Startup Spark

June 3rd, 2008

Are you treating your business like a buffet?

Let’s face it, we can all lose focus of our business goals as we get swept into the details and distractions of daily life.
I will admit there are times I get ‘bright shiny object syndrome’, that is, getting distracted by things (usually cool techie stuff) that keep me away from the big picture.
There’s so much […]

By ShannonCherry -- 4 comments

June 3rd, 2008

Grant for women inventors

Whirlpool has kicked-off the fourth annual Mother of Invention Grant Program. It provides seed money and expert guidance to moms to turn their invention, business or service ideas into full-fledged businesses.
Contest winners receive:

A $20,000 grant for the grand prize winner
$24,000 in grant money for the four runners-up
Appliance prizes
Invitation to business boot camp where winners will […]

By ShannonCherry -- 1 comment

May 28th, 2008

What kind of marketing are small businesses investing in?

B2B Reports recently released results of their survey on what small business owners’ invest in marketing-wise.
More than half used their marketing dollars on web design (53 percent). Many (43 percent) also added search engine optimization to the mix as well. And 41 percent also chose email marketing.
B2B Reports surveyed 800 small businesses.
Investing in Internet marketing […]

By ShannonCherry -- 2 comments

May 14th, 2008

Interview with Success Coach Gina Ratliffe

I hosted a ’sold out’ free teleseminar with Gina Ratliffe, who shared how she built an online empire in just six months.
Because so many people were bumped off the call because it was filled to capacity, I want to share the recording of the call with everyone.
You’ll hear:

what’s the basic thought that often holds a […]

 

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

By ShannonCherry -- 1 comment

May 9th, 2008

How’s the increase effecting you?

With all the news about gas prices and food prices soaring, I was wondering how such increases are effecting entrepreneurs.
For me, since I run a virtual PR firm, the increases haven’t hurt my business. But I can imagine a restaurant or someone who travels a lot for business could really be in a pinch.
Is it […]

By ShannonCherry -- 2 comments

May 2nd, 2008

Success Secrets: Facebook as a business tool with Mari Smith

As part of Success Secrets: this and every Friday, we talk with entrepreneurs and other professionals about building a business.
Today, we interview Mari Smith, one of the premiere experts of using Facebook for business. She’s the creator of Facebook for Professionals.
(Images courtesy of Shannon Cherry of BeHeardSolutions.com and Mari Smith.)

Tags: Business, entrepreneur, facebook, Mari […]

 

 Success Secrets: Mari Smith: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

By ShannonCherry -- 2 comments

April 25th, 2008

Are you cutting your spending?

Although most small business owners are a bit worried about the economy, they are not tightening their belts.   That’s according to a new survey by FedEx/Kinko’s.
Despite a large majority of respondents voicing concerns about the impact the current economy on their business, 92 of respondents said they will keep or even increase their marketing budget […]

By ShannonCherry -- 2 comments

April 10th, 2008

Get the Money You Need for Your Startup

Money, dinero, argent, soldi, whatever you call it, a startup needs it desperately. But it’s not always the easiest thing to get a hold of.
So what do you do if you have a fantastic idea but no funds to back it up? If you have no real credit history and limited other resources (family, friends, […]

By ShannonCherry -- 0 comments

April 8th, 2008

Are you using family to help in your startup?

If you’re the spouse of a small business or startup owner, this should come as no surprise - you help with the business, but probably don’t get paid.
A recent Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index survey found that almost half of small businesses who couldn’t afford to hire staff end up using family members to make […]

By ShannonCherry -- 1 comment

March 26th, 2008

Where are the venture capitalists?

If your looking for venture capitalists (VC),  go west  - or even just to the midwest.
According to the Washington Post,  West Coast and Midwest regions are becoming even popular for VC.
In addition, VCs are investing more. In the US, VC investing grew from $1.2 billion in 2002 to $1.6 billion in 2007, an increase of […]

By ShannonCherry -- 0 comments