Business Development Archives

Friday Fun - Digital Domain's IPO - You've gotta love it!

For those of us who watch the IPO market with an eye toward what's in store for regional start-ups and tech clusters, you've got to cheer for Venice CA-based Digital Domain who filed for a $100M IPO on the NASDAQ on Thursday.

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Measuring Entrepreneurial Satisfaction

CED has released the results from its 2007 Entrepreneurial Satisfaction Survey Report (PDF), which asked Research Triangle region entrepreneurs about the critical factors for starting and growing an entrepreneurial business.

Among the survey's most significant findings:

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Untapped Innovation at Kauffman's iBridge

The Kauffman Innovation Network has launched an interesting Web site for anyone to search for innovations that, until now, have been lost and untapped behind university walls. The iBridge Network debuted at the DEMO 07 conference in California last week.

The beta version of iBridge offers an online information exchange between university researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders.

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Duke's Vivek Wadhwa: Keeping Research and Leadership at Home

CED member Vivek Wadhwa, an executive-in-residence and adjunct professor at Duke University, is the founder of two software companies. He also writes a regular column for BusinessWeek.com.

His latest column, "Keeping Research and Leadership at Home," features candid conversations with nine leaders who offer their opinions on what the U.S. should do to hold onto its braintrust and stay on the cutting edge of innovation.

Public Relations as a Marketing Strategy

Kauffman eVenturing has posted a collection of guest columns on public relations as a marketing strategy.

This collection offers useful PR strategies to boost your company's visibility. In particular, articles focus on how to work with journalists, sell your company’s image, begin blogging, and deal with crisis communications.

How to Fix Your Company's Pitch

Guy Kawasaki's partner at Garage Ventures, Bill Reichert, has some great tips on strengthening your company's pitch.

Reichert thinks that most companies fail to execute on a solid pitch because they focus on teaching rather than selling. When speaking with potential investors or strategic partners, "Your job is to excite, not to educate."

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Survey of Emerging Life Science Companies

The availability of trained technical and scientific workers, pro-business government and low costs of doing business are among the most important factors affecting company operations, according to North Carolina life science executives participating in a survey of Emerging Companies conducted by NCBIO.

The report (PDF) shows that companies are very satisfied with the state’s technical and scientific labor pool, and generally satisfied with the state’s cost structure and government’s approach to business.

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M&A Optimism

M&A activity is on a record-breaking pace, and dealmakers are again expressing optimism with 90% saying the current M&A environment is good or excellent.

That's the latest findings from the ACG/Thomson DealMaker’s Survey (PDF), which recently polled 1,201 investment bankers, private equity professionals, corporate executives, as well as lawyers, accountants and other service providers involved in the deal economy.

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Tips for Selling a Business

Kauffman eVenturing, a Web site for growth-oriented entrepreneurs, has posted a new collection of articles on successful selling strategies.

This new collection offers tips on deciding who to sell your company to, whether to seek a buyer yourself or use an investment banker, how to get the best price once you do decide to sell and how to tell your employees.

Articles include the following:

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Building a "Bulletproof" Startup

Business 2.0 magazine reports in its June 2006 issue that "there's never been a better time to start your own company."

While barriers to entry might be lower than before, the magazine warns that "succeeding is as difficult as ever." To help navigate the dangerous startup waters, Business 2.0 has developed a 16-step guide (PDF) to help entrepreneurs succeed.

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Successful Selling

Veteran entrepreneur Jack Huisman offers some useful insight into successful selling.

Huisman, who is director of sales for Health Decisions, wants his salespeople "reacting – not thinking" when they approach a prospect.

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Negotiation Strategies

Kauffman eVenturing, a Web site for growth-oriented entrepreneurs, has posted a series of articles on negotiation.

Kauffman notes that negotiation skills are especially valuable to entrepreneurs starting or growing their business.

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