tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19622719164302375312023-11-16T05:44:06.983-05:00Bold Ventures Radio TimesInterviewing Interesting EntrepreneursJean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-12631795359446135742012-07-15T10:31:00.000-04:002012-07-15T10:32:36.005-04:00How do you get to Carnegie Hall?It's believed that E.E. Kenyon first told this joke in 1955:<br />
<br />
<em>The absent-minded maestro was racing up New York’s Seventh Avenue to a rehearsal, when a stranger stopped him. “Pardon me,” he said, “can you tell me how to get to Carnegie Hall?”</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em><br /></em><br />
<em>“Yes,” answered the maestro breathlessly. “Practice!”</em><br />
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Practice. It's what we do in life. We chart a course, taking each step deliberately, anticipating that we'll achieve our end goal or envisioned future. Sometimes there are detours and lessons learned, and sometimes it's a clear, fine journey. Each step along the way, though, we get the chance to practice new management styles or practice new marketing tactics, or practice a different way of thinking. Through practice we grow, accomplish and become the people that we're suppose to be. If a company encourages its employees to practice, grow and become who they're suppose to be with impunity and acceptance, at the end of the day, isn't the business better?<br />
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What do you think?<br />
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JeanJean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-37617434316656854092012-07-15T00:06:00.005-04:002012-07-15T00:06:59.365-04:00Where have we been?Life happens; but we're back with more great content for entrepreneurs. Stay tuned!Jean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-68474381686305368272011-09-19T16:32:00.000-04:002011-09-19T16:32:43.910-04:00Habif, Arogeti & Wynne on CNN Espanol Today<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpL6mQjloZ_nD6y4lU40bwivULe55YY1V_Jsu6u__ihphduLXDVTLD51oGZyytwZ8069a24J1fzquJAOCm0_Uu8s4ZgdBBULm2Pwjj3aYBV4VXad4wdv5zN4LzXFYmKWuvhyphenhyphen7wApIR831/s1600/HAW_CNNEspanolAna_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpL6mQjloZ_nD6y4lU40bwivULe55YY1V_Jsu6u__ihphduLXDVTLD51oGZyytwZ8069a24J1fzquJAOCm0_Uu8s4ZgdBBULm2Pwjj3aYBV4VXad4wdv5zN4LzXFYmKWuvhyphenhyphen7wApIR831/s320/HAW_CNNEspanolAna_1.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><a href="http://www.orgprllc.com/">OrgPR LLC</a> Client, <a href="http://www.hawcpa.com/">Habif, Arogeti & Wynne's</a> Ana Fuyivara, CPA, is shown here getting ready to be interviewed by CNN's Gustavo Valdes. The topic is Obama's tax plans. How will business owners be impacted. Airs today at 4:35 p.m./e and or 7 p.m./e.<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvDIMzc4o4-_U3JrkQ4-7HmBSwR3CfP8vwY9G1oqOh0-dvsh4NXvOyllaRNy6_e9bnTsvmh3AbhuikJQgWopozryDwkgjPWl7_gcG4kjU0lK0cttKe0NlNGHO9qwj9Jq5ZBjuAQvcQzup/s1600/HAW_CNNEspanolAna_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvDIMzc4o4-_U3JrkQ4-7HmBSwR3CfP8vwY9G1oqOh0-dvsh4NXvOyllaRNy6_e9bnTsvmh3AbhuikJQgWopozryDwkgjPWl7_gcG4kjU0lK0cttKe0NlNGHO9qwj9Jq5ZBjuAQvcQzup/s320/HAW_CNNEspanolAna_3.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgZFyH4HIMU0abu0dOutyr-FPf0LjoyzLTKBlqzn7YYjigXVavY2G12aDP812XdVJ_mPBPcAzXJtTu0NQUiK0trCGr-G7GHmNCmmtP6xSBzwFBDJgBp1sV1HCGxrwM8tQrrkoA2Oa3apM/s1600/HAW_CNNespanolAna_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgZFyH4HIMU0abu0dOutyr-FPf0LjoyzLTKBlqzn7YYjigXVavY2G12aDP812XdVJ_mPBPcAzXJtTu0NQUiK0trCGr-G7GHmNCmmtP6xSBzwFBDJgBp1sV1HCGxrwM8tQrrkoA2Oa3apM/s320/HAW_CNNespanolAna_2.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>Jean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-85888912814183477192011-08-14T18:29:00.001-04:002011-08-14T20:41:52.589-04:00Interview with Wade Hughes: Wed. Aug. 10Last week Bold Ventures welcomed Wade Hughes, Managing Partner of The Intersect Group- a national finance, accounting, and information technology staffing and consulting firm. Wade explained a very important issue surrounding jobs: How companies decide whether or not to Off-shore, Near-shore, On-shore, or Re-shore jobs. Off-shoring is when companies send jobs, for example in finance and accounting or IT, to places like India. Near-shoring is when they go to somewhere like Costa Rica. On-shoring jobs is when the jobs are kept in the United States for Americans. Re-shoring is a new trend involving taking those Off-shored jobs that are in foreign countries and re-shoring them back to America. Hughes explained that what may have once been a good economical decision for companies, now the cost of Off-shoring jobs is changing. Financially, many companies are finding it more profitable to re-shore off-shored and near-shored jobs back on-shore. While that may be a mouth full- it’s a very good thing for job seekers in America. Personally, Hughes is aiming high for The Intersect Group. He sees the company changing the playing field and striving to create opportunities for many people to excel and maximize their own potential.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Interview Highlights:</div><div class="MsoNormal">A lot of people are not interested in the permanent job anymore and there isn’t as much loyalty in support function positions. People are moving around a lot more. The Intersect Group is the perfect vehicle for those people.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Hiring is: “Certainly more of an art than a science.” And The Intersect Group is a very fast paced, sales oriented culture. Some people are a natural fit and others are not.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Advise to entrepreneurs: “Jump in the fire.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Speed Bio:</div><div class="MsoNormal">Age: 44</div><div class="MsoNormal">Hometown: Birmingham, AL</div><div class="MsoNormal">College: University of Alabama: “Roll Tide”</div><div class="MsoNormal">Degree: Accounting Degree</div><div class="MsoNormal">Siblings: One brother, Tommy</div><div class="MsoNormal">Mentor/Most Admired Business Leader: Warren Buffett</div><div class="MsoNormal">Lemonade Stand or any other entrepreneurial endeavor growing up? “Fireworks stand!”</div><div class="MsoNormal">http://theintersectgroup.com/index.php</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Download Shows Free On iTunes<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYq9_Mw-_2NkWUTZzb6BU_6Bzl_WRkMNw-xsLDc80ulZn5izkQh7jvr5EymEpHTo3_JyORUwiES16huhhmR7Vby432iYuQeG6avHPoTCbYgE6GuoMuEbQFF0OlPKbo26ttqgHvs-tN7beA/s1600/DSC01855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYq9_Mw-_2NkWUTZzb6BU_6Bzl_WRkMNw-xsLDc80ulZn5izkQh7jvr5EymEpHTo3_JyORUwiES16huhhmR7Vby432iYuQeG6avHPoTCbYgE6GuoMuEbQFF0OlPKbo26ttqgHvs-tN7beA/s320/DSC01855.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
