Entrepreneurs' Movement Ideas

Posted by: Thom Ruhe on 10/5/2010

Entrepreneurship plays a critical role in our economic recovery. The recession that began just over two years ago continues to be all too real for 15 million unemployed Americans, a number that worsened a few months ago despite this incipient recovery. What do you think entrepreneurs need to build a stronger America? Add your comments and ideas below.

2010 State of Entrepreneurship Report

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Category: Entrepreneurs' Movement

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94 Comments

RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: January 21, 2010 @ 08:01 PM; Sara said...; New York
Innovation plays such a critical role in entrepreneurship. Secretary Locke's comments regarding more investment in innovation and entrepreneurship are a step in the right direction.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: January 21, 2010 @ 10:01 PM; Geetha Jayaraman said...; Hillsborough, NJ
Being a small snack food manufacturing company based in this country, I find that there is no support for manufacturing here. Recommendations are for us to outsource it to other countries. Are there any programs to support manufacturing businesses and are there any financing options other than the regular SBA, and conventional loans?
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: January 24, 2010 @ 11:01 AM; Jonathan Nelson said...; Phoenix, AZ
As the job creators, entrepreneurs really are the answer to digging us out of this difficult economic mess. Innovation is critical, but so are tax cuts for small businesses. If entrepreneurs aren't able to create more jobs, we're going to have to cut them, which will put our country in an even more compromising state. Locke's support is great but the government needs to get serious about making changes that will tangibly help America's small businesses.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: January 25, 2010 @ 06:01 PM; David Britton said...; Santa Cruz CA
Our Business Model Abstract: We can improve lives by mobilizing the mentoring power by using public libraries to create a Library Progress Administration. The Library hub infrastructure has the basic facilities, services, and installations needed to create sustainable jobs by mobilizing entrepreneurial mentoring services. We seek underutilized learning space in community libraries to create ecological-entrepreneur job opportunities. By providing access to entrepreneur mentoring and by localizing the innovation process, we can create better communities. We will regenerate our local economy through growing entrepreneur startups. Entrepreneurs can provide the innovations needed to build clean-technology startup organizations. The opportunity is not to build the rare high-risk scaling organization but to quickly build innovative entrepreneurial startups. Startups will help solve ecological and employment problems that threaten our very existence.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: January 25, 2010 @ 06:01 PM; Brett Barndt said...; NYC
Great to see finally people talking about entrepreneurship with a fine toothed comb. Too much simplistic ideological focus on tax rates, and monetary policy and the needs of the mere owners of money as the only important factors of production have crippled our economy and economic prospects for some time.

I am glad to hear someone at least finally talking about the human inputs that alone make possible turning ordinary money, favorable tax rates and interest rates into anything like a new business.

We've also got to get the unfair political advantages bought by entrenched going concerns who block capital formation around innovation that threatens their out of date business models too! This is major in the energy sector now, where unfair advantages distort IRR calculations for alternative energy, biggest one being the military subsidy taxpayers pay to oil and extractors all over the world to ensure their property rights in foreign hostile, but nevertheless cheap, labor countries, as well as transportation through pirate zones.

None of those real costs turn up in any pump price. Leaving them out therefore distorts IRR calc for kilowatt hour comparisons for new energies. These subsidies and low effective corporate income tax rates also explain the super normal economic rents enjoyed by what is basically a monopoly industry of oligopolies, oligarchs, and their attendant military servants, with no real competition in sight (Well done guys? You won this one. But, we're waking up and we're mad!).

That little problem never gets mentioned in these speeches in the Beltway. Surprise surprise. Don't tell me these people don't know the unintended or maybe fully intended consequences of the whole-system that feeds them.

Those consequences totally disadvantage new entrants in every sector of our economy that has now been overly concentrated into too few corporate shrinking brains' hands. IFIF.org, Businessweek, and Newsweek have all within the last year run articles about 10 yrs of market failure for capital to form around new innovations already funded on campuses by Federal basic R&D $$$ for decades.

While toothless anti-trust appointees by last President (and this President hasn't done anything to fix it either)have made a few people rich, they have stifled innovation to create new opportunity for everybody else. These rankings show that in painful detail.

I don't agree about Professors becoming entrepreneurs. They don't know how to run a business, and I've seen too many at important schools I won't mention piss away valuable money, time, and patents when keys were handed over to them. They don't know how to make the right hires, don't have the industry contacts they need to make deals, and little comes of it! The big licensing money for Federal R&D recipient universities has always come from Detroit and the military sector. Not from Professor run start-ups.

Let them and their students create patents, and let real business people build diverse teams that can convert ideas on paper (even patent paper) into products and sell them to paying customers. I agree that hard sciences can create patents, but even by choosing science, they self select the personal skills and attributes they will have for life, which are not the ones needed to build run and market a complete enterprise.

They are rarely sales people, rarely people people and most of their work is never validated by insight or market research about sellable products in the first place. For all but special high tech products bought by fellow geeks on the cool factor, start-up technologies have to go through a time consuming and costly iterative process lead by people with sales and marketing skills more than science. These people skills, listening skills, workplace knowledge, and conceptual skills are what is needed to figure out what exactly is the sellable product those patents can become, and how it is going to be sold into already entrenched markets. Read Amar Bhide "Venturesome Economy" about the many many many skillsets it takes up and down any enterprise to convert science into business. That conversion is the hard part, where there is a shortage of skills with the right chemistry, especially as our high schools and universities seem to be failing to create truly generative creative minds these days, as definitely was the case in the past. That is the athletic part. The elastic brain part.

And that is the part where everybody screws up!

This is work most VCs don't even know how to oversee correctly, since the profile of VCs has changed significantly over the last 15 years to be less experienced operators, to more MBAs with just finance training.

And certainly BODs of established companies prove themselves to be disincentivized by Wall Street quarterly earnings seasons for getting involved in any of this kind of work. Read Clayton Christensen about how time and time again experienced executives at expensive companies ignore the signs and never get on the band wagon for new innovations until the shareholders money has whittled down to nothing! And worse for the wage earners involved!

There is so much to learn to make into more common knowledge, and so many myths to bust. But those myths are well protected by incumbents of both industrial and money nature who try desperately to keep newcomers out of the secrets!
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: January 25, 2010 @ 06:01 PM; Dale B. Halling said...; Colorado Springs, Colorado
Since 2000 we have passed a number of laws and regulations that are killing innovation in the US. The incredible innovation of the 90s was based on technology start-up companies built on intellectual capital, financial capital, and human capital. All three of the pillars have been under attack since 2000. Our patent laws have been weakened reducing the value of intellectual capital. Sarbanes Oxley has made it impossible to go public reducing financial capital for start-ups and the FASB rules on stock options have made it harder to attract human capital to start-ups.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: January 25, 2010 @ 08:01 PM; Lloyd Weaver said...; Harpswell, ME, USA
Mr. Schramm focused his comments on the individual as the entrepreneurs. Secretary Locke focused on institutions as a source. But likely the "Ford" entrepreneur will not come from an institution. Secretary Locke didn't mention how we are to spur on these entrepreneurs, Mr. Schramm did, and he's on the money. As entrepreneurs we need to be able to show spectacular returns to interest risk takers. Any way the spreadsheet can be enhanced with a spectacular tax break to place more of the income to the bottom line, the more likely is a risky idea to be funded. But as long as people like Mr. Schramm and Secretary Locke work together, we get the multiplier effect of that team, and it takes a team to execute.

