Life has its share of both stormy and sunny moments. There are clouds (your car broke down) and then there are silver linings (but at least it's a nice day for a walk).

While most of us would classify the recession as the mother of all clouds it, too, has a silver lining. The current recession has sparked a big upswing in entrepreneurial pursuits, and small businesses are cropping up around the country.

According to a recent study by the Kauffman Foundation, "Rather than making history for its deep recession and record unemployment, 2009 might instead be remembered as the year business startups reached their highest level in 14 years -- even exceeding the number of startups during the peak 1999-2000 technology boom."

To read the complete article from CareerBuilders visit:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/08/11/cb.new.entrepreneurs/index.html?hpt=Mid

When Automattic founder Matt Mullenweg took venture money from True Ventures in 2005 and others he was just 21 years old. Now the firm has invested in someone even younger – 19 year old Brian Wong.

Wong founded Kiip.me (pronounced Wii-style as “keep me”), a mobile advertising platform that is bridging the mobile and gaming worlds. I don’t know much more about it, but whatever he’s doing it was enough to catch the attention of True Ventures partner Phil Black. He’s invested $200,000 in Kiip.me, he tells me, as part of a round that is still filling out.

As young as he is, Wong has experience with startups. He briefly worked at Digg and helped launch their Android application. And he founded Followformation, an automated categorized Twitter discovery tool. He’s Canadian, skipped four grades and finished college when he was 18.

He may be the youngest entrepreneur to raise venture capital – Mark Zuckerberg was just 20 when he raised early money for Facebook. Mullenweg as I said above was 21. We’ve got our crack team of research interns looking into exactly who holds the record as the youngest entrepreneur to have raised a proper venture round.

Kiip.me is still a few months away from launching. Stay tuned.

Reprinted courtesy of TechCrunch.com

If you’ve been searching for several months and don’t have a new job to show for it, don’t get discouraged.

Get observant.

Look at what you have done to date because something is not working.

Here are some questions to guide you in troubleshooting your job search:

Are you positioning yourself appropriately? Perhaps you have been going for jobs that are too junior or too senior. Maybe employers don’t clearly understand the scope and scale of your past roles. Check too if your experience as it is described is relevant to the jobs you are pursuing.

Is your marketing complete? Some jobseekers overwork their resume but then don’t have an updated online profile. Most recruiters are using social media, especially LinkedIn. If you don’t have an online presence, your job search marketing is incomplete.

Are you spending too much time on recruiters and job postings? Recruiters and job postings seem like a shortcut – you just troll the web and apply for what’s there, or you make a few calls to recruiters and let them do the heavy lifting. But, job postings are notoriously out of date, and recruiters work for the employers not for you. Most importantly, most jobs are filled via networking so if you rely on recruiters and job postings, you are missing out on most opportunities.

Do you have 3-4 key message points?

You need to cut to the chase in your cover letters, networking pitch and interview responses. People make up their mind quickly so be concise. Get the important information out early and cut out the rest.

Do you have a process to stay on track long-term? Many jobseekers do a lot their first week, maybe the second but peter out. This is a marathon, not a sprint. The interview process takes time, and you need to continue your search across multiple fronts. So there is a lot to juggle, and you need a process, not just discipline, motivation, or hope that you will stay on track. Make sure you have specific routines for following up with your contacts, for organizing your search information, for preparing for interviews and meetings, and for staying refreshed.

Reprinted courtesy of cnbc.com

We're a long way from the days of effective direct mail (although admittedly some companies do well with it). We are perhaps entering an era where Mobile Marketing can be adopted by most types of businesses.

How you ask? Here's a little primer on mobile marketing.

SMS Campaigns

SMS Stands for Short Messaging Service. Tell your clients and prospects to text a Mobile ID (aka keyword, trigger). The person who sent the text will then receive whatever message you want delivered (known as a bounceback message): Coupon, sweepstakes entry, contact, info, directions to your location; whatever.

The texter's phone number is then entered into your mobile marketing provider's secure servers. Only you can use it. And use it judiciously. Keep the message to less than 160 characters and don't send texts more than once in ten days. The reason? The texter can opt out at any time and you lose them forever.