</div>Jean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-66821430482246600262011-08-05T17:16:00.003-04:002011-08-05T17:26:08.846-04:00Wednesday August 3: Darryl Payne & Stuart Dunkin<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 19px;"> <!--StartFragment--> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">Hi everyone, Jenna Sykes here. This week I had the honor of guest hosting Bold Ventures Radio.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">We had Darryl Payne as our first guest. Darryl is the founder and President of North Georgia's own Hometown Home Health, a durable medical equipment company. Hometown Home Health provides people with needs for home-bound medical treatment with equipment such as hospital beds, wheelchairs, and home oxygen. With an increase in obesity in America, sleep apnea has become a widespread problem that Darryl's company sees every day. On a broader level, the issues of reimbursement from companies like Medicare and poor leadership in Washington has made being in the health care industry quite challenging. His insights on what needs to change- from consumer confidence to what YOU can do right NOW to help- Darryl and his company, Hometown Home Health, are leaders in surviving the current economic and political climates.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">Interview Highlights:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">11 Years straight of solid growth and debt-free<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">New reimbursement guidelines from insurance companies are consistently disheartening<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">My Favorite Sound Bite:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">"Oxygen is one of the largest products that we do- it is certainly one of the greatest expenses on the medical equipment side for Medicare- and it continues to get cut. It’s cut so much now that I’m afraid the consumers are going to be in to experience less favorable results in their home setting. They get home, they have this piece of equipment, it may or may not be working properly, it hasn’t been serviced in six months, and patients end up going to the hospital just for a simple medical equipment issue. They spend one night in the hospital and that basically costs more than a year of good service."<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">Speed Bio:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">Age: 48<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">Hometown: Decatur, GA<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">College: Georgia State University<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">Degree: Respiratory Therapy<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">Most Admired Business leader: Truett Cathy<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">Passions/Hobbies: Guitar and gardening<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">Lemonade stand/Other entrepreneurial endeavor? None other than a landscaping company as a child... and selling fishing worms<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">Our Second interview this week was with Stuart Dunkin, founder and CEO of Data Profits. Data Profits is a supply chain planning and solution firm for the retail/wholesale market. Their services include replenishment, forecasting of business, analyzing the business environment for customers while helping them understand what products are doing well, what products are not doing well, how much they need to buy, and how much goes on the shelf. What makes Data Profits different is that it provides "unified" forecasting of replenishment and sales. They provide the ONLY market trend indicator out there. This company, lead by Stuart, is redefining the retail industry.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">Interview Highlights:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">Stuart built his first computer in 1978</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">His highly competitive football past helped shape his business mentality today<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">What’s the biggest challenge for your industry: Online communication and time management... and choosing a good place for lunch<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">Advise for aspiring entrepreneurs: 1. Have an exit strategy 2. Have a good advisory group 3. Be honest with yourself 4. Have fun<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">My Favorite Sound Bite:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">What would you say drives you personally as an entrepreneur: “The checkbook. (Laughs) The real story is, the idea that if I can make money for my customers, that’s a good thing. If I can help my customers be more efficient, more profitable, then they can in turn hire more people. And we’ve seen that with some of our customers already. If they can be more successful, they can put more people on the map, I think that’s a good thing. I think money sometimes has a negative connotation and it really doesn’t need to be. So what drives me is the idea of: Can I help my customers make money?”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">Speed Bio:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">Hometown: Germantown, Tenn.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">College/Grad school: Third generation Auburn grad, Emory Grad school<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">Degrees: Majored in Football and Women (Mechanical Engineering) and later got a Masters of Divinity and Masters of Business Administration<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">Use degrees? Yes<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">Sibling/Only Child: Younger Brother (Tennis Pro) and Older Sister (Entrepreneur)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">Mentor/Most Admired Business Leader: His advisory group<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">Lemonade stand/Other entrepreneurial endeavor: Played in a band and Comedy nightclub magic in college<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 14.0pt;">Download shows free on iTunes.</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><!--EndFragment--> </span>Jean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-78564728777178926092011-07-27T21:57:00.000-04:002011-07-27T21:57:43.468-04:00Live Blog, Wednesday July 27, w/ Nazim Ahmed<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Our guest: Nazim Ahmed, Co-founder & CEO of DNA11</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">What is DNA11? Personalized digital/bio-metric art company.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">They literally photograph your personal DNA & turn it into abstract artwork.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">How I did it come to be? Adrian & Nazim, best friends since 4 years old, founded the company. It began as just a creative project and was never meant to be a business. Eventually, it took over their lives.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Launched in 2005; clients in over 50 countries.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">They've added more products since the DNA portraits got popular. EX: Fingerprint art, Kiss art</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Canvas Pop: Can have any personal, digital photograph printed on canvas. They launched this sister company of DNA 11 a couple years ago and have been growing both ever since.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">How is DNA11 staying ahead of the game? Internet has been integral part of success because it is a niche concept. They are constantly coming up with new concepts and ideas- always trying to stay ahead of the curve.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">They are an on-demand business, so they don't have to invest in inventory. That definitely helps from a cost perspective.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">What does DNA11's competitive landscape look like? 6 years ago nobody was making art from DNA, but today they are. Flattery in the form of imitation. The key is to keep innovating.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">What are the emerging trends? DNA11 is very much in the personalization market. There is a trend toward personalization everywhere. They see lots of companies offering these personalized products. DNA 11 also trends toward consumer genomics. Introduced genomics into the mainstream.