As an mechanical and chemical engineer for over 40 years and an inventor nearly all that time, I have never seen a product that can't be improved, even my own (ahem), some very significantly with only a simple change. Considering we are importing some $400 in oil a year (70% of use), obviously there is unlimited opportunities in energy. That's where I'm focused because that will help America get back on its feet in a big way. We have to pay our bills somehow, and it's going to take a lot of "Fords" to do it, and energy can create them.

Communicating the big idea is a problem, however. The web sites that cater to inventions for nominal consumer products are not going to help. A Web site is needed that just caters to several $billion sales ideas because there is no better way for them to get attention if these ideas are by individual entrepreneurs. Again, as Mr. Schramm says, it is individual entrepreneur that will be starting the businesses that matter to job growth. The reason is corporations just fear for their existing order books, entrepreneurs create the order books with the potential for hyper growth.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: January 25, 2010 @ 08:01 PM; Chris Reddin said...; Grand Junction, CO
As a person who works with start-ups everyday though a thriving business incubation program, I am really pleased to see this focus on the most important part of economic recovery – entrepreneurship. Great data in this survey, but two more years of recession..ouch.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: January 26, 2010 @ 04:01 AM; Piero Formica said...; Bologna and Dublin
We argue in favour of an experimental laboratory approach as a way of accelerating the creation, incubation and testing of new venture ideas by establishing a micro-ecosystem of aspiring entrepreneurs and others in a business labs environment. The goal is to create a mini idea supercollider where a microscopic “Medici Effect” can be achieved where aspiring entrepreneurs with different ideas, experience and disciplines meet in a spirit of open innovation with the sum of the whole much greater than the sum of each of the individual parts. The creation of an ecosystem for idea creation and rapid testing using business simulation tools can accelerate the creation, mobilization and diffusion stages of the knowledge life cycle in a knowledge driven entrepreneurship venture while de-risking potential ventures before significant capital is applied.
Martin Curley and Piero Formica
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: January 26, 2010 @ 12:01 PM; Shelley Booth said...; Asheville, NC
Entrepreneurs who run small businesses need help in two areas:

1) The punch of payroll taxes. For every full-time employee, we pay in payroll taxes what I could pay a new employee in a part-time training level position. A payroll tax holiday would be a helpful and concrete step state and federal governments could take to assist small businesses in this economic crunch period. Not permanent, but just a brief payroll tax holiday to give the small business owners some breathing room.

2) Hidden credit card fees. Rewards cards and corporate cards hurt small business. For regular transactions, we pay 1.64% of the transaction in fees. But when a customer uses a rewards card, like a miles card, or a corporate card, we pay an outrageous 3.54%. It may not seem like much, but an extra $100-$300 a month in credit card fees matters to a small business. Why do we pay for customers free airline miles? This is an area the federal government has not addressed in the credit reform work.

As Mary Naylor said in the report, “Additional dollars that have to go out the door are crucial for a small business.” These are just two of the specific areas where I see dollars going out our door.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: January 26, 2010 @ 07:01 PM; Paul Hales said...; Utah
A major contributor to America's debt is our consumption of fossil based fuels. If we were able to not only curtail the amounts used each year but start mass producing electric cars that are fueled by renewable energy such as wind, geothermal, solar etc.. we would not only be cleaning up our environment in the U.S but reducing our dependence on the import of oil as well. If America is able to emulate what China, of all places, is starting to do with their investing in Green energy, then our citizens would have more jobs producing the power, building the vehicles and batteries, and probably lessening our health costs at the same time. The new electric Tesla vehicle goes from 0 to 60 MPH in 4 seconds. That is similar to a Corvette so loss of power should not be an issue. I am pursuing the mining of rare earth metals that are required for Green Energy. Small part in a big play.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: January 28, 2010 @ 12:01 PM; Bill Jacobs said...; Olney, MD
I have a good 5 or 6 marketable ideas for products but no way to produce them and no intention of risking capital without an enforceable patent. I'm not risking capital on the patent either because it's a very expensive process.

A government program of profit-sharing that defrays the cost of acquiring a patent might be a terrific spur to job growth.

If patents cost 300 dollars instead of 10,000 in legal costs, you'd end up with an avalanche of ideas, the proceeds of which would pay the extra costs the government would be paying. A limit of these discounted patents could be imposed so each citizen could attempt to patent an idea once every three years. (or other time interval)

Until it becomes affordable, my 5 ideas stay on the shelf in my mind, employing NOBODY. The risks are too high, the rewards, too uncertain.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: January 29, 2010 @ 03:01 PM; Siva said...; MA
What I do not understand is ...while we promote building America the following is a handicap

America doing a lot of relief work in Haiti, labor intensive products may have to be imported from elsewhere at the moment. Other items could be manufactured in the US. Donors money getting wasted on freight often higher than the value of goods!.

The other thing I see is : payment up front is expected by US vendor they have never heard of such a thing called "Letter of credit" widely used in Europe. The far eastern suppliers having to trust the US vendor to part with payment upfront on purchases in good faith where as vise versa is not entertained by the US vendor to work along together to complement each other on large tenders. Misconception about LC's (Letter of credit) driving away business opportunities back to the far east to incur freight charges and delay instead the manufacturers of US and foreign could work as partners to complement high value tenders. Another thing that comes to mind retailers should be encouraged to have a section for "Made in America" there are people who will pay extra to trigger local production, they need to go miles & miles searching for local products & supplies.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: January 31, 2010 @ 04:01 PM; Luke Craig said...; Lincoln Nebraska
The United State's of America is a nation that with-hold's a touch of everyth- ing. It is one of the goal's of Diverse Design to establish a nation of one through interactive and inter-dimensional philosophy. This philosophy is know- ledge intermixed with sentience which in-turn becomes a form of sapience or the use of that extra sense. A way to allow others' to become aware of this sixth sense is through digital imagery. In the end this shall be considered a sense of education, media, philanthropy, or sentience through sapience. America shall prevail and dominate by transcending the immaterial phenomina.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: February 01, 2010 @ 05:02 PM; Cynthia Adams said...; Fairbanks, Alaska
I have been running a small business for over 20 years, and my biggest challenges have been providing decent pay and providing health care coverage for my employees. Last year (2009) our health insurance costs went up 50% (yes, FIFTY percent) per person because one of our employees has had heart problems. As a very small business (less then 10 employees), my choice was to pay this outrageous price (which I couldn't afford), drop health care coverage (which would mean the person having heart problems would basically be sent to the poor house), or compromise and pay half the costs and have my employees pay the other half. We went with option three. But, really? how horrible is it to put a small business in this position? We desperately need health care reform.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: February 01, 2010 @ 05:02 PM; Cynthia Adams said...; Fairbanks, Alaska
I have been running a small business for over 20 years, and my biggest challenges have been providing decent pay and providing health care coverage for my employees. Last year (2009) our health insurance costs went up 50% (yes, FIFTY percent) per person because one of our employees has had heart problems. As a very small business (less then 10 employees), my choice was to pay this outrageous price (which I couldn't afford), drop health care coverage (which would mean the person having heart problems would basically be sent to the poor house), or compromise and pay half the costs and have my employees pay the other half. We went with option three. But, really? how horrible is it to put a small business in this position? We desperately need health care reform.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: February 01, 2010 @ 06:02 PM; Rick Falls said...; Ocala Florida
We are the way out not the government, and change is the only thing that's constant.

