Posts Tagged ‘startup’

I follow start-up business news.  That’s my thing.  On-line start-up news is all about software development.  The on-line crowd seems to see no other start-up business paradigm: innovative ideas for the I Pad, brilliant Face Book applications, creating the next Twitter (you know there is something new about to blossom). Everyone in the on-line world seems to see entrepreneurialism as a golden ticket to becoming the next viral phenom.

There is another focus.  A good business can be built in your back yard, nurtured in your upstairs, guest room office.  A good business can be about a balanced life.  One can choose to start a business not for unlimited wealth and power but for freedom, independence and, frankly, life purpose and meaning.

Success, as defined by others, can be a tempting carrot.  It can be hard to clarify your vision when the world is defining the goal for you.

In my free coaching calls over the next few weeks we will review and discuss a few of the entrepreneurial books recommended by ReadWriteStart, a “channel” sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark, and described as a resource and guide for first-time entrepreneurs and startups.

Let’s start with one of the most well known and most vocal venture capitalist, a definite guru for the young start up entrepreneurs, Guy Kawasaki. Guy’s books, The Art of the Start and the more recent Reality Check, are considered required reading for forward thinking, beginning entrepreneurs. So we will start there.  Even if you’ve been at it a while, it never hurts to review the basics.

The books are, of course available at Amazon but, if you want to get a feel for the conversation, you can start with a review of Kawasaki’s blog, How to Change the World.

Or, find the book at a library near you, using one of the most useful tools on the internet, Worldcat, a worldwide library catalogue that will locate the title in a library near you.

Join me Tuesday, Feb 9, noon EST, 9:00 AM PAC for a discussion of the overlap between seeking your entrepreneurial fortune and seeking a viable business that rewards both you, the owner, and your customer.

For those of us seeking to build a lifestyle business to see us through our golden years, it is wise to keep an eye on the future.

Try attending a Startup Weekend event.

The Startup Weekend is a gathering of entrepreneurs, mostly young, technically savvy visionaries.

Friday night is dedicated to pitching ideas for new businesses.  Everyone who wants to pitch gets a chance.

By Saturday the list is narrowed by vote to two or three choices and the building begins. Participants choose their project and their role.  Teams form and, by weekends end, the vision is built out and ready to launch.

Watch this video and get a feel for the ideas.  The Startup Weekend web site is none too clear when it comes to searching for nearby events. There is nothing close to my Washington DC area.  But there does appear to be about a dozen weekends scheduled in various cities nationwide in 2010.

If you are adventurous and stout hearted enough to venture into the face paced world of the young, a weekend like this could uncover a bright business idea for you and, perhaps even more valuable, real connections with the young talent you will need to make it a reality.