w3w3.com

Northern Colorado SBDC Network, "The Launch"

Great news for entrepreneurs in northern Colorado
1268_ 8/29/12 - Great news for entrepreneurs in northern Colorado, specifically in the aero space sector - SBDC Network is partnering with a new organization, The Estes Institute; this group is doing some amazing things in Estes Park; the Colorado SBDC Network with enthusiastic business support from the likes of the Stanley Hotel and others. The Colorado SBDC is working diligently to assist any businesses that have been adversely affected by these tragic events. They are working with their Centers and many resource partners building a network of solutions to help get. In addition they put on special events and Kelly Manning, State Director, is here to talk about the Estes Institute. "So SBDC is partnering with this new organization, Estes Institute, and it's going to be hubbed out of Estes Park, and in particular out of the Stanley Hotel. The first event that we're putting on up there is called 'The Launch' - kind of a cool name considering that the event is for the aerospace and aviation industry. It's going to be an investor conference, a three day program, October 30th thru November 1st, at the Stanley Hotel. Keynote speaker is Norm Augustine retired chairman of Lockheed Martin, and he will be a huge draw for Colorado. There will be training programs, pitches, investors, to help Colorado small businesses and mid-size businesses who want to do business or get deals done in the aviation / aerospace industry. Attendees will be there obviously to look for investors, so we're inviting investors not only nationally, but internationally. It will be an 'invite only' event. So it's going to be a smaller event that businesses will actually apply to attend this conference. What we want to do is make sure we show these investors that we have solid companies that they'll want to do deals with. Aside from those deals...get the details...
Related Links: Colorado SBDC || SBDC Business Recovery Intake Form || In the News Archives || Stanley Hotel || Keywords: Kelly Manning, Colorado, SBDC, Small Business Development Center Network, Stanley Hotel, SBA, Estes Institute, Financial Support - bytes=4754184
LISTEN TO: Kelly Manning, State Director, SBDC Network

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Investment & Finance Cross-Networking Event

Networking Rules of Engagement, the do's and don'ts
1263_ 8/24/12 - Howard Potter, recovering attorney and CPA is here to talk about his favorite subject, networking. We're discussing his Networking Rules of Engagement, and then we'll talk about the 7th Annual Investment & Finance Cross-Networking Event on September 27th, 2012, hosted by Mr. Potter and sponsored by ACG Denver, w3w3.com and many others. Last year over 400 people attended this event and it has been sold out each of the last four years. The format is appreciated by all - there are no speakers, just a lot of time to network and make or renew your contacts. We asked him to talk about his networking best practices. Networking should be about 'How can I help you?' You walk into a meeting, the first thing you want to think is, 'What can I do to help these people in the room?' First, try to arrive a minimum of 15 minutes early. Those first minutes are the most important. You can get the ground work going, canvass the room, get a feeling for what's going on. I would also suggest, try to leave 15 minutes late, at the end of the networking time is some of the most valuable time that you spend. After the networking session is over you have to take the cards you've collected, make notes on the cards to remind yourself later of who you met. Talking about business cards - Never, Never, Never be without your business card. Howard goes so far to say if you are fishing or hunting - have a business card with you. The business card should be a card on which you can write and take notes so the people who meet you and you meet - you can make notes about who these people are and what their background is. Listen for more and be ready to take notes...
Related Links: Investment & Finance Cross-Networking Event || ACG Denver || M&A || w3w3.com Blog || Howard Potter || Keywords: Howard Potter, Investment & Finance Cross-Networking, ACG Denver, Networking Rules of Engagement, Business Cards, Brand Yourself, bytes=5760630
LISTEN TO: Howard Potter, Cross Networking 2012

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Fires affected Colorado businesses

Fire disaster financial relief for businesses
1262_ 8/21/12 - The SBDC Network, that's Small Business Development Center Network has 14 hubs throughout Colorado, they conduct regular training events and services to help small businesses grow and prosper. With the recent disastrous effects of the fires in our state this season, Kelly Manning, State Director for SBDC Network said, "It's really a sad thing. With all the media attention about the fires in Colorado. You know a lot of businesses were not affected physically by those fires but it did effect them financially. The media puts on all the pictures and it looks like the entire state is on fire. The reality of it was, unfortunately a lot of homes were destroyed, but not a lot of businesses. But people stopped coming to Colorado. We had cancellations from Aspen to Vail, wanting to know how close the fires were to them - canceling hotel reservations, restaurants were affected. So, truly a lot of businesses were affected by these fires. With that the SBDC has been stepping up from day one. Fortunately Colorado was blessed with a $100,000 grant from our federal partners, SBA, to provide consulting for businesses that were affected. With that we will bringing on consultants that will help with loan packaging for the disaster loans and also some people need lines of credit to be able to get over a hump to get them back on track where they were. The Colorado SBDC Network is here to help those businesses pick up the pieces and clear the way through the ashes of their disasters. SBDC Network is here for the long haul to help those businesses get back up on their feet and be more successful than they were before." ... LISTEN for more!
Related Links: Colorado SBDC || SBDC Business Recovery Intake Form || Waldo Canyon, High Park Wildfire Story || In the News Archives || Keywords: Kelly Manning, Colorado, SBDC, Small Business Development Center Network, SBA, Waldo Canyon, High Park, Wildfires, FEMA, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, Larimer County, Financial Support - bytes=4492123
LISTEN TO: Kelly Manning, State Director, Colorado SBDC Network

