Home | AlwaysOn 10 reasons to start a company (and 10 not to) (Editor’s note: Megan Lisa Jones is an investment banker who works primarily with companies in the digital media, technology, gaming and other emerging industries. She submitted this story to VentureBeat.) Eye-popping valuations and media hype make the idea of starting a company more tempting than ever. LinkedIn recently went public and now has a valuation north of $7 billion; Facebook is currently at over $70 billion and was even the star of a movie. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a good time to start a company. I have my biases. Now, with start-ups hot again, I’m hearing about bidding wars—for engineers and tenuous or incomplete business plans. Ignore it all. Great companies will always be great companies. Some argue that the Web 2.0 companies were born out of the NASDAQ crash of 1999 and 2000. But some absolutes do exist. Ten reasons to start: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Ten reasons not to start: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Start-ups are never easy.
A New Map Of The U.S., Created From Where We Get Our Water This map shows what America would look like if it followed its watersheds. It's an America designed to use water more efficiently, and reduce state conflicts over water. Think state conflicts over water aren't a big deal? Then you don't know that Georgia, Florida, and Alabama are engaged in a massive battle over their water sources. Made by John Lavey, a land use planner at the Sonoran Institute, the map is inspired by an idea from 19th-century adventurer and geologist John Wesley Powell. Unfortunately, back then, the railway lobby wouldn't have it: The rail lobby, buoyed by Charles Dan Wilbur and his theory that “rain follows the plough,” successfully swayed congressional opinion to accept state’s boundaries in their contemporary form. Lavey's map imagines Powell's idea across the whole of America. If John Wesley Powell had had his way, communities would have grown up with a different water ethic, one that considered longer term into the future than the next cycle of the plow.
Income Diversity for Uncertain Times The Federal Reserve just downgraded the economic outlook for the U.S., and started another round of quantitative easing, dubbed “Operation Twist.” The financial markets have been in upheaval as European stocks and U.S. stocks alike plunge, and even gold is losing ground fast (although some think it will pick right up again). If the economic outlook is really as dark as some seem to think, it means that maybe it’s time to consider your situation. Yes, you can prepare for the future by reducing your spending and paying down debt. One of the principles of financial preparation is income diversity. Income diversity allows you to have something of a safety net. For the most part, if you want instant income diversity, you will need to find another job, or find a side hustle that allows you to earn money quickly, such as a yard care business, or selling items online. Some ways that others start building alternative sources of income include: These paths, of course, require time and patience.
Fortune 500 Daily & Breaking Business News - FORTUNE on CNNMoney.com What is a magazine app? Fortune brings a new perspective to the iPad. 5 Hot Industries Every Small Business Owner Should Know About Want to know what industries are heating up? Industry analyst IBISWorld just released its picks for the 5 hottest startup industries for the next five years. The company analyzed revenues, growth trends and profitability levels of more than 700 industries to determine which ones are best poised to grow. Even if you are already in business, knowing which industries are in growth mode can give you ideas for new products, services or partnerships that could help your business expand. Testing and Educational Support: High school graduates are going on to college, college students are clinging to their college years instead of facing the tough job market, and laid-off employees are heading back to school. How could your business take advantage of these trends? For more about IBISWorld and other industry reports, visit the IBISWorld website.
