Need Funding? Try These Contests and Awards |  |
- Need Funding? Try These Contests and Awards
- It’s So Easy To Get Lost In The Details But Don’t Quit
- The Start Up of You: A Holistic Approach to Successful Networking
| Need Funding? Try These Contests and Awards Posted: 10 Mar 2012 02:30 PM PST This list of contests, competitions and awards for small businesses is brought to you every other week as a community service by Small Business Trends and Smallbiztechnology.com. Also, if you’ve entered and won a contest or award listed here, let us know so we can share your news. -
By registering for We Media PitchIt! you get to show off your project and talk about it with influential people who can give you feedback, advice, support and, even, money. You can sign up a spot on the Demo Program or have a voice in feedback loop with other projects. PitchIt! will award $50,000 to help launch two digital media startups. Pitch your ideas. Or vote online to select the Community Choice winners.
Staples has launched its “Give Your Small Business the Push It Needs” contest, which will offer five small businesses up to $50,000 in free television advertising in their home market.
Today, there are more than 2.2 million .biz domain registrations and Neustar is taking part in celebrating SMBs that dared to stand out in a crowd. Businesses can visit http://www.my.biz/10year/ and share how they used .biz to increase the reach of their brand image. Once SMBs have shared their stories, visitors will cast their votes. Winners will receive awards and a Best of .Biz seal to recognize their website.
The 2012 SCORE Award categories include Outstanding Veteran-Owned Small Business, Outstanding Minority-Owned Small Business and Outstanding Green Small Business. The SCORE Awards gala will be held in August and will honor successful and innovative entrepreneurs and the small business advocates who support entrepreneurship in America. See website for nomination FAQs and entry details.
One Woman, One Franchise- #OWOF The One Woman One Franchise contest (#OWOF on Twitter) is for a woman who is interested in purchasing a franchise, but is looking for guidance and support. One winner will receive franchise ownership advice from Joel Libava, the Franchise King, as well as a package of services to get you up and running with a franchise — including incorporation filing from Corpnet, a press release, a 6-month subscription to LivePlan, a franchise disclosure agreement review consultation by attorney Rush Nigut, online consulting from Matt About Business, and free books by Nicole Fende and Carol Roth. to qualify, you fill out the contest form here indicating in 200 words or less why you want to become a franchise owner.
Everybody knows one. Like a super hero, she balances running a family with the heroics of running her own business. We're talking about moms in business, of course. And now, StartupNation is conducting its third annual ranking of these astonishing entrepreneurs and the businesses they run. Over the next few months, it'll be your daily votes that determine the top 200 Leading Moms in Business. In addition the judges will determine special awards and accolades for moms within the top 200 who deserve special recognition.
There are nearly 7 million private, employee-based firms in America. Only the very best are awarded the distinction of being named to the Inc.500 | 5000, the gold standard of entrepreneurial success. You’ll be listed with other leading companies at Inc.com, and your company may be featured in the September 2012 issue. If you are proud of your company’s growth over the past three years, you owe it to yourself — and to your employees — to apply for the Inc.500 | 5000.
The contest is open to small businesses headquartered in Eastern Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island or Vermont. The winning business will receive exposure of their business, improved business practices and professional advice. The contest is free to enter and will provide a learning experience for business owner(s) and employees. BBB will provide up to $5,000 in support and material funds. See website for rules and entry details.
Are you an existing or aspiring retailer or entrepreneur? The winner of Race for the Space will win free rent for one year in a prime retail or office space, a one year advertising package in the Ithaca Times, design services for storefront layout and signage and more. The package is worth over $40,000. See website for details and entry rules.
Informational Teleconference April 5, 2012: (712) 451-6175, PIN-1095742# WEDC is once again offering the Lanza Enterprise Awards Program (LEAP) to help women entrepreneurs boost their businesses to the next level. Five $5,000 equity awards will be presented to WEDC 15-Week Program graduates or participants who have completed comprehensive business plans and who meet the award criteria. This program is a collaboration among the Lanza Family Foundation, the Women’s Research and Education Fund (WREF) and the Women’s Enterprise Development Center (WEDC). It is designed to help women who are owners of microenterprises (businesses with five or fewer employees) achieve greater business success.
The New York Enterprise Report Small Business Awards is the annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of the 500,000+ small businesses throughout the tri-state area. The Small Business Awards will recognize 5 small businesses for their best practices and 3 businesses under the “Best of the Year Awards” categories. A panel of experts in the related fields will judge all award packages. Awards will be presented to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages, revenue profits and/or long-term value. Please note the criteria and requirements listed on the awards website.
