Rupert Murdoch
Like most Australians, Rupert Murdoch reminds us why we shouldn’t allow Australians to own property, have equal rights, or infect our dreams with their terrifying wildlife. Unfortunately, because of several tenants of the Geneva Convention and that annoying concept of common human decency, we’re forced to give these special little denizens of the southern hemisphere an equal shot. This despite their apparent homicidal bloodlust for the English language.
That aside, Murdoch has managed to build a veritable empire of news media, which owns just about everything ever, except those liberal rags. Valued in the billions of dollars, Murdoch is best known in America for spawning the laugh-fest known as Fox News, and acquiring the Wall Street Journal in order to turn its once-respected opinion page into Karl Rove’s blog.
But despite the Fox News love of America and hard work, Murdoch was born into the newspaper industry, and groomed to replace his father at the helm of News Limited from a young age. Following his father’s death in 1951, Murdoch took over operations and gradually steered the business to becoming one of the largest news organizations in the world. He may have been born with a silver spoon, but Murdoch worked hard to turn News Limited in the bloated, scandal-ridden embarrassment it is today.
George W. Bush
George W. Bush is an international man of mystery, going by many names such as “Worst President of all Time”; “The Precocious Scamp We Love to Hate”; and “Generally Not That Good at Business”. Before he was elected president of Texas and then president of the neighboring United States, Bush had quite a stint in the oil industry. And by “stint” we mean he made a habit of running a company into the ground, selling it, running the company he sold it to into the ground and generally not giving a crap because his father was president of the United States and their family had gobs and gobs of money.
Okay, so making fun of George W Bush is like shooting fish in a barrel. Wait, it’s actually easier than that; it’s like shooting a fish in a Solo cup (and also the fish is a humpback whale). That doesn’t change the fact that every business venture he embarked upon wasn’t done through hard work or shrewd business acumen. Nope, they all basically consisted of him getting a bunch of his father’s friends and wealthy Yale alums to pony up a couple million dollars. Though, in all fairness, this was probably all a good dry-run for the bank bailouts.
Carly Fiorina
Probably the only person on this list you’ve never heard of, Carly Fiorina was once considered one of the most powerful and accomplished businesswomen in America. Fiorina began her career as a management candidate at AT&T, and quickly rose through the ranks, overseeing the spin-off of Lucent. Remember when their labels used to be on every phone you used in the 90s? Phones. Those things with the cords that go into the wall that you can talk on.
In short, Fiorina was a successful executive and was eventually picked to head HP in 1999, becoming the first woman to head a Fortune 20 company. It was roughly around this time that Fiorina bought into her own hype and started grandstanding around the lecture circuit while trying to shove a highly unpopular merger with Compaq down the board of director’s throats. Try to think back to the last time you bought an HP or Compaq computer and you can guess where this story is heading.
Fiorina managed to get the Compaq deal approved, and both companies proceeded to immediately tank. The combined company quickly became the largest personal computer manufacturer in the world, and just as quickly lost the title as sales plummeted. Fiorina had used her considerable power and fame to ascend to HP and work the Compaq deal despite repeated objections from experts in the company (including the son of co-founder William Hewlett), but these traits couldn’t save her from getting booted off the board in 2005. Almost immediately, stock prices rose and the company quickly regained its status as largest personal computer manufacturer in the world.
Donald Trump
It is a testament to Donald Trump’s greatness that in an America filled with Kardashians, Jersey Shore and Michael Bay, he still manages to stand out as a complete and utter phony.
Trump got his start, like most of the phonies on this list, by investing in real-estate with his rich daddy. He eventually spun this venture into retarded catch phrases and gigantic money-losing phallic emblems to himself. After promoting himself and losing hundreds of millions of investors dollars, Trumps favorite activity is talking about how much money he has. This started way back in the 90s, when Trump started bragging about being worth a cool billion, despite having less money then you probably do now.
Forbes recently valued him at around $200 million in net worth, which is certainly no figure to shake a stick at. Donald Trump, however, has no problem shaking his stick at that number, brazenly claiming that he’s worth $7 billion. With a “b”. According to Trump, all those extra zeroes are the result of his “brand” which he values at around $3 billion and the rest of us value at “oh ew. ewwwww. grooooosssss.”
