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From Thomasnet According to Bicycling.com, the modern carbon-fiber bike is “a technological marvel” based on its superior strength over traditional metal bikes, at a fraction of the weight. So why isn’t everyone hopping on one of these top-notch bikes to pedal around town? Two reasons – the cost is insane and, say the experts at Bicycling.com, carbon-fiber can be a manufacturing nightmare. Typical problems mostly relate to quality control, in a production environment that requires lots of labor and precision, which is why the Silicon Valley startup Arevo intends to upend the process with 3D printing. The company has a prototype of the first 3D printed carbon-fiber bike, and Arevo hopes to propel the business into manufacturing ASAP. The intention is to partner with existing bike manufacturers and automate the production aspect using a robotic arm.

From  Small Business Trends So you want to start a business – congratulations! Once you get over the initial excitement, it’s time to break down the process of launching your startup into manageable chunks. You might get overwhelmed with the sheer number of items on your to-do list. But not to worry; I’ve broken down this startup checklist into the primary tasks you need to do now, and those that you can defer until later.

From SAS So you’ve decided to open up a business, but like most people just starting out, your budget is probably lacking. Some startups may require a sizable investment to move forward, while others can get away with a smaller budget. But with everything from letterhead to office space to utilities, how can you determine what kind of capital you’ll need to get going? And what should you spend it on? According to the Small Business Administration, you will have two types of costs: fixed and variable. Fixed expenses are those that recur at around the same amount, usually every month, e.g. rent and insurance. Variable expenses, like commissions, shipping and inventory, are related to the sale of a product or service and will differ each month depending on your sales. Then you’ll have one-time costs such as web design or signage. The SBA recommends creating a spreadsheet to help you calculate your startup costs, and be sure to note what is absolutely necessary, and what can be put on

by Briana Morgaine   Critical issues and decisions for start-ups are discussed: "In a recent article, Palo Alto Software founder Tim Berry equates startup marketing to throwing darts at a dartboard. While existing companies can get away with throwing their “marketing darts” a little aimlessly, a startup has to be more careful and precise. The established company just has to worry about hitting the dartboard; the startup needs to hit the bullseye. If precision and focus are the name of the marketing game for startup companies, what is the best strategy for marketing your startup? I asked the members of the Young Entrepreneur Council for their advice on how to market startup companies most effectively. All these entrepreneurs advocated for employing focus, consistency, and using a variety of unexpected sources, many of which are low cost—always a plus for a new startup. Read more at: bplans"

There are so many options these days for learning opportunities, often for free. I have only listened or viewed a couple of these in the past but today checked out a course that our clients would be invaluable to a lot of our clients, in particular tech clients. I was searching for a podcast for training people on how to sell. A course on iTunes U that jumped out to me is How to Start a Startup by Sam Altman. It's free! There are over 40 lessons, some video-based units and some podcasts. I jumped to the unit on Sales & Marketing: How to Talk to Investors. It concisely works through the steps of what questions an entrepreneur needs to be able to answer. What to say, when to shut up, and what attitude to you need to be successful. This was a section that I thought would be very interesting for businesses starting out and trying to get funding. Other interesting units are on how to manage, hiring, accounting, and simply "building product and talking to users". There

Bplans.com knows a thing or two about what it takes to start a business. The Managing Editor of Bplans, Candice Landau, distills what entrepreneurs and the leadership at Palo Alto to get to what entrepreneurs need to figure out as they stand on the threshold of being business owners. It includes legal issues, working through business ideas, and resources for helping to figure out your vision. Here is an example of the type of things you need to know before you start a business: 2. Start working through your business idea Do your research and validate your idea: You’re probably going to be doing this at the same time as you write your business plan. This is why we strongly recommend starting with a one page pitch first. It’s the lean format of the business plan—the format that will allow you to adapt fastest as you progress through the startup phase. More importantly, it will allow you to play with ideas before you even start. As you work through this section, the key things t

Until a few years ago Steve Cronce’s Raphael Industries did $1 million dollars a year of specialized industrial painting for customers within driving distance of their plant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. One of them happened to be GE Healthcare, which sent Raphael “dead” X-Ray tube parts for re-coating and re-commissioning. Challenged by other entrepreneurs in Scale Up Milwaukee’s Scalerator program to come up with a plan for rapidly ramping up his business, Cronce wondered: “What if I redefined Raphael as a strategic link in the global medical imaging supply chain, rather than as a paint shop?” This supply chain epiphany is taking Raphael toward $10 million of work a year by burrowing into GE’s global network as well as serving its competitors. He is poised to become the leader in this segment of a multi-billion dollar market. “By serving as GE’s and other equipment makers’ supply partner, the whole world is now my scope. I am no longer limited by geography.” This story leads us to a ques

There are plenty of reasons to start a business while you are still in your 20s. Many people shy away from it — not because they don’t believe in their idea, but because they think they will be better at executing it once they are older and have more experience, more knowledge and more connections. Some of these arguments might be relevant, but most of them are just excuses not to step out of your comfort zone, so you continue the normal, everyday path of life. Once you start thinking seriously about the advantages of starting a business now versus starting a business when you are older, you realize being young has several invaluable advantages: 1. It’s a learning opportunity. Starting a business teaches you more than any university business course ever could. You get hands-on experience and get to see if the principles you learned in your classes are applicable in the real world. You also learn a lot about yourself: What are your strengths? Your weaknesses? Are you a people perso