WAP

WAP stands for Wireless Application Protocol. Basically, it's a mobile website that serves content to mobile phones. There are more than 5,000 phones that are web enabled and catering to them should be your first step with this type of marketing. Smart phones such as iPhone, Blackberry and Droid are in the minority and to cater to this tier will allow more budget and discussion than this primer is intended for.

Gateway App

A gateway app is an application icon on a smart phone that launches your mobile website. It looks like an app on your phone but isn't really.

Social Networking

Got a Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or MySpace page account? How do prospects and clients find you? Using mobile technology (Text Campaign that links to your Mobile Website) can simplify this for you. To view a 20 second flash video about “Connecting Your Links,” go here: http://mobilecardcast.com/social/ or text CONNECT to 88500 to view a mobile web demo on your phone.

Mobile Providers
Many companies resell another company's mobile platform so you end up paying “middle man” charges. To avoid this HELP to your intended provider. The company who owns the platform will be listed in the return text message.

So contact a mobile provider and with this brief primer you can get started with mobile marketing.

Economists say the U.S. recovery continued during the second quarter of this year with more businesses hiring workers and fewer cutting jobs, but the pace of growth has slowed, a new survey shows.

The National Association for Business Economics said its latest survey, released Monday, found 31 percent of businesses added workers between April and June, the highest level in three years.

Read full article: http://www.cnbc.com/id/38305584

The nonprofit Financial Executives Research Foundation (FERF) and Grant Thornton, the tax advisory company, issued a report earlier this week on the fund raising environment. It’s chock full of useful information.

Much of the analysis derives from a 14-question online survey distributed late last year and that more than 250 finance pros, i-bankers, merchant bankers, and economic development organizations that provide or arrange capital had answered. Among the survey’s key findings? That 44 percent of the respondent companies attempted to raise capital last year by renewing their existing debt agreements; they found the terms were less attractive, too. To wit, 48 percent said the amounts being lent have seemingly decreased, while 55 percent believe interest rates on borrowing are up.

In January and February, the study’s authors, Tom Thompson and Bill Sinnett of FERF, also conducted “in-depth” interviews with 11 execs from a number of industries, including software development, financial services, and food services. Some of the insights offered are commonsensical but good to read anyway. For example, Michael Carter, managing director of the Stamford, Conn., investment bank Carter, Morse & Mathias, told Thompson and Sinnett that it’s important for companies to “get to know several bankers at their banks because there is a high turnover of bankers lately, and you want to make sure you are familiar with more than just ‘your banker.’”

Another useful tidbit in the the report are factors to consider when negotiating a new loan. They are:

1. The bank’s viability: Will the bank be in business a year from now? The borrower should review the bank’s capital ratios to determine if it is “well capitalized.” This information is disclosed quarterly in the bank’s financial statements.

2. The size of the loan: Some banks continue to shrink their balance sheets, and your bank may be unwilling to make large loans.

3. Facility terms: A bank may be willing to commit only to a one-year facility and then want to renegotiate. The borrower may then be forced to renegotiate with a different bank, resulting in significant refinancing risk.

4. Interest rates: Interest rates have increased for middle market companies, and some banks have added floors to prevent future rates from going below a certain level.

5. Relationship banking: Banks want ongoing relationships, and the borrower may have to “sell” the bank on the value of the relationship in order to get a loan.

6. The “forward financing calendar”: For example, there will be a refinancing “bubble” in 2013 and 2014, when highly leveraged transactions that were funded during the “covenant lite” years immediately preceding the credit crisis come due. This projected swell in refinancing
activity is one example of where cyclical issues may have a significant impact on issuer outcomes.

When MMT is populated members will be able to find and vet all the business contacts they will need for just about any endeavor. I wish MMT existed bout six years ago because . . .

I had an idea for a home bagel maker. Bagels require boiling and baking so my idea was to combine those functions into an appliance about the size of a bread making machine.

With a whole lot of research, time and effort, I found an inventor assistance company that helped get the patent after an analysis that showed there was a huge and healthy market for such a device. They made a weak effort at marketing the patent to a manufacturer for licensing that went nowhere.

