Portal for Entrepreneurs in the Caribbean Launches Today

For the past seven months Entrepreneurial Advisors, Inc. (EAI) has been working with Entrepreneurs Portal of the Caribbean to develop what I like to call a "virtual entrepreneurial center." A major problem with providing entrepreneurial services to Caribbean entrepreneurs is that they are scattered over hundreds of islands in dozens of countries. The area generally known as the Caribbean is well over 1,000 miles in all directions and none of the Caribbean island nations have large populations. The solution is a portal that will provide a wide variety of entrepreneurial services remotely.


For over a year now, a handful of Jamaicans have been developing The Entrepreneurs Portal of the Caribbean (EPOC), but two people Neil Rhule and Corine LaFont have done the lion's share of the work. Funding for the development of the portal was provided by the Caribbean Export Development Agency and the European Union, but operation of the portal must come from sources generated by the portal itself.

About seven months ago Corine LaFont contacted me (Jude Conway) to ask if I would be one of the six resident experts on the portal. The expert's job is to write blog articles, conduct webinars and answer questions from entrepreneurs writing in. As I have found, it also includes other duties as assigned.

It is a great honor to have been selected as the only “resident expert” that resides outside of the Caribbean. What is really exciting about EPOC is that is continues to expand its services even before today’s launch. There is a on-site workshop scheduled for May in Kingston, Jamaica; an international business plan competition scheduled for late this year and a weekly radio show on Jamaican radio in the development stages. There are forums, new articles and even a page to place your classified ad.

For those of you living in the Caribbean, Guyana or Suriname, I urge you to register as a member as soon as possible at http://epoconline.com/. The rest of you can become members, as well. I am sure you will find value in joining and the great thing about the internet is it provides access to everyone whether in the Caribbean or elsewhere.

I have only touched the surface of what is available at EPOC. There are things that can be done at the site that I have certainly not discovered. I could go on for pages about what a great resource the portal will be for those Caribbean entrepreneurs who felt isolated in the past. This will act as their hang out where not only they can get expert advice but can communicate with each other, barter for services and tap each others knowledge and creativity.

I will end here but this is only the beginning, I am sure of blog posts you will see here about my experiences in the Caribbean.

Saw Mill Hollow Family Farm

I spent a wonderful afternoon yesterday at Saw Mill Hollow near Missouri Valley, Iowa. For those of you that have no idea this is located, it is about thirty minutes north of Omaha, Nebraska. I went there with Paul McGarvey of Chadron Capital for a business meeting with owner Vaughn Pittz and his son, Andrew. The first thing that struck was how we almost instantly felt like we were somewhere other than Iowa. Saw Mill Hollow is in the Loess Hills of Iowa one of the most unique geologic formations in the world and one of the more fragile. As its name infers the business is located in a hollow with hills surrounding it. The meeting room looked out over one of two lakes on the property. As we drove in we saw five wild turkeys in a field on our left. As we left, over two hours later the same turkeys were just leaving the field, slowly walking up a hill.


But there is much more to this story than its location for Saw Mill Hollow is the first place in North America to grow aronia berries, and all the berries grown at the farm are organic! Since starting this operation in 1991, Vaughn has talked other farmers in the region and elsewhere to grow this unique berry and has supplied each of them with the bushes they needed to get started. He now contracts back with these growers for the berries they grow. He and Andrew then produce extracts, tablets, wine, salsa, jam and other products from the berry. Saw Mill Hollow sells just the berries, as well. Currently, there are approximately 150 farmers in Iowa and surrounding states growing the berry.

So what’s so great about the aronia berry, also known as the black choke berry. Well first and foremost it has more antioxidants than acai berries, cranberries or blueberries. I’ve tasted the wine and the salsa and both are very good. Secondly, the aronia berry was native to the United States but was all but eradicated when the Midwest was settled. It was introduced in Eastern Europe decades ago and is widely grown and consumed in Eastern European countries, especially Poland and Russia. The Native Americans of the region long knew of its medicinal properties and there is an effort to collect this information.

The other great thing about the aronia berry bush is that it is a sustainable crop that’s roots grow far into the Loess Hills’ fragile soil to help hold it in place. This is much better than attempting to use the sandy hills for row crops or even grazing.

For the past five years Saw Mill Hollow has hosted the North American Aronia Berry Festival. It is held the third weekend in September and last year approximately 1,500 people attended. It is a weekend of experiencing products made from the beery, learning from speakers, listening to live music and visiting the dozens of booths that Loess Hills artisans have set up on the grounds.