Why “startup” marketing strategy, instead of just marketing strategy? Good question. The difference is that the startup has to aim more carefully. There are fewer resources and less room for error. The concepts are similar, but you aim for the bullseye, not just the target. It’s not just about the typical startup having fewer resources. It’s also about the likelihood that the startup needs to show the best results quickly, the more traction the better, because it’s inherently riskier in its first struggling phase. Go for the low-hanging fruit. So, the fundamentals still apply. Read more at Bplans

The Startup in a Day initiative aims to make it easier for entrepreneurs to start a business by reducing the amount of time it takes to register and apply for permits and licenses on the local level. Cities and Native American communities across the United States are encouraged to get involved. The SBA is conducting two prize competitions for U.S. cities and Native American communities. Both competitions will award prizes to support the development, implementation, and improvement of online tools that will let entrepreneurs learn about the business startup process in their area, including how to register and apply for all required local licenses and permits, in one day or less. Startup in a Day Competition – Start Small Model: The first competition will award up to 25 prizes of up to $50,000 each for cities. Up to two (2) prizes of $50,000 each are available specifically for Native American communities. Startup in a Day Competition – Dream Big Model: The second competition chal

According to a study published in the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, approximately 60 percent of restaurants fail within their first year of business. If you are dreaming of becoming a restaurateur, you can increase your chances of success by honestly answering all of the questions proposed in this article, as well as checking off everything suggested below. More from BPlans.com

The only thing small about small businesses is their name. Collectively, they’re behemoths – employing the vast majority of people in this country, and serving as engines of growth and creativity in their communities. Starting a business from scratch is exciting – as well as a challenge. BusinessUSA's Start a Business tool will help you find information on everything from conducting market research to finding business counselors that can provide one-on-one assistance. Need help taking your business to the next level? This collection of resources will help you with a range of complex issues and activities, from developing a marketing plan and forecasting for growth, to franchising your business and finding international trade leads.

When you're thinking about starting a company or first in the entrepreneurial trenches, any nugget of advice you can get from someone who's been there before is like gold. But as time goes on, you'll realize that some of those tips are better — and more applicable to your business — than others. So, to get you started on the right foot, no matter where you are in your startup journey, we asked 10 founders to weigh in on the absolute best advice they received as they built their companies. Take note of these (sometimes surprising) lessons for your own venture. More from MASHABLE >

Many new or potential business owners only have a partial idea of what’s required to succeed when they start out, failing to take into account the full range of necessary planning, financial and legal activities. These  10 easy steps to starting a business  can help you plan, prepare and manage your new enterprise.

Gain insights about how to estimate your start-up costs, which will help you determine what financing you may need to get off the ground, what it will take to reach your break-even point and manage cash flow once you’re up and running! How to Estimate the Cost of Starting a Business from Scratch How much will it take to start that new business you’re thinking of? Use these simple steps to develop a good estimate. You don’t get to know for sure, but if you have the discipline to break things into meaningful pieces, and then research each of the pieces, you’ll have a good idea. How to Guesstimate Your Starting Costs  

It seems that almost every day, there's another startup proudly announcing that it has reached its crowdfunding goal. With so many success stories out there, it's easy for other aspiring entrepreneurs to believe that sites like Kickstarter are their golden ticket to launching a business. But the reality is, crowdfunding isn't always as simple as it seems. "New entrepreneurs often believe that crowdfunding their venture or project is an easy endeavor," said Sang Lee, founder and CEO of Return on Change. "However, it requires much groundwork as well as a strong support network to truly make it a success. As they say, there's no such thing as a free lunch." Crowdfunding Challenges

In theory, entrepreneurship sounds awesome. You’re your own boss so you can set your own hours, work from home in your PJs and do work that really matters to you. But as any entrepreneur will tell you, starting your own business is not nearly as glamorous. In fact, it can often be pretty scary and lonely. Entrepreneurs take a great financial risk to get their ventures off the ground, often using their own savings and quitting steady jobs to pursue their dreams. Yes, entrepreneurs make their own hours, but they put in many more of them than the average employee (often 12 a day or more) and, still, they face a high failure rate. Entrepreneur values those who choose to create their own path, and we’re not alone. Empact, a Princeton, N.J.-based company that provides education and networking opportunities to young entrepreneurs, today released its annual list of 100 startups led by entrepreneurs under 35 that should be on everyone’s radar. Those chosen for the Empact100 stood out amon

People are always asking for a list of fundamentals, a checklist they can use to start their own businesses. From your business type to your business model to your physical location, there are so many variables it’s not easy to come up with a list that will work for everybody. The key, regardless of what type of business you’re starting, is to be flexible! Read more at BPlans.com

If you’re about to start a business, you’ve probably read several how-to books looking for advice on how to be successful. While researching is a great first step, there are some lessons that you won’t find in a book. You need to hear from business owners who have been in your position, who started a business with a great idea, a lot of enthusiasm, and a shoestring budget. To give you a few business tips, we asked several entrepreneurs, including Kelly Costello, who was featured on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” to tell us what they wish they’d known before they started their businesses. Read more in Bplans.com >

There is a perfect storm for Start-up failure. The combination of the cultural shift towards entrepreneurship, the trendiness of tech start-ups, the removal of barriers to build products, and government policies has created an oversupply of start-ups. Starting a start-up is easy, building a business is hard. Here are a few golden rules for business building: Invest in your business – don’t take angel money too early, self fund your business. More from BRAINRACK