I found -- with more time and effort -- a licensing company and their efforts also went nowhere.

Flash forward to the present. If MMT were fully populated, I could find everyone I needed in the same hour with a few clicks. Talk about time saving!

As I still have 11 years to go on the patent I intend to use MMT to succeed in my second effort. I will find and vet manufacturing companies, begin dialogs and settle on one specific one with whom to make a deal. I will find the attorney who can cast the licensing arrangement. If anyone else is needed in this process I will find them all through MMT.

In short, I'll be well poised to make millions together!

Growing a business 80-100 percent a year is achievable, even in this economy. If you are highly adaptive, great at figuring things out, can handle a dizzying pace and balance life and work, these tips will help you succeed in a high growth stage company.

Prices. Make sure your price allows both a profit and money for marketing. Most entrepreneurs charge too little.

Vision. You have to work at creating two visions for your company: the internal vision of people who work for you and the external vision of vendors, customers/clients, freelancers and so on. Those two visions should be pretty similar.

Cash. You'll probably need more than you think. Here are areas you'll constantly be spending money on: equipment, systems, personnel, space and customer acqusition. Naturally you'll need working capital until receivables turn into cash.

Culture. The one thing competitors can't knock off is your culture. Be sure you have a position on who you are and how you operate. Doing the vision homework will help you develop your culture. Having a specific culture attracts the right people, and, if you stay true to it, you'll find the right venture capitalists to support that culture.

Numerous articles and books have been written on this topic but a concensus of option has it that there are three characteristics to look for when picking stocks to buy:

1. Is the company fanatical about customer satisfaction?
2. Do they have strong financials?
3. Does insider management hold a strong position stock-wise?

IT'S ABOUT THE CUSTOMER
A great example of building success by satisfying the customer is Dell Computers. Started by University of Texas at Austin student Michael Dell in 1984, Dell operated from an off-campus dorm room on $1,000 in capital. He successfully competed against computer industry giants through the direct sales model: have the customers buy direct and customize to their heart's content. The customer got exactly the PC they needed or wanted. Following that model, the company today employs more than 76,000 people worldwide.

Other companies who excel and delight in pleasing their customers are Southwest Airlines, Coach and Amazon. Southwest hires employees who demonstrate a sense of humor, some creativity and a real concern with helping passengers. Coach conducts more than 35,000 one-on-one interviews each year with handbag purchasers to gauge customer satisfaction. Amazon provides customers exactly what they want: low prices, cheap shipping and phenomenal customer service.

STRONG FINANCIALS
Without a strong financial backbone a company won't for long be able to function optimally. Although there are any number of ways to evaluate balance sheets. one simple measure is to look at the debt-to-equity ratio. A 15-20% ratio seems sound according to most experts; a higher ratio can force the company's management to focus on short-term objectives because they're always looking over their shoulders and doing things like selling off assets to service debt.

INSIDER PARTICIPATION
When founders and highly placed company executives hold a significant stock position, their wealth is riding on their decisions and their interests and stockholder interests coincide. This generally is a good thing. Even today, Michael Dell holds around 9% of the company's stock.

If you want to find out how much stock is held by insiders simply look up the company's latest proxy filing (SEC form 14A). Look for smaller company's insiders to hold 4-10% and larger company's management to hold $10-15 million worth of stock. Of course you still need to be cautious with this company characteristic as the debacle with Enron taught us.

And if you've identified a great company to buy stock in, you probably should take the advice of Warren Buffet, the world's greatest investor, who, when asked, when is the best time to sell shares in a great company, replied, "Never." Undoubtedly correct. If you bought Dell stock in the 80's, it's divided a whopping 45 times since then. Lesson learned.

For those unfamiliar with the term, an angel investor is someone who not only invests money in a venture but also adds value. This value might range be simply using their name to an active role within the company.

That said, here are a number of things you can do to increase your chances of successfully attracting an angel investor.

