Infotrade

©  Michael Kopp There are a lot of wild wind turbines out there, from the  inflatable, high altitude variety  to those  inspired by bumblebee wings . This design is also innovative, but really stands out for its sleek wooden blades, which should appeal to those who are put off by the unappealing traditional wind turbine. ©  Michael Kopp Enessere , an Italian clean technology company, calls the turbine the  Hercules , despite its slim, almost dainty look. Designed by  Terry Glenn Phipps , the vertical axis setup can take advantage of wind coming from any direction, so the entire mechanism doesn't have to reorient to adapt to shifting weather conditions. The three wooden blades each measure three meters long and weigh about 15.5 pounds. The Hercules generates 3kW, just a fraction of a large turbine's output. But, with its focus on design and aesthetics, the Hercules is not made for commercial applications. Rather, it's for individuals who wa...

By now, you’ve probably already read several articles, blogs—even books—about writing the perfect executive summary. Most of them offer a wealth of well-intended suggestions about all the stuff you need to include in the executive summary. They provide a helpful list of the forty-two critical items you should cover, and then they tell you to be concise. Most guides to writing an executive summary miss the key point: The job of the executive summary is to sell, not to describe. The executive summary is often your initial face to a potential investor, so it is critically important that you create the right first impression. Contrary to the advice in articles on the topic, you do not need to explain the entire business plan in 250 words. You need to convey its essence, and its energy. You have about 30 seconds to grab an investor’s interest. You want to be clear and compelling. Forget what everyone else has been telling you. Here are the key components that should be part of your e...

The following is a checklist covering the fundamentals of launching your own business venture. THE IDEA-  Every business begins with an idea. The challenge is to come up with one that is practical, useful, and marketable. NEED-  Make sure the world is waiting for your idea. One of the most difficult tasks for entrepreneurs is being honest with themselves. Doing some hard, realistic market research often uncovers a need, and clues you in on the quantity, the quality, and the price that will work. EXPERTISE-  The more knowledge you have about your new business, the more confident you will be to achieve your goals. If you discover any loopholes or doubts, slow down and take the time to find out more about your project. DISCIPLINE-  Look in the mirror and make sure you like what you see. Remember, entrepreneurship means self-management. You are it! The hours will be long, the work demanding, and the income meager at the beginning. You must decide whether you a...

Your business idea is starting to take off.  After several years of success with your original target market, you can see that there is room for growth in a different segment.  But, you’re going to need investment capital to get there.  Armed with your business plan in one hand and your heart in the other, you begin knocking on the doors of venture capitalists and institutional investors.  But there seems to be some disconnect.  During your presentation, they frown, cross their arms or drum their fingers in boredom. Don’t they understand your passion?  Not if you are using language that is distracting or cliché, according to local venture capitalists. “There is a risk in translation between entrepreneurs and providers of capital.  When one tries to deploy industry phrases, they come off as clichés,” says Mark Lewis, principal at Advantage Capital Partners, a venture capital firm with offices in Clayton.  The following are common phras...

Some things were just never meant to be, but that doesn't mean that investors won't pile millions of dollars upon a bad idea  —  or even a good idea gone bad. Whether they crashed and burned or sucked investors dry, these ventures just didn't work out. Check out our graveyard of dreams and money to get a look at VC (venture-capital) investments that just weren't wise. Amp'd Mobile : Amp'd Mobile takes the crown for money-burning, with $360 million that ended in bankruptcy. The company's major problem was its customers' ability to pay. While other mobile providers check for an ability to pay bills within 30 days, Amp'd let it go to 90 days and marketed to these risky customers. It has been  reported  that 80,000 of the company's 175,000 customers were unable to pay their bills. Procket : Networking company Procket was once one of the most highly valued telecom startups in the U.S. It had $272 million in venture-capital funding and a valuat...

Q. What is an IPO? An initial public offering (IPO) or stock market launch, is the first sale of stock by a company to the public. It can be used by either small or large companies to raise expansion capital and become publicly traded enterprises. Q. Why do companies choose to IPO? When a company lists its securities on a public exchange, the money paid by investors for the newly issued shares goes directly to the company (in contrast to a later trade of shares on the exchange, where the money passes between investors). An IPO, therefore, allows a company to tap a wide pool of investors to provide itself with capital for future growth, repayment of debt or working capital. A company selling common shares is never required to repay the capital to investors. Once a company is listed, it is able to issue additional common shares via a secondary offering, thereby again providing itself with capital for expansion without incurring any debt. This ability to quickly raise large amounts of ca...

Entrepreneurs approach venture capitalists to raise equity financing. Venture capitalists then fund the entrepreneurs and become partners. As partners, venture capitalists will have a say in the direction of the company. At times, this might make entrepreneurs skeptical of venture capitalists true intentions. Whenever entrepreneurs think of getting a venture capitalist on board, they tend to be suspicious at a subconscious level and fear unforeseen ramifications. Entrepreneurs generally have the following questions in mind when they approach venture capitalists: Will they steal my idea? Will they take over the company, fire everyone, and bring in their own people? Are they risk averse? Is it true that returns and the exit strategy are all that matter to them? Although it can be reasonably argued that entrepreneurs should be skeptical of venture capitalists , let us analyze the role of a venture capitalist from a broader perspective before examining the above questions. Venture capit...

usiness, or venture incubators and accelerators have been around for quite a time, but now business accelerators are spreading across the US, as early stage investors, entrepreneurs, and policymakers try to speed how long it takes to create new ventures. Unlike many business assistance programs, business incubators do not serve any and all companies. Entrepreneurs who wish to enter a business incubation program must apply for admission. They also tend to be physical places where you can start your business under a collective roof. Other differences are that while one of the benefits of either business assistance programs or incubators is the ability of participants to network, the accelerator does as well, but also actively supports entrepreneurs in their search for finance and introduces funders to the participants. Venture Incubators Venture incubators and accelerators are not quite the same kind of place. An example of incubators is the BEGIN New Venture Center  that ...