To round the shameless self-promotion off, Trump decided recently he wanted to be the almost-republican nominee. He shot to the top of the running with his ceaseless attacks on Obama’s claims of citizenship. When asked about the quasi-racist nature of his ultimately failed campaign, the Donald kept it classy and replied, “I’ve always had a great relationship with the blacks.”
View full post on Business Pundit
Late Holiday Gifts for Entrepreneurs
Dec 28th
Entrepreneurs can be tough people to buy for, if you’ve got them on your Holiday list. If you are an entrepreneur, which is why we’re guessing you’re reading this page, you know that tools and resources that help you build your business are most critical. Here are some gifts you might appreciate and some other resources we hope you can use in your next business venture. Oh — and don’t forget our Business Gift Giving Guide here at Small Business Trends.
Entrepreneurship
Late Holiday gifts for your favorite entrepreneur. It’s not too late to get that perfect gift for that entrepreneur in your life. This list of 11 items can help boost productivity in a variety of ways. From lifestyle to tools needed for building your business, you’ll want to check this list before getting that last Holiday gift for the entrepreneur who has everything. GeekWire
$850 billion up for grabs for your small business. The top 1,000 companies are hoarding cash, but they’ll spend it on the right product, service or investment. Could that money be spent with your small business? Here are more details about how you can get in on this opportunity. Don’t let your company be left behind. Open Forum
Looking Forward
What will your business focus on in 2012? You may feel like you’ve just barely gotten through 2011 in one piece, but look out! That’s 2012 just around the corner. What will you be focusing on with your small business? Susan Oakes shares this primer to help you plan for the future.What will your small business do next year? M4B Marketing
Forget about the biggest franchises for next year. Joel Libava has pulled out all the stops to make a few predictions for small business leaders who may be thinking of moving into franchising over the next decade. Which franchises will be the top considerations come 2019? Read this post and find out. The Franchise King
Reading Signs
Why is customer loyalty important? Without it, businesses are left to compete on price alone. Customer loyalty is critically important for developing long-term sales relationships. But the question becomes, how do you develop the kind of loyalty amongst your customers to maintain these relationships in the first place? Inc.com
Will you sell in 2012? Are you ready to sell your business? Do you want to get a new start or, in some other way, get on with your life? Is your life or situation changing in some other way that would make selling your business advantageous? Of course, there are many reasons to sell a business, but 2012 may be the year for you. Here are five reasons you may want to make it the year to move on. You’re the Boss
Resources
Is your bank committed to small business? It’s an important question these days and one you definitely need to find the answer to before wasting time with a bank that is not committed to you. Not all banks are created equal. Here are some ways to grade your bank’s performance with small business including their willingness to lend. Small Business Trends
101 resources from which your small business can benefit. Small business success depends upon leveraging tools and resources, tools and resources that are easier to find every day it seems. Take this incredible list of 101 resources for entrepreneurs you won’t want to miss. Use these resources to build your small business and share them with others in your network today. Kissmetrics
Tech
The real potential of Google+. Think Google’s social network is just another Facebook or Twitter and a pale imitation at that? Think again! This particular network, tied in as it is with the powerful tools of the world’s most popular search engines, guarantees value to your brand beyond your latest update. Nick Stamoulis
So when are you moving to the cloud? You’ve heard about the benefits of moving much of your computer functions to the cloud and know about the increase in functionality and flexibility you will probably reap when using the resources of the cloud for your computing needs. If you haven’t yet made up your mind, here are a few other thoughts to consider. GetApp.com
Late Holiday Gifts for Entrepreneurs
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
Where Entrepreneurs are Valued
Dec 13th
Entrepreneurs aren’t equally valued everywhere.
Okay, perhaps that statement is not surprising. But the patterns across countries in how business founders are assessed are intriguing.