Currently, Saw Mill Hollow products are only sold in the health foods section of select grocery stores and in health food stores in Iowa, Nebraska, Texas and Hawaii, but most of the company’s products can be purchased online at http://sawmillhollow.com/shop/. Restaurants, retailers or processors wishing to purchase product on a wholesale basis should contact Andrew Pittz at 214-924-4810 or Andrew@sawmillhollow.com.

Check Out I-review Your-Company

Recently, "I-review Your Company" befriended me on Facebook and at the same time sent me a message asking that I try his services. He reviews your company, product, book, movie, music or food. To try to establish his clientele he is, for a limited time  offering this service for free. I looked at others he had reviewed and also liked the idea that he was local (Des Moines, Iowa area). My new book, "The Entrepreneur's Guide to Understanding Angel and Venture Capital" had only been released ten days earlier so I thought I would try it to promote the book.

He posted a short but flattering review on Facebook along with information on where to purchase the book and its price. He also shared the blog that I had written with all of his Facebook friends, as well as those following him on Twitter. For the last several days he has been using the book cover as his picture on Twitter and another company's logo as his profile picture on Facebook. Finally, he wrote to me suggesting other ways that I might promote the book on social media outlets.

I don't know how long his services will be free. What I do know is that he increased traffic to my fan page and this will certainly lead to increased sales of my book, as well as consulting services I offer. I suggest that anyone, especially in Iowa that has something they wish to promote check out "I-review Your-Company" on Facebook or "IreviewYC" on Twitter. And good luck with what ever you're promoting!

the unemployed entrepreneur®: TEACHER FRAUD

the unemployed entrepreneur®: TEACHER FRAUD: "The idea for this post came to me a couple of days ago, but I have to thank Tawana Necole (@CorporateChic on twitter) for sharing this quote..."

The Entrepreneur's Guide To Understanding Angel and Venture Investing Released Yesterday

My new book, "The Entrepreneur's Guide to Understanding Angel and Venture Investing," is now available at http://www.amazon.com/ and at http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ in either paper back or as a Kindle eBook. It is intended to be more of a primer for those that know little about the venture or angel investing industry, the criteria used for selecting investments and the process one must go through to receive funding. Any new or young business that has thought about seeking equity investing will find the book valuable as well as those people and agencies assisting small businesses.


It is not meant to teach someone all they need to know to become an angel or venture investor or even to teach the entrepreneur the intricacies of valuation or negotiating a deal. It does introduce these concepts and provides some advice on these subjects.

I think it would be a great book for a service provider to use as a resource with a small business or to lend out to them. It is an easy read. The actual text is only about 80 pages. Then there are another 50 pages of appendices that include checklists, a sample terms sheet, a glossary and a list of resources with links to their websites.

I hope you all take the time to read the book and please give me your candid opinions of the book. Thank you.

Is it Time for You to Start and Make a Brand New End?

Today I was reading a stream of comments on Facebook concerning a friend’s announcement that she is changing jobs. A couple of quotes cited in her original post and the comments had great timing. After all, we are at the beginning of a new year and this woman has cast off the old and begun anew. There is a lot here for entrepreneurs and “would be” entrepreneurs and what better time to look at this than a new year.


The first quote is from Harvey Mackay and it goes like this; ...."Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new end". I do not know the source of the other quote but its message is similar to the first one; “….every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.....”

There are a number of people out there that would advise any and everyone to become an entrepreneur. I believe it takes a special personality and set of talents to be successful as an entrepreneur but for those considering it, there is no better time than a beginning of a new year to investigate if you have what it takes and if your idea stands up to some scrutiny. Talk to people who have already made the leap, there are some great articles and books out there about what it takes to be an entrepreneur – read them. If you think you have what it takes, talk to some people about your idea. Does it make sense are there any critical flaws in your plan. Then get out there and see how big the market is for your product or service. Can the business grow? How big? What is the competition? What is your advantage? Are you solving a big problem or is your business a “me too” business?

All of the things I have mentioned can be done before quitting your day job. There is nothing wrong going through this assessment and deciding that either your not right for the entrepreneurial life or that your idea won’t fly. You may find that in two, five or ten years from now with a new or revised idea you’re ready to make the move. At least run your idea to ground.

By the way this advice is not only for the twenty and thirty somethings. More people than ever are making the leap in their 40’s, 50’s and even 60’s. I left a 30 year government and corporate career in finance to begin a consulting practice at 55 years of age.