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Future? Focused on creating new products with great design and applying their art to different mediums.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">They are very excited about a new launch around October.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">They've had a number of celebrity clients, like Elijah Wood. (DNA11.com/elijah.) He auctioned his DNA portrait off for charity.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">What has been the biggest personal challenge? Only launch something that you are in love with and passionate about. You have to believe in the vision. Stay focused and learn to say no to projects you aren't passionate about.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">The Art Factory= their studio. It is an energized environment where all can work together to create ideas.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">If you love what you do and have a strong vision and great passion then that is one of the most important things. When that goes away, it's time to find something new.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Personally in next 10-15 years: Nazim wants to "inspire as many people as I can around me and set an example for them."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">When asked if his entrepreneurial spirit was fostered at home, Nazim said that e</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">ducation and minimizing risk was pushed heavily in his family.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span></span>Jean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-3238635083277742752011-07-27T21:32:00.000-04:002011-07-27T21:32:23.879-04:00Live Blog, Wednesday July 27, With Tara Guerard<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Soiree by Tara Guerard was founded in 1996 as an event planning and design company. Tara began thinking that her company would just design parties. Eventually, they became known for their weddings and began a letter press invitation company, The Lettered Olive. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Soiree is known for both their attention to detail and being customized to every clients style, taste, and needs. They provide their own flowers, decor, and design in house. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Tara jokes that so far, her company has done almost 500 weddings and have an impressively "low divorce rate."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Economic climate: Tara says they count blessings every day that the company is doing well- and very well. The business has thrived through it all. Not until this past year has she had to step back and look at what they needed to do differently (since they had growth each year until about 2 years ago, when it unfortunately went flat). Budget is the biggest concern of clients today. Now they have to talk about money first, not last. This was a new development in the last 12 months.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">"Competition either makes you better or bitter."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Tara says that she gets most excited about TV appearances and really enjoys teaching and doing conferences. Anything design gets her the most excited.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Two books out from Tara provide tips, ideas and how-to's.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Background: When asked where she gets her "artistic eye," Tara believes you're born with it, but would never have described herself as an artistic person growing up.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Background in Food and Beverage. Was a Psychology major.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">What spurred her entrepreneur spirit? First-born, highly energetic, driven, hard worker</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">What are the biggest challenges? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Not enough hours in a day. Having to be a good wife and mom by means of finding balance. "When at home, I'm at home and when I'm at work, I'm at work."</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Biggest challenge as entrepreneur: Keeping balance. How can I improve? How can I be better?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">The biggest goal Tara has is to be like Martha Stewart.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Next step: TV. She's in talk with production companies.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Advice for aspiring event planners: You have to know the food and beverage service first and the rules of service. Tara never hires anyone without that experience.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; color: #333333; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Advice for entrepreneurs: Know your business like the back of your hand. You have to start at the bottom and learn your way to the top.</span>Jean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-39514344940337675672011-07-20T21:37:00.001-04:002011-07-20T21:39:14.184-04:00Richard Kopelman, partner, Habif, Arogeti & Wynne, Shares Best Business Practices<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Tonight, I had the great honor to interview <a href="http://www.hawcpa.com/_home/richard_kopelman.asp">Richard Kopelman</a>, a partner at <a href="http://www.hawcpa.com/">Habif, Arogeti & Wynne</a>, about the <a href="http://www.orgprllc.com/">business trends</a> he's seeing in the market in regards to entrepreneurial businesses. See previous posts by guest booker, Jenna, for detailed info. Thought you'd enjoy these photos from the studio tonight.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhbSuM4-L4Is5Do1cJK_qZb38qEkEy-Rl1KijElKf02dudLf1GogQCaGmFudoVv44HM_cOr-SdvKlkWLYyzBwuJinJ5AvV8C1qZKYOH8g8WYouRObzddUg3oZ3-rACb5JLPEa9md8j0yb/s1600/IFO%252C+BVR%252C+and+Others+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghhbSuM4-L4Is5Do1cJK_qZb38qEkEy-Rl1KijElKf02dudLf1GogQCaGmFudoVv44HM_cOr-SdvKlkWLYyzBwuJinJ5AvV8C1qZKYOH8g8WYouRObzddUg3oZ3-rACb5JLPEa9md8j0yb/s200/IFO%252C+BVR%252C+and+Others+013.JPG" t$="true" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.orgprllc.com/">Jean Creech</a> and Richard Kopelman in the<a href="http://www.boldventuresprogram.com/"> Bold Ventures Radio</a> studio</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNimlIrb0Rvh_R0eLtAuJTUizEETGipucd5b4A_Q2_xWIrldT8mmlzOT0B-tBs91JHCkqYJCoYsNrMmp4T3B9KfOWX4238fd2cgWI7F-EdbW7f2lbb9HgQ76YEFwS3jouAdcSdLauERnM/s1600/IFO%252C+BVR%252C+and+Others+011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNNimlIrb0Rvh_R0eLtAuJTUizEETGipucd5b4A_Q2_xWIrldT8mmlzOT0B-tBs91JHCkqYJCoYsNrMmp4T3B9KfOWX4238fd2cgWI7F-EdbW7f2lbb9HgQ76YEFwS3jouAdcSdLauERnM/s200/IFO%252C+BVR%252C+and+Others+011.JPG" t$="true" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard Kopelman, partner Habif, Arogeti & Wynne</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Jean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-90935405807320973772011-07-20T19:03:00.002-04:002011-07-20T19:03:27.203-04:00Live Blog: Interview w/ Laura Zander<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Laura Zander, founder of Jimmy Beans Wool</div><div class="MsoNormal">Customers: Women, age 35-60, mostly women in big cities since they function online</div><div class="MsoNormal">Trends in the industry: Fashion based trends, Engaging Social Media, Examples: Organic dyes & easy projects</div><div class="MsoNormal">How Jimmy Beans Wool withstands the recession: Frugality, good management of tax flow, & being online has helped a great deal </div><div class="MsoNormal">Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur? Laura had a very successful lemonade stand- but it never occurred to her to create a business.