As the figure below indicates, a recent British Broadcasting Corporation survey of more than 24,000 adults in 24 nations showed that a paltry 25 percent of Egyptians believe that business founders are “highly valued” in that country, as compared with 75 percent of Indonesians.
I doubt it would surprise most of you that two-thirds of Americans believe that entrepreneurs are highly valued, putting the U.S. in the upper half of the nations surveyed. But it might surprise you to learn that entrepreneurs are more highly valued in several other countries. The comparison that shocked me the most was that the French are more likely than Americans to think that entrepreneurs are highly valued in their country.
There’s something oddly troubling to me about this statistic. The French are supposed to be the ones who hold artists and philosophers in high esteem; and we’re the ones who are supposed to respect business people.
I think I heard De Tocqueville turning over in his grave when the survey results were released:
Source: BBC World Service Survey Poll, May 25, 2011
Where Entrepreneurs are Valued
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
Where Entrepreneurs Fear an Uncertain Income
Dec 6th
Having an uncertain income is one of the things that people find frightening about going into business for themselves. Unlike a salary earned from working for someone else, future business profits are hard to predict. And people like to be able to forecast what they will earn in coming years.
While the the unpredictability of business income is something that makes people everywhere apprehensive about business ownership, how big this fear is varies a great deal across countries. A random survey of the population of 36 countries undertaken in 2009 indicated that only 19 percent of the population in South Korea but 59 percent in Lithuania saw an uncertain income as one of the two scariest aspects of starting a company (see below).
That’s nearly three times as many Lithuanians as Koreans consider the unpredictability of business earnings to be one of their greatest fears about entrepreneurship indicates that people from some countries are better able to deal with this fundamental difference between working for oneself and working for someone else.
As you might expect, Americans were not as likely to be apprehensive about the uncertainty of business income as people from other nations. The U.S. was tied with the Netherlands and Iceland for the seventh lowest percentage of the population identifying uncertain income as one of their two greatest fears about business formation across the 36 nations where the survey took place.
Share of the population reporting that fear of an uncertain income is a top apprehension about going into business for oneself:
Where Entrepreneurs Fear an Uncertain Income
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
5 Criminals Who Became Famous Entrepreneurs
Dec 2nd
It’s pretty clear that depending on your level of skill, crime really can pay. A lot. Drug trafficking, murder-for-hire, car jacking, check fraud, and identity theft are all booming industries right now. Many criminals have failed to complete a formal education, another thing that’s been debunked as necessary for success. Intelligent deviants who choose a life of crime often profit — and sometimes, they go legit and become incredibly successful in business. Here are five criminals who became entrepreneurs.
Judge Mathis
Although not nearly as entertaining as Judge Judy, Judge Mathis is a popular and well paid daytime television judge. Instead of enforcing the law, Mathis routinely broke it as a teenager. In his high school years, he joined an infamous Detroit street gang called the Erroll Flynns. At age 17, Mathis was arrested and sentenced to prison time after the judge saw his heap of past arrests. Mathis had had enough of crime.
Upon his release, Mathis attended college and became a campus activist. After graduating, he went on to become a court judge for Michigan’s 36th district and never looked back. His show has now been running for ten seasons (since 1999), taping over 2000 episodes. Mathis’ laid back, jovial attitude has gained fans who love his sense of humor. Not only does he allow long, angry diatribes by the disputing parties, but he often lets aspiring rappers and singers showcase their talents for a few seconds during the show. What a guy.
Tim Allen
Yes, really. Before becoming famous for the quirky show Home Improvement, Tim Allen Dick (his real name) was an avid lover of cocaine. That’s not to say he gave up the stuff once on the show — just that he stopped getting caught. In 1978, Allen was caught trying to board a plane with over a pound of cocaine. Instead of taking the mandatory life sentence, Allen Dick ratted out 21 accomplices and got off with only five years prison time.
As most people would, Allen dropped the ‘Dick’ from the end of his name and began doing standup on a dare. When the crowd loved his ‘lovable loser with tools’ persona, he developed it into what would eventually become Home Improvement.