For those of us that have already taken the leap into entrepreneurship these quotes have applicability, as well. Many of us need to adjust and re-adjust are product offering, marketing or operations several times before we get it right. I started my consulting business 18 months and I am not where I want to be or where I thought I would be when I started. I have needed to change directions a couple times and now that I have, it is probably time to re-focus. Right now I see myself going in too many directions.

Look at where you are with your business. How do you recreate your business to make it more successful and what do you change to make it more personally fulfilling for you? Is it a change in personnel, a new marketing campaign, dropping some products or adding others?

Too often we don’t step back from where we are to take a fresh look at where we want to go and how we can get there. Whether it is a dead end job or a business that is not providing a living wage or fulfilling our personal needs we need to assess our situation periodically. Where are you in this process? I’d like to here what you are doing to assess your situation and where you wish to be a year from now.

Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy in Iowa

There has been a great deal of discussion in Iowa over the recent months and years about how to encourage entrepreneurial development. The formation of new businesses has lagged other states for decades and now that the recession has curtailed new plant locations all eyes are on starting new businesses. Certainly we need to do something after all unbeknownst to most, we were the slowest growing state in the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century was not much different.


Most of the proposals have as there centerpiece an angel or venture capital fund. This is not new either it goes way back to the 1980’s with the creation of the “Iowa Fund” and the “Iowa Product Development Corporation.” These were followed by the Business Development Finance Corporation and the Iowa Capital Investment Corporation. All of these have been noble experiments but in some cases they were not given enough time to work and in other instances they were ill conceived. None of them were enough.

When I say they were not enough, I don’t mean enough money although that could be argued. Providing investment capital does little good if there is little or no entrepreneurial culture, support services or training. These initiatives really need to come before at least simultaneous to the investment capital. They will cost as much or more that the funds directed toward investment capital and they must be given years, perhaps decades to work. If one reads documents prepared by those involved in the North Carolina “Research Triangle” initiative one finds that significant results were not seen for ten to twenty years following its launch.

An entrepreneurial development program that will bring success needs to identify potential service providers and train or re-train them. It needs to educate local and regional leadership and get there buy-in. It needs a commitment from these leaders to work regionally instead of parochially. Those same leaders need to re-direct most of the funds committed to traditional economic development towards developing entrepreneurial businesses. Finally, we need to change the cultural mindset of Iowans. This is the toughest because Iowans have engrained in them the notion that it is better not to take on risky or unfamiliar endeavors than to try and fail.

This initiative is doomed to failure if we do not do something that has opportunities for all regions of the state to succeed at some level. This means an initiative that may be statewide but where program design for a particular region is largely developed locally. The programs should also be, at least in part funded locally, as well.

I have seen this type of program work in other states not unlike Iowa. Recently I have had the opportunity to work with a group of people in Caribbean and South American Nations on an entrepreneurship program for a twenty nation area. I have also had the opportunity to provide input to those attempting to rebuild the economies of Iraq and Afghanistan. In all of these cases I have recommended a comprehensive program that begins with education, training and the building of support services.

I believe that state government has some role to play in all of this. And just like local governments needs to re-allocate funds away from traditional economic development programs and toward entrepreneurship. I also firmly believe that if we are to make significant progress in changing Iowa’s economy the lead and most of the funds must come from philanthropy. This is the only way to keep politics out of it, to keep it flexible and to make quick decisions when necessary. It is also the only way to get a commitment for sustainable. The problem with some of the funding programs mentioned earlier was that they were subject to the whims of people running for office every two or four years. A change in legislature or governors office could doom a program or take it a different direction.

I think this is far more important than many initiatives funded through foundations and other philanthropic organizations. It will take millions of dollars over a number of years but will return far more over the long term. Let me know if you agree or if you are someone with financial means whether you might consider financing a piece of it.

Words for Entrepreneurs to Live By

"The World is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion." - Thomas Paine

I ran across this quote yesterday and copied it because it is the way I hope I live my life. As I thought more about it I began to think this is the way I attempt to run my business, as well - how applicable this is for entrepreneurs. First of all in today’s society business persons must think globally.

As an example, today before 10:00 am I spoke to two people who were born outside my homeland of the United States. In the first situation I was the customer or client, the person I was speaking to was a female born in Bosnia, who fled prison during the war, lived in Germany for seven years and is now in Iowa running her own business. In the second situation I was the supplier or in this case contractor. The person I spoke to was born in Trinidad and now lives in Jamaica and again runs her own business in Kingston. Whether we like it or not we are in a global society and to be successful in business or in life we must not only except it but embrace it.

My feeling is that there are two ways to do this. One is by attempting to sell to them without knowing their culture, beliefs and traditions. Depending upon the product one is selling this may work for a time, possibly even for five or ten years but eventually someone who understands the customer and their needs will take away the market.

