Business Ideas, People / Stories

5 Things About Entrepreneurship I Wish I Knew Earlier

Visit Amazon.com, query Entrepreneurship, and instantly you have over 50,000 resources at your fingers. Hundreds of thousands of articles, books, and seminars explaining what it is, tools to help you to analyze whether you have the necessary skills, and how-to guides on being a successful entrepreneur. The problem is, very few resources share the true ups and downs of the process. Throughout my entrepreneurial journey I wish I had more candid reflections from entrepreneurs on the long-term process of starting a venture, the day-to-day emotions, and maybe suggestions on what to do when doubt sets in. In hopes of providing that to another, below are five things I have come to accept as part of entrepreneurship, but I never found outlined in any book….. Read More

Business Ideas

Springwise ideas

What is Springwise?

Springwise scans the globe for the most promising business ventures, ideas and concepts that are ready for regional or international adaptation, expansion, partnering, investments or cooperation. We ferociously track more than 400 global offline and online business resources, as well as taking to the streets of world cities, digital cameras at hand.

To ensure true ‘glocal’ coverage, the central office is in close contact with more than 8,000 Springspotters in over 70 countries worldwide. Springwise’s weekly newsletter, to which you can subscribe for free, is sent to more than 100,000 business professionals in more than 120 countries.

Springwise is the first company to compile and send out a newsletter like this on a global scale, making optimal use of an ever more networked world. Established in spring of 2002, Springwise is headquartered in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Who is it for?

Springwise is required brain food for entrepreneurial minds! Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur, head of a start-up, management consultant, marketing manager, consumer insights expert, trend watcher, journalist, private investor, business development director, or venture capitalist, Springwise will instantly inspire you by getting the world’s most promising new business ideas and young ventures right in front of you.

Click here for more….

Business Ideas, News, Resources, Startups

New Ventures India

New Ventures India promotes sustainable growth by accelerating the transfer  of capital to businesses that deliver social and environmental benefits.

New Ventures India right since its inception in 2005 has been supporting enterprise from the green sector. The process in 2006 and 2007 was based on an annual cycle where the selected entrepreneurs were provided pro bono mentoring services and then given an opportunity to make a pitch to investors during the annual ” Investor Forum” event. Click here to read more

Call for Business Plans: New Ventures India is inviting business plans from environment friendly businesses. The last day for submission is May 15, 2009.
Green Investor Meet 2009: April 24, Friday at The Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi
Success Stories: New Ventures India facilitated INR 79.83 Crore / USD 20 million in 9 of its portfolio enterprises
Investor Forum 08: October16-17, 2008: Ten Innovators showcase fundable green tech ideasFor more details, visit the website – Click Here
Business Ideas, Business Plans, Marketing, People / Stories

Entrepreneur Toolkit – Ideas Unlimited

Elevator Pitch:

The purpose of an Elevator Pitch is to QUICKLY and BRIEFLY explain the business proposition to the investor and why it is an ‘investment worthy’ business idea. The intent is to evince an interest in the investors and get them to say “tell me more”.

10 things that mentors/investors look for in a startup

10 do’s and don’ts when meeting a mentor/investor and pitching

10 things that make a good business plan

10 reasons why startups fail —

How to start a business in a bad economy?

The Making of an Exceptional Enterprise

Customer Dissatisfaction as a source of Entrepreneurial Opportunity

5 ways to take advantage of the slowdown

Click here for The Power of Ideas – Economic Times

Business Ideas, News, People / Stories

Solutions for Rural Communities and The Geo Tourism Challenge

Solutions for Rural Communities and The Geo Tourism Challenge

Here are announcements of two opportunities to enter global online competitions and to be showcased to a network of like-minded community members, funders, CSOs, thought leaders, universities, governments, and enthusiasts!

Ashoka is a global non-profit network and support system for social entrepreneurs—people who devise innovative solutions to the social
problems that plague society. To further this goal, Ashoka’s Changemakers provides an online, interactive forum that encourages collaboration and
discussion, along with theme-based competitions, to draw out the most effective ideas.

ENTER ONLINE GLOBAL COMPETITION: “The Geotourism Challenge: Power of Place.”
Entry Deadline: May 20, 2009.
Prizes: Three top
winners get $5,000 each.Competition focus: In partnership with National
Geographic Society, Ashoka’s Changemakers is looking for examples of sustainable management of tourism, or geotourism, as it is widely known. NatGeo defines geotourism as ”tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place–its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage, and the well-being of its residents.” We’re looking at people and organizations — including the government, and corporations — that are are initiating responsible innovations that use tourism to help sustain, enhance, or preserve local culture, build heritage, and natural habitats. For more details on the competition, please visit:
http://www.changemakers.net/geotourismchallengeENTER ONLINE GLOBAL COMPETITION, “Cultivating Innovation: Solutions for Rural Communities”
Entry Deadline: May 13, 2009.

Prizes: a) Three top winners get $5,000 each; b) Early Bird Prize: If you
enter by April 13, 2009, you could win a cell phone and digital camera (equal value of USD $1000); c) Nominator Prize: If you nominate people/organizations who could enter the competition, you stand to win a special prize!

Competition focus: In partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ashoka’s Changemakers is looking for innovative solutions that span the entire agricultural value chain – from seeds to sales. Three-quarters of the
world’s poorest people—the 1 billion who live on $1 a day or less—rely on
agriculture to feed themselves and their families, yet many cannot grow enough to sell or even eat. If you’ve come up with strategies, tools and opportunites for small farmers to boost their productivity, increase their incomes, and build better lives for themselves and their families, enter now! For more details on the competition, please visit
http://www.changemakers.com/en-us/agriculture
For more information or media queries, please contact Ms. Kalpana Kaul, Asia Director & Managing Editor, Ashoka’s Changemakers. Tel. No. 033-2417-2587; 6535-8647 (Kolkata, India). Email: changemakers@vsnl.com; kkaul@ashoka.org