1. Scale your vision to fit the mindset of big and powerful thinkers.
2. Target specific individuals and then find out everything you can about them.
3. Make an indirect contact by getting to know someone that has frequent contact with the angel you've identified.
4. Be completely knowledgeable about not only your venture, but the competition, executive summary, business plan and so on. Be comfortable not knowing something however.
5. Practice leads to perfection. Try your pitch on third tier prospects first. Then refine and perfect and do it on the B list and when you've further refined everything, you're ready for the A list.
6. Be passionate about what you're doing.
7. Ask advice. Angels are frequently asked for money. Try asking advice before the topic of money comes up.

You may not get everything you want but you'll have a lot better chance if you follow this advice.

The University of San Francisco held its eighth annual International Business Plan Competition (IBPC) recently, offering $25,000 in total prize money to 21 student teams from around the world.

Among the ideas showcased were better breast cancer screening, curing carpel tunnel and using recycled products to make tools for African farmers. The students were coached by more than 40 Silicon Valley industry leaders and given the chance to turn their plans into actual businesses.

"USF's International Business Plan Competition provides competing teams with what is needed most: face time with the key decision makers in the industry--venture capitalists, angel investors, and professional entrepreneurs," said Mike Duffy, dean of the USF School of Business and Professional Studies. Duffy continued, "This real world approach in judging allows teams the opportunity to receive coaching, advice, and mentorship from successful industry leaders, and truly prepares them for the next level of entrepreneurial excellence."

Joe Mandato of DeNovo Ventures, who has participated as a judge for the past four years said, "USF's business plan competition reminds us that entrepreneurship is hot and people are thinking of creative and innovative solutions to big problems." Mandato went on, "As a judge, I get the opportunity to see wonderful young talent and receive a preview of many exciting new ideas and technologies."

A quarterly survey by Manpower, a global services company, shows that hiring intentions have improve in most countries, especially Asia. The survey is done quarterly and you can view the report on 36 countries at http://www.manpower.com/press/meos.cfm.

In the U.S. the report says that here employers are slightly less willing to hire new workers in the coming quarter than they were three months ago. This result is based on interview with 18,000 U.S. hiring managers and measures the difference between those who say they will hire and those who plan cuts.

It's worth noting that 73% said they planned no change. Manpower chief executive Joff Joerres said, "There is some demand, so employers won't let people go, but not enough confidence to do hiring. The U.S. labor market is struggling to break this cycle," he said.

Manpower's U.S. survey dates back to 1962 and is considered a leading indicator of labor trends. Its surveys have a shorter history in other countries, many of which were added just in the past decade. The Milwaukee-based company does business in 82 countries and generates most of its revenue and profit outside the United States.

Five small business marketing trends for 2010

Social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, coupled with the iPhone App Store is putting a whole new face on small business marketing. Here are five trends business experts say will shape small business marketing in 2010.

Right now is really right now
Many search results in 2010 will be in real time. Instant gratification is here. Forget knowing a high school football score online six minutes after the game ends. An iPhone app called Shazam can tell you what's playing on a bar's stereo and if you want to buy it you can get it from iTunes as soon as you know the name of the song.

Location, location, location
Augmented reality and location aware services such as Foursquare, Loopt and Google Latitude are being mentioned in the media and if you don't know what these are, perhaps you should.

Cloudy with a chance of clouds
Google Apps, Microsoft Office Live and Google Docs allow document and spreadsheet sharing with vastly reduced costs and real time collaboration. Even project, task and scheduling tools such as Central Desktop, Backpack and others allow remote workers in a global supply chain to work together in a practical manner. Apps such as GoToMeeting, WebEx and even Skype
allow people to connect and consult in richer ways.

Filter in down
OK, you can get a vast amount of data in seconds on nearly everything but can it be turned into useful information? Yes, because you can find out what people you know have said about what ever it is you're searching for.

One from column A, one from column B
The race will be on to find the best way to merge the online and offline experience. Face-to-face meetings convey way more information than any online presence. Going to a meeting at somebody's office tells you what part of town they're in, the depth or lack of carpeting, the age of the furniture, the personal grooming of the person you're meeting and many many other subliminal things. The next big thing might be something that goes further into getting the face to face experience without really being there.