Many current industries and government departments alike, need to simply die and fade away, and thereby give light to the kind of innovation and problem solving that makes America Great.

The most pressing thing that I feel that entrepreneurs need first is radically reduced bureaucracy overall, then encouraged, open, and willing connections to like minded people who can serve as both experienced partners ("been there, done that") and to those financially able to help, as they recognize and actually invest, time, experience, and money into trending opportunities and potential future profits, without looking like the typical VC extortion types of lending that are prevalent currently.

Access to innovative micro sized business capital, possibly including government guarantees for that capital would be good, and makes good sense, if the government really wants business expansion from it's purest point of origin.

And lastly we need a simple and flat and "fair tax" structure so that when someone does figure out a way to earn a dollar by filling a need and serving others, they actually earn "a dollar" without fear of how much of that dollar the government will take, or contemplating how that dollar will be treated by a complicated, bloated and confusing tax code that serves few and stresses many.

Back to basics, and the free flow of ideas and capital without all the social engineering "we want this to happen" kind of strings.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: February 02, 2010 @ 11:02 PM; Thompson said...; New York
The best thing for entrepreneurs will be the collapse of the Big Monopolistic Coercion Machine: the state. The best thing we can do to hasten its overdue demise is to simply ignore it. Business owners, start producing and trading off the books and off the Record. Individuals and employees, offer to work and make more purchases OTR! The less the state consumes in its insane bureaucracy, the more we're left with - and the more in turn we can produce next month. The cure for this recession is not before our eyes but behind them.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: February 04, 2010 @ 01:02 PM; Dee Miller said...; Hope, Idaho
There are two dominant themes in the majority of the comments here; they are (1) the stifling of innovation to meet the many challenges facing us today due to governmental bureaucratic obstacles in place for the benefit of large business to discourage competition from small business and (2) the crippling costs of doing business for entrepreneurial start-ups. At the same time, it is publicly acknowledged by Congress and the President that small business is being looked to as the golden goose that can lay the golden egg of our economic recovery. It follows than that the entrepreneurs should unite to lobby (by their shear number; not money) the Congress and President to do what they need to do to create the environment that will encourage, or at least allow without these unreasonable obstacles, entrepreneurs to accomplish our recovery as they are best suited to do. I know there are many associations and alliances you may already belong to. If each of you would contact any of the organizations you belong to and direct their leaders to join together in order to unify your voices, it would be a lot easier and less time consuming than to each write your congressional delegations - which may or may not get read - but a consortium of business peoples' association very publicly demanding that Congress address and meaningfully correct these important defects could not be ignored. Since the large businesses and industry organizations write their own legislation for Congress to submit as bills, it would be good to submit what you require with specificity as well. If you leave it to them, they won't give you what you want, if they ever would get around to it. A survey of members' priorities would be followed by a vote to sort out the highest priority amongst them and would be the way to find a starting point. Determine by democratic process the top three priorities. Once those are accomplished, take up the next important until the list is worked through.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: February 08, 2010 @ 03:02 PM; Frank Ruscica said...; NYC
The Jobs Plan We'd Get If Leading Innovation Scholars And Growth Economists Weren't Being Volckerized (i.e., Ignored As Volcker Was Until Recently) would leverage America's advantages to make America the Silicon Valley of the global market for customized education (CE).

Understanding why we'd get this plan starts with knowing that popular online markets for CE can be expected to catalyze the creation of many jobs.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: February 08, 2010 @ 04:02 PM; Albertine Flugzeug-Brand said...; NYC
@Thompson New York...very interesting remarks. You must be unfamiliar with Socrates who made plain that the state is the only way private property can exist. It alone can employ police forces to protect private property, and run courts to mediate harm, and taxes have to be paid to maintain that protection. Under your scenario, the only people who will keep their property are the ones who can hire their own private police forces. Are you one of those?

So was Callicles, who was instrumental in getting Socrates put to death. He didn't like the idea that this "state" would curtail his personal liberties to be a thug against those physically weaker than him. Although quite possibly not mentally weaker!

Good luck in Thompson's America! Not good for entrepreneurs who want to devote their lives to creating livelihood and chances of wealth for themselves. hat was also part of Socrates' argument. You'll never get people to do their most productive work when they can be robbed blind anytime by a Thug force!

And there are plenty of others who have allowed themselves to be indoctrinated with this idea over the last decades since Goldwater. Goldwater's boys definitely have the private security on their ranches. And jets. And helicopters.

