e-commerce & social media

You. Me. Michael Hyatt. Popeye.

Perhaps we don’t have that much in common. Ah, but we do. Personal brands are we. Our agendas may differ—better job, more clients, book sales, or (your goal here)—but we seek the same things: recognition, respect, influence and success.

You, my friend, are a brand. Our agendas may differ—better job, more clients, book sales, or (your goal here)—but we seek the same things: recognition, respect, influence and success. Here are five tips from online leader Michael Hyat and 6 more from me.

To read the full article, click on the image or title.

Get your Free Business Plan Template here: http://bit.ly/1aKy7km

Via Stefano Principato, massimo facchinetti, Marc Kneepkens

Old real estate and oil money in town invested in San Antonio’s Rackspace early on, said Stephanie Chandler, partner with Jackson-Walker.

It was one of the first cases of old San Antonio money backing a startup technology venture here, she said.

Now with Geekdom, a technology incubator and accelerator in downtown San Antonio, the goal is to get even more local investment into startups, Chandler said.

“Over the last ten years there’s a much more significant uptick in what families are doing,” in investing in startup deals, she said. “Five years ago, we didn’t have the Rackspace founders looking at deals.”

To read the full article, click on the title.

Get your Free Business Plan Template here: http://bit.ly/1aKy7km

Via Marc Kneepkens

In order to increase your odds for receiving funding, here are some criteria considered by venture capitalists.

It's easy to dislike angel and venture capitalist investors. For entrepreneurs looking to raise capital for their start-up businesses, these early-stage investors can be awfully hard to find, and when you do find them, it's even tougher to get investment dollars out of them.

But, think again: angels and venture capitalists (VCs) are taking on serious risk. New ventures frequently have little or no sales; the founders may have only the faintest real-life management experience, and the business plan may be based on nothing more than a concept or a simple prototype. There are good reasons why VCs are tight with their investment dollars.

To read the full article, click on the title.

Get your Free Business Plan Template here: http://bit.ly/1aKy7km

Via Marc Kneepkens