As Veterans return to civilian life in New Hampshire and across the country, many are considering owning their own business as a viable means for providing for themselves and their families. Stepping up to support this trend are the Knowledge Institute, specialists in entrepreneurial education and virtual resource communities, and the Foundation for Entrepreneurial Research and Development (FERAD), a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship. As a public/private collaboration, both organizations have joined forces to create VetBizGO, a new entrepreneurial education and resource community.
“Veterans are ideally suited to succeeding in business,” said, Dr. Deborah Osgood, President of the Knowledge Institute. “Whether inherent or nurtured, Veterans possess a willingness and ability to take calculated risks, as well as be resourceful, resilient and decisive under pressure – all key characteristics of successful entrepreneurs.”
VetBizGOis a Virtual Business Accelerator that facilitates connections between Veterans and thousands of government and nonprofit public business assistance programs and educational resources tailored to supporting venture start-up, growth and success. Content is accessible at no cost and is cross-indexed by type of service, type of agency, geographical location, key word and alphabetical title making it easy for Veterans to learn about and connect with a real person in their local area that can help. Most all programs are free and focus on assisting individuals with core business issues such as legal formation, financing, planning, marketing, import/export and government contracting.
“This virtual community provides an important platform for assisting Veterans with attaining financial independence,” said Dr. William Osgood, Chairman of the Board of Directors for FERAD and also a Veteran. “VetBizGO offers the men and women of our military service a way to leverage their skills and abilities far more importantly than just getting a job – it provides an opportunity for them to build their future through self-employment and small business ownership.”
In addition to improving awareness and access to targeted entrepreneurial development programs, VetBizGO also helps to facilitate connections with established Veterans advocacy and networking venues. VET-Force, for example, is a nonprofit organization launched in 1999 that is dedicated to helping Veterans create and grow small businesses. As a coalition of over 200 veteran support organizations representing thousands of veterans nationally, VET-Force presents a strong unified Veteran’s voice advocating opportunities for veterans, particularly disabled veterans, seeking to succeed in small business and self-employment.
“We see VetBizGO as a critical resource for helping Veterans to develop, launch, grow and succeed in their own small businesses,” said Rick Weidman, Chairman of VET-Force,. “Helping Veterans in this way helps them to build their own employment security, add value to local economies, and contribute to the economic growth across America.”
With American Express reporting that the number of businesses owned by women in New Hampshire has grown by 37.2 percent in the last 14 years, there is no better time to be a female entrepreneur in the Granite State.
Recognizing that fact, Women Inspiring Women will present “Inspiring Women in Business” on Thursday, May 19, 2011 from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. at SERESC Conference and Training Center, 29 Commerce Drive in Bedford. The day will celebrate National Small Business Week and include five educational sessions, exhibitors and networking.
Workshops include “Tap Into Your Inspiration” with Deb Titus of Dale Carnegie-NH, “Master Your Money Mindset” with Kathleen Burns Kingsbury of KBK Wealth Connection, “Fearless Marketing” with Nancy Clark of the Glen Group and “Growing a Successful Business” with Dr. Deborah Osgood of the Knowledge Institute. “We Mean Business,” a panel discussion featuring NH Business Review’s 2011 “Outstanding Women in Business” will also be held. These honorees and panelists include Maureen Beauregard of Families in Transition, Maren Boothby of Boothby Therapy Services, Robin Comstock of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Andrea Johnstone, Esq. of Bernstein Shur and Karen Pollard of the Rochester Department of Economic Development. It will be moderated by Leslie Sturgeon of Women Inspiring Women, also an “Outstanding Women in Business” honoree.
“We felt the perfect way to recognize National Small Business Week and the fact more women are starting businesses than men in NH was to bring business women from around NH together for a day of education and inspiration,” according to Leslie Sturgeon, founder and president of Women Inspiring Women.”
As a result of a generous contribution from Microsoft BizSpark, NH Division of Economic Development, Public Service of New Hampshire, and Exeter Health Resources, the registration price is only $40 and includes lunch. Reservations are needed and space is limited. Contact Women Inspiring Women at (603) 744-0400 or visit http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=jtyn8ccab&oeidk=a07e3npt4qia831e39f for more information and to register.
Women Inspiring Women was founded in 2007 in the Lakes Region by Sturgeon to give women of all ages and backgrounds an opportunity to get together at educational, fun and inspirational events on a monthly basis. Since that time the organization has expanded to Concord, Nashua, Manchester, Bedford and the Seacoast, hosts bi-weekly events including the NH Conference for Women in November, and quickly become the state’s largest organization for women’s empowerment, personal development and networking.