Although he became very successful, Allen didn’t leave his Dickish ways behind him. In 1997, Allen drunkenly crashed his car into a 72-year-old man… and then sued the guy for “damaging his well-known and well-respected name.” Allen dropped the lawsuit after learning the man had brain cancer. He actually went on to call this a humanitarian gesture.
Ironically, Allen’s dad was killed by a drunk driver. This didn’t stop Allen from getting arrested again on a DUI in 1999 for literally falling over during a sobriety test. So maybe he turned around — and then turned back around.
Jay Z
Jay Z started out as a drug dealer in Brooklyn’s Marcy Projects who shot his own brother over stealing his jewelry. Today, he’s one of the richest guys on earth and really knows how to run a business. Jay Z has released multiple rap albums, many of which are considered ‘landmarks’ of the rap music genre. He’s had four number one songs on the Billboard Hot 100. Jay Z owns clubs in multiple cities, will be partial owner of the soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets, has a stake in Roca Wear, is a partial owner of the NJ Nets, and owns an investment company which has equity in a number of odd but profitable ventures. Combined with wife Beyonce, the couple has a value of around $150 million dollars.
Danny Trejo
Danny Trejo could win a Grammy with zero acting skills whatsoever. All he has to do is stand around and stare at stuff to look pensive, terrifying, badass, and/or angry. He used his intimidating appearance to rob convenience stores and was in trouble so much that his own mother “stopped being surprised” when the cops would show up at their house. After his drug habits and life of crime landed him in prison for 15 years, Trejo decided to do something better with himself.
Trejo learned how to box and took a 12-step program to get clean and stay that way. One of his friends in the program happened to be a film production assistant, and asked Trejo if he could ‘look like a convict’ for a role in Runaway Train. Of course he could. Trejo has been in 124 movies since then, always playing the same character but never becoming uninteresting or trite.
Georgia Durante
You may not have heard of Georgia Durante, but her story is the most badass one in this list. A model by 12 and nationally known as the model for Kodak by age 17, Durante was legit from the beginning. She turned to a life of crime after marrying mob man Joe Lamendola, who convinced her to become the getaway driver for many of the mob’s crimes. Durante learned tricks, stunts, and all-around crazy driving moves to elude the police.
It came to an end when Durante decided she had finally had enough of her husband’s abusive ways. During her divorce, she testified against many of the criminals she used to work for and with. Consequently, Durante started her own performance driving school and wrote a book about her life experiences. Her company has been used for the stunts in over 100 films, and Durante has personally been the body double for Cindy Crawford and Priscilla Presley.
View full post on Business Pundit
What Future Entrepreneurs Will Look Like
Nov 22nd
While Sasha and Malia Obama haven’t publicly announced that they plan to start businesses, they share something in common with the kids most likely to have such plans: They’re African-American.
According to a Gallup poll of a representative sample of 1,721 children in fifth through twelfth grade conducted this Spring, African-American kids were significantly more likely than White kids to report that they plan to start a business. While 39 percent of White children said they plan to start a business, 52 percent of African-American kids reported this intention.
These numbers are interesting because they are so different from current adult self-employment rates. According to a recent study by Steve Hipple of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, African-Americans had lower incorporated and unincorporated self-employment rates than Whites. For unincorporated self-employment the rates were 7.4 percent for Whites and 4.5 percent for African-Americans. For incorporated self-employment, the rates were 4.2 percent for Whites and 1.5 percent for African-Americans.
Does the divergence between children’s plans and adult actions represent a generational shift in attitudes toward entrepreneurship among children of different races? Or does it demonstrate the greater obstacles that African-Americans face in achieving their entrepreneurial ambitions? I don’t know.
What do you think?
Source: Created from data from Gallup-Hope Index 2011
Image from Paul Frederiksen/Shutterstock
What Future Entrepreneurs Will Look Like
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
Preparing Children to Be Entrepreneurs
Nov 7th
The US Small Business Administration (SBA) recently conducted focus groups to learn what entrepreneurs, investors and others believe we need to do to enhance entrepreneurship in America. One of their findings was that we need to improve entrepreneurship education in our K-12 schools.