</div><div class="MsoNormal">About five years into the business, Laura’s husband Doug quit his job and they expanded into a very successful business.</div><div class="MsoNormal">“There wasn’t a lot of job opportunities so we felt we had to make our own opportunities.”</div><div class="MsoNormal">Future? Staying what it they are now, but grown. </div><div class="MsoNormal">“One in four women know how to knit, so I would like one in four women to know who we are.”</div><div class="MsoNormal">Values: The Golden Rule. “It’s not complicated.”</div><div class="MsoNormal">Biggest Personal Challenge in being an Entrepreneur: Having her baby take away from her 80-hour workweek with “so much more that we still want to do.”</div><div class="MsoNormal">Risk-taking Tolerance Level: Risk adverse. </div><div class="MsoNormal">They have 50% annual growth rate.</div><div class="MsoNormal">“I dream about us having our name in lights.” She mentions one day having a radio, magazine, and television show.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Speed Bio:</div><div class="MsoNormal">Hometown: Cary, NC</div><div class="MsoNormal">Age: 36</div><div class="MsoNormal">College/Grad school: NC State, Washington State, and more!</div><div class="MsoNormal">Degree: BA in Criminal Justice, Masters in Criminal Justice, Ph D in Sociology</div><div class="MsoNormal">Passions: Running, skiing, wakeboarding, mountain biking</div><div class="MsoNormal">Siblings: Only child most of her life, siblings later in life</div><div class="MsoNormal">Most admired business leader: Norm Brodsky</div><div class="MsoNormal">Lemonade stand? She sold the most cookies for Girl Scouts</div><!--EndFragment-->Jean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-39077744237136796382011-07-20T18:40:00.002-04:002011-07-20T18:40:29.085-04:00Live Blog: Interview w/ Richard Kopelman Part 2<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Last insights from Richard Kopelman:</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sky rocketing prices of raw materials is a huge problem for entrepreneurs. The world seems more complicated today than it did a few years ago and a lot of that has to do with government regulation. There is a great opportunity from an export perspective of growth overseas. There are great tax incentives (you’re paying half).</div><div class="MsoNormal">Speed Bio:</div><div class="MsoNormal">Hometown: Hollywood, FL</div><div class="MsoNormal">Age: 43</div><div class="MsoNormal">College/Grad school: Univ. of South Florida, Grad school of HA&W</div><div class="MsoNormal">Degree: BA of Accounting and then joined the CPA exam in GA</div><div class="MsoNormal">Passions: Family</div><div class="MsoNormal">Hobbies: Going to the gun range, sailing, working out, & boxing</div><div class="MsoNormal">Siblings? Two brothers</div><div class="MsoNormal">Most admired business leader: Robert Arogeti</div><div class="MsoNormal">Lemonade stand? Acted as receptionist for his sales-woman mother</div><!--EndFragment-->Jean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-8475760148715983682011-07-20T18:19:00.002-04:002011-07-20T18:19:36.944-04:00Live Blog: Interview w/ Richard Kopelman Part 1<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Richard is seeing growth in small businesses. Baby boomers are exiting their jobs and some are leaving to start their own companies. Three years ago, entrepreneurs wouldn’t have been able to sell their companies. Times are changing. Richard, partner at Habif Arogeti & Wynne, LLP, is seeing more strategic acquisitions by strategic buyers. They’re seeing small businesses continue to reinvest. They are using earnings to reduce debt load and leverage. The ones that are surviving have picked up business from companies that have gone under. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Habif Arogeti & Wynne’s survey with GA Tech has shown that <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>innovation leads to higher growth margin. The number one concern today to small businesses is inflation. </div><!--EndFragment-->Jean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-21783532358507427082011-07-19T11:02:00.000-04:002011-07-19T11:02:59.669-04:00Wednesday July 13 Interview with Spencer Brown<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Last Wednesday, Bold Ventures Radio had the honor of interviewing Spencer Brown, the founder and CTO (Chief Tree-hugging Officer) of Rent A Green Box. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.rentagreenbox.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">www.rentagreenbox.com</span></a>.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Although Spencer claims to be “just” a product designer, Rent A Green Box’s creation story and business model is defined by entrepreneurial spirit. Spencer was inspired in his every day life when he realized there was a problem that he believed he could find a solution for. He created Rent A Green Box, pioneered his own industry, and leads it today. Presently, the company has started to franchise.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rent A Green Box is America’s first and leading comprehensive, zero-waste pack and move solution. The “Recopacks” are made entirely from post consumer recycled trash mined from landfills. The resulting product is a cheaper, faster, and easier way to pack and move than using new or used cardboard boxes. </div><div class="MsoNormal">In our interview, Spencer explains how he got this concept, how he started the business, how he secured multiple patents around his products and services, and what obstacles Rent A Green Box has overcome. Today, Rent A Green Box is the most award-winning small green business in America and has been awarded the Five-Star Service award five years running. Spencer Brown truly is the new green.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Download last week’s interview free on iTunes.</b></div><!--EndFragment-->Jean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-86866489409599027502011-07-06T15:37:00.000-04:002011-07-06T15:37:15.800-04:00Ways to get involved at Bold Ventures Radio<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 13.0pt;">Hello Bold Ventures blog followers,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 13.0pt;">I want to make sure you all are aware of the ways you can get involved with Bold Ventures Radio. This week, we have a new Facebook fan page that we’ll be updating with show announcements and exciting tid-bits from the entrepreneurial world. Once we have 25 fans, we get to have a much less complicated URL. So “like” away please! Like us and we’ll like your page, too! Here’s the link:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 13.0pt;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bold-Ventures-Radio/181608488566801"><span style="color: #0017c6;">http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bold-Ventures-Radio/181608488566801</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 13.0pt;">I hope you all know that you can listen to not only live broadcasts but also archived shows at: <a href="http://www.radiosandysprings.com/showpages/boldVentures.php"><span style="color: #0017c6;">http://www.radiosandysprings.com/showpages/boldVentures.php</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 13.0pt;">Or you can download these shows for free on iTunes. This is where we get the show’s key performance indicators (by how many shows are downloaded)!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 13.0pt;">Please let us know any questions you have for our guests.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether you want to know more about their company or about their backgrounds, post the question to us here in the comments section.