YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 13, 2011

This just in: many young adults aged between 18 and 34 – better known as Gen Y or the Millenial Generation – are definitely aspiring entrepreneurs. The Young Invincibles , in conjunction with Lake Research Partners and Bellwether Research and funded by the Kauffman Foundation , released the results of a new poll that showed the Millennial Generation’s sentiments on the economy and entrepreneurship, and the signs are encouraging.

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YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 10, 2011

Not every boss likes to admit that they’ve been a self-focused jerk, but that’s exactly what Jay Steinfeld did. The founder and CEO of Blinds.com – a leading Internet retailer of custom window treatments on the internet, specializing in blinds, shades, shutters and draperies – confesses that he was a jerk of a boss who used to terrorize his employees and micro-managed every detail of his business. “I’d be incensed at watching people merely talk to each other when th

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Alaska Houston Employee Leadership 193

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 28, 2011

by John Cerasani, author of “ Paid Training “ Starting a new business is quickly becoming #1 on many people’s New Year’s resolution list. It is amazing how a down economy can really inspire the entrepreneurial spirit inside of people. Many people, both employed and unemployed, have the skills and training necessary to go into business for themselves.

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Chicago Differentiation Employee Marketing 188

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 10, 2011

On November 18, leading thinkers from government, academia, industry, citizen organizations in Singapore – will converge together for GovCampSG. With the theme “Connecting People, Data and Ideas” the second-ever GovCampSG – the first was held earlier this year in January – will see an “ un-conference ” style conference will see a sharing of ideas that have the potential to shape and transform the future of the government and its citizenry.

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Singapore Government Social Media Analytics 185

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 20, 2011

by Todd Patkin, author of Finding Happiness. If you’re like most Americans, you’re gearing up to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday with your loved ones. Chances are, you’ll probably participate in the annual ritual of listing the things for which you’re grateful. For most of us, that includes our family, our friends, our homes, and our possessions, for example.

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YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 22, 2011

Constant Contact recently released data from its Fall 2011 Attitudes and Outlook Survey , and the biggest and most interesting finding was that small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) are more comfortable using social media marketing as opposed to six months ago. The data, gathered from over 1,900 respondents across a range of business-to-business and business-to-consumer industries, gives new insight into a variety of marketing tools and how they are being used by small businesses.

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Social Media Small Business Media Video 176

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 23, 2011

by Christian Lanng, CEO of Tradeshift. 2011 was the year where global economy shaped the life for companies everywhere. The global recession has also had a massive effect on technology and start-ups, but just as often as new opportunities rather than challenges. Global finance is being remade. As the global financial system came to a halt and liquidity dried up a new generation of startups have been trying to remake it ranging from companies like Dwolla creating new ways to get paid to what we a

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Spain Global Software Social Network 174

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 15, 2011

by Brad Farris, principal advisor at Anchor Advisors. Anchor Advisors, a Chicago-based small business advisory firm , conducted a study on over a 130 business owners to find out what owners of growing companies and those of struggling companies were doing differently. The respondents consisted of mostly founder-led small businesses with sales from less than $1M to over $10M.

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Chicago Small Business Community Employee 173

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 8, 2011

Reznick Group ’s Growth Markets Practice in Tyson’s Corner, Va., has built its reputation working with companies through challenging times, helping to analyze business opportunities and maximize tax savings. Over the years, they’ve seen patterns in what makes some businesses thrive while others struggle and fail to take advantage of opportunities that are presented even when the market is down.

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Vesting Security Reputation Entrepreneur 168

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 2, 2011

by Betsy Kruger, author of “ Top Market Strategy: Applying the 80/20 Rule ” In business, the squeaky wheel almost always winds up getting the grease. Customers tend to be rewarded for complaining, but that strategy leaves money on the table. No one likes hearing a complaint, so when a customer complains, a business quickly and resoundingly rectifies the complaint.

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YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 21, 2011

First up: a warning. “ The 51 Fatal Business Errors and How to Avoid Them ” by author and business coach Jim Muelhausen is not an easy book to read. And I don’t mean it’s terribly written – it’s just that the book is chockful of rather harsh business lessons that will lead you, the business owner, to plenty of potentially painful soul-searching.

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YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 7, 2011

The entrepreneurship movement around the world is growing from strength to strength, and much of that momentum can be attributed to the annual Global Entrepreneurship Week. Held every year, the Global Entrepreneurship Week sees many organizations in different countries around the world host and participate in various events that foster originality, imagination and ingenuity.

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YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 15, 2011

There are some tasks that you may not feel comfortable about – from lack of skill or time, for example – and prefer others who are better equipped to help you out on. That’s the premise of many freelance services sites such as e-lance , or crowdsourcing sites such as Fiverr.com. Here’s another that’s hopped on the bandwagon: BountyIt ( www.bountyit.com ) which lets you post a bounty to crowdsource services, and even comments and feedback.