Too bad it won't hold up very long against the tides of history! And very bad for getting people to be self-determinist and creative!
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: February 09, 2010 @ 01:02 PM; Curtis Scott said...; Florida
I am an entrepreneur. Unlike most of the US population, I was not caught off-guard when the recession came -because I am also a student of Austrian economics & subscribe to the writings of Dr. Ron Paul & Mr. Peter Schiff. So, despite having my own personal financial crisis involving an unscrupulous business associate in 2007 (who is now in jail); -I managed to leverage over +3000% return from my humble savings -that I diverted into a specific investment when I saw the writing on the economic wall. I am all about risk-taking & delayed gratification. I also know from years of personal study that government is generally the problem --a severe one. Not only do government policies get in the way due to the backdoor agendas built into them, --but the rhetoric of government taints the minds of the public & generally blinds people to alternative ways of thinking about issues -even discouraging such talk. Earth shaking ideas always change society & it's the result of the paradigm-shift that spawns new innovations. But what happens in a society resistant to change (so resistant that government policy has indirectly locked in place the status-quo)? Just reading over the posts here -it's obvious to me that many of the contributors have been mesmerized by government-speak; --But I can tell you (law being a hobby of mine) -that much of what I read about taxes, regulations & things like patents are spoken from ignorance of the actual law about such matters and that DC does not have nearly the level of control that many people imagine it does. It's like watching a dog -held captive without a boundary by a collar that emits a sound when the dog gets near the boundary-line. And the irony is that all the other dogs bark frantic warnings when they hear rumor of the collar's sound --providing merely the peer pressure of fear to keep the dog inside an intangible fence. Let me cue you in on a secret: +90% of the time -the collar only makes a noise & can do nothing else. And having said that +90% of those reading won't believe it. And when those +90% of people -held in a mental prison set down by a matrix of misleading legal-language are also those who are "investors", -they will choose not to invest because some barking dog is freaking out about a boundary line that in reality -is an illusion (does not exist). There is an old saying -that "The truth will set you free."; --BUT ONLY the truth you KNOW. I just wanted to preface with that commentary. My invention (that I am seeking a QUALITY industry partner to venture jointly with) -reduces the energy wasted by the conventional clothes dryer -some 50-80%.
The savings figures are quite impressive. The installation (via contractor) is very affordable. And the payback to the home owner is roughly 2-4 years based on use. My background in energy-management & control systems dates back to 1986 when I was doing computer-based, state-of-the-art system design. Fundamentals never change. My ideal partner would be an existing business with a solid personnel connection to the electricity-generation industry (which, -I'm told, -has the most to gain from innovations that can reduce the demand on the grid by GIGAwatt hours). - Good day.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: February 10, 2010 @ 04:02 PM; Luke Craig said...; http://brainmeta.blogspot.com/
Philosophy needs to be taught to the young for it will establish a matrix of propensity/possibility/potential. The economy of the United States of America must have such a matrix to in-turn proportionately re-align "The Land Of The Free And The Home Of The Brave". True it be that evolution does play a role (miniscule) although all in all the most powerful sense of reality restith in thy consciousness.

Many attributes of the education that is given to the young innately does not become useful. Education should concentrate predominately on the Here And Now as-well as In The Future.

The citizens' of America can and will can and Shall Rock This Nation but before that happen's they/we must become aware of propensity, as-well as consc-iousness. This theory (so to speak) is Quantum Sapience and as proclaimed, it is a meta-oriented theory that is fundamentally structured throughout the Emot-ional, Mental, Physical and Spiritual entities which to pertain to reality.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: February 13, 2010 @ 09:02 AM; Herman said...; Maryland
Entrepreneurs need resources, guidance and support. They need practical reality based training showing the truth about starting a business and building it so that it will last. Those who hype how to make millions without really working hard, and those who preach everyone can do it...need to be exposed as the frauds they are.

We have started [a website] as an educational resource and we seek articles, interviews and honesty from successful entrepreneurs to show how the math matters, how the funding is hard to acquire, and to show how much time it really takes to climb the mountain. We have to stop the almost fifty percent of people who start companies that fail causing hardship for owners and investors.

Herman
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: February 13, 2010 @ 02:02 PM; Thomas Sieverding said...; Platteville, WI
Our economy has reached the point where it cannot sustain itself without the support of venture capital and entrepreneurs to create new industry. Unfortunately however, the banking industry is not legally allowed to supply venture capital to create the necessary innovation. Rather than dumping the vast quantities of money managed by the banking industry into mortgages and creating situations such as sub-prime mortgages, that money needs to be funneled into creating new industry, something for which debt funding alone is incapable of. The truth is, without removing this de facto ban on innovation, our economy will continue to deteriorate indefinitely. It is the responsibility of every individual to make sure this does not happen. We need to make sure that innovation is possible. We need to make sure that the American dream is possible and for everyone.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: February 14, 2010 @ 12:02 AM; Chuck Johnson said...; Queen Creek AZ
My Dear Luke Craig,
May I take issue with your comment:

Philosophy needs to be taught to the young for it will establish a matrix of propensity/ possibility/potential. The economy of the United States of America must have such a matrix to in-turn proportionately re-align "The Land Of The Free And The Home Of The Brave". True it be that evolution does play a role (miniscule) although all in all the most powerful sense of reality restith in thy consciousness. First of All I have no idea of what you mean - Please compare it with such simplicity as my statement below. People need jobs! Not some gibberish that no one can understand; I think we would be best by taking things a small bit at a time...."a thousand mile trip begins with one step in the right direction" so goes a Chinese proverb. Brian Tracy also mentioned this in one of his lectures.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: February 14, 2010 @ 11:02 PM; Dianahuculak said...; Canton MI
Everyday is an opportunity to make a new happy ending.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: February 15, 2010 @ 12:02 AM; DianahuculakEmpowe said...; Canton MI
No success or failure is necessary a final The true stars are within, awaiting discovery.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: February 15, 2010 @ 01:02 PM; Chuck Johnson said...; Queen Creek AZ
The strange things about this site is that individuals are talking about problems and not a word is mentioned about solutions! Another problem is that the individuals do not seem to care about solutions, if they did would leave an email address or a phone number so they could some possible solutions to their problems.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: February 15, 2010 @ 06:02 PM; Freddie Shivdat said...; New Jersey
Entrepreneurship has been evidenced as the driver of the US economic growth from the start of the industrial revolution. It is hinged on our unique and sometimes complicated education system that supports expression of ideas that lead to innovation.

The failure of our society to recognize the decline in scientific minded graduates coupled with a growing trend in Washington to be bugged down by minutia instead of rationalizing and compromising to come up with policies to capitalize on the effects of globalization, we are adrift as a nation.

We as Americans are being handcuffed by policy more and more as the rest of the world frees up regulations to foster innovation. For the first time, the US is looking a some level of brain drain as more and more innovators leave for more fertile grounds.

The test will be whether we allow a few financial and a few industrial organizations to control our government and economy. We still have a chance to innovate ourselves to the top of the world but only time will tell. The key areas where we could excel are environmental, energy and aerospace.

However, as a very small business that depends on a vibrant economy, I am stuck with no source of financing other than my own and now friend in government, so i will keep plugging and hope for the best. Things have sure changed since the 1990's.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: February 16, 2010 @ 11:02 AM; Asdrubal Sossa-Robles said...; Newport Beach, California
Do you know that US eliminate the use of paint containing lead since 1978? Well, but China is using paint containing lead right now and exporting goods(Toys, Furniture, Tools, Appliances, etc) to US, Why? Because China don't have rules.

Do you know that in the California State, for example, an Entrepreneur to starting a business want to get 19 Federal,State and City Permits, meanwhile in China not need nothing? US want to go to World Trade Organization with an intelligent proposal to fit equal rules to Trade with China.