While it’s hard to argue with “improving education” for anything, this recommendation appears misplaced. More representative surveys show that Americans believe their schools are doing a good job of preparing kids to be entrepreneurs, at least in comparison to what people from many other industrialized countries think.
According to a 2009 Gallup Organization survey of 26,000 people in 36 nations, two thirds of Americans believe that their elementary and secondary schools are providing the requisite skill and knowledge to run a business. These numbers compare favorably to the responses of Europeans, only 39 percent of whom agree.
What are American schools doing right when it comes to entrepreneurship education? The data point to three things:
- First, American schools are doing a good job of teaching kids what entrepreneurs do. Seventy-one percent of the Americans surveyed said that elementary and secondary schools helped them to learn how entrepreneurs contribute to our economy and society. By contrast, only 44 percent of Europeans held this view.
- Second, American schools are helping to develop an entrepreneurial attitude, or “sense of initiative.” Seventy-three percent of Americans said that their primary and secondary school education taught them a sense of initiative. But only 49 percent of Europeans agreed.
- Third, American schools are peaking students’ interest in business ownership. Americans were twice as likely as Europeans to tell the surveyors that their K-12 education stimulated their interest in being in business for themselves (50 versus 25 percent).
While Americans are much more likely than Europeans to believe that primary and secondary schools are effective at training people to become entrepreneurs, there are two negatives in the data:
- First, a report by the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) revealed a significant drop in experts’ opinions of the state of U.S. K-12 entrepreneurship education between 2005 and 2008. If this trend continues, we will see a declining share of Americans reporting that their school education helped them to develop the necessary skills and attitudes to be business founders.
- Second, while we perceive our schools to be much better at preparing kids for entrepreneurship than do the Europeans, they might not be who we should compare ourselves to.
China is becoming the world leader in entrepreneurship and the Gallup survey showed that Americans were no more likely than the Chinese to think that their schools are doing a good job training people to become entrepreneurs. Twenty-five years ago that would not have been the case.
Preparing Children to Be Entrepreneurs
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
Finally, Some Good News for Women Entrepreneurs in Latest Angel Capital Study
Nov 2nd
Women entrepreneurs are making progress in obtaining investment capital; minority entrepreneurs still have a ways to go; and the overall angel investment news is cautiously optimistic. So says Q1 Q2 2011 Angel Market Trends, the latest report on angel investing from the Center for Venture Research at the University of New Hampshire.
First, the positive news about women. In the first half of 2011, women angel investors represented 12 percent of the angel market, and women-owned businesses accounted for 12 percent of the entrepreneurs seeking angel capital. While these numbers aren’t outstanding, they do represent progress. More impressive is that 26 percent of the women entrepreneurs seeking angel investment in the first half of the year received it. In fact, the report notes, the percentage of women actually getting angel investments is above the overall average.
The news was not quite as good for minority entrepreneurs or angels. Minorities made up just 5 percent of the angel population, and 11 percent of the companies seeking angel financing were minority-owned. Like women, however, minorities received angel financing at a higher than the average: 17 percent of minorities seeking angel capital received it, compared to 15 percent of businesses overall. This is the positive news, but the report’s authors feel that the low percentages of minorities seeking angel capital is cause for concern.
If you’re not a minority or woman business owner, the news about angel capital is still pretty good (at least, relatively speaking). “The angel market appears to have reached its nadir in 2009 and has since demonstrated a slow recovery,” the report states. The market yield rate (the percentage of companies seeking financing that actually receive it) reached 15 percent in the first half of 2011, continuing a slow climb from 10 percent in 2008 and 12 percent in 2010.
Overall, total angel investments in the first half of 2011 were $8.9 billion—up 4.7 percent from the same period last year—and 26,300 companies got angel financing, up 4.4 percent from last year. The average investment was $338,400.
Some of the most popular areas for angel investing are not surprising, including healthcare services/medical devices and equipment (25 percent of total angel investments), industrial/energy (17 percent), biotech (14 percent) and software (11 percent). What is surprising is that media and retail sectors have become firmly entrenched in the top six most popular sectors for angel financing, with each getting 8 percent of total investments.
