Michigan Business Review – MLive.com:

It’s always hunting season for the next great idea.

The Edsel and the smartphone have vastly opposite records of success, but they both came from the same source: an idea.

In their book “The Idea Hunter,” Andy Boynton and Bill Fischer observe that the key ingredient for discovering great ideas comes less from genius or off-the-charts creativity and more from persistent searching and observing what is happening around them.

Entrepreneurs and other leaders in Southwest Michigan are no strangers to the search for great ideas. Some of these ideas, such as the Kalamazoo Promise, have gained national prominence. Read more.

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HeraldNet:

Sometimes the greater challenge for entrepreneurs isn’t landing on a winning idea; it’s finding the money to start a new business venture.

It’s been said there are three common sources for funding — family, friends and fools. In reality, personal savings and investment are the top funding sources for start-ups.

Historically, many small business owners found easy access to cash for financing their business through their home equity. In today’s economic environment, with home values significantly deflated, this may not be practical. Most homeowners who’ve purchased within the past six years have witnessed a significant drop in their equity.

Robert Wolverton, a broker with Cobalt Mortgage, has seen the best and the worst of times in his 14 years in the business. More.

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BBC News:

One of the big issues for ambitious small firms looking to grow is how to attract new customers.

You know you have a great product, or offer a good service, but how do you best make yourself known to would-be buyers?

Here Ganesh Selvarajah, an advisor at Business Link, the government-funded business support service, looks at how to best target your advertising or marketing spend.

Question
Matthew asks: “We are a small road-marking company based in East Anglia.

Our company has been running for approximately two years, purely from word of mouth and recommendations.

We are now looking to increase our revenue and would like some pointers as to the best advertising investments.

We already have a website and are listed on most directory sites, but realise it is an unusual area to market. Thanks in advance for any ideas or advice you can offer.”

Answer
“As the road-marking industry is a very niche market, all your advertising and marketing would need to be targeted at the correct audience to maximise your spend,” says Ganesh Selvarajah of Business Link.

Continue reading…

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Press Release 365:

For a limited time, Axioi, Inc. will provide coaching at no cost to new members of one of the world’s most successful work-at-home training programs. By enrolling through a special URL, new members of the Maverick Money Makers Club will automatically be eligible for one month of free personal coaching.

There are typically three common truths to starting a work-at-home home business: 1) It is possible to get started without a coach, but it is a lot easier and often faster to succeed with one. 2) Coaching for a start-up company can be anywhere from five to twenty thousand dollars; often more. 3) Every vendor will upsell, upsell, upsell.

This joint venture provides personal one-on-one coaching at no cost for one month with no expectation that coaching will continue beyond the gifted time.

Says Isak Griffiths, owner of Axioi: “Mack [Michaels] and I both really want to see people create amazing lives for themselves. There is nothing like having the time and the money to be able to care of your family, give back to the community, and enjoy being with your friends. We want to give people every opportunity to make this happen.”

This is a limited opportunity, however. More info here.

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