Software & technology
StartupValley Generates Capital For Tech Startups
Original post by Virtual-Strategy
SADDLE BROOK, N.J., Aug. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – StartupValley is the future of technology-based startups. The site is an online, equity crowdfunding portal established as a result of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, or the JOBS Act. Similar to the thousands of technology startups in Silicon Valley, StartupValley is home to businesses and startups in the technology and internet fields. The site is currently in Beta while the JOBS Act regulations are finalized by the SEC, but allows for preregistration. Once the rules and regulations are published in early 2013, StartupValley will be a fully functioning platform for entrepreneurs and businesses to raise capital in the most pervasive, advantageous way.
For the first time in history, entrepreneurs can build capital without the support of accredited investors. The “crowd” present in equity crowdfunding provides startups with the ability to raise capital from non-accredited investors in exchange for an equity ownership in their company.
As the entrepreneur of his own multi-million dollar business, Daryl H. Bryant founded StartupValley with entrepreneurs in mind:
“As an entrepreneur I know that it’s nearly impossible for a startup or business to secure the capital they need. This is one of the main reasons many businesses don’t succeed in this country.”
We’re delighted to announce we’re holding our second bi-annual Job fair this September in London
Ovation offers small-biz hiring app
One of today’s press releases that stood out from the pack: Ovation Technologies launched Ovation, a mobile and cloud-based social recruiting application designed specifically for the needs of small- and medium-size businesses. Available in the Google apps Marketplace, the Apple iTunes Store, and the Google Play Store, the new app is designed to make it easier and more affordable for small businesses to find the best employees anytime, anywhere in an increasingly competitive job market.
Why it’s of interest: Small businesses today are competing for talent with large corporations, but have far fewer resources and can’t afford to make a bad hire. The average cost of a new hire, according a 2011 study by Bersin and Associates, is $3,500, and using an app can save money. This particular one costs $39.95 a month for a subscription, while certain services like background checks are extra.
Original post by Nathan Eddy via eWeek
The service is offered free for the first month, with subscriptions costing $39.95 per month.
Web-based and mobile application software developer Ovation Technologies announced the launch of Ovation, a mobile and cloud-based social recruiting application aimed at small and midsize businesses with limited human resources and recruiting capabilities.
Available through the Google Apps Marketplace, Apple’s iTunes store and the Google Play store, the app connects small businesses to a slew of job boards and social networks, including Craigslist and Indeed, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Monster.
In addition, the app leverages Google Apps Marketplace with instant sign-on and streamlines scheduling and communication through integration with Gmail, Google calendar and contacts. The free app allows businesses to recruit on the go by passing job opportunities to prospective candidates with QR codes, text messaging and email, and review incoming applications from their phones as they arrive.
6 Ways to Get a Tech Job Without a Tech Degree
Original post by Aaron Shapiro via Mashable
Aaron Shapiro is CEO of Huge, a global digital agency based in Brooklyn, and author of Users Not Customers. He has spent more than a decade as a technology entrepreneur, venture capitalist and management consultant.
Jobs in tech are stronger than ever. In 2011, Amazon hired 22,500 people, bringing its workforce up to 56,200, andGoogle hired 8,000 people — more than ever in a single year. The technology sector is booming, and while not all of these jobs require an engineering degree, getting a gig can be harder than getting into an Ivy League school. Competition between businesses is too steep for firms to hire those who aren’t qualified, and demand for these positions is greater than the skills that exist in the marketplace.
Incredible job opportunities exist, if you know how to get them. Yet, college students are still earning educations for jobs that technology will eliminate in the next decade, and people without backgrounds in technology are stuck in unemployment or at the dead-end of a long career, hoping their field will be revived before their luck runs out. But none of these people are actually stuck.
You can transition to the tech world, if you’re willing to put in a little work. Here are six steps that will help you get there.
Classes map way to starting own business
Original post by Lorri Allen via Azcentral
Many of us have dreamed of launching our own businesses. And metro Phoenix residents hoping to start their own businesses will find there are various resources to help them gain the knowledge they’ll need to launch their ventures.
The Maricopa Community Colleges Small Business Development Center offers two relatively new tools to help budding entrepreneurs or those contemplating starting their own small business.