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ll ask our next guest what you want to know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What’s next for their company?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What characteristics do they value in a future employee?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Post your question below and we’ll ask our entrepreneurs for you!<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 13.0pt;">As always, thanks for all your support. Tune in next week when Jean<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 13.0pt;">Creech interviews Nathan Martin from Deep Local: <a href="http://www.deeplocal.com/"><span style="color: #0017c6;">http://www.deeplocal.com/</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><!--EndFragment-->Jean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-23276579741887231042011-07-01T23:26:00.000-04:002011-07-01T23:26:35.779-04:00Wednesday June 29, 2011 David Marcks & Kevin Murray<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Hello Bold Ventures followers! </div><div class="MsoNormal">I’m Jenna Sykes and I’ll be joining you all every Wednesday night as the Bold Ventures guest booker, blogger, and tweeter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Occasionally, I may even jump in on Jean Creech’s interviews with a few questions of my own.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This past week, Jean interviewed two interesting entrepreneurs: David Marcks, Founder and President of Geese Police and Kevin Murray, Founder and President of Murray Associates.</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was most intrigued by these New Jersey gentlemen’s out-of-the-box insights that can only come from years of experience in entrepreneurial endeavors.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Here’s a recap in case you missed our live interviews on Wednesday night:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">David Marcks began his career as a Golf Course Superintendent in New Jersey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like many aspiring entrepreneurs, David was moved to action by an existing problem he encountered every day at work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His golf course had a serious geese problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said his boss had the following mentality: “Get rid of the geese or get rid of Dave.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By chance, a book on different dog breeds fell into David’s hands one day, presenting him with the answer to his geese problem: Border Collies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>David joked that these “highly intelligent, working breed dogs” will for better or worse invariably “find something to do.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So he gave that first dog he bought something to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Typically, that job would be herding cattle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, David’s problem was geese.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He described his first dog’s initial training:</div><div class="MsoNormal">“Border Collies, when they’re working, they use a wolf like glance called ‘the eye’ that they use to influence a herd either in flight or movement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their posture is their tail shot between their legs, their heads are down, and they’re literally stalking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re not barking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re not carrying on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So in the geese’s mind, they’re counting them as a natural predator such as the coyote, a wolf, or an arctic fox.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By coming out on the course or property several times a day, the geese count them as several different predators.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we just make the property an unsafe haven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re literally playing with hundreds of thousands of years of predatory instinct.”</div><div class="MsoNormal">Fast-forward to today and over 32 dogs and 385 clients later, the Geese Police have begun to franchise into nearby states.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every day, the Geese Police endeavor to remove geese from large corporate properties, playgrounds, athletic fields, cemeteries, and golf courses.</div><div class="MsoNormal">My favorite sound bite from the interview: “I traded in one boss for 385 bosses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Every client is my boss.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Kevin Murray’s company, Murray Associates, is an Independent Security firm specializing in eavesdropping protection and counter-espionage services for companies and government entities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In case you were wondering, yes, this is the kind of exciting work you’ve seen in movies like <i>The Conversation </i><span style="font-style: normal;">and </span><i>Enemy of the State</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, Kevin even says these films are pretty spot-on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Furthermore, Hollywood often comes calling on Kevin’s company for guidance on realistic circumstances and storylines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet, it isn’t this particular kind of excitement in the industry that appeals to Kevin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He cites two specific pay-offs to his line of work:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">“It’s fascinating for me because I’m very interested in the technical aspect of all of this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And with everything changing as fast as it does, there’s never a dull moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s always something new to learn, some new instrumentation to work with, and some new science to bring to the field to help people protect their privacy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that’s just half of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other half is the satisfaction that you get out of helping people protect their privacy.”</div><div class="MsoNormal">Murray Associates works with the Security Director, Corporate Council, CEO, or COO of anywhere from Fortune 500, international companies to mom and pop businesses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They even help individuals that are high profile and require extra care.</div><div class="MsoNormal">My favorite sound bite from the interview: “The thing that really makes me feel good each day is that I’m out there and I can solve problems for somebody and it makes them feel a whole lot better.”</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Something that both guests said on Wednesday night was that they rely on “word-of-mouth” marketing based on their impeccable, reliable reputations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They not only get the job done, but they go above and beyond for their clients.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s a lot to be said about that kind of client-based marketing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you can get a client to do your selling for you, you’re doing something right.</div><!--EndFragment-->Jean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-68138230670162658262011-06-02T14:59:00.000-04:002011-06-02T14:59:35.808-04:00The Intersect Group Talks about May Job Numbers Tomorrow to CNBC and Bloomberg News Radio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTD6UtT2Rbt9MbkjGykQFovrmqn6ff8DuQ7AZqF-INOS6Ecx_2uGI8HluqVIy8Ek48Cu_HtUiI6sKKDwxE7WPhW8Hsmu_DOwSGP-5amHLh_DwEjO9D0FRBgodHeJNmx9_eCu1ZTeBilxBD/s1600/Intersect_Logo_large+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="74" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTD6UtT2Rbt9MbkjGykQFovrmqn6ff8DuQ7AZqF-INOS6Ecx_2uGI8HluqVIy8Ek48Cu_HtUiI6sKKDwxE7WPhW8Hsmu_DOwSGP-5amHLh_DwEjO9D0FRBgodHeJNmx9_eCu1ZTeBilxBD/s320/Intersect_Logo_large+%25282%2529.jpg" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.theintersectgroup.com/">The Intersect Group's</a> Wade Hughes and Keith Ordan <br />