A better way is to fully understand the needs of each customer and provide the product or service in a way that best fills their needs. Even if your product is the same for customers regardless of geography, the payment terms may be different or the way the product is sold or perhaps the way it is delivered. This gets to the part of the quote “…all mankind is my brethren,…”. A customer is a person or group of persons and they should be treated with the same respect and understanding as the customer down the street or across town regardless of race, religion or politics.

All too often, I think business people whether in the U.S. or elsewhere look at customers in a different land as a market to be exploited instead of individual customers with distinct needs and ways of doing business. When we think this way more often than not we have difficulty even penetrating the market let alone capturing it. But if we take the time to understand what they have gone through and what their distinct problems are, we can identify how to help them just as we might the business across town.

Finally, and possibly the most entrepreneurial important part of this quote, “…and  to do good is my religion.” – means that the product or service we produce and sell must do good, it must somehow improve the condition or need of the customer and hopefully mankind.

There are many people who call themselves entrepreneurs who are just out to make a fast buck. I see them on social media and through spam e-mails everyday. They are no more than snake oil salesman and are throwing the word entrepreneur around all over the place. These people are no more entrepreneurs than the person who leaves his or her idea or invention on the shelf and never gets it to market.

The true entrepreneur has a product or service that they truly believe will help solve a problem, large or small and in the end will help people. Whether they are right or wrong about this, they are passionate about what ever the product may be and work day and night to tell the world about it. It is more about seeing their dream to fruition than it is to make money. Making money is only secondary - a way to develop their next product or get even wider distribution of the existing one.

In the end, if successful these products and services will be more sustainable and these true entrepreneurs more financially rewarded than anyone with a get rich scheme. The bonus is that they will be rewarded psychologically, as well. This is the way I approach my business everyday – First and foremost, is what I am doing morally and ethically right and second is it helping someone? If not, hopefully I move on.

So even though Thomas Paine was not referring to business when he said, "The World is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion"  I believe it applies to entrepreneurs and their businesses today more than ever before. What do you think? Am I reaching here? What have your experiences been? Please comment below.

What Entrepreneurial Training Would be Most Valuable to You?

For the past eight months I have been providing training to economic development professionals on different topics related to working with entrepreneurs. It seems there is a great need for this in Iowa and other Midwestern states. Economic development professionals are skilled at working with established firms, whether those they are attempting to attract into their area or those that are well established in their community. When it comes to helping a star-up or young company, especially ones that may have some technology or non-traditional product it is another matter. I will continue to provide this training, with such workshop topics as "Working with Entrepreneurs," "Developing and Entrepreneurial network and Culture,"  "Assessing Entrepreneurial Opportunities," Entrepreneurial Finance Basics," and "Creating a Regional Angel Fund." 

Are their other topics that you think are missing for community leaders and economic development professionals? Is a half day workshop on each topic that is presented on site the right format? Are economic development professionals the ones that will move entrepreneurial development forward in a community or region or should I be targeting someone else?

I have also developed a couple hour workshop entitled "Is Their an Angel on Your Shoulder" for entrepreneurs that are trying to decide whether angel investment is appropriate for their business. This course could certainly be expanded to four or even eight hours if desired. There are also numerous other topics that could be provided in a workshop format for entrepreneurs. One that comes quickly to mind is, "Preparing Your Business for Outside Investment," and another, "The Pros and Cons of Receiving an Angel or Venture Investment." Can you think of others I should offer? What days work best? Is an eight hour intensive course better or two four hour segments? Is it better if taught in person or would a webinar or some other remote method be better? Are you willing to pay more for an in person workshop. How far would you travel to take such a workshop?

I would like to hear from as many of you as possible so that I can better design courses on meaningful topics and improve those already developed. Please let me know what you think. Thank you. 

Entrepreneurial Networking in Southeastern Nebraska

I spent last evening at the monthly meeting of the I2E Club in Nebraska City, Nebraska. I2E stands for Inventors, Investors & Entrepreneurs and there were some of each at the University of Nebraska Kimmel Education and Research Center in Nebraska City last night. You can find out more about the group if you go to www.i2eclub.org. Since the Nebraska City area borders two other states, I should mention that Iowa and Missouri entrepreneurs are welcome to attend, as well.

The entrepreneurs that showed up are not necessarily the technology nerds that one might find in a university town or Silicon Valley entrepreneur’s club, but they are entrepreneurs nonetheless. They are taking the same risks with their money and security and attempting to start something that if successful will in some way improve the local and possibly regional economy. They came to learn about angel and venture investing – what it is and how it works. I’m sure that many decided it wasn’t a fit for their business which is fine. It allows them to concentrate on the type of financing that does fit. Others in the audience were better equipped to secure equity financing.