The first, developed by Hewlett Packard, is called “LIFE — Learning Initiative for Entrepreneurs.” The second program, TechEDge, is a partnership with the city of Chandler.
HP LIFE classes, which are free, began in January, and more will be added as people request them, says SBDC Director Mark Engle.
“People really like the approach,” he says. “It’s not the typical training of a sage on the stage, but more about solving problems, such as getting customers or managing inventory.”
The classes offer five training levels, from hopeful entrepreneurs with an idea to those who’ve been in business and are hitting brick walls, Engle says. The participants use open-source software, typically free and widely available so they can use it after classes end.
What Social Recruiting is and What it is not
Original post by Sarang Brahme via RecruitingBlogs
Each day I speak with recruiters about Social Media who shares their enthusiasm about using this channel for sourcing. The next question is – how soon they should expect to get profiles and where all they can post the jobs. Social Media is being viewed as a next best thing in recruitment as well as a “magic wand” which will produce profiles from thin air!
There is a definite wave about “Social Recruiting” in the air which needs a proper understanding, strategy and implication rather than blanket usage. It’s imperative that we understand the real power of Social Recruiting with a broader spectrum than just a short sighted approach.
I have compiled a list of what I think the real Social Recruiting is and what it isn’t.
Original post by Lauren Hockenson via Mashable
Digital recruiting has certainly come a long way in such a short time. Since the dawn of the computerized job process, quick and simple strides have been made in recruiting that have ultimately produced a major impact on how employers find young talent with the right skills.
Original post by Dana Hull via MercuryNews
Looking for a place to stay, dinner to go, or a car to drive? A new economy is emerging in the Bay Area and around the country with a different, more convenient and often cheaper way to find what you need: sharing.
A wide array of local startups are angling to make a business out of matching those who have with those who need. There’s Airbnb, which helps travelers rent out spare futons or rooms from private parties and has emerged as a popular alternative to hotels. Getaround and RelayRides make it possible to rent cars like “Jimmy’s Toyota” in Mountain View for $8 an hour. When dog owners go on vacation, they can use DogVacay to find a host willing to take Fido into their own home.
The goods and services being bought and sold are familiar, but the way the marketplaces work is brand new. Location-based technology in smartphones often makes it possible to find what you need in your immediate neighborhood. And social media offer reviews from fellow users, creating a community of trust around the transaction.
Since launching around the height of the dot.com bubble of the early 2000s, Wharton’s Business Plan Competition has seen ever increasing diversity in entries from student entrepreneurs. This year, a big theme was IT solutions for business problems, especially in the health care field. Finalists’ plans focused on software to connect hospitals with patients in rural areas, a program to identify patients at high-risk for readmission to a hospital and a professional social networking site for physicians. In non-health care entries, contestants presented ideas related to areas such as online marketing and education.
The BPC has been a popular competition among students at the University of Pennsylvania since it was established 14 years ago. This year, it saw a record level of participation, with more than 150 ideas submitted to the competitive phase — a 30% jump in participation over 2011. During the course of the year, ideas were narrowed down by a broader group of judges until the “great eight” remained to participate in the Venture Finals on April 25.
Presenting their plans before an audience of venture capitalists, business leaders, faculty and students, the eight finalists fielded questions from four judges on aspects of their plans such as revenue models, intellectual property and the competitive landscape. The judges included representatives from Alara Capital, Karlin Asset Management, Compass Partners and Spark Capital.
Original post by MARK SUSTER via Both Sides of the Table
When you work inside a startup with lots of clever and motivated staff you’re never short of good ideas that you can implement.
It’s tempting to take on new projects, new features, new geographies, new speaking opportunities, whatever. Each one incrementally sounds like a good idea, yet collectively they end up punishing undisciplined teams. I like to counsel that the best teams are often defined by what they choose not to do.
Let me explain.
As a VC I regularly meet with companies and listen to their plans. It’s a very common occurrence that a young startup with sub 20 staff and sub $2m in financing is racing around doing too many things. This level of complexity always worries me. A significant number of the companies I meet with get some form of feedback from me that:
“I’m a bit worried that you’re doing too many THINGS. You run the risk of being a mile wide and an inch deep. It’s hard enough to do X really well and succeed. I’m not sure how you do all these other things and yet I think they may end up being a distraction to X.”
