When: Nov. 18, 2009, 5-7PM

Where: University of Northern Colorado (Monfort School of Business) – Kepner Hall, Greeley, CO.

Cost: $5 (Free with student ID)

Description: Highly successful entrepreneurs; Jake Jabs & Troy McWhinney will be interviewed by Brian Schwartz in front of a live audience. These entrepreneurs will give their responses and explain what it took for them to be successful, share their mistakes, and give insights to where they are now and where they are heading. Brian will ask striking questions that reveal the entrepreneurial mindset, source of passion, strategies to move from idea to action, the steps you need to take, and why it’s not about the money. Jake Jabs, the visionary entrepreneur of American Furniture Warehouse will provide the background of how he built a $300 million company with over 1300 employees. Troy McWhinney, entrepreneur of McWhinney Enterprises, and developer of 25/34 (Centerra) will share the background story of how he and his brother built one of the most successful property developer & management companies in Northern Colorado. Brian will ask striking questions that engage the audience, sparking ideas on creating something out of nothing (and what it takes), finding the source of fuel entrepreneurs must have, the role of determination, and how finding the right mentors can make all the difference.

More information on this upcoming event is on the UNC website.

My friend Derek just informed me that Kim Jordan of New Belgium Brewing Co. is on the cover of this months Entrepreneur magazine! To celebrate the success of some much better nationwide exposure for Fort Collins (far better than the Balloon Boy debacle), I thought it was high time to share her interview with all my faithful blog readers.  So, while this is indeed also available in the new expanded edition of 50 Entrepreneurs, here’s the entire interview for you freely download and share with others. Enjoy, she is an amazing person, and New Belgium is an amazing company.

I’ll update this post with listings to many of the angel equity partnership organizations I’ve come across.  Please post comments as to any direct experience you’ve had with any of them. Thanks!

• Nocoangels.com
• Angelcapitaleducation.org
• http://angelsoft.net/
• Angelcapitalassociation.org
• fundinguniverse.com
• Angel Capital Summit (Nov. 17, 2009 in Denver)

I am in the process of putting together an ‘ investor information packet ‘ for 50 Interviews whereby investors will have the opportunity to invest in specific upcoming titles.  Stay tuned or contact me for more info.

Dictionary.com says an entrepreneur is a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business.  They usually do this with considerable initiative and risk.

Many may assume that the term and concept is now.  That is not true. 
 
Jean-Baptiste Say (1767-1832) was French economist and businessman who came up with the term.  He is known for as an insightful thinker in the history of economic science. Additionally, he was a major proponent of Adam Smith’s self-directing economic system of competition, natural liberty, and limited government.

He emphasized the vital and creative roles of the entrepreneur in the economy as forecaster, project appraiser, and risk taker. Attributes of an effective entrepreneur according to the Frenchman are judgment and perseverance and knowledge of the world.

Does the definition still hold true?

Dear friends!! As many of you know, I’ll be hosting my first event next month, specifically on 9/9/09. If you want to learn more, including the significance of the 9/9 date, I encourage you to call in to our conf. call today @ 4pm MTN to hear Jen, the Millionaire Mommy Next Door dive into the specifics around how 50 Interviews can be used as a framework to create a new future for yourself. You’ll also hear from Tuula, author of 50 Spiritual Leaders, what she’s experienced first hand as she’s wrapping up her own 50 Interviews title. The call is today (Wednesday, Aug. 26) at 4pm MST, call in#: (712) 432-0080 Passcode: 199069#.

In case you miss today’s call (my apologies to feedburner subscribers), the next call will be Thursday, Sept. 3 at 7pm MTN. Same dial in #.

More info on the event including a recording of our last call can me found at: http://50interviews.eventbrite.com/

Until then, have a great day!

Some of the recent posts on this site have been about good books and web sites for aspiring entrepreneurs.  This one is going to be about television shows and entrepreneurs.

The TV show that I am referring to is on CBS, and is called “Shark Tank    Can You Swim With the Sharks?”  It has nothing to do with Jaws or one of those shows where they dare people to do gross things.

The premise of the show is that entrepreneurs have time to pitch their ideas (usually a product) in front of a panel of entrepreneurs, angel investors and all-around rich people.

The entrepreneur is asking for a sum of money, to have the investor be a partner or for some kind of royalty structure or a combination of these.

If the panel rejects the person’s idea, they tell them to take a hike. (Some are very determined despite the feedback they receive on the show)

In some cases, the two parties come together and the business is launched.

As an entrepreneur, you will see what kind of ideas others have, how they are pitching it and the reaction they receive.

Who knew television could be educational?

The show is on Sunday evenings.

According to a June 2009 study by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, challenging economic times can serve as the rebirth of entrepreneurial capitalism. This in turn can lead to the creation of new jobs.

The study, “The Economic Future Just Happened,” by Dane Strangler found that more than half of the companies on the 2009 Fortune 500 list were launched during a recession or bear market
Many entrepreneurs view unemployment as an opportunity to start a company, and use the advantage provided by the ability to tap into a larger pool of potential employees.

The study points out that while recessions often create widespread economic woes,  they also can encourage potential entrepreneurs.

Is this your time to act?

After spending the last 6 months refining the authorship program, I’ll be formally rolling it out for the first time on 9/9/09. And the significance of the specific date, 9/9/09, will be revealed on the pre-event conference calls.  The event is being called ‘On the Shoulders of Giants’. And whether or not you decide to take on the challenge of interviewing others for the purpose of your own 50 Interviews title, you will still take away plenty of practical tidbits that you can begin applying immediately. You can learn more at 50interviews.eventbrite.com. The first of three pre-event conf. calls is tomorrow at 7pm. Details can be found on the event link. Hope to see you there!

In a recent blog post, Sean Ellis talked about the startup pyramid for businesses. See complete details on his blog.

The base or foundation of the pyramid is product/market fit. Ellis quotes other entrepreneurs who say this is a vitally important yet somewhat abstract concept. He asks customers if they would be disappointed without the product.

The second level of the pyramid is “promise.”  Here you highlight the benefits of your product.
Moving up a level, next comes economics.  To quote Ellis, “Implement the business model that allows you to profitably acquire the most users.”

The two smallest portions of the startup pyramid are “optimize” and “scale.”  The entrepreneur should come up with a repeatable and scalable process. They should test multiple approaches and have measurements (metrics) in place.

Sean Ellis has taken several venture capital-backed startups to market.

Do you know people who are more than willing to “shot down” your entrepreneurial ideas?

Dawn Duncan of Fort Collins, CO-based Broadreach Recruiting & Consulting recently addressed this topic in the Northern Colorado Business Report (NCBR).
Duncan credits her acquaintance Deanna Sinclair with the label for this type of person.  Sinclair calls them “antipreneurial.”

The NCBR article says to beware of these people. They will make you feel fear and doubt. Many of them put a heavy value on security and stability.

Duncan suggests the entrepreneur look for people who will give constructive feedback to your ideas based on logic and facts.

The NCBR article says the entrepreneur can ward off these antipreneurs by having a basic plan of what they want to accomplish and a plan of action.

Additionally, entrepreneurs should rely up their circle of trusted friends and colleagues to help them move toward the pursue of their goal.

See the Northern Colorado Business Report for the full article.