The group was extremely interested in the topic asking questions as we went along and contributing their own experiences. It wasn’t a large group by many standards, probably about fifteen people but it was obvious that most of them were regular attendees. I would rather have a group of fifteen involved participants than fifty people sitting on their hands or nodding asleep. Remember, it only takes one or two of these people to make a significant impact on a local economy.

Part of what makes entrepreneurial networking events successful are the people behind the scenes that arrange for food, put the agenda together and secure speakers. Dr. Connie Reimers-Hild and her staff at the Kimmel Center do a wonderful job of organizing everything. “Dr Connie” also does a great job of emceeing the event, getting the crowd involved, making them feel comfortable. These are the things that bring people back time and time again.

I have no doubt that the I2E Club will continue to grow and will lead to other more informal networking by its members at local coffee shops, bars and restaurants. Over time, as people gain trust in one another business will begin to be transacted between members of the club and an entrepreneurial culture will be created. Of course, it takes more than a monthly meeting. It takes technical assistance from area resource providers, some formal business training and coaching and leadership. But its all doable.

It may not look the same as the cultures developed in Boston or San Francisco but will still eventually permeate the local society and create a collaborative, confident, “can do” attitude throughout Nebraska City and the region. This has happened in similar places, such as Fairfield, Iowa, Appalachian Ohio and Valley County, Nebraska and can happen in many other rural areas that take the first step.

What is your community or region doing to promote entrepreneurism? Is it a real program with committed resources or just the newest buzz word? Is it working? If not, what do you think is missing?

Book Review - "Energizing Entrepreneurs, Charting a Course for Rural Communities,"

As promised, here is a review of Energizing Entrepreneurs, Charting a Course for Rural Communities," by Deborah Markley, Don Macke and Vicki B. Luther. Published by RUPRI Center for Rural development and Heartland Center for Leadership, both in Lincoln, Nebraska, Copyright 2005.

It took me longer than it should have to read this book. I guess too much going on this summer. It is not a long book and one that is written so those with some knowledge of local economic development can easily understand it. I finished the book last night while waiting for my daughters and their friend to get out of the Midnight showing of the movie "Eclipse", so I hope my 57 year old brain retained everything at that wee hour.

This book is a "Must Read" for anyone thinking about developing an entrepreneurial development strategy for a rural community. The authors have, arguably more experience working with rural communities on entrepreneurial development than anyone else, at least in North America.

The book does not only guide one through the process of developing a program in a rural community, It discusses different methods used in different situations and it provides cases from throughout Rural America to illustrate that what is being proposed can and does work. It doesn't stop there however it explains why things do or do not work, how to work with different types of entrepreneurs and it suggests alternatives to try if one method doesn't work in your particular instance.

The book provides checklists and forms at the end of most chapters that can be used or adapted for your community and it provides a website where the reader can go for even more resources or to download the forms and checklists -www.energizingentrepreneurs.org.

I also like that the writers do not pull any punches. They continually remind the reader that all of this is hard work and can only be accomplished over many years with persistence, widespread community involvement and adequate capital.

This is as close to a "How To" book as I have found on the subject of rural entrepreneurial development. I hope you get as much out of it as I did.

Book Review of "Entrepreneurship and Local Economic Development, Edited by Norman Walzer

I just completed reading "Entrepreneurship and Local Economic Development", edited by Norman Walzer, published by Lexington Books, copyright 2007. Each chapter written by different authors or set of authors.

I think the book is really a bit mis-titled. A better title might be Entrepreneurship and Rural Economic Development as the book really focus on what rural communities can do to spur entrepreneurship. The book interested me because I am in the heart of Iowa where many of my clients are rural communities or regions. I may have been disappointed had I purchased this book and were an economic development professional in Chicago, New York or Los Angeles.

The book is really a combination of empirical analysis/rural entrepreneurial strategies and case stuidies. I found it extremely useful, if a bit dated. The book was written in 2007, really not that long ago but given that the whole social media industry has blossomed since then it's difficult to stay current. Several of the authors are associated with the Rural Policy Research Intitute's (RUPRI)Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, whose website www.energizingentrepreneurs.org keeps current on such topics.

I would recommend this reading for any economic development professional, local elected official or community leader in all but perhaps the 50-100 largest cities in the U.S. It is extremely comprehensive, makes a great case for entrepreneurship as "The" economic development strategy.It shows the reader how the strategy can work and where it has been successful.