We want to avoid the flood of goods of China. Some years ago I worked in an The Home Depot Store and I verified that 90 of each 100 items in stock for sale has been imported from China....How the small,medium of big American Companies can survive in this scenario?
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: February 16, 2010 @ 01:02 PM; Chuck Johnson said...; Queen Creek AZ
Please forgive me for being blunt but I have to say that this page does not seem to be attempting to solve anything! Just a bunch of individuals in discussions that aren't going anywhere! Just empty words. In order for a forum to be useful, it needs direction and goals. I am attempting to establish a MASTERMIND GROUP, as described in the classic book THINK AND GROW RICH, by Napoleon Hill.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: February 16, 2010 @ 04:02 PM; Asdrubal Sossa-Robles said...; Newport Beach, California
To avoid from roots the current economic crisis The White House and The Congress must be understand that the first priority is to define an Competitivity Index to be applied to China imports.The small, medium o big America Corporation can not to compete with Slave salaries in an economic, politic and social totalitary sysstem like China.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: February 20, 2010 @ 07:02 PM; Luke Craig said...; Lincoln Nebraska
As a matter of primacy with the U.S. Economy, the people must acknowledge a paradigm shift as the world comes to evolve we the people need to revolve. The people also need to disseminate conscious being and scientific propensity, all in all this propensity mandates' the potential of humanity. Must take the less and make it more, must transcend the subconscious to realize the potential and notice that ALL is most definitely not the physical.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: February 22, 2010 @ 06:02 PM; Donna M. Floros said...; Studio City, CA
It would be a great idea if the powers that be wake up and see that we can put America Back To Work. We can create jobs. We have a simple solution. Let the entrepreneurs do what they do best. Circulate the flow of money, and get the economy flowing again. We have the programs ready to go, How much longer do we have to wait to get the financial support that we need?
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: February 26, 2010 @ 02:02 PM; Thomas Sieverding said...; Platteville, WI
It's very clear that our economy has reached a point where it cannot sustain itself without the support of venture capital and entrepreneurs to create new industry and innovation. The Build a Stronger American foundation however has overlooked some key elements to meeting this entrepreneurship goal. The focus should really be legislative - the ban on banks supplying venture capital needs to be removed. Here is an outline for an actionable approach to fixing our economy!

-Exempt newly issued stock from the ban on banks buying stock for their own account

-Authorize the Federal Reserve System to set up appropriate systems to enable commercial banks to provide venture capital without endangering bank solvency.

-Encourage liquidation of stock held by banks to comply with Sherman Anti-Trust act

-Find and implement appropriate ways to make it profitable and feasible for investment bankers to raise money for early stage companies. This could be modeled after the existing institutional venture capital industry.

-Find a way to allow investment bankers to raise money in stages like venture capitalists do.

-Find and implement several ways for investors of all incomes to invest in venture capital.

-Enable venture capital mutual funds.

-Create tax incentives for investments in venture capital funds and newly issued stock.

-Create greater tax incentives for early stage investments.

-Create ongoing tax incentives for investment in algae farming businesses and other businesses that will remove pollution from waterways and ecosystems.

-Create tax incentives for investing biodiesel.

-Create tax incentives for investment of neodymium mining. Neodymium is required for hybrid automobiles.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: March 06, 2010 @ 06:03 PM; d'Eric Howse said...; Los Angeles
We need tax free saving accounts like the ownership society bush was tring to sell. They have already in Canada, UK, Australia, and Argentina. Argentina started the trend after their economy crash just like ours. We should monitor their progress since they had a head start. This will empower us with the capital to start and grow a business with no credit.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: March 11, 2010 @ 10:30 PM; Luke Craig said...; Lincoln Nebraska
Mr. Chuck Johnson,

Jibberish it is not but rather it is intelligence and intelligence form's being. Being is what construct's reality and consequently - the reality that you face is proportionately is intermixed with --- your consciousness.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: March 13, 2010 @ 02:03 PM; Henry Correia said...; New Bedford, MA
As most of you that are reading this we were brought up with Pledging Elegance to the flag every morning in school. I don't know, if it still assists? For some of us it probably meant more than others. I was the last born into a family of 6 children. My family at emigrated from the beautiful Inlands of Azores, Portugal and I was born here in the States. When I was a youngster and my father would introduce me to someone, he would say this is my son Henry he is my youngest and he is an America Born and that meant something to him because he loved this country. Not, that it was more beautiful than his but because of it's ideas. Portugal at the time was ran with a dictator. So when I Pledged Elegance to the Flag it had allot of meaning. One Nation Under God with Freedom and Justice For All.

I don't see it today and the little that is left is slipping away right a front of our eyes. I see allot of talk but no one ever gets close to the core of the real problems in our country. We are control by Fear (Hitlers best weapon of control) and Cooperate Monies. I believe if surveyed 90 percent of us that don't work for Big Pharm will say Pharmaceutical Commercial are ridiculous, we have doctors that go to school to learn what drugs to prescribe, why are they spending billions of they customer's dollars advertising to people that can't prescribe drugs to themselves. They do it to control the media, They are the main principles of all the major media in our country and in doing so they are in control of our country where not even the President of The United State listens very carefully when they talk, or we may have a Health Bill with their approval which is the biggest problem with our Health System. Now, if we really would to help our country lets start at he root of the problem and take our country back. We are boomers we were leaders and warriors but today we are talkers. By the way I had A.D.D.H.D. as a child and I am glad Big Pharm wasn't in control back then because I would of drugged.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: March 16, 2010 @ 04:03 PM; Gary Neumann said...; Orlando, Florida
The only way out of this recession is through the growth of small business. They are the one's who create jobs in this country. I have been an entrepreneur for over 25 years and have the scars to prove it. The last 10 years I have been working with start ups and small business as a marketing consultant. Two years ago I came to the conclusion that were missing the boat big time in the way we help entrepreneurs succeed. We all know they need money. That is a given. But what a lot of them also need is engineering help, marketing help, management help and so on. Well today location is no longer a problem. Therefore a new medical device start up in Idaho could use the help of a medical device engineer in South Florida. The problem is they don't know each other. The facts are it's not what you know sometimes it's who you know. I hear it all time time from my clients. They ask me if I know someone in their business who could help them out. America is great at helping out other countries and people and that is great. We have a huge resource of people in this country who could help our entrepreneurs succeed including the 75 million baby boomers with over 30 years experience.

People helping people is what it's all about. When that happens you get back ten fold and all kinds of opportunities open up. It is my passion to help Grow America by connecting up experienced professionals who can help our entrepreneurs succeed.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: March 19, 2010 @ 02:03 PM; Dee Teren said...; Coeur d Alene Id.
Good Idea! Dee Miller of Hope, Idaho stated: entrepreneurs should unite and write their own legislation for Congress to submit as a bill" ... one of the most important thing she said was " ....submit what you require with specificity". So think about it? Can you convert your gripe into a productive solution?

What I would like to see in this blog site from entrepreneurs and inventors are gripes and problems stated in the form of a solutions that can be drafted into law. We need to make a difference and it needs to be soon, United we Stand.