L&L Energy Obtains Membrane Technology to Strengthen Its Clean Energy Efforts SEATTLE, Oct. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- L & L Energy, Inc. ("L&L" or the "Company"), a U.S.-based company with profitable energy (coal) operations in China, today announced that it has secured rights to advanced membrane osmosis technologies from the R&D Center for Membrane Technology (the "CMT") at Chung Yuan Christian University ("CYCU") to support its clean energy initiatives in China. The CMT is a world leader in advanced membrane technologies, which are used for filtering CO2, nitrogen, and metals from solvents. With the technology transfer agreement signed, L&L intends to apply this state-of-the-art membrane technology to projects with the China Low-Carbon Industry Investment Center ("CLCIIC"). L&L Chairman Dickson V. The signing of technology transfer agreement was held on October 28, 2013 at CYCU in Taiwan, by Dickson Lee, Chairman of L&L, Dr. For more information please contact: L&L Energy, Inc.Investor Relations+1 (206) 264-8065ir@llenergyinc.com
Would You Rather Spend Less or Earn More? One of the fundamental rules of personal finance and money management is to spend less than you earn. Living within your means is good financial management, and it is the cornerstone of a frugal lifestyle. Whether you want to retire rich, or whether you are content with your own version of wealth, it is still important to make sure that you live within your income. Spending LessEarning More Of course, you can also do a combination of the two in order to achieve even more impressive results. Many people look for ways to pinch pennies and live more frugally. The other option is to earn more money. On top of that, if you have the time and patience to build up your online reputation, or provide interesting content, you can start a web site. You can, of course, achieve your desired financial results with a combination of spending less and earning more. Tagged as: Make Money, Money Management, Spending
Executive PayWatch 2010 I came to the United States from Mexico in 2006, driven by a dream we all share: a better life for my family. What I found, however, is suffering. Fernando is not my real name; I am an undocumented worker and, therefore, I have to protect my identity. Another illness associated with tobacco harvesting is green tobacco sickness. As a farmworker in the supply chain for tobacco, I think it should be an obligation from the boss to pay our wages even when we are ill—when one has been helping him throughout the season. I don’t earn enough to cover major medical expenses. All the boss is interested in is that we work fast.
Looking for a New Business? Start a Gym for Baby Boomers | Rosie’s Boomer Review I went to the gym the other night. Yes, I know I should go every night but sometimes I negotiate with myself and lose. But while at the gym I realized that the majority of the members were baby boomers. We attend for fun, respite from care giving and exercise. Actually any baby boomer reading this and thinking of a new business venture think about opening a gym just for baby boomers. Imagine how much you will be able to meet the specific needs of this group that is very unique. I even have a couple of possible names for the franchise that include: Boomer Time Gym Boomer Biceps Boomer Fun Fitness Boomer Workout Express Here is a blog post I read that emphasizes the goldmine possibility in starting a fitness place for baby boomers. Let me know if you create a start-up. Tags: boomer exercise
SWEET Finnish water research Print Send link The Center of Water Efficiency Excellence (SWEET) established by Kemira Oyj and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland will develop new technologies which enable more efficient water usage and recycling, as well as the creation of more environmentally sustainable and energy-efficient solutions for water-intensive industry. The Center of Water Efficiency Excellence (SWEET) recently established by Kemira Oyj and VTT brings together Finnish water expertise. Kemira is already one of the leading water chemistry companies globally with operations in 40 countries, decades of experience in water technology and wide-ranging expertise to meet a variety of water treatment needs. VTT has contributed to areas such as developing new solutions for landfill wastewater treatment. Potential techniques for the treatment of heavy metal contaminated waters include the use of biological sulphate reduction and reactive by-product materials. The new methods are eco-efficient.
Earning Extra Income: What Do You Know? A few weeks back, I wrote a post titled, 3 Thing You Can Do From Home for Additional Income. It prompted quite a bit of discussion. Including a number of people scoffing that the three things I highlighted (freelancing, starting a web site, and consulting) were unrealistic. I also received quite a bit of static because, apparently, I didn’t dwell enough on how hard it can be to earn extra money from home. You may have to spend some time getting things started, but after a while, you might find that you can create a steady income from the comfort of your home. Additionally, adding qualifiers to the post, including if you know how to and something you are knowledgeable about and if you know a lot about something, and if you have the credentials, weren’t strong enough to convey the idea that it’s not all just a walk through the park. The key to earning extra income from home is capitalizing on what you know. Look at what you enjoy doing, and what you are good at.
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