It also emphasizes a regional approach to entrepreneurial development which I belive is the only way to create critical mass in rural areas. The case study of Appalachian Ohio is a great illustration of how one of the poorest areas in the nation can turn things around! It really shows that any region, with the right strategy, leadership and focus can move their economy into the 21st century.

Have any of you read the book? I'd love to hear what you think.

I am currently reading another book by some of the same authors, "Energizing Entrepreneurs, Charting a Course for Rural Communities by Deborah Markley, Don Macke and Vicki B. Luther. Published in 2005, this book is just slightly older than, "Entrepreneurship and Local Economic Development." It is a bit shorter and seems to be more of a how to guide with case studies to provide credibility. I'll let you know what I think when I'm finished reading it.

What Not to do When Using Social Media for Business or Profession

There are certain things that should be left for your personal life. If you are using social media simply for social purposes and your still in school, retired or independently wealthy this article does not apply to you. Otherwise, listen up!

1. Stay away from Discussing Political Issues:

If you have connected with me on a social media site through our common interest in business then you should not discuss politics. I see this in normal conversation, as well. There is an assumption that if one is in the same business or profession one also shares the same political beliefs. This could be no farther from the truth. People that know me well know that my views on one topic can be on one end of the spectrum and on another it can be at the other end. Very few people have the exact political views as you.

I believe business is business and usually do not let someone's political beliefs cloud my decision as whether or not to engage in business with them. There has been that exception where someone seems to be unbalanced to the point where I believe it will cloud business decisions, however.

Many other people are turned off by anyone who holds different beliefs. There have been numerous times people have told me something to the effect of, "I won't do business with that right wing ... or left wing .... " Why take the chance? Leave politics out of it.

It's fine to let people know your a Democrat or Republican or to follow your favorite candidates but don't get in my face about controversial issues. In otherwords, don't be a zealot and expect that it won't hurt business.

2. Don't Play Games With Me:

Are you serious about running your business or about your profession? If you hooked up with me to obtain business advise then don't ask me about Farmville, the Mafia or your virtual garden. I'm amazed at the number of so called entrepreneurs that seem to have so much time for such foolishness.

I have the utmost respect for most people that work in government. My first 15 years of professional life was in state and local government, but there are many out there that have disdain for government employees. That's why I was aghast at one such employee who during office hours would continually update me on their farm, gemstones or garden. What message does this send? Are they working or playing?

I don't care if you want to play these social games but if you are trying to impress me with your work ethic or if your profession is publicly srutinized, don't do it during office hours and don't clutter my "Notifications" site with eggs, vegetables and gemstones that you have gifted to me.

3. Don't Burn Bridges:

I have seen people harangue about their former employer or boss ad nauseum on Facebook. I'm sure the feeling is, "I'm out of there what can it hurt?" Well how many people that read your posts are still connected with that company or boss? What does your current employer think about it? If you trash your former employer what are you saying about your current one or what will you say when you eventually leave?

The other part of bad mouthing anyone publicly is that it just generally reflects badly on the person doing it. I, and probably many others feel it demonstrates, pettiness and a lack of maturity. This is better left in a private conversation with your best friend, sibling or parent.

4. Do Let me Know Appropriate Feelings and Special Events:

Social media is, after all meant to be social. I know there are business people out there that have no time for your children's pictures, birthday parties or your mood. My feeling is that this is an opportunity to get to know those I conduct business with on a deeper level and the more you know about a customer, supplier or business partner the better you can serve them.

Of course, by now everyone should know that there are inappropriate personal things I should not know about my business associates. Keep those to yourself please!

The entire time I was writing this article, it seemed I was missing a "Don't" that I wanted to include. I imagine over the next few months I may discover others. Do you have some "Don'ts" that I missed? Let all of us know by commenting below.

Is It Time for Economic Development to Move On?

I was sitting at an economic development conference recently listening to the speaker talk about business climate in terms of incentives to recruit or retain businesses, cost of labor and tax structure. His conclusion was that five states in the Southeast United States and another five in the Great Plains/Mountain region were the most “Pro Business.” But when one looks at these states there seemed to be no clear correlation between these states and economic growth. It wasn’t that there was a negative correlation. Some of the states were growing faster than the national average and incomes were quite respectable but others were not. Certainly there were states that were doing better even though some of the states had landed on the top ten for five years running!