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Los Angeles Cofounder California Differentiation 163

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 16, 2011

Economists and business experts have long been predicting the demise of the brick-and-mortar store, as online businesses have begun to dominate sales in many areas of retail. While there have been a few fatalities (Borders, Circuit City) in the battle between online and traditional retailers, it’s become increasingly clear that the brick-and-mortar shopping experience isn’t going anywhere.

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YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Here’s an insightful yet provocative video into the minds of the Millennial Generation, also known as Generation Y, in the workforce. The video is put together with the findings from a survey by global human resource and financial consultancy firm Mercer , which was conducted among nearly 30,000 employees in 17 markets worldwide from Q4 2010 to Q2 2011.

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YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 21, 2011

If we judged people based solely on looks, then our dressing and presentation is perhaps most important. And yet a look around Main Street surely reveals that fashion and dress sense can be sorely lacking. That’s where startup Lookmash ( www.lookmash.com ) comes in: aiming to help solve one of the greatest everyday problems – what to wear, what to wear.

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YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 17, 2011

Click Asia Summit 2012 is positioned as Asia’s largest digital and mobile marketing conference, expo, workshop that provides a platform for mobile and online marketers, entrepreneurs, brand owners, content developers, agency executives, SEO architects and digital media experts to come together and explore the possibilities of mobile and digital marketing in this region.

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Asia India Mobile SEO 162

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 20, 2011

If following tried-and-true processes and templates for your small business can lead to success, then perhaps Richard B. Sanford’s “ Success By Design: How to Create Ever-Increasing Income, Profit & Wealth in the World of Small Business ” may be the answer. Sanford, an entrepreneur who has launched eleven successful small enterprises over a 40-plus year career, challenges the reader to employ what he calls “Simplified Strategic Business Planning” for their busin

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Design Business Plan Small Business Revenue 160

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 8, 2011

If there’s anyone who knows anything about entrepreneurship, it would be Adam and Matthew Toren. The brothers are the founders of leading entrepreneur community and website YoungEntrepreneur.com , and have themselves started, operated, turned around and sold off various businesses such as a billiards parlor, a printing company as well as a media and publishing company.

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Small Business New York Social Media Restful 158

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 24, 2011

by John Tschohl, author of “ Achieving Excellence Through Customer Service “ Black Friday officially kicks off the biggest shopping weekend of the year, and with it comes the 2 nd annual Small Business Saturday , a day where shoppers are urged to buy from small businesses in local communities across the country. But remember to keep their eyes on service.

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YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 21, 2011

by Melissa Evans, author of “ Sole to Soul: How to Identify Your Purpose and Monetize It “ The late comedian George Carlin once said, “Do you hate your job? Sorry to hear that. There’s a support group for that. It’s called EVERYBODY, and they meet at the bar!”. It’s a fact that most people don’t like their jobs. According to a recent survey published by Time Magazine , fewer than half of American workers – 45 percent – are satisfied with their jobs.

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Georgia Atlanta Employee Cost 157

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 18, 2011

by Roshini Rajkumar, founder of The Roshini Performance Group and author of “ Communicate That! “ It’s almost the end of 2011. What have you accomplished this year that could make your 2012 bigger, brighter, more empowered? The entire picture begins with you and grows with your ability to communicate with intention and clarity. Six areas for you to check: 1.

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Minnesota Boston Community Programming 157

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 1, 2011

If you loved the emerging startup vibes of the DEMO conference, Asia will be getting its very own version with DEMO Asia 2012 slated for February 29 to March 2 in Singapore next year. Organized by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) subsidiary and events company Sphere Exhibits and IDG Enterprise , DEMO Asia 2012 looks to gather Asia’s brightest innovators and budding entrepreneurs into one place, giving them the opportunity to debut, pitch and showcase breakthrough ideas and products to corporate ac

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Asia Singapore Malaysia Indonesia 157

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 9, 2011

Small businesses are a large and important part of our economy and it’s always exciting to see big companies come together and develop programs to support them. With the holiday season just around the corner, a new national campaign hopes to change the way we spend this holiday season. In its second year, Small Business Saturday is an initiative created to motivate consumers to shop at their favorite local stores on Saturday November 27th, during the busiest shopping weekend of the year.

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Small Business Social Media Social Network Reputation 155

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 14, 2011

Are there qualities common to entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs? (Courtesy of Digital Trends ). As the world continues to moan over the demise of Apple head honcho Steve Jobs , numerous articles have been written about his entrepreneurial legacy. These cover the length and breadth of his astounding career as one of the century’s greatest CEOs. While reflecting upon this, a thought occurred to me.

