A recent study of the impact of Wal-Mart stores in communities has negative implications. The study concluded that the presence of Wal-Mart depresses social capital stocks in local communities
* Communities with Wal-Mart stores had fewer non-profit groups and social capital-generating associations (such as churches, political organizations, and business groups) per capita than those that did not.
* Wal-Mart's presence depresses civic participation, namely voter participation
Yeah? And I just thought it was because of all the cheap and tacky teen clothing they've been selling lately.
Random thoughts about different media, depending on the catch of the day.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Friday, January 19, 2007
Working with VCs For Your Start-Up Business
Last month, while browsing Yedda, I came across a question about venture capitalists and start-ups.
There is no "right time." It depends on your business and well, you! Everyone has different timing. Make sure you have a rock solid business plan before you approach a VC. Many VCs look at your track record, either as a previous employee or business owner, but product or service potential and projected return on investment is a big factor. Some VCs specialize in start-ups, and some business owners get funding at the onset, so your question about the timing may be moot.
If you'd like to read about a start-up entrepreneur who attracted VCs early in the game, check out this blog article.
Ramit Sethi, co-founder & VP of Marketing for PBwiki, presents Friday Entrepreneur: Joyce Park, Renkoo posted at I Will Teach You To Be Rich. Ramit interviews Joyce, co-founder and CTO of Renkoo, about her decision to fund her start-up "almost immediately ($3 million in VC)."
There are also some step-by-step articles on eHow.com about getting money from VCs.There's a nice article on CNNMoney titled What a VC wants to see in you, that talks about wooing "even the fussiest venture capitalists." And don't forget to read "Top Ten Lies of Venture Capitalists" by Guy Kawasaki, to help you put things in perspective.
Meanwhile, if you're interested in getting additional help with business planning, reading case studies, and finding other entrepreneurs like yourself, check out JumpUp. JumpUp is a new site by Intuit for small business owners and start-up entrepreneurs. I've added several links under "My Saved Bookmarks" for help in starting a business, so start with my Profile on Kim's JumpUp Page. By the way, just so you know, I work for Intuit...
Good luck!
~ Kim
What is the right time to incorporate a vc in the start up?I couldn't resist providing the Yedda user with some meaty links to help him out. Here's what I wrote...
There is no "right time." It depends on your business and well, you! Everyone has different timing. Make sure you have a rock solid business plan before you approach a VC. Many VCs look at your track record, either as a previous employee or business owner, but product or service potential and projected return on investment is a big factor. Some VCs specialize in start-ups, and some business owners get funding at the onset, so your question about the timing may be moot.
If you'd like to read about a start-up entrepreneur who attracted VCs early in the game, check out this blog article.
Ramit Sethi, co-founder & VP of Marketing for PBwiki, presents Friday Entrepreneur: Joyce Park, Renkoo posted at I Will Teach You To Be Rich. Ramit interviews Joyce, co-founder and CTO of Renkoo, about her decision to fund her start-up "almost immediately ($3 million in VC)."
There are also some step-by-step articles on eHow.com about getting money from VCs.There's a nice article on CNNMoney titled What a VC wants to see in you, that talks about wooing "even the fussiest venture capitalists." And don't forget to read "Top Ten Lies of Venture Capitalists" by Guy Kawasaki, to help you put things in perspective.
Meanwhile, if you're interested in getting additional help with business planning, reading case studies, and finding other entrepreneurs like yourself, check out JumpUp. JumpUp is a new site by Intuit for small business owners and start-up entrepreneurs. I've added several links under "My Saved Bookmarks" for help in starting a business, so start with my Profile on Kim's JumpUp Page. By the way, just so you know, I work for Intuit...
Good luck!
~ Kim
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Naming Your Web Site
About a week ago, while browsing Yedda, I came across a question about naming a Web site.
I am developing a site for students, somebody has a suggestion of a name for the site???Of course, a couple of users immediately started throwing out cute ideas. That's where I decided to step in. Here's my answer, as seen at Yedda.
Before you start coming up with cool names for your site, think about what you want to convey about it. What types of services are you going to offer? What features and functions will the site have? What type of site is it -- social networking, educational, or something completely different?
Sure you can come up with a name that has nothing to do with its purpose -- obviously Amazon.com and a host of Web 2.0 properties have done it. You could coin your own phrase by inventing a pseudo word for a site name, which might start a verb trend (ever heard of "googling"?). GoDaddy.com CEO Bob Parsons talks about strange domain names on his April 6, 2005 podcast, if you're interested.
Keep in mind that you want your domain name to be brandable and memorable. I'd be glad to give you some ideas, but it would be better to know -- what is the site's purpose or, better yet, (aside from the "funny" tag in your question) what do you want the user community to remember?
If you really want to create some buzz, stage a contest to name the site. You might even be inspired by this guy who offered to change his name for the highest bidder.
Meanwhile, while you're trying to figure it all out, here are a few helpful links to get you started on domain name brainstorming or "namestorming." These sites have wizards that combine words and can suggest domain names.
There's also an article on JumpUp called Winning the Name Game. It's a two-part article on what to look for in a name and how to reserve it for your business.
By the way, I work for Intuit, so visit my JumpUp profile for more helpful links under "My Saved Bookmarks."
~ Kim
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