Two things hit me. Why should a state strive to be “pro business? Isn’t it better to be “pro” economic growth? Aren’t businesses just a vehicle to attain this growth? When we think in terms of “pro business we lose sight of what it is we are really trying to achieve. When we think of things in terms of pro business others get hurt. Tax credits get abused, Enron pops up or the environment suffers.

My second thought was, “pro” what business? For decades we have known that incentives to one business can be damaging to another. We also know that a tax code that may be advantageous to large corporations can place a burden on small businesses. In fact, study after study has shown that large incentive packages to select businesses have little or no impact on the long term economic growth of a state or region. It may have a significant local impact but is that what we really maters?

What we do know is that the vast majority of new jobs created in the United States are created by companies with less than ten employees and with companies that are less than ten years old. We also know that as technology and the service industries have become dominant in the U.S., traditional economic development practices have become less effective. Land and building costs, tax structure and infrastructure costs have given way to access to capital, educational services and quality of life.

In the past, it was thought that while new businesses accounted for most jobs, there was little an area could do to affect the formation and growth of these businesses. In the past decade or two this has changed dramatically and we know that states and regions that have emphasized this have grown at a much faster rate than those that have not. In fact, some of the states that have recently moved off the “Top Ten Pro Business” list referred to above, have done so intentionally, deciding instead to emphasize entrepreneurial growth.

During the recent economic downturn many economic development professionals tried to move toward assistance to entrepreneurs. In most cases, this has been ineffective because the ground work was not completed first, adequate financial resources were not provided and the economic development professionals did not have the proper training to deal with the entrepreneur.

Why has it taken so long, especially in certain areas of the country for the economic development community to adopt a new paradigm? It has been widely accepted for years that the old model was out dated. First of all, it is easy to keep doing what is comfortable, especially if every few months one can hold out the possibility of a big plant opening, how ever remote. Secondly, there are limited resources. To implement an entrepreneurial growth strategy resources must be re-directed from traditional economic development to the new strategy. Those that have taken advantage of the old system have fought this tooth and nail.

Finally, and probably most importantly, entrepreneurial development is a long term strategy. It’s kind of like using your farm system in baseball as opposed to trading for players, or waiting for underclassmen to mature in a college athletic program instead of brining in junior college transfers. One has at least the allure of a quick fix while the other is more sustainable.

Is it time for economic development to move on - To move from a 1960’s model to a 21st century model. I believe it is. What do you think?

99 Amazing Reasons to Be an Entrepreneur Right Now

99 Amazing Reasons to Be an Entrepreneur Right Now

Pediatrician Mom Creates Innovative Children

Pediatrician Mom Creates Innovative Children’s Learning Tool

Posted using ShareThis

The Daffodil Principal

This article is being reprinted with permission by the author, Mary Dee Freeman. If you like it, you may wish to read more by Mary. She publishes a newsletter entitled, "WOW-ZINE" at: http://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/email/newsletter/1410292681.

The Daffodil Principle

Hi Everyone,

I was talking to a client the other day. She was frustrated because her business wasn’t growing as quickly as she wanted. I hear it a lot. Many people think that if things aren’t going their way, there’s something wrong with them.

It’s not their fault. It’s the way we live. Our society is one of instant gratification. We have drive thru everything; instant downloads on the internet and the list goes on. We are taught from birth that we should get whatever we want when we want it.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that we are so blessed in the United States. The negative side of such a successful society is if we don’t succeed the way we think we’re supposed to, we think there must be something wrong with us.

It’s just not true. That’s where the Daffodil Principle comes in. I don’t know where this story came from and I’ve edited for brevity. I hope the original author doesn’t mind as it’s one of my favorites. Hope you enjoy it as well.

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, “Mother, you must come see the daffodils before they are over.” I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call.

Next Tuesday dawned cold and raining. Still, I promised, so I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn’s house, I said, “Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see bad enough to drive another inch!”

My daughter smiled and said, “I was hoping you’d take me over to the garage to pick up my car. It’s just a few blocks. I’ll drive, I’m used to this.”

After several minutes in the car, I had to ask, “Where are we going? This isn’t the way to the garage.”

“We’re going to my garage the long way,” Carolyn smiled, “by way of the daffodils.”

“Carolyn,” I said sternly, “please turn around.”

“It’s alright, Mother, I promise. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience.”

After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a church. On the far side of the church, there was a hand lettered sign that read, “Daffodil Garden”. We got out of the car and I took each child’s hand as I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, we turned a corner and I looked up and gasped… before me lay the most glorious sight.

It looked as if someone had taken a great vat of gold and poured it down over the mountain peaks and slopes. The flowers were planted in majestic, swirling patterns… great ribbons and swaths of deep orange, white, lemon yellow, salmon pink, saffron and butter yellow. Each different-colored variety was planted in a group so that it swirled and flowed like its own river with its own unique hue.

