Posts Tagged ‘Conference’

Anyone reading this knows what it’s like to get excited about a pending release. Whether it be a new Dan Brown novel to the mythical Apple Tablet, we all love the speculation. Hype is a great way to describe this type of obsession.

The companies behind these products know we are suckers for teasers, specs, promos, anything at all that can give our thirst just a momentary reprieve. At the same time, this last year especially, we’ve noticed tactics shifting substantially through the age of the Internet.

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The situation: You’ve lost your job. And the market to get another one as you well know is dismal. With this as a backdrop, you may be thinking that now is the time to invest in yourself. Perhaps by going to business school and getting an MBA? Or perhaps it is time to start that business you’ve had in the back of your mind for some time?

There are plenty of people advising that now is the perfect time to start a business. But if debating between business school or starting your own business, how should one think about this decision?

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Almost everyday someone asks me “where can I go to find XYZ.” I figured it would be easier if I wrote down a decent portion of the organizations I normally recommend to folks. Here in New York there are a plethora of events day in and day out. They include conferences, forums, meetups and workshops.

The frequency, quality, size and scale of events in New York for entrepreneurs, from the aspiring or idea-stage entrepreneur all the way up to the growth and acquisition-stage entrepreneur, can vary greatly.

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Recently I was at a business networking event in New York. And a man was doing a good job presenting his product to the audience. It was high-end with nice “green” features that he was hired to design for his client, who operates in a very competitive industry. But there was no indication of the environmental features of the product, a key selling point.

After the presentation, I asked him what was up with that. He said his company has been around for 50 years and they are not about to change. How’s their business doing? “Struggling. Sales are way off and more competition is setting in daily.”

Businesses are in serious trouble when are not taking on bold, new ideas. Especially today with the economic climate, fierce global competition and technology shifts.

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Social Media Can Generate Revenue For My Business. Really?

Description: Panelists discuss unique strategies they’ve implemented for leveraging social media to generate substantial revenue for their businesses. Long and short-term strategies for generating this important additional revenue source will be explored.

Entrepreneurial Ventures: The Impact at Home

Description: Launching a business can have a significant impact on your family and personal relationships. This panel discusses many of the common challenges, and offers strategies to strike a healthy balance between business and relationships.

I Have No Money, Now What?

Description: Panelists will discuss creative approaches to sustainability and stability as well as how to develop, build and scale a breakthrough company with limited resources, such as:
1) Unique incentive structures for your company
2) Free and low cost resources for entrepreneurs

Success is in the Company You Keep

Description: Seasoned entrepreneurs and CEOs reveal how to diligence partners, suppliers and employees; as well as
1) How to find an attract the right talent and partnerships
2) Understanding the pitfalls of hiring just on resume alone
3) Understanding how and where to find a complimentary partner
4) Hiring, managing, getting the most out of non-full-time employees

My Product isn’t Cool? What in the World Should I Do?

Description: Panelists discuss how to get the word out about your product, even when it isn’t flashy. Topics include:
1) Understanding hype and why it’s a power weapon
2) Clever ways to get publicity for your brand
3) Learn the pros and cons from top-tier “spin doctors”

The $5MM Company: Growing Fast. But Also the Right Way

Description: Panelists will share tactics they’ve leveraged to achieve unprecedented business growth; as well as strategies for mitigating marketshare loss in the face of stagnant growth.

On Tuesday, I will be part of the NYEW panel “A Roadmap for the Tech/Mobile/Telecom/Media Sectors: Top Entrepreneurs Reflect.”

It is a perfect topic and promises to generate a lively discussion. I have lots of Silicon Valley tech start-up experience and some Fortune 50 Telecom experience – but for reasons that will become obvious I will focus on mobile. Mobile changes everything and we are just beginning to realize it. What interests me most is how profoundly mobile phones are changing the way we work.

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Lately I have been teaching a uniquely green focused FastTrac Tech Venture program run by ITAC – New York City’s Industrial and Technology Assistance Corporation.

Our class is full of small start-up and early-stage businesses with state-of-the-art green technology business concepts. Super cool ideas ranging from solar panel manufacturers to internet-based companies that measure energy usage of your home and commercial buildings.

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For the fearful, our current economic environment is an obstacle, for the bold, it is an opportunity.

What do companies like GE, HP, Microsoft, CNN, Hyatt and Burger King have in common? They were all started in economic downturns by entrepreneurs whose passion, commitment, and ability to execute far out-shadowed the temporary economic obstacles.

New York Entrepreneur Week (NYEW) scheduled November 16^th to the 20^th 2009 celebrates the opportunities to be found in this economy. Through a series of panels, keynotes and networking sessions, entrepreneurs will learn from over 120 speakers from 18 states and 3 continents the resources available to them and how to launch, grow, and manage a successful business venture.

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