Someone on another page who is an inventor wants the cost of Patent protection reduced. That is a great idea, that could kick start the economy and can easily be drafted into law.

The anarchists need to get off this site.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: March 19, 2010 @ 03:03 PM; Dee Teren said...; Coeur d Alene Id.
Asdrubal Sossa-Robles of Newport Beach, California stated that China does not have rules and it is easier to do business there than in the USA… he is wrong.

To suggest that China has no rules is ridicules. Actually their bureaucracy makes ours look good ..and their rules are harsh, for instance, the Chinese government has uncovered thousands cases involving the production or sale of sub-standard food products. China executed the former head of the State Food and Drug Administration, Zheng Xiaoyu, for the Melamine incident. Another senior official from the State Food and Drug Administration, Cao Wenzhuang, was given a suspended death sentence for taking bribes. Geng Jinping and Zhang Yujun were executed with a bullet to the back of the neck for manufacturing tainted milk.

Firing squads are routinely used for dishonest entrepreneurs. Not only do they have rules but it seems their enforcement is a bit harsh.

A salmonella outbreak in the United States sickened 700 and killed 9 people. Stewart Parnell and the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), the head of the FDA are all dam lucky this is not China.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: March 24, 2010 @ 07:03 AM; Gary Pancholi said...; Cary NC USA
After 8 years of hard work, taking care of family responsibilities, I am ready for my dream...BYOB entrepreneur which is in my family blood:

However, the situation is so unique hopeless, daunting, killing... everybody is against my project: my daughters, wife, friends the hole world! I say here I am either I will die or win the the world I am going ahead..."Spartan don't ak where are the Romans THEY LOOK FOR THEM." I alone am responsible and all risks, hardship and calamities I challenge to come my way I will melt them!

Here is the beginiing and all can join sharing knowledge and experience is the fundamental strenght of our country we don't hide....

Every state can have this project: Green Bubble School field Trip Center create a field trip centre for every two or three counties there are thousnads of counties what traditionally schools have been doing is taking students to the same place for school field trip for the last 50 years...Give athem an opportunity to visit or experience a totally new opportunity and all will be benefitted take my word Long live America and her entrepreur spirit here i come.

I am $19 000.00 in debt but ready to start my own world watch me! my fellow Americans! And this is just the small beginning! a first step!

GARY PANCHOLI CARY NC 3-24-2010
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: March 28, 2010 @ 04:03 AM; Catherine said...; Springfield, OR
We should have an organization like KIVA. They make micro-loans to entrepreneurs in third world countries which are paid back as the business is able, on your honor. There is a high success rate. Why can't we do that in this country? The loan amounts should be greater, since the cost of living here is considerably greater. But the principle is the same. Let's support our people at home, and see what they can do!
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: March 28, 2010 @ 01:03 PM; msctaiyang said...; Santa Barbara
Regarding setting up business in China, yes, they make it convenient for you to set up shop there, but as some business owners I know who have gone through the process have told me, after your business is set up and running, they quietly set up a copy cat business (after learning from you how you do it) and slowly put you out of business by undercutting your prices. So, you may want to look beyond the immediate cost reduction to the long term consequences when doing business with China - and protect yourself accordingly!
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: April 07, 2010 @ 04:04 PM; Susan Lawing said...; Northern California
So you want a solution? A direction. I feel the food industry is where to start...and the sooner the better...4 olive us.

If there is one place corporations do not belong it is in our food supply!!!!

Profits and cheaper food means sick people. Naturally grown food creates brilliance, brings enlightenment and the gift of health.

It has been a tool for a clear mind for more than 40 years.

I make organic olive oil here in California and am forming a food based community on 100 acres. Our culture could use some earth sense...like common sense. I am looking for an entrepreneur team wanting to run the business, live simply on the land and live life's bliss cooperatively.
99% of our olive oil is imported in this country. California olive oil is where California wine was 50 years ago...growing fast (thanks to the Spanish plantings) I need a team to make a noble vision manifest 4 olive us.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: April 12, 2010 @ 04:04 PM; Michael Croatt said...; Milwaukee, WI
Being the owner of two successful startups that have been going for four years now, there is one issue that sets my hair on fire on a yearly basis; 1099's.

The IRS requires that the forms be typed out using a manual typewriter. I do not personally know of a single person who still owns one. I am told, which I do not know the veracity of said statement, that the IRS checks employer versus employee 1099's by placing them on a light table... REALLY?!?

Why not set up form fillable PDF documents that can be uploaded to the IRS? These could be set up to be read into a database and then the verification set up through said database, utomatically.
In my case I wasted a full day on this issue, once again, then had to send the information to my accountant in order to submit the forms, incurring a $90 charge.

If one were to multiply out the man hours wasted, not to mention fees incurred, at the hundreds of thousands of small business's nationwide on a yearly basis due to this requirement, it boggles the mind. This anachronistic and foolhardy practice that the government forces small business to perform on a yearly basis, when after all, they are just trying to do the right thing by hiring other self employed business people and reporting their recompense, is yet another example of how we, as the entrepreneurs who drive this economy, are not in any way catered to by a government stuck in the 20th century.

In a business environment in which every step of my workflow is done digitally, it is high time the IRS joined us in the 21st century!
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: April 12, 2010 @ 04:04 PM; Michael Croatt said...; Milwaukee, WI
Being the owner of two successful startups that have been going for four years now, there is one issue that sets my hair on fire on a yearly basis; 1099's.

The IRS requires that the forms be typed out using a manual typewriter. I do not personally know of a single person who still owns one. I am told, which I do not know the veracity of said statement, that the IRS checks employer versus employee 1099's by placing them on a light table... REALLY?!?

Why not set up form fillable PDF documents that can be uploaded to the IRS? These could be set up to be read into a database and then the verification set up through said database, utomatically.
In my case I wasted a full day on this issue, once again, then had to send the information to my accountant in order to submit the forms, incurring a $90 charge.

If one were to multiply out the man hours wasted, not to mention fees incurred, at the hundreds of thousands of small business's nationwide on a yearly basis due to this requirement, it boggles the mind. This anachronistic and foolhardy practice that the government forces small business to perform on a yearly basis, when after all, they are just trying to do the right thing by hiring other self employed business people and reporting their recompense, is yet another example of how we, as the entrepreneurs who drive this economy, are not in any way catered to by a government stuck in the 20th century.

In a business environment in which every step of my workflow is done digitally, it is high time the IRS joined us in the 21st century!
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: April 14, 2010 @ 09:04 PM; Jaxi West said...; Marina del Rey, CA
I agree with Chuck Johnson - I believe the founders of this incredible place created this area to unite people to do something productive - not just free form dumpt thoughts to complain or comment.

The only way we are going to build this stronger america is if we start stating ideas, offering ways to implement them, or establishing a voting system so we can vote on which ones we would all like to see happen - and then form small miniteams to start taking action to make them happen. This should be a productive place. It seems like it's not going anywhere. There needs more structure.