And for those of us looking to angels as a stimulator of job growth, there’s also good news. Angels have significantly increased seed and startup stage investing, which accounted for 39 percent of angel investments in the first half of this year—up from 26 percent during the same period last year. The report notes this is an “encouraging sign” for new business formation and job creation. And with an estimated 5 jobs created by each angel investment this year—or a total of 134,130 new jobs due to angel investment so far in 2011—it’s clear that angels can be a major engine of job growth if they feel confident enough to invest.
Finally, Some Good News for Women Entrepreneurs in Latest Angel Capital Study
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
Training Tips for Entrepreneurs
Oct 8th
It may surprise you that entrepreneurs need training. Well, they do. Here are some tips that can improve how you function each day, as you work toward changing the world.
Mindset
5 ways to kill a brainstorming session. In creative organizations, brainstorming has been and is still the source of the creative juices that fuel the new great ideas. However, in too many organizations brainstorming sessions have become just another meeting that takes up time and bores participants. Instead of being a place where input is valued, supported, and nurtured, its potential contributions have not been realized. Five behaviors that must be avoided to prevent this breakdown in contributions are discussed. Inc.
Four personality types of entrepreneurs. Michael E. Gerber, author of the well-known “E-Myth” books talks with Isabelle Mercier of Leap TV, talks about the real meaning of entrepreneurship and the very limited number of people who truely understand it. Leap TV
Operations
Steve Stoute: Get paid. In today’s marketplace, you are faced with customers who are shaped more by shared experiences than by age or race. In your marketing your message must be one that shares the vision they share and sees the world as they see it. CNNMoney
How to delegate anything. If you are going to be successful in your small business, you will soon discover that you can’t do every thing yourself. You must learn to delegate. This is very difficult for the entrepreneur and small business owner to do. Most feel that only they canto the job “right” and they can do it themselves more quickly than having to train someone else. Follow the steps to start delegating. Inc.
Social Skills
Entrepreneur on the road to wellness after firing. This article describes the type of determination and perseverance that leads to successful entrepreneurship. It also demonstrates the love of and belief in your idea and program. The use of social media to coach individually along with group encouragement and team building help make this a successful program. Reuters
Sometimes it’s the customer that needs firing. As entrepreneurs we’re accustomed to the idea that customers or clients are the lifeblood of our business providingthe cash flow needed to help our fledgling businesses survive and grow. But there are times when a particular client may have such a negative impact on our business that it is time to show them the door.LeapZone Blog
Self-development
What is an accidental entrepreneur? And what is their job description? If the mere idea that an entrepreneur has a set of criteria to meet or job description bothers you, remember that this is just a format. But these points may help entrepreneurs understand where they fit in. The entrepreneurial
Don’t worry about opportunities missed. There’s plenty of room for regret in life, but, for the entrepreneur, this looking back vice is particularly bad news. Focus on opportunities issed and you’ll probably miss more. Better to improve your game then count errors. Seth Godin’s Blog
Training Tips for Entrepreneurs
View full post on Small Business News, Tips, Advice – Small Business Trends
More Events for SMBs and Entrepreneurs
Sep 11th
Every other week we compile a list of great events to help you with your business. The following Small Business Events Guide is worth a close look:
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Small Business Influencer 2011 Awards
September 13, 2011, New York City
Please join us as we celebrate the top 100 Small Business Influencers of 2011 at the official awards ceremony and reception on September 13, 2011 in New York City, brought to you by BlackBerry, Infusionsoft and Sage.
Don’t miss this fun, high energy evening as we recognize some of the most influential people and companies in the small business community. You’ll have the opportunity to meet Small Business Influencer nominees and judges, network with other small business owners, and win some fabulous prizes. Space is limited so register early!
25th Anniversary Entrepreneurial Woman’s Conference, Women’s Business & Buyers Mart
September 14, 2011, Chicago
The oldest conference and business opportunities fair for women in business in the country, this is the premier event for women business owners in the Midwest.
This year’s conference offers women business owners solutions to the current problems they are facing and the opportunity to increase the profitability of their businesses by building relationships with corporate and government buyers, business experts and other women business owners.