To find more small business events, contests and awards, visit our Small Business Events Calendar. Please note: The descriptions provided here are for convenience only and are NOT the official rules. ALWAYS read official rules carefully at the site holding the competition, contest or award. From Small Business Trends |
| It’s So Easy To Get Lost In The Details But Don’t Quit Posted: 10 Mar 2012 09:30 AM PST When you're working to build a business, it seems like the first hurdle is to get going. Just like track runners, you do an extensive amount of work to get you to the starting line.
Your pre-season training and practice includes all those early steps like:
All this effort just to "open your doors." It was exciting at first, but now the details overwhelm you. Keep GoingMake a simple choice to keep moving forward no matter what. To help you do this Susan L. Reid in “Are You Getting In The Way Of Your Startup Success?” suggests that you keep your mind together and yourself inspired by breaking "down your to-do list into small, bite-size segments that leave you feeling energized and successful." Instead of looking at that big master list that you need to finish, take a small piece of it and put it on your list for the day. Replace "launch my new website" with "write my front page copy" and "post my headshot." Simple consistent steps will get you there. Get HelpIn “How To Build A Virtual Marketing Team” Ivana Taylor suggests that you get help. Instead of doing it all yourself you can build a virtual team to implement different aspects of your project. But she makes on important point:
To make the most of this team, you have to get very clear about what you want from them. Get ClearVirtual teams make you redefine how you have a meeting. In addition to using technology to hold one on one or group meetings when necessary, you have to get to the point quickly — your virtual team may bill by the hour, so you don't want to waste the time. In “Why Meetings Are A Waste Of Time And How To Run Them More Efficiently” John Mariotti says meetings should be "no longer than they need to last." You meet to train, inform, brainstorm. And the type of meeting and purpose for it will help you determine the time frame. Whether it's the mindset, the marketing or the meetings, just keep it moving toward your goal, you'll get there. "Failure will never overtake you, if your determination to succeed is strong enough." ~ Og Mandino, Author of The Greatest Salesman in the World
From Small Business Trends |
| The Start Up of You: A Holistic Approach to Successful Networking Posted: 10 Mar 2012 05:30 AM PST
Creative Ability Is in Our DNA During his forum, Hoffman expressed that there may be too many products and services being offered, all in search for a customer. That idea, while not stated in his exact words, still resonates through the book as it delves into what makes networking effective. All people are entrepreneurs because "the will to create is encoded in human DNA." The authors go on further:
The book's elaboration on networking as creation, reaching its hallmark concept of “I to the we” power – expressed with we as a superscript to I. This creative math symbol represents that individuals and a team is what make a network, well, work. The efforts that create lasting relationships are a delicate balance of which we should be aware. Moreover, that balance challenges widespread conventions. Individual effort and teams are framed as extremes that are made better when combined.
How We Invest In Ourselves You will read with each page turn how Hoffman's VC experience colors the book's tone – analytical and balanced. That tone keeps The Startup Of You a million miles above material that can be found on any ol' LinkedIn group. The authors could have very easily inserted a, "Hey join Linked In" pitch on every other page. Instead they display true grit and honesty in their phrases and examples. Regarding their thoughts about a self made man, the authors note why such myths become common wisdom:
The material also offers actionable concepts to go along with the philosophical notions, such as asking good questions:
Each chapter ends with an Invest in Yourself segment, tips meant to put into action the next day, the next week, and the next month. These tips are well suggested without deep complexity meant to hinder what they teach. I thought including a chapter addressing risk was insightful given the uncertainty of networking, regardless of a relationship phase. Hoffman and Casnocha explain how to take intelligent risks in determining choices, starting with the evaluating career choices to how to pivot on information as an entrepreneur. The section is meant to temper early examples of managing a network amidst a volatile employment and economic landscape. A wonderful addendum is the exclusive content online, as well as the mention of additional books for further thought. Distinguish Your Networking As You Start Up In short, read this brief book, and manage the right steps to network. It's a great follow up to books like No You Can't Pick My Brain and towers above many books on networking. If you decide to invest in yourself online, you can join further discussions at the hashtag #startYOU, or follow on the Twitter feed @startupofyou. Whatever you do, read The Start Up of You. From Small Business Trends |
Enter by April 6, 2012
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