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Provide Insight into May 2011 Job Numbers<br />
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<a href="http://www.cnbc.com/">CNBC</a> to Interview <a href="http://theintersectgroup.com/about/leadership.php">Wade Hughes</a>, managing partner of <a href="http://www.theintersectgroup.com/">The Intersect Group</a>, tomorrow on popular "Worldwide Exchange" program<br />
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ATLANTA (June 2, 2011) - Nicole Lapin, host of <a href="http://www.orgprllc.com/">CNBC's show "Worldwide Exchange</a>" interviews Wade Hughes tomorrow, June 3, in what promises to be a dynamic conversation about jobs and employment trends. Tune in to CNBC around 5:25 a.m./e or set your DVR to watch the show and hear Hughes' insights before the May employment numbers are released by the Department of Labor at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow.<br />
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<a href="http://theintersectgroup.com/about/leadership.php">Keith Ordan</a>, staffing partner of The Intersect Group, to be interviewed tomorrow on Bloomberg News Radio's popular " Taking Stock with Pimm Fox" program <br />
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ATLANTA (June 2, 2011) - Pimm Fox, seasoned business journalist and host of <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/radio/">Bloomberg News Radio's "Taking Stock with Pimm Fox"</a> will host an enlightening round-table discussion about jobs and employment trends, tomorrow, June 3, at 3 p.m./e. Bloomberg News Radio streams live at http://www.bloomberg.com/radio/. Listen from your desk. You also can tune in via Satellite Radio at SiriusXM Channel 113. In NYC, <a href="http://www.orgprllc.com/">Bloomberg News Radio</a> broadcasts at WBBR 1130.<br />
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Special Note: These are live broadcasts.<br />
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Live interviews can be pre-empted by breaking news.<br />
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<br />
About <a href="http://www.theintersectgroup.com/">The Intersect Group </a><br />
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The Intersect Group is a national consulting and staffing firm, headquartered in Atlanta, GA with offices in Chicago, IL and Dallas, TX. At the end of 2010, The Intersect Group posted revenues of $27 million, growing at an annual compound rate of 57% since its inception in 2006. Inc. magazine recognized The Intersect Group as one of the top 500 fastest growing privately held companies in the United States. In addition, Inc. magazine ranked The Intersect Group within the top 50 in the Business Products and Services category. For more information, visit www.theintersectgroup.com.Jean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-60966913497487751452011-05-22T20:11:00.000-04:002011-05-22T20:11:35.287-04:00PRGX Global's CFO is Finalist for CFO of the Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hnE4SzSDnbVrLI-8EQ0I_YY78QxPcekoFS5QGheBsWaNN1DunYzDMbqvtU4yzlJyrj6e6AUwFXVzB1CbMT3m9ZQHHjhbH7HoOa9HmI9ptx1tXZB-8fQ1xjmLeHaNB_73-YpKlx5F2xxB/s1600/BobLee_video.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hnE4SzSDnbVrLI-8EQ0I_YY78QxPcekoFS5QGheBsWaNN1DunYzDMbqvtU4yzlJyrj6e6AUwFXVzB1CbMT3m9ZQHHjhbH7HoOa9HmI9ptx1tXZB-8fQ1xjmLeHaNB_73-YpKlx5F2xxB/s320/BobLee_video.jpg" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.prgx.com/profile/robert-b-lee/">Bob Lee</a>, CFO of <a href="http://www.prgx.com/">PRGX Global</a>, is interviewed by the Atlanta Business Chronicle's videographer, Byron Small. The video will be used at the <a href="http://www.orgprllc.com/">CFO of the Year</a> breakfast scheduled for early June. Will Bob win? <a href="http://www.orgprllc.com/">Stay tuned</a>.</div>Jean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-84046057274909255062011-05-08T21:56:00.000-04:002011-05-08T21:56:43.253-04:00Fusion 2011 Started Tonight: IAPP Conference<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzoFVuSOTtpboOIba7dii-QvcSvDf9146uVAZ4vbSLzV4VCSCNsR4weVM75T374t8AEsyoMQRAk14KfAxf3iqBxY7Z9BdLlskHDpNMFidWnn3eH_aCC2AUgUrkCUpA-rZFL_ysQtdubty7/s1600/IFO+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzoFVuSOTtpboOIba7dii-QvcSvDf9146uVAZ4vbSLzV4VCSCNsR4weVM75T374t8AEsyoMQRAk14KfAxf3iqBxY7Z9BdLlskHDpNMFidWnn3eH_aCC2AUgUrkCUpA-rZFL_ysQtdubty7/s320/IFO+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Tonight at the opening reception of Fusion 2011, <a href="http://www.iappnet.com/">IAPP</a>'s annual conference, Eric Jones from Lowe's, Ken Brown of IAPP and Jo-El LaBoarde, COO of IAPP, enjoy meeting professionals from all walks of the finance function from CFOs to accounts payable, accounts receivable, and procurement professionals.</div>Jean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-84860825592706874882011-05-04T19:09:00.000-04:002011-05-04T19:09:16.451-04:00Media Power 50 List is Out-WSJ #1 for 12th straight yearB2B magazine's <a href="http://www.btobonline.com/article/20110502/MEDIAPOWER/305029980/media-power-50">list of top</a> media outlets that business people read and appreciate it out. It's no surprise but the Wall Street Journal ranks number one. What is a surprise is that business leaders still value traditional brands, like WSJ, Forbes, Bloomberg BusinessWeek. 82% of respondents said that they prefer websites that have ties to "traditional media brands, such as newspapers and magazines." Only five percent of respondents said that they prefer sites that originated as a digital channel.Jean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-19392001294756894792011-04-30T08:53:00.000-04:002011-04-30T08:53:16.335-04:00OrgPR client, WebOps, featured in Surgical Products magazineWebOps, the leading logistics technology company in the orthopeadic space, was featured in <a href="http://www.surgicalproductsmag.com/scripts/ShowPR~PUBCODE~0S0~ACCT~0000100~ISSUE~1104~RELTYPE~NWS~PRODCODE~0000~PRODLETT~JW.asp">Surgical Products</a> magazine. WebOps was identified as a TAG top 40 technology company in 2009.Jean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-63722102117729538702011-04-15T18:54:00.000-04:002011-04-15T18:54:35.751-04:00The Intersect Group featured on frontpage of today's AJC Business SectionThe Intersect Group Featured in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution<br />
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Line of Credit Boosts Business' Flexibility<br />
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Action Gives Companies the Option to Expand, Hire New Employees<br />
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April 15, 2011, News Section, Main Edition, Page A23, J.Scott Trubey/Staff<br />