What Small Businesses MUST Know About Their Website Analytics
September 14, 2011, Webinar
Our guest expert this month is Pierre DeBois of Zimana. In this live session Pierre will discuss the importance of tracking website analytics for small business owners, and attendees will walk away with tips and tools that they can implement immediately. We’ll discuss:
- Why small businesses must know their website analytics
- How to get started
- Which data are the most important to track and what they tell you
- What are some best practices and tools to use
- Where social media fits in and more
This live webinar will be recorded and available afterward to all registered attendees.
September 15-16, 2011, Salt Lake City
Touchpoint is the premiere event for women entrepreneurs, where practical planning meets sky-high inspiration, networking fuels momentum, and high impact strategies are the most coveted party favor.
The 5th Annual event features two days of keynote speakers and panels, as well as plenty of opportunities to network. Topics range from “Making Meaning in Your Business and Contributing to the World,” to how to bootstrap your startup, to how to crush QVC. Enjoy a concert by Jessie Clark Funk, and a Sparkle & Shine Spa Party, featuring manicures and massages. For $25 off, use the following code when registering: ANITA.
Brooklyn Business Expo 2011
September 20, 2011, Brooklyn
The Brooklyn Business Expo will bring together the brightest business leaders from the most dynamic companies throughout Brooklyn and the adjoining counties. The Brooklyn Business Expo provides an environment for businesses to enhance their relationships, research the market for the leading products and services, and learn about the latest best business practices. This will be the largest business-to-business expo in Brooklyn.
Superhero Business Summit
September 20-21, 2011, Albuquerque, NM
Two day, intensive executive training programs that will arm you with the tools to develop and run an efficient and successful small business. Get the tools to defeat the common villains that run businesses into the ground and arm you with the knowledge to soar above the competition.
The New York Enterprise Report Small Business Awards
September 21, 2011, New York City
The New York Enterprise Report Small Business Awards is the annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of the 500,000-plus small businesses throughout the tri-state area. In its sixth year, the Awards Gala–which sold out in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010–attracts more than 400 business owners and executives and is often referred to as “the networking event of the year.” Don’t miss the chance to do business with the “who’s who” of the New York small business community.
Winning Strategies
September 21, 2011, Miami Beach
This full-day conference event will show you how with proven tactics to impact virtually every aspect of your business. From start to finish, discover insightful ideas, straightforward solutions and fresh perspectives with over half-a-dozen business strategists and experts leading the way.
2011 Internet Marketing Association Awards Event
Thursday September 22, 2011
The IMA’s annual Internet Marketing Awards event will spotlight top industry work, along with world-class speakers who will address cutting edge trends and contemporary topics.
How Small Businesses Can Do Very Big Things With Technology
September 22, 2011, New York City
If you’re looking for help in using technology in your business join us as the next Taste of Technology Series.
In this 2 hour session, YOU are the focus. We’ll spend 2 hours (from 6 – 8pm) hearing your questions and providing answers. There is no agenda but YOUR business. Frustrated with email? Scared about hackers stealing your data? Clueless about Twitter? We’ll help.
Join Ramon Ray, Editor & Technology Evangelist of Smallbiztechnology.com as he helps your business use technology as a tool to further grow your business.
Inc. 500/5000 Conference & Awards Ceremony
September 22-24, 2011, National Harbor, MD
The Inc. 500 | 5000 Conference and Awards Ceremony celebrates the revered Inc. ranking of the fastest-growing privately held companies in America. The momentous event brings together current Inc. 5000 honorees and alumni of the list, along with the greater business community, to recognize the remarkable achievements of these companies and the great contributions they have made to the global economy.
Small Business Technology Tour
September 27 – Mountain View, CA
October 12 – Salt Lake City
October 18 – Boston
November 2 – Atlanta
November 10 – Chicago
Smallbiztechnology.com is excited to bring you the second annual Small Biz Tech Tour. This event is a full day of information, insight, energy and fun.