I am an entrepreneur who likes to make things happen. I liken Chuck Johnson is too - so let's see if we can switch this tone around a bit here - so potential new joiners stick around and rally behind us for the long run.

I also don't think this place was meant as an 'open solicitation to tell us about your business' forum. There are a zillion other forums and free places on the internet to do that.

So the person sharing about their olive oil business - it's a bit pushy and I didn't join this group to read about your business. Just state the suggestion and sans all the details of your business.

I joined so that I could make an impact and present ideas backed with a potential plan or forward action. It would be great to see all that happening on here.

That's how my colleagues and I work anyway.

So let's sift through what has been presented so far and see if any of us want to move forward to take action on them - or flush the ideas out a bit more to see if they are feasible and viable to spend time on.

I have a few of my own - but mine as well start with what we have and take it from there. No point adding more to the list if what people have offered might get overlooked b/c it goes too far down the thread.

Not trying to be harsh here - but my time is valuable - and if I am going to dedicate time to this because I really believe in this -it's to do something - make an impact, create the change. Otherwise, I will just pursue my own missions and not participate on here - and be doing that anyway.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: April 16, 2010 @ 04:04 PM; Sara Morgan said...; Saint Francisville, LA
I have been doing a series of interviews on my blog which I call the "I'll Never Quit" Club. The interviews are of small business owners that have succeeded in business by vowing to never quit. I have been personally blown away by all the great stories I am getting from people all over the country.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: April 16, 2010 @ 06:04 PM; Ethan said...; NYC
I feel like there is an unspoken rule that the people who come up with an entrepreneurial idea are supposed to be the ones that implement the idea, and that prevents numerous small businesses from getting off the ground because different people have different talents and coming up with an idea doesn't translate into the funds and skills to make that idea a reality. Therefore, I think there needs to be a secure forum in which entrepreneurs specialization execution or inspiration or both can collaborate with each other to turn as many ideas into viable businesses as possible, with all contributors being fairly compensated for their contribution. Such a forum would need to be more complex than a string of comments such as this but probably would not be prohibitively complicated.

If such a forum already exists, or if someone creates said forum after reading this post, I would like to know about it.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: April 20, 2010 @ 03:04 PM; Keith Johnson said...; South Florida
Beaurocracy is the biggest challenge to entrepreneurs. They have to have true conviction in their hearts to be able to "burn" through red tape and all kinds of "no" responses to something that makes a difference. You need to find the right person who can give you that "yes", a person of true authority. Then, with the green light for you, the entrepreneur can blaze ahead and create opportunity.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: April 28, 2010 @ 01:04 PM; Steven said...; New Mexico
I see why Bill Gates moved to Washington. This place has it "all" to offer new business but no one wants to do anything. It's been so "good" here, so long, people think the rest of the world has it this good. The Land of Enchantment gives it all, but it still operates some time in the indefinite future. This will change with the influx of another new culture, again !
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: May 03, 2010 @ 09:05 AM; Lee Webb said...; Naples, FL & Broomfield, CO
As a long-time inventor & tinkerer, I use the following procedure to get an idea to market. First, write a DD (Document of Disclosure) for $10, follow that (within 2 years) with a PPA (Provisional Patent Application) for $100. Then you have one year to peddle your idea, with NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreements) and your "patent applied for" number for protection from being ripped off. Ideally, you can sell your idea to a big American company (with a team of lawyers to protect the idea) until it's manufactured and on the market.

Having a product on the market is the best protection, far better than a patent. This works for me.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: May 04, 2010 @ 11:05 AM; Tom Malloy said...; NYC
When does e-Mentor Corps start? How do people get involved?
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: May 09, 2010 @ 12:05 AM; Gregg Anderson said...; Valencia, California
I strongly believe our youth needs an outlet where they can learn about entrepreneurship. At the college I attend, most individuals don't understand that almost every type of career involves business and that learning about owning/operating a business can be a key success factor for achieving one's dreams. Additionally, mature entrepreneurs sometimes aren't aware of the professional guidance they can receive, such as counseling services provided through the Small Business Development Centers.

Would anyone be able to share information about grants for fostering entrepreneurship?
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: May 09, 2010 @ 03:05 PM; Gregg Anderson said...; Valencia, California
In contemporary society, entrepreneurs are the only leaders pushing forth a new and visionary economic success. As the industrial age of our nation comes to a close through means of outsourcing to nations which can produce products and/or services for a lower cost, we must look to the information age which began in the 1980's and the transition to a new American workforce, planted heavily in service industries and intellectual property. For example, as Americans, we must realize that we cannot rely on manufacturing cheaper products, or providing services in which the international market can produce for a lower price; instead, we must pride ourselves on our ability to create new markets through an intellectual process. Because America has always been based on freedom and rewards those who take risks, we have created a culture envied and copied by other countries, from our movie stars, to our lifestyles, even to the horrible fast-food we have created. Ultimately, all the envy for our highly successful nation may fade without the consistent creation of new intellectual property, innovation, and business leadership in the form of entrepreneurship. In fact, if one were to look to the exact definition of economy, it states, "economy is made up of land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship." A country may have land, a country may have labor, and a country may even have large sums of capital, but without entrepreneurship to tie all of the resources together, a country has no ability to lead, but simply an ability to follow.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: May 10, 2010 @ 08:05 PM; Davell J. Owens said...; New York City
All you need is a dream to start a vision. Faith is what will keep you going through the volatile times. I wish everyone nothing but success
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: May 11, 2010 @ 06:05 PM; Susan Risdal said...; New York City
All of the old rules have changed. Ten years ago, in order to get clients, you just looked for them...called them up...made an appointment, etc. Now you can't get anyone on the phone...and if you do happen to talk to a business owner, they are not interested in any sales appointments. My IT business almost faltered because I was trying to make the old rules work.

Found Meetup.com and started networking, which saved my business. I now work through the NY Entrepreneurs Business Network to help other startups start up.

Granted, paper work, absurd laws, government and oil, pharma and food are blocking us -- but we can do business with each other if we know each other. We can do this while we are working to change our environment from one of suppression to one of freedom.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: May 14, 2010 @ 12:05 AM; Sridhar D P said...; Bangalore, India
Hi, Good to have received the invitation to be part of this group. I have also pledged my support. I guess we can have a larger theme and support Entrepreneurs in general so that any economic activity in South America will trigger Fin Markets in North America and new opportunities there can impact India and growth in India can be huge opportunity for UK / US .. So, today we are in a real flat world. Thought will share this. Best Regards on your initiative.