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ATLANTA (Apr 15, 2011)-Wade Hughes' fast growing consulting company recently got a big increase in its working line of credit, a flow of cash that can help his firm hire and take on new projects. Satya Tiwari, president of a wholesale distributor of home furnishing products, got the credit he needed to buy a second warehouse for his inventory, and cash to rent out a third. They are among small- to mid-size business owners who, according to some anecdotal evidence and survey data, are more bullish on improved sales -- and finding the credit they need to capitalize. <br />
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Though there's little hard data, "a variety of recent survey results paints a picture of increasing optimism about future sales and business conditions and a corresponding easing of credit availability for small businesses," Federal Reserve Governor Elizabeth Duke said Thursday in a speech in Washington. <br />
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The small business engine of the U.S. economy needs credit to help it run like a well-oiled machine. <br />
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Credit became tough to get after the 2008 financial nosedive. Lenders contend slumping demand was a bigger problem as firms looked to rid themselves of debt and ride out the storm. Indicators remain mixed on both the supply and demand front for credit, however. <br />
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The National Federation of Independent Business said this week that optimism fell slightly in March despite more hiring. And 93 percent of respondents said their credit needs were met or they weren't interested in borrowing more. "Lack of demand-- and not the availability of credit -- appears to be the stalemate that is holding back loan growth," the NFIB report said. <br />
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Chase, the retail banking arm of New York giant JPMorgan Chase, entered the Georgia market after it acquired the failed Washington Mutual in 2008, had little business banking here to speak of. Its lending to Georgia companies under $20 million in annual revenue grew 60 percent to $69 million in 2010. Some of the growth is from companies seeking new lending relationships because of a failure or displeasure with another bank. Brandon Long, Georgia market manager for business banking with Chase, said prospective client sales are up, and credit worthiness also is improved. "There's a larger demand for credit. That's driven I think because things are improving overall," he said.<br />
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Hughes, managing partner of The Intersect Group, a provider of IT and financial consulting and staffing services to nearly 400 companies, said his firm had $27 million in revenue last year. That is expected to grow 40 percent this year. Clients are investing in infrastructure, or engaging in complex financial transactions that were delayed during the recession. Hughes' firm increased its credit line 50 percent, partly to help pay Intersect's consultants' wages until clients pay his firm. "There is a lot more [credit] availability if you have the track record to prove it," he said.<br />
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Tiwari, whose furnishing company, Surya, grew last fiscal year to $38 million in revenue on a double digit boost in sales, said his firm added two lines of credit recently to expand its inventory space. Tiwari's firm distributes home furnishings like rugs and wall art through regional and national retailers like Haverty's and Crate and Barrel. Lenders haven't rewritten their rules, he said, "the banks are just enforcing them vigorously." But some companies say they're still having trouble finding credit, even as sales increase. <br />
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Holly Monaghan, who runs Dunwoody staffing firm The Waters Organization, said 300 percent revenue growth in two years hasn't convinced her lender, a national bank, to offer a revolving credit line. The company wasn't profitable when Monaghan and her partners bought a majority stake in 2009, though it is now. They hit $1.8 million in revenue last year, up from around $400,000 in 2008. Waters recently won a five-year contract to provide clerical staff to a metro county and had to seek out alternatives to banks last year when hers turned her down. Waters pays its employees weekly, but the county pays the firm every 30 days. Monaghan said she prefers a national bank for the convenience of employees but might go with a smaller institution. "We need that line of credit to grow," she said. <br />
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Copyright 2011 The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionJean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-53123935321367389222011-04-14T18:23:00.001-04:002011-04-14T18:25:08.062-04:00Prenova's CEO Michael Nark to Guest Host CNBC's "Worldwide Exchange"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNu0MTySluE3-Qs6cwnioPi-yakx66xsziTsM9OSXhvNJt4xJYcVZma6SajD1ykYrpyKXhqwQetD83MkljTLbCXIVxLjM5punbpclKLRiDsp5yVODJXtMIXIyx1zTNq0D7QY2PfxUpk4P/s1600/prenova_small_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrNu0MTySluE3-Qs6cwnioPi-yakx66xsziTsM9OSXhvNJt4xJYcVZma6SajD1ykYrpyKXhqwQetD83MkljTLbCXIVxLjM5punbpclKLRiDsp5yVODJXtMIXIyx1zTNq0D7QY2PfxUpk4P/s1600/prenova_small_logo.jpg" /></a></div>Wake up early tomorrow to see <a href="http://www.prenova.com/company/leadership-team">Michael Nark</a>, CEO of Atlanta-based <a href="http://www.prenova.com/">Prenova</a>, an energy management company, guest host one of CNBC's most popular shows and the cable stations only global show, Worldwide Exchange. Had a lot of fun <a href="http://www.orgprllc.com/">working</a> with Michael and the great producers at <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/15838355">CNBC</a> on this opportunity. Tune in at 5 a.m. or set your DVR.Jean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-60456993817831945142011-04-14T14:39:00.000-04:002011-04-14T14:39:04.995-04:00WebOps, a logistics technology company, Top Story in Medical Device DailyOrgPR client, <a href="http://www.webops.com/">WebOps</a> is featured today in <a href="http://medicaldevicedaily.com/servlet/com.accumedia.web.Dispatcher?next=bioWorldHeadlines_article&forceid=75154">Medical Device Daily</a>, discussing an issue perplexing global medical device manufacturers and distributors. WebOps is a very special company, improving a whole industry by tackling one of the biggest challenges every one in the industry faces. Think the retail industry is complex? You should learn about the medical device industry. Huge Kudos to WebOps for being one of those companies that's helping other companies save millions of dollars by operating more efficiently and effectively.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0PAxyJG5Ld-aZZCWTHsBEOsv497zqAHjqOwp4W_coIUWFSHHkcAG58SzEGGH8AWL8mM_lPpPptXfzhApvvDtcs8eNx0atrJpytX2TuZM8Eji35i1ltdW6Vqe3NtYjaHDAtdZks1slVDr/s1600/WebOps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0PAxyJG5Ld-aZZCWTHsBEOsv497zqAHjqOwp4W_coIUWFSHHkcAG58SzEGGH8AWL8mM_lPpPptXfzhApvvDtcs8eNx0atrJpytX2TuZM8Eji35i1ltdW6Vqe3NtYjaHDAtdZks1slVDr/s1600/WebOps.jpg" /></a></div>Jean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-73100310715463746032011-04-13T22:08:00.001-04:002011-04-13T22:12:03.532-04:00OrgPR Client, The Intersect Group, in an AJC Photoshoot<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwlOlv4rHbNY8t9gbobooP4sRBunIWe3bqY2GgPZlxg_c2Nqn6zwBWueWmWT9n6Zl0tUDSDZhKoAdYNLjVsCFIVBPv5mJTI7wr8vLPShrZSfUCRqvyE6V5hILxxr4CqJjQeFYiKWlM0XSu/s1600/TIG_AJC+Shoot+068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; height: 124px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; width: 175px;"><img border="0" height="150" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwlOlv4rHbNY8t9gbobooP4sRBunIWe3bqY2GgPZlxg_c2Nqn6zwBWueWmWT9n6Zl0tUDSDZhKoAdYNLjVsCFIVBPv5mJTI7wr8vLPShrZSfUCRqvyE6V5hILxxr4CqJjQeFYiKWlM0XSu/s200/TIG_AJC+Shoot+068.