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Entrepreneur Singapore Salary Cloud 154

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 11, 2011

San Mateo, California-based Mobile Spinach ( www.mobilespinach.com ) is an integrated mobile commerce and group-buying platform that provides users with virtual discount coupons that can be redeemed at participating local merchants. The service takes the form of a mobile website that features the look and feel of a native app, and so works on all available smartphone platforms.

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Mobile Redemption California Cofounder 154

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 1, 2011

Retail is tough business, and even more so during a depressed economy when everyone’s careful about every dollar they spend. But even in times like this, there are those who seek to continually innovate the retail experience. And one Phoenix, Arizona-based company, ExTreme ReTrailers™ ( www.extremeretrailers.com ), aims to solve the age-old retail challenge of “location, location, location” – they customize and design an entire 7-foot by 14-foot trailer for use for any ki

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Phoenix Arizona Mobile Sales 150

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 30, 2011

By now, many would’ve heard of buzz and viral marketing , experiential marketing , and the art of conversational marketing. Many would have also learned about three key marketing ideas: creating a “ Purple Cow “, and pushing an idea over the “ The Tipping Point “, and the almost religious need to use social media in marketing.

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Conversion Singapore Engineer Design 145

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 16, 2011

by Mark Satterfield, author of “ Unique Sales Stories: How To Persuade Others Through The Power Of Stories “ Perhaps it’s just because of the nature of my profession, but I’ve long been fascinated with why one sales letter attracts a swarm of interested clients while another is studiously ignored. This question motivated me to do some poking around and research what the most successful sales letter of all time was.

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YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 14, 2011

by Frank Anderson, Webhosting.net. Many people believe that just because they are interested or knowledgeable about a particular niche subject, that they can start a website and start earning tons of money in the field. The problem is that regardless of how brilliant you or your team are – unless you follow the rules of Google and their search mechanisms, you won’t be able to reach your audience online.

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New Hampshire Marketing Search Web 145

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 8, 2011

One of the more interesting activities that will take place during the upcoming Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) 2011 is Startup Weekend, a 54-hour event where innovative minds come together to conceptualize and launch companies. During Startup Weekend – which will take place from Friday through Sunday during GEW – developers, designers, marketers, product managers and startup enthusiasts get together to share ideas, form teams, build products and launch startups.

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YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 29, 2011

Entrepreneur Finder ( www.EntrepreneurFinder.com ) is a free interactive resource for entrepreneurs, skilled professionals, students and investors to find each other and designed to help startup companies grow. A startup looking for investment, mentorship, or specific talent to help grow your company? Check. A student looking for internship opportunities in a startup?

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Finder Entrepreneur Accredited Investor Silicon Valley 209

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

By Peter Fader, author of “ Wharton Executive Education Customer Centricity Essentials: What It Is, What It Isn’t, and Why It Matters “ One of the biggest complaints I hear about a customer-centric strategy is that it’s too complicated. Sure, companies acknowledge that their customer base is heterogeneous. They understand intuitively that they have “good” customers — those who are willing to pay premium prices, renew their contracts every year, and requi

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Churn Rate Pennsylvania Retention France 258

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 10, 2011

By now, almost everybody in the civilized world would have wept sweet tears over the end of the Harry Potter movie franchise with the screening of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ Considered the world’s most bankable fantasy brand with an estimated brand value of US$15 billion , Harry Potter has changed forever the image of children’s fantasy books with its massive impact.

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Global Viral Social Media Media 154

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 16, 2011

Entrepreneurship books these days are a dime to a dozen. The bad ones run the gamut from being too preachy to being so academic they read like textbooks. The better ones, which are far rarer, extract simple, easy-to-apply lessons from personal experiences of seasoned entrepreneurs that also make concise reading. Thankfully, “ The Everyday Entrepreneur ” falls into the latter category. “ The Everyday Entrepreneur “, authored by self-coined “millionaire-next-door̶

Entrepreneur 193

Entrepreneur Bootstrapping Reputation Hosting 193

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 23, 2011

Here’s more proof that work, play and living are coming together as one – Singapore-based property developer Far East Organization today unveiled The Scotts Tower (TST) , a new SOHO (small office, home office) property that is set to redefine work and living spaces. Located along Scotts Road in the Cairnhill area of Singapore, the 231-unit The Scotts Tower comes under Far East Organization ‘s new Far East SOHO branding umbrella, which will introduce new generation SOHO-style ap

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YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 3, 2011

Sometimes you just need some inspiration in your life. Perhaps you’ve recently lost your job, encountered some personal tragedy or are simply down on your luck. Karen Okulicz, with her three books “ Try! A Survival Guide to Unemployment “, “ Decide! How to Make Any Decision ” and “ Attitude! (For Your Best Lived Life) “, may just offer the right antidote to help you through these difficult times.

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