New Hampshire Division of Economic Development Interim Director Roy Duddy was recently featured on Comcast’s Newsmakers program providing an overview of the resources available to entrepreneurs and small businesses in the state through the MyExpertNet initiative.
Host Jenny Johnson and Duddy discussed the many inquiries that are flowing into the site and how the new site is providing 24-hour access to experts for budding entrepreneurs, CEOs of existing companies and line workers alike. Duddy noted that technical assistance and resources needed to be computerized for better, more efficient support of these business professionals, and that it can be confusing to search for solutions on the Internet when you don’t know who to trust. So the state pre-qualified volunteers who would serve as experts on a wide array of topics and industry areas, to give expert answers that help people through their decision processes.
Go to http://www.MyExpertNet.org to connect with the expert business help you need, all free of charge. MyExpertnet was developed by the NH-based Knowledge Institute, in partnership with Comcast, the NH Division of Economic Development, PSNH, Unitil, and Centrix Bank.
I’m glad to share this update on our myExpertNet initiative sent along by the Knowledge Institute’s Deb Osgood, one of our chief friends, co-conspirators and collaborators.
myExpertNet is growing!
An innovative new online social community called myExpertNet is providing an essential link for individuals in New Hampshire who are interested in starting their own business or already in business.
Located on the web at www.myExpertNet.org, individuals can pose questions about issues related to owning and growing a small business. These questions are forwarded to prescreened, volunteer business practitioners who offer a response at no cost based on their respective areas of expertise. Unlike most social media, this prescreening process assures that questions are responded to by individuals who work in the field or particular business disciplinary area being investigated.
myExpertNet is a free public service available to all New Hampshire residents. There are presently more than 100 “Experts” listed in 26 business topic categories. In the past four months, myExpertNet has served an average of over 1,100 visitors per month and fielded questions related to strategies for increasing sales in a down economy, how to take a patented invention to market, where to get a tax identification number and how to launch a web-based business.
The growth of myExpertNet has a lot to do with the viral marketing nature of being a social community. Registered experts are spreading the word through Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and website links to help more people access the business advice they require. Individuals are emailing and texting each other as they benefit from the business advice that they are receiving.
With more individuals considering self-employment and other forms of entrepreneurship as viable alternatives to working for someone else or for subsidizing employment income, myExpertNet provides a timely and much needed source of quality networking.
myExpertNet is a public/private collaborative initiative between Knowledge Institute, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, Comcast Business Class and Public Service of New Hampshire, Centrix Bank and Unitil. To pose a business question, register as an expert or learn more, visit www.myExpertNet.org or contact Knowledge Institute at Info@bdki.com or (603) 658-0340.
As part of a continuing effort to connect businesses with the resources and services they need to be successful and grow, and to answer questions growing small businesses may have, the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development yesterday unveiled MyExpertNet.
Dr. William Osgood of the Knowledge Institute looks on as Governor John Lynch announces the unveiling of the MyExpertNet initiative.
MyExpertNet is a virtual community created through a public-private partnership where small businesses can get answers to business questions from qualified experts, and connect with other members of the business community to share ideas, resources and markets. The initiative is the result of collaboration between the Knowledge Institute, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development, Comcast, Public Service of New Hampshire, Centrix Bank and Unitil.
“Over the last several years we have worked to give businesses the tools needed to help them be successful, to grow their companies and create jobs,” Gov. John Lynch said. Under Gov. Lynch, the State of New Hampshire has reinstated the Job Training Fund, and more than 7,000 workers from across New Hampshire have received enhanced training. The State, which has 7th best business tax environment in the nation, created a Research and Development Tax Credit to help innovative companies grow.
“These have been difficult economic times for our state and our businesses. That is why it is important we continue to work with small businesses to help ensure they have what they need to grow,” Gov. Lynch said. “Through MyExpertNet, small businesses can have their questions answered by one of the many volunteer experts. It is important to connect business people with the information they need to be successful and this is one more way we are doing that.”
Over 40 business professionals have volunteered to serve as experts and provide their time, skills and expertise for the initiative. These experts will cover areas ranging from accounting and energy efficiency to federal contracting and international trade. Additional experts will be added in the future, providing entrepreneurs with the opportunity to have their questions answered by more than one professional in each subject area.
“MyExpertNet is an environment where all participants add value and all receive value a true win-win for all involved,” said Knowledge Institute President/CFO Dr. William Osgood, architect of the initiative. “This innovative concept also represents a model that other states can embrace to further the positive impact in building small business strength across the country. We’re pleased that New Hampshire is, once again, a leader in this critical arena.”