- Attendees will learn:
- How to boost sales with website analytics
- How smart companies are using mobile technology to be more productive
- Why many small businesses are not getting results with social media and what you must do
- How to stop selling and start publishing content for more sales
- Why websites and email marketing are not dead, and how to get the most out of yours
- How local companies are getting more local customers using technology
- How to increase sales by segmenting your customers
The Summit for Women in Business
October 6-9, 2011, Pigeon Forge, TN
The Summit for Women in Business is providing and showing you how to implement the needed strategies and tools to remain competitive and current within today’s evolving business climate. Created by women business owners for women business owners, this Summit is designed for SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) entrepreneurs, independent and self-employed professionals.
Western Mass Business Expo
October 18, 2011, Springfield, MA
As the region’s business publication, The Business Journal of Western Massachusetts believes the businesses and communities that comprise Western Massachusetts should be represented at a region-wide trade show to better promote buying and doing business locally. The day begins with breakfast at 7:30 followed by the Expo’s official opening at 9 a.m. and will feature seminars, speakers, lunch and a high-energy, end-of-day networking event featuring music, food and drink.
Media and Entertainment Investing Conference
October 27, 2011, Coral Gables, FL
Sponsored by The Launch Pad at the University of Miami, this conference will cover trends in early-stage investing, the factors that are most important to Investors when they are considering an investment, the best and worst things an entrepreneur can do to get investors’ attention, strategies to grow their businesses, additional advice for entrepreneurs and, of course, the best ways to reach these and other investors.
Fast Company Innovation Uncensored
November 2, 2011, San Francisco
A mixed agenda format will offer attendees a variety of ways to engage with and employ the innovative ideas that come from the scintillating content and unexpected environment.
The event content is aimed toward anyone who thinks of themselves as an innovative business leader including but not limited to the fields of technology, design, marketing, entertainment, venture capitalism, energy, infrastructure, non-
BlogWorld & New Media Expo
November 3-5, 2011, Los Angeles
BlogWorld & New Media Expo is the first and only industry-wide conference, tradeshow and media event dedicated to blogging, podcasting, social media, social networking, online video, music, Internet TV and radio. BlogWorld conference attendees enjoy more than 120 cutting-edge educational sessions presented by leading bloggers, podcasters and content creators, while the New Media Expo provides the only industry-wide new media marketplace for networking, online business and marketing resources.
Register with the promo code SBTVIP20 to save 20% off any conference pass, or use code SBTVIP50 to save 50% off Expo Passes (which include access to the Exhibit hall as well as all keynotes and parties, just like the conference passes).
Recession Proof Sales Training Seminar
November 7, 2011, Woodridge, Ontario
Recession proof your career with this sales training seminar. You will learn how to increase sales, effective communication, customer retention, marketing strategies and how to attract new customers. Location: Paramount Conference and Event Venue, in Vaughan – minutes north of Toronto, Ontario.
Social Media Makeover Forum at Digital Atlanta 2011
November 8, 2011, Atlanta
This half-day, innovative business conference will take place during Digital Atlanta 2011 – a week-long (November 7-11) calendar of events that will focus on the digital and social media scene in Atlanta. The SMB Social Media Makeover Forum will feature three panels of social media experts from leading brands and agencies. These experts will provide advice to three small and mid-sized businesses who will be selected for social media makeovers.
America’s Small Business Summit 2012
May 21-23, 2012, Washington, DC
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s annual event—America’s Small Business Summit—unites small business owners, managers, and entrepreneurs from across the country to learn, network, and discuss common legislative and management concerns. Past speakers include former President George W. Bush, former General Stanley McCrystal, Small Business Editor of the WSJ Colleen DeBaise, and many more. Attendees help influence our nation’s economic and political agenda by advocating for pro-business policies through the Rally on the Hill portion of the program. The event will take place at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C., on May 21-23, 2012. For more information and important dates, check the Summit website, www.uschambersummit.com.
To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit the Small Business Events Calendar.
If you are putting on a small business event or contest, and want to get the word out, please submit it through our Events & Contests Submission Form (it’s free). Only events of interest to small business people, freelancers and entrepreneurs will be included.
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