There were five acres of flowers!

“But who has done this?” I asked Carolyn.

“It’s just one woman,” Carolyn answered. “She lives on the property. That’s her home.” She pointed to a well-kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory.

We walked up to the house. On the patio, we saw a poster Answers To The Questions I Know You Are Asking was the headline. The first answer was simple, “50,000 bulbs”, it read. The second answer was, “one at a time, by one woman. Two hands, two feet and very little brain.” The third answer was, “Began in 1958.”

There it was, The Daffodil Principle. For me that was a life changing experience. I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun one bulb at a time to bring her vision and beauty and joy to an obscure mountaintop.

This unknown woman had forever changed the world in which she lived just planting one bulb at a time, year after year. She had created something of indescribable magnificence, beauty and inspiration.

“It makes me sad in a way,” I admitted to Carolyn. “What might I have accomplished if I had thought of a wonderful goal thirty-five or forty years ago and worked at it ‘one bulb at a time’ through all those years. Just think of what I might have achieved!”

My daughter summed up the message of the day in her usual direct way. “Start tomorrow.”

The principle the daffodil garden taught is one of the greatest principles of celebration. That is, learning to move toward our goals and desires one step at a time, often one baby-step at a time… and learning to love the doing, using the accumulation of time.

Turning a Bad Situation into a Good Experience

Friday was one of those days. At about 9:30 a.m., I left for a conference that was approximately two and a half hours away. I go to the venue and no one is there. I stop by City Hall to see if they can tell me anything. The lady there was nice enough to make a call and find out that the featured speaker had turned ill and so the conference was re-scheduled for three weeks out. Supposedly, a e-mail went out to confirmed attendees. Hmm, I e-mailed my RSVP and even received a confirmation back but no e-mail informing me of the change. Also no change was made to the “Event Page” on Facebook.

So, I’m two and half hours away from home do I turn around and go home, getting there just when everything is closing down for the week. I thought seriously about it but then thought about a prospect about 20 miles farther away from home that I could drop in on, so I got in the car and dropped in. She was out of the office and would not be back for hours.

Now I am on the Western border of Iowa and if I stopped in Council Bluffs on the way back home, I would only go another 20 miles out of the way. It was an opportunity to visit with Bob Mundt, President and CEO of Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce. Council Bluffs is the Host City for this year’s American Food Venture Forum and the Chamber of Commerce is our biggest sponsor. I am the founder and executive director of the forum.

Bob was in his office and was gracious enough to allow me a half hour of his time. We discussed the conference and came up with an idea that will make it better than ever. We talked about some training opportunities for professionals in the region and clarified whether a critical component of the conference would be the responsibility of the Chamber or the conference staff. This clarification will make sure things get done on time and within budget.

I could have turned around when I found the original of my trip had been postponed but instead I tried to think of ways to make the trip fruitful. It is all about attitude and a few years ago I might have turned around and gone home ruining not only Friday but my weekend. But I have learned, quite late in life that you can learn something out of almost any situation and you can usually make a bad situation better if you keep a positive attitude. In some ways the meeting with Bob was more important than the original purpose of my trip.

So next time you find yourself in a bad situation try to come up a way to some how save the day. It may not always work but you will feel better just trying. Another lesson, if you find yourself somewhere you hadn’t intended, think marketing. Is there anyone in the area you can call on, even if it’s a cold call?

Ten Keys to Civility

The Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice, Venice, Florida developed the following "Ten Keys to Civility" their web address is www.gulfcoastcf.org. I think this sums up how we should all act when dealing with others. Let me know if you can think of any that might be aadded.

I would like to thank Krista Jagerson Knapp of C&C Home Services, Altoona, Iowa for alerting me to the list. Their web address is http://www.iowapestandhandyman.com. Check them out if you get the chance.

TEN KEYS TO CIVILITY

Respect Others - Honor other people and their opinions, especially in the midst of a disagreement.

Think Positively - Keep an open mind and assume others have good intentions.

Pay Attention - Be aware and attend to the world and the people around you.

Make a Difference - Get involved.

Speak Kindly - Choose not to spread or listen to gossip.

Say Thank You - Let others know they are appreciated.

Accepts Others - Our differences are what make us interesting.

Rediscover Silence - Keep noise to a minimum.

Listen - Focus on others in order to better understand their points of view.

Keep Your Cool - Accept life's challenges with grace.

Culture

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Culture

View more presentations from Reed Hastings.