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZC0R-4ekDyqt4R4uRGek9bOYOjP-acEgGtxLaaxgsDtMRM4xCytBeK8bMOc11yARjfKyoQbcDJNQPCH3S5J3UUmMZbFmlQv1LP11EVPyxaeyB24SRfzneXsU7KEWG9-HBdSzFomnB0uFD/s1600/TIG_AJC+Shoot+059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZC0R-4ekDyqt4R4uRGek9bOYOjP-acEgGtxLaaxgsDtMRM4xCytBeK8bMOc11yARjfKyoQbcDJNQPCH3S5J3UUmMZbFmlQv1LP11EVPyxaeyB24SRfzneXsU7KEWG9-HBdSzFomnB0uFD/s200/TIG_AJC+Shoot+059.JPG" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://theintersectgroup.com/about/leadership.php#WadeHughes">Wade Hughes</a>, managing partner of <a href="http://www.theintersectgroup.com/">The Intersect Group</a>, and <a href="http://theintersectgroup.com/about/business-development.php#CatherineDixon">Catherine Dixon</a>, director of The Intersect Group, in a photoshoot for the <a href="http://www.orgprllc.com/">Atlanta Journal Constitution</a> (Left). Wade was interviewed for an article about the business lending environment. On the right is another shot of just Wade. Which shot will the AJC photo editors choose? Be sure to read the paper on Friday and Saturday to find out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Jean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-74088179681047349712011-04-10T20:59:00.000-04:002011-04-10T20:59:01.761-04:00A Career Highlight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJcuNzvLJ9AJvRpQVmDMjYImmnMJbowtILAYWt8HeeEVxup8zQ7iaQWDqDJguM2RBbP-18SpBOqfJNz-mTCFFnaIRwvV6M9dWQbwnlU4ZxQaPWRCUgTlp4eJT8AYQhJ5fdKwDLP_YkWSY_/s1600/Millford.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJcuNzvLJ9AJvRpQVmDMjYImmnMJbowtILAYWt8HeeEVxup8zQ7iaQWDqDJguM2RBbP-18SpBOqfJNz-mTCFFnaIRwvV6M9dWQbwnlU4ZxQaPWRCUgTlp4eJT8AYQhJ5fdKwDLP_YkWSY_/s320/Millford.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>This past Saturday I had the extreme honor and privilege to meet one of the most interesting entrepreneurs, businessmen, and philanthropist of the 20th century, <a href="http://www.classicalamericanhomes.org/html/founder.html">Dick Jenrette</a>, co-founder of the investment banking firm DLJ. <em>The New York Times</em> once said that Mr. Jenrette was the last true gentleman on Wall Street. We met at Millford Plantation one of the seven homes that he has saved and restored. You can learn more about his efforts to save classical American architecture by visiting the <a href="http://www.classicalamericanhomes.org/">Classical American Homes Preservation Trust's</a> web site. Several years ago, I was able to tour the Roper House in Charleston...Two down, five to go.Jean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1962271916430237531.post-20795775655121245782011-03-29T06:00:00.073-04:002011-03-29T06:00:01.711-04:007 Best Small-Business Finance Articles for March 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqBoy95x0yLaIyQXcmN9vXHFwSwN-oYVNPaAzo7cCrEtF5C-gjvtX0WDwxvjn6gk0CiE-ozygry-psMZC80wfsqwMELEpNgOufkCMA59vgERf1uiTtQT-pKHfv1K5REYOGDFOEW_dPIe0p/s1600/businessman+w+computer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqBoy95x0yLaIyQXcmN9vXHFwSwN-oYVNPaAzo7cCrEtF5C-gjvtX0WDwxvjn6gk0CiE-ozygry-psMZC80wfsqwMELEpNgOufkCMA59vgERf1uiTtQT-pKHfv1K5REYOGDFOEW_dPIe0p/s1600/businessman+w+computer.jpg" /></a></div>By <a href="http://www.makealivingwriting.com/hire-me/">Carol Tice</a><br />
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The Internet can be a real distraction. But it's also a great place to learn about small-business finance. Heavyweight writers are posting some of their best stuff online -- it's like a free business-finance class every month.<br />
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Since it's a topic I track regularly, I read a lot on the subject. At the end of the month, I can offer you this compendium of informative articles on the money side of entrepreneurship. Just my opinion on what I found most interesting in the past 30 days.<br />
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It's not a contest and they're not in order of importance -- just my 10 favorites, listed alphabetically.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
<ol><li><a href="http://bit.ly/dHiOdA" mce_href="http://bit.ly/dHiOdA" target="_blank" title="3 Big Expenses">3 Big Expenses Your Small Business Can Cut Today</a> - Patrick Egan on BusinessNewsDaily. A great look at some basic categories where you can usually cut back</li>
<li><a href="http://smallbiztrends.com/2011/02/4-reasons-not-to-launch-a-startup.html">4 Reasons Not to Launch a Startup - Susan Payton on Small Business Trends</a>. Possibly the most-overlooked budget point in the business world...the one where you decide whether or not you should be doing this at all.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/217979">The 5 Things You Must Do Before Approaching Any Investor</a> - Eileen Gunn on Entrepreneur. Good primer on how to get your ducks in a row before pitching venture capitalists or angel investors.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/money/article/5-ways-to-jump-start-your-cash-flow-system-judith-aquino?cid=em-smartbrief">5 Ways to Jump-Start Your Cash Flow System</a> - Judith Aquino of Business Insider, on American Express OPEN Forum. Companies go out of business because they don't manage their cash flow. You can never learn enough about ways to improve it.</li>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/gtk2Lu" mce_href="http://bit.ly/gtk2Lu" target="_blank" title="A Finance Tool">A Finance Tool for Nonfinance Types</a> - Tom Taulli on Forbes' Finance Corner blog. Interesting writeup of a new budgeting site that can help you with both your business and your family finances, too.</li>
<li><a href="http://info.cprofit.com/bid/60068/Financing-your-company-the-easy-way">Financing Your Company the Easy Way</a> - James Penny on the Compound Profit blog. Are you betting there's a catch here? Yeah, there is.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.openforum.com/idea-hub/topics/money/article/how-3-simple-changes-saved-my-business-44000-mike-periu">How Three Simple Changes Saved My Business $44,000</a> - Michael Periu of EcoFin Media on American Express OPEN Forum. Doesn't everybody like to hear the gory details on how somebody else saved money in their business?</li>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/hpPTrb" mce_href="http://bit.ly/hpPTrb" target="_blank" title="BNET">How We Erased a $5 Million Debt -- in 90 Days</a> - George Dennis of TV Ears, on BNET. I loved this case study on eliminating a formidable debt, fast.</li>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/fqTd4E" mce_href="http://bit.ly/fqTd4E" target="_blank" title="More Companies shift to epayments">E-Payments: Is the Trend to Give or Receive?</a> - Jennifer Azara on CFO Daily News. They're gaining in popularity, because they don't carry the high fees of a PayPal.</li>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/dKNhm2" mce_href="http://bit.ly/dKNhm2" target="_blank" title="Why claim credit reports">Why Aren't We Claiming Our Free Credit Reports?</a> John Ulzheimer on Mint.com. It is a funny thing -- we're entitled by law to look at our credit report free once every year, and we should do it. Sometimes there are errors lurking in there that lower our rating.</li>
</ol><div><b><i>Read any good articles on business-finance lately? </i></b>Add your own favorites in the comments below.</div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Photo via stock.xchng user <a href="http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1287062">CELALTEBER</a></i></span>Jean Creechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465036449325852090noreply@blogger.com0