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One Man Succeeding by Investing in the Community

The lending side is one, but it's also the capital side
1261_ 8/20/12 - We are talking with Rick Fort, the founder and former Chairman of Educational Sales Management (ESM), a provider of student lifecycle solutions to help schools enroll, graduate and place more students. Rick sold the company a year ago to Xerox. Here too is Dorothy Donnelly, National Marketing Director for Hein & Associates, a public accounting firm based here in Denver, and Dorothy is also a board member of ACG Denver. Dorothy pointed out that Rick Fort enrolled, by founding ESM, graduated by selling ESM to Xerox and now he is succeeding by investing into the community - a true entrepreneur who now heads up The Fort Knocks Company. Larry asked, "What are some of the biggest challenges for mid-sized companies today?" Rick said, "For mid-sized companies down to small companies as well, it is in part, finding the right people to help grow innovation, not getting stuck in where-you-are, constantly developing new ideas and bringing new change." Dorothy said, "What I’m hearing from folks is that it is still very difficult to get lending even though it's loosening up a bit. That being the commercial banks are at the will of the lenders and their organizations and not so much able to support business on their own without that stamp of approval." Rick agreed with that and added, "The lending side is one, but it's also the capital side. Now venture capital and the equity groups are starting to loosen up their pockets more and more, making good investments in companies. But there's a leverage that they have too, so it's not necessarily all it's made out to be." They then discussed the possibilities, potential advantages and strengths coming up this next year...Listen for more...
Related Links: ACG Denver || M&A || Rocky Mountain Corporate Growth Conference || The Fort Knocks Company || Hein & Associates || Keywords: Rick Fort, Dorothy Donnelly, ACG Denver, Association for Corporate Growth, Educational Sales Management, ESM, Fort Knocks Company, Hein & Associates, Mid-sized Companies, Venture Capital, Equity Groups, bytes=4271023
LISTEN TO: Rick Fort, The Fort Knocks Co. & Dorothy Donnelly, Hein & Associates - ACG

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What a difference eight years can make…

we are taking you back to 2004.
We all know that the Internet and Web have changed a great deal in this past decade. When we launched w3w3.com in Jan 1999, we used to ‘brag’ about the fact people could listen to our material using a 28K modem. Businesses and leaders of business have changed a great deal too. The recording of Vinton Cerf, one of the fathers of the Internet, was at a press conference. His focus hasn’t changed but his career has. In Larry’s book, ‘Mastering Change in the midst of Chaos, Larry writes about some interesting comparisons between Alexander Graham Bell and Vinton Cerf.
      Brad Feld is one of the most well-known Venture Capitalists as well as an author and one of the founders of the famous Tech Stars. When Larry and Pat first met Brad, he was a leader in Softbank Venture Capital. Today he is the founder and managing director of the Boulder based Foundry Group.
      Art Rancis is a well-connected business leader, entrepreneur and is an international business consultant that really helps companies grow. Art is one of the featured dancers in the Boulder ‘Dancing with the Starts’ event on 10/18/12.
      In April 2004 Pat and Larry attended an event hosted by DU, honoring H.E. President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame. There were hundreds of people in attendance with many heavy hitters. They also attended a private event at the Phipps Mansion where we interviewed Eugene Nyagahene, founder and CEO of Rwanda’s first radio station since 1994 and the genocide that the world turned its head away from.
      Listen to these interviews as that will give you a different perspective of the past and the future. Check out the links too as they will give you an update of what these leaders are doing today. You will find these and many more interviews from 2004 LINK HERE