Comcast's Peter Marsh discusses how his company has supported the creation of the new virtual community for small businesses.
Major sponsor Comcast has committed to run a MyExpertNet promotional television spot throughout its New Hampshire operating area to help increase awareness of the service.
“Spreading the word about this innovative new initiative ensures that more businesses are given the opportunity to grow and thrive,” said Peter Marsh, Vice President of Business Services for Comcast’s Greater Boston Region. “Comcast is pleased to help small business owners stay focused on growing their business by connecting local owners with the best thought leaders on MyExpertNet.”
“In today’s fast-paced economy, the ability of the public and private sectors to work cooperatively is key in supporting job creation and building an environment where everyone feels responsible for building the economy,” added Public Service of New Hampshire Business Development Manager Gordon Tuttle. “MyExpertNet not only builds closer relationships between the government and the business community, it creates the type of virtual mentorships between experts and entrepreneurs that truly define the term `paying it forward.'”
Sojourn Partners Managing Partner Russ Ouellette, an expert in the “management” category, said that he is pleased to be part of an initiative that allows entrepreneurs to relieve some of their anxiety about business creation and development.
“Anyone who has ever started a business knows that the process is daunting at best and terrifying at worst,” he said. “To have someone who has been through what you’re going through and who is willing to take the time to help you navigate the rough waters is invaluable. This is a great initiative.”
New Hampshire CEOs and emerging entrepreneurs no longer need to leave the comfort of their office to get the information that will help them to find success in the Granite State and beyond. Today, the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development unveiled NH BizCast, a new monthly series of free business-centered Webcasts.
“With schedules becoming more and more hectic, we recognize that it was imperative for us to provide busy company owners and entrepreneurs with an easier way to access vital information,” said New Hampshire Division of Economic Development Interim Director Roy Duddy. “Now, on a monthly basis, our audience can share their lunch hour with us in an interactive, cutting edge forum that stimulates questions and promotes information sharing.”
Each month, a business expert will present information on a topic relevant to the current economic climate. Online participants will have the ability to ask realtime questions via their computer, to be answered live by the presenter.
The first session, “Starting a Business in a Down Economy,” is slated for Wednesday, January 20th from noon-1 p.m. and will feature Deborah Osgood, President of the Exeter-based Knowledge Institute. Osgood’s presentation will include discussion of business self-assessment, formulation of business ideas, development of resource contacts, business mentorship and creation of a business plan.
“Most everything in life is about working well with and through others, and succeeding in business is no exception,” said Osgood. “The Knowledge Institute is pleased to be collaborating with the Division of Economic Development and their new Webcast series to leverage technology in introducing New Hampshire residents to a 10-step approach for assessing, planning and launching a new business venture in the Granite State.”
All Webcasts in the series will be hosted live at the Comfort Inn (71 Hall Street) in Concord and will feature a live audience.
“It’s very exciting for the Comfort Inn to be partnering with the State to provide new and exciting opportunities for the business community,” said Comfort Inn General Manager Michelle Wilson. “Our location is a perfect destination for business travelers and we’re thrilled to be able to introduce our facility to new visitors.”
Future NH BizCast Webinars will include “New Mediums, New Messages – How Social Media is Transforming Communication” featuring Epiphanies, Inc.’s Allen Voivod (2/17) and “Best Business Practices for the Next Century” featuring Sojourn Partner’s Dr. Russ Ouellette (3/17).
For more information and to attend the NH BizCast, visit www.nheconomy.com. Those planning on participating in the live audience at the Comfort Inn are asked to pre-register by contacting Leslie Sherman at (603) 271-2591 or leslie.sherman@dred.state.nh.us.
As Veterans return to civilian life in New Hampshire and across the country, many are considering owning their own business as a viable means for providing for themselves and their families. Stepping up to support this trend are the Knowledge Institute, specialists in entrepreneurial education and virtual resource communities, and the Foundation for Entrepreneurial Research and Development (FERAD), a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting entrepreneurship. As a public/private collaboration, both organizations have joined forces to create VetBizGO, a new entrepreneurial education and resource community.
With American Express reporting that the number of businesses owned by women in New Hampshire has grown by 37.2 percent in the last 14 years, there is no better time to be a female entrepreneur in the Granite State.
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Each month, a business expert will present information on a topic relevant to the current economic climate. Online participants will have the ability to ask realtime questions via their computer, to be answered live by the presenter.