French for Entrepreneur

Could the French fondness for a single job for life be giving away to a new spirit of entrepreneurialism? The number of new private businesses launched in France is soaring. June saw an all-time record, and figures in July were only slightly off that pace. French officials estimate that by the end of 2009 France will be about half a million new firms better off. In 2008 just 328,000 small companies were created, and in 2007 the figure was 321,000.

Digital 21 - Entrepreneurship: Cultivating the art of the start

Now that we have realised the false economy that comes with selling houses to one another, the nation is in a fight for economic survival and amongst the 430,000 people now on the live register there are surely entrepreneurs who can be encouraged to establish their own businesses.

But small businesses, which are the lifeblood of the Irish economy, are battling against a situation whereby the banks that their own Government has bailed out are refusing credit. This does not bode well for entrepreneurs who need to access start-up capital. So creative means must be identified as a matter of urgency to ensure that access to seed capital and supports to enter overseas markets exist.

Govt committed to supporting R&D

Ms Ayittey said this in a speech read on her behalf at the opening of the Fourth Biennial National Delegates' Conference of the Senior Staff Association of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) at Bunso in the Eastern Region. The Minister said government was committed to ensure increase in agriculture production so as to achieve food security and employment. She commended the CSIR for its contribution in agricultural research in respect of varietals trails, crosses research techniques, yield improvements and pest control.

Entrepreneurship as a Safety Net

Is entrepreneurship the new safety net? In a viewpoint column this week, Chris Farrell suggests that corporate careers have become more uncertain than ever, and young people are looking to microenterprises for stability.

Corporate loyalty used to work both ways, with loyal employees being rewarded with long-term job security. That model began to fall apart with mass layoffs in the 1970s, Farrell notes. Now that pay cuts and furloughs — once shunned even by corporations laying off workers — have become commonplace, he suggests, workers see less value and stability in corporate careers. Along with bolstering savings, workers are looking to microbusinesses as a hedge against the risk of layoffs or pay cuts:

Venture capital clocks in at €111m to June

ALMOST €111 million in funding was raised by Irish firms in venture capital in the first half of the year, according to figures released by the Irish Venture Capital Association (IVCA) yesterday.

Second-quarter investments, which totalled €57.2 million, were up slightly from the first quarter when €53.4 million was raised.

Israeli Innovation

The latest issue of the City Journal includes an article on the unmatched economic and scientific accomplishments achieved by Israel in its short history. The high-tech industry dominates the Israeli economy and the author includes some interesting statistics regarding the country’s global standing in the technology sector. As of 2007, Israel houses more foreign NASDAQ-traded companies than any other country. Notably, the author writes:

Entrepreneur investors launching a $5 million investment fund for new ventures in medical devices and health care services.

Wealthy entrepreneurs who made their mark in the region's health-care sector want to seed a new wave of business growth.

Up to 20 investors, led by some of the region's most successful health care executives, are launching a $5 million investment fund for new ventures in medical devices and health care services.

U.S. Continues to Tread Water in Global R&D Tax Incentives

Although once offering the most generous R&D tax credit in the world, the United States now ranks 17th out of the 30 OECD countries.  The United States’ R&D credit has fallen so far behind compared to other nations it would have to increase the Alternative Simplified Credit from its current value of 14 percent to 47 percent to once again be the world leader in R&D tax generosity.

Read the WebMemo.

EDC Expo speaker (Richard Bendis) to discuss capital, mentorship value

An experienced hand at developing capital resources will headline the Entrepreneurial Development Center’s fourth annual Expo.

Richard Bendis, president and CEO of Innovation America, a national private/public partnership focused on entrepreneurism, will talk about capital fundraising challenges at the Sept. 1 event at Kirkwood Center for Continuing Education in southwest Cedar Rapids.

NASVF: VC Survey to Promote Increase in Venture Capital and Follow Investing Trends

Conrad Foundation Opens Registration for 2010 Spirit of Innovation ... by Doug Messier

Larta Institute Wins National Science Foundation (NSF) Contract

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) August 27, 2009 -- The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced that Larta Institute (www.larta.org), one of the best-known and largest commercialization services companies in the U.S., has been tapped to design and manage a commercialization assistance program aimed at small-company grantees across the U.S. NSF joins other U.S. agencies, specifically the National Institutes of Health, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Telemedicine Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC), in recognizing the Institute's work on behalf of innovation and commercialization.

A Final Ted Kennedy Innovation: A New Way To Use Twitter

Today, with Ted Kennedy in repose, his family bears responsibility for a technological advance, one that, if replicated by others, will save time, money and mental bandwidth. It seems small potatoes: instead of using e-mail to distribute information about funeral arrangements, the family has set up a Twitter account, @kennedynews. The handle will be used to provide updates about timing, logistics, even VIP arrivals to various events. This will undoubtedly prove more efficient than press releases, which must be clicked on and skimmed until the particular piece of information is communicated. The 140-character limit will force the info to be communicated quickly, unadorned with extraneous words.

FCC votes to look at innovation in wireless industry

The Federal Communications Commission decided unanimously on Thursday to review the state of "innovation" in the wireless industry, a move that could lead to greater regulation of carriers and government intervention in disputes such as one that recently erupted over Google Voice and the Apple App Store.

Corporate Venture Capital - An Alternative Route To Finance?

The buzz around the biopharma industry is that the traditional venture capital (VC) companies are withdrawing from funding new pharma and biotech start-ups in favor of supporting their existing portfolio companies. Coupling this with the lack of IPOs during 2008 and 2009, this leaves a large funding void at the early-stage part of the industry.

How To Start A Business From Your Dorm Room

These are grim days for college students looking beyond the quad and into the job market. Some students are taking a proactive approach before graduating and setting up shop while in school.

Student-run businesses have moved beyond staples like proofreading and babysitting. Instead, students are taking advantage of technology to create sophisticated dorm-room businesses, in part because they view owning a business as less risky than working for one.

SBA targets young entrepreneurs on new YouTube channel | WHYY News ...

With millions of viewers logging onto YouTube throughout the world each day, individuals like British talent contestant Susan Boyle can practically become online sensations overnight.

Who’s Driving Twitter’s Popularity? Not Teens By CLAIRE CAIN MILLER

Kristen Nagy, an 18-year-old from Sparta, N.J., sends and receives 500 text messages a day. But she never uses Twitter, even though it publishes similar snippets of conversations and observations.

“I just think it’s weird and I don’t feel like everyone needs to know what I’m doing every second of my life,” she said.

Analysis of "The Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2009"

ITIF Research Fellow Richard Bennett analyzes the Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2009 (H.R. 3458) in an article in Internet Evolution.  The Internet's fundamental vibrancy and astounding ability to adapt to innovative new applications would be compromised by the overly prescriptive management framework the legislation proposes.  Regulators need to focus on protecting the Internet's capacity for change rather than preserving a flawed picture of its past.

Read the Report.

Four Years After Katrina, New Orleans Now A Hub Of Entrepreneurship

The Wall Street Journal reported that, thanks to entrepreneurial support centers and generous tax breaks, New Orleans has become a hub of innovation and entrepreneurial activity.