$5 Trillion goal? That is one very big goal

Connecting opportunities with money
1247_ 7/24/12 - Quick overview of MSF Enterprises, Michael Fields, the managing partner, tells us at MSF Enterprises "We connect opportunities with money." They have four practice areas in their business: investment banking, merchant banking, capital raising for alternative investment firms and an advisory service practice for family offices. Larry recommends, if you haven't listened to part 1, go back and catch that. Larry's first question here is, "How long do you believe it will  take to achieve the $5 Trillion goal?" That is one very big goal. Michael explains this is the Galt's Gulch Initiative to really build the asset management community here in Colorado, so that we have better resources for capital, across the board. Michael said, “We currently have about $8 Billion here in Colorado. We think we can get to $5 Trillion, done in a proactive stance, by attracting firms and also building firms, within four to five years." With technology today and just the ability for people to talk globally you can be anywhere. Colorado just has wonderful assets for quality of life that can attract very good people. In the past seven years, 700,000 people have moved here for 425,000 jobs. When you realize people come here without jobs because they want to be here, that's already a great motivating factor. We have a great talent pool to draw from. Larry asks, what steps so you plan on taking in order to attract all these different people and organizations? "We're working on the Galt's Gulch Initiative, which is really working on a three legged approach in terms of the government, universities as well as the private sector..." Listen for more.
Related Links: MSF Enterprises || DBJ Article || In the News || Venture Capital || Blog || Keywords: Michael Fields, MSF Enterprises, Multinational Strategic Financing, Investment Banking, Merchant Banking, Capital Raising, Galt's Gulch Initiative > Channels: VC - bytes=4964835
LISTEN TO; Michael Fields, MSF Enterprises

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"Venture Deals...

Feld and Mendelson - How venture capital deals work
1243_ [Orig.Pub: 1069_ 8/29/11] 7/19/2012- At GlueCon this past May 2012, Jason Mendelson told us about a sequel to "VENTURE DEALS". When Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson sat down to write their book the goal was to aim it at every entrepreneur, to really help them understand how venture capital deals work. Brad Feld in Tuscany, Italy talks with Larry Nelson via Skype to tell us about his newest book, "Venture Deals...Be smarter than your lawyer and venture capitalist". The inspiration for the book came from the Term Sheet Series that Jason and Brad wrote about five-six years ago. This is a particularly valuable book for entrepreneurs looking for money... You'll get an insider's view of the venture deal process, the different players involved on the deal side including how venture firms are setup. And, they talk about how an entrepreneur should think about the fund raising process. The term sheet is a very complicated document and there are a lot of things that people negotiate. But there are essentially only two things that matter which are economics and control. Here they've spent a lot of time helping the reader understand which terms related to economics and which terms were related to control and how and what that meant. It's meant to be a guide not a text book with material that can be very dry and boring. They've made fun of lawyers, venture capitalists and themselves along the way, but there goal was to write something significant and enduring. Comments from readers include..."For a first time entrepreneur, it's a completely enlightening book." Dick Costolo, Twitter CEO wrote a very nice forward to the book where he talks about how useful it would have been to have this book at the beginning of his career, and throughout his career, to look back and reflect on all the deals he's been involved in. Brad tells us how his blog, Ask the VC works with this book. Number one piece of advice for a new entrepreneur from Brad is, "Pick something that you're incredibly passionate about. The thing you want to create, the business you want to start should be something that you're in love with. It's going to be hard. You're going to have lots of ups and downs, there will be lots of things that don't work. If the thing you're working on 18-20 hours a day isn't something you're incredibly passionate about, what's the point?" Second is surround yourself with mentors." ...don't miss the rest of Brad's advice, listen now!
Related Links: Venture Deals - Amazon || Ask the VC || Feld Thoughts || Mendelson's Musings || Foundry Group || Feld-Weiser One-on-One || VC Channel || Keywords: Brad Feld, Jason Mendelson, Venture Deals, Venture Capitalist, Foundry Group, Entrepreneur, Mentors, Dick Costolo, Twitter, Tuscany, Italy, Foundry Group’s Series A Documents - Bytes: 13588587
LISTEN to Brad Feld, Author, Venture Deals

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CCIA working on raising funds for commercialization...

