The Red Pill is an irreversible choice – once you take the Red Pill, you look at the world in a new way. The Kauffman Foundation has been dispensing this prescription in the form of its FastTrac program, noting the uptick in accidental entrepreneurship. Detroit’s TechTown SmartZone will help mint, mentor and manage 1,200 new [...]

Problem: Alternative Energy spinout seeks growth financing in tough times. Diversified business can fall back on professional services, but would rather invest in technology development. Solution: Position startup for gap-financing programs; recast company story to highlight leadership/incumbency; develop executive summary and financial materials for due diligence. Technologies used: Coaching, marketing consult, financial analysis Work  done [...]

Blair Singer introduces neophytes to his SalesDogs cult with a combination of jacked-up motivational speaking and a simplified deconstruction of business challenges.His approach to sales training applies beyond sales: it’s a crash course in entrepreneurial stamina: the relentless tenacity and fatigue-proof high of setting and achieving goals, large and small, near and far.In this video, [...]

Problem: Virtual economic development projects are hard to track.  Resources are hard to marshal.  Too few economic developers have too many startups to manage. Opportunities are missed, and clients go under-served. Solution: Establish an online virtual business incubator portal, linking stakeholders, service providers and clients.  Track progress through stagegates to leverage coaching resources. Recruit and [...]

Clayton Stobbs, the facilitator of SWA2, invited me to join him in my old stomping ground of Research Triangle Park, NC for the next Startup Weekend event, July 11-13. Clay liked the new format beta-tested by SWA2 poobah, Laura “mitten” Fisher: 97 participants pitched 34 ideas, formed 13 Teams and started 11 new companies. (Previous [...]

Problem: Everyone agrees that a business incubator is an economic development asset – until it comes time to pay for it. Solution: An incubator grows businesses, but at its heart, an incubator is a business. So create a business plan! Research entrepreneurial requirements, study other incubators and how they serve their constituencies, build a sustainable [...]

Problem: Business Incubators have traditionally focused on centralized facilities, to concentrate resources and focus services within four walls. But the entrepreneurial community is changing to a virtual model, which makes the old physical incubator look, well, “old.” Solution: A Virtual Business Incubator, that allows free access to resources and services, 24x7x365,over the web. Netwok consulting [...]

Problem: Looking for a better way to manage projects.

Problem: Digital Economic Technologies needs a scalable e-procurement platform.

Problem: Check cashing stores are hurt by fraud and identity theft.