Expanding opportunities presented in the cleantech arena
1242_ 7/86/12 - Formed back in 2009, the Colorado Cleantech Industry Association has been extremely busy. Last week we told you about the CCIA Fellows Institute focused on bringing in seasoned executives to be trained in the expanding opportunities presented in the cleantech arena. Completing this 17 week program, it is hoped that these seasoned executives will come out running a new company spun out of the university systems here in Colorado. But, Chris Shapard, executive director for the CCIA tells us there is much more going on. The last time we spoke with Chris is when CCIA introduced the CCIA Action Plan to the state and they've been furiously working to attain the goals and objectives from that plan. They've worked on getting the Fellows Institute up and running and worked on legislation that supports the industry. In addition to the Fellows Institute, the second initiative for the year is to raise funds for commercialization activities within the universities. CCIA in conjunction with CU, CSU and Mines are out and approaching foundations and they're going after an I-6 federal grant to bring money into that commercialization side. To grow the industry we really need resources put to creating companies and giving them a leg-up. CCIA had a very successful legislative session. They were one of the only organizations that got cleantech legislation passed. The CCIA piece, signed by the governor, is making it easier for third parties to put charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in Colorado, so they're not treated like utilities and not regulated. CCIA works with all kinds of businesses, there are about eight different sectors that are considered clean technology. Chris gets into more detail ...listen now...
Related Links: CCIA Cleantech Fellows || Cleantech Fellow Application – Due 7/27/12 || Colorado Cleantech Industry Association || CU Technology Transfer Office || CU TTO Channel || NREL || Keywords: Chris Shapard, Wayne Greenberg, CCIA, Fellows Institute, Colorado Cleantech Industry Association, NREL, CU TTO, Commercialization, Renewable Energy, Wind, Solar, Bio Fuel Technology - bytes=4260574
LISTEN TO: Chris Shapard, Executive Director, Colorado Cleantech Industry Association

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Galt's Gulch Initiative

Here is some good news for Colorado
1238_ 7/11/12 - Here is some good news for Colorado. We are talking with Michael Fields, managing partner at MSF Enterprises, a multinational strategic financing company and recent emigrant from New York. A quick overview of MSF, Michael said, "At the end of the day what we really do is connect opportunities with money and money with opportunities."The four major areas of their practice are, investment banking, merchant banking, capital raising for alternative investment trends and advisory services for family offices, working with a broad range of people and organizations, globally. Michael moved to Colorado about 18 months ago from New York after doing his research and recognizing a number of Colorado assets. We have a strong higher education network, multiple infrastructures from downtown, DTC, commercial buildings, a national / international airport as a hub and Colorado has a growing population of people that have been moving here, that choose the lifestyle and choose the assets that only Colorado has. What attracted MSF to Colorado is the fact that there really is a backbone to the asset management industry here and a lot of good talented people. All of these were critical factors in the decision to move the firm here. Now, Michael and MSF Enterprises based in Denver and New York has launched what it's dubbed "Galt's Gulch Initiative" aimed at attracting more asset managers and capital to the state. It's really a pet project and they're trying to get the local community involved, including government, universities and the private sector, working together to build the community here. Galt's Gulch mission statement is to build a consortium of business leaders that set the goal to attract, build & grow the asset management Industry in Colorado to manage $5 TRILLION by 2016. The increase of AUM to Colorado, will create a long term industry growth cycle that could contribute to as much as 20% of revenue to the annual budget. Listen for much more... .
Related Links: MSF Enterprises || DBJ Article || In the News || PodCast Directory || Venture Capital || Keywords: Michael Fields, MSF Enterprises, Multinational Strategic Financing, Investment Banking, Merchant Banking, Capital Raising, Galt's Gulch Initiative > Channels: VC - bytes= 4933256
LISTEN TO Michael Fields, Managing Partner, MSF Enterprises

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Work-life balance...

Feld-Weiser One-on-One: Feld on Work-Life Balance
1229_ 6/26/12 [Pub. 6-15-2009] -  

For entrepreneurs, lawyers and other professionals, work-life balance is often a topic that individuals plan on thinking about when they have time. Phil Weiser, Dean of the Law School, University of Colorado - Boulder, engages in a discussion with Brad Feld, Managing Partner, Foundry Group, about a topic that is very elusive for many entrepreneurs. Brad said, "This topic took me 15 years, a failed first marriage, and my current wife (Amy Batchelor) almost calling it quits for me to realize that I had to figure out what 'work-life balance' meant to me." This recognition lead to Brad's commitment to a series of rules, which evolved into a set of habits that include: 1. Spend time away; 2. Life dinner; 3. Segment space; 4. Be present; 5. Meditate. Notably, Brad's view on life-work balance is not that working hard is not important; it's that "balance improves the quality/quantity of work that you can get done and you become more effective at accomplishing stuff." Listen to the entire Feld & Weiser, One-on-One on Work-Life Balance.
Related Links: Photos || Silicon Flatirons Passing Baton Ceremony || Feld Blog || Foundry Group || Venture Deals - Feld & Mendelson || Keywords: Brad Feld, Phil Weiser, Work-Life Balance, Entrepreneurs, Work-Life Balance, Amy Batchelor - Bytes: 44730621
LISTEN TO: One-on-One Brad Feld, Phil Weiser

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