Sridhar, Entrepreneur
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: May 16, 2010 @ 10:05 AM; Carlos Vargas said...; New York
Economy bail out to any one should be to senior citizens 65 an older to really get the money and the help spread fast into a right places, including the banks; fixing ahead a social problem developed by huge losses.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: May 19, 2010 @ 03:05 PM; Carl said...; Detroit
some women are better ENTREPRNEURS THAN MEN TO ME THERE'S A BALANCE
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: May 24, 2010 @ 01:05 PM; Joni Scanlon said...; Metuchen, NJ
I have been in startup mode for 6 years! Why? Because I quit my job with one large contract, and it wasn't enough to sustain all the costs I ran into. Plus I went into an unwise real estate investment with an entrepreneur friend - big mistake, but at least we can collect rent.

The point here, though, is that someone (Chuck) pointed out that we have to have more than complaints here. We need solutions. Anyone willing to tabulate all of the "issues" so that we can put them into a coherent white paper, what needs to be fixed in Entrepreneurship America? My problem is that I don't have enough to show to qualify for a loan that isn't secured against my home, which I won't do. There are so many costs small businesses bear, such as (at least in my state) having to pay a $100 annual fee just to have your business name remain on the business register, double Social Security payments, even if just for one employee. I did manage to get around the employee health insurance issue by establishing a collaborative business model. I provide a create integrated public relations/communication service, so I have assembled a team of independent entrepreneurs who come together on a project-team basis as required. I would love to hire employees, but the tax advantages offered right now aren't enough to offset the costs, not to mention the constant fear of making payroll every week.

At any rate, if someone wants to note the problems noted here, and any solutions suggested, I'd be happy to put it into a white paper format. That's one of the things I do as a writer.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: June 16, 2010 @ 09:06 PM; April Harrington said...; Lexington, OK
It starts in your community, change close to home. My business Earth Elements buys locally grown surplus and seconds from rural farmers. We preserve and add

value those crops, by canning, simply processing and freezing, and baking. This provides a healthier food supply for our community, creates value for farm

products that are usually considered waste, creates jobs and saves family farms. Together we are building a local economy, supporting and helping each other.

It is time to think and act locally and build Community. Change starts small and grows. team work
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: June 27, 2010 @ 09:06 PM; KD Churchill said...; Maui, Hawaii
I must also add that its not all about America, all about usa, its all about the world, it all about the entire human family, seeing that we are all connected, what we do effects china, what Africa does effects France, what Russia does effects Iceland, we are all one. we are all tied into the earth and her supplies, we must stop segregating ourselves out of pride and see that its about joining hearts and hands with everyone. its also about personal responsibility - stop waiting for someone else to fix it (aka the government) you are your OWN government, your OWN president. YOU are the answers to your prayers - so roll up your sleeves and get to work. aloha! KD
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: June 27, 2010 @ 09:06 PM; KD Churchill said...; Maui, Hawaii
We have created internet franchisees for all aspiring entrepreneurs, sole-proprietors, and all brick and mortar mom and pop shops looking to increase there revenue during store hours. its all about local business, local community, helping your own neighbors in whom most of us dont even know.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: June 29, 2010 @ 01:06 AM; Kim said...; Ocala Florida
we continue to be saved by brave people who risk ridicule and rejection but end up turning huge tides of public opinion in the direction of righteousness. We owe them
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: July 02, 2010 @ 11:07 AM; Rainer Hildenbrand said...; Burton, Ohio
I, like Bill Jacobs, have many good ideas that could generate economic activity and am not in a position to obtain a patent. There are several good reasons for this. First, a patent is only as good as my ability to legally enforce it. As the owner of a patent, I have to use my own resources to both identify and prosecute any patent infringement (and there are far more copycats out there than real inventors). In all other areas, there is government (police, FBI, etc.) enforcement but not in this area. Secondly, patent companies that advertise their services to the public are a blatant rip off. When I asked such a company how many client they had successfully promoted, the answer was one, out of the thousands who submitted proposals and paid the exorbitant fees. Thirdly, venture capitalists typically want total control of any entity, company or business created by an inventor for as little advance money as they can possibly get away with. We're talking 90% or more ownership demanded by the VC. The inventor gets to do all the work and the venture capitalist gets all the reward with minimal risk.
Fourth, the present trend is towards the creation of intellectual property patents. While that is all necessary and good in its own limited way, there has been less capital available for manufacturing, and the creation of physical goods as everybody chases the high-tech digital dreams. Low-tech ideas and solutions are not considered "sexy" or glamorous, so they receive less consideration by venture capitalists and other funding agencies (NCO's). Finally, there seems to be no smooth and easy access for an inventor to anyone or any agency willing to help such a would-be inventor to develop his/her ideas. "Swimming with the Sharks" doesn't do it for me (and the title kind of gives the game away!). I know many people with good ideas who went the patent route with very little success to show for it. I'm open to any suggestions as to what to do with my very good (and mostly low-tech) ideas.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: July 05, 2010 @ 02:07 AM; Rich Olivastro said...; Farminton, CT & Baldwin County, AL
Tonight, I read all the posted comments on the site.
A number of steps need be taken to move to the solutions requested in many of the comments.
I challenge the editorial discretion noted above... let's rally this Entrepreneurial Community with a symbolic - yet necessary - first step:
In recognition of July 4th, I encourage each entrepreneur to thoughtfully ponder the importance of the Declaration of Independence's words and how those words apply to ourselves and the opportunity available to each of us every day.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: July 14, 2010 @ 04:07 AM; gil sinclair said...; Henderson,Texas
It's all about a passion!
A dream! And meeting a need!Then applying determination to see it done!
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: July 16, 2010 @ 10:07 AM; Victoria Kennedy said...; Atlanta, GA
Being an entrepreneur has been the most rewarding decision that I have ever made. Don't get me wrong, everyday isn't peaches and cream. But, I get the opportunity to learn from not only my mistakes but through success literature, I learn from the mistakes of others that have come before me. The most important thing is to "stick to it and stick together". We can all learn and earn by working together through the various social networking platforms made available to us. Additionally, if entrepreneurs can develop their business as a "social enterprise" the positive results are shared within communities etc.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: July 16, 2010 @ 01:07 PM; Robert Pearson said...; Seattle, WA
We need to get people to focus on creating new value, not only on creating new jobs.
I'm not against corporations, but if we just focused on creative value, we would come out of the recession. We are so much on the grid, meaning, we derive all our value from ideas given to us in the
media by big corporations. If we dug up our lawns, planted fruit and nut trees, vegetables and herbs, we would be thinking in the right way. A people have to create value. I become a millionaire when I create enough value for the largest amount of people.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: July 20, 2010 @ 07:07 PM; W. Vito Montone said...; www.wholewealth.com
Build slowly and carefully for the long term.

To do that, you would realize that business is deeply personal and balance the 3 "Ps" - people (stakeholders - team, investors, vendors and customers), profit, and the planet (regardless of your focus which could be evolutionary, economic or environmental).

Any business can operate that way...and there are some real surprises out there, i.e. The Container Store!
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: July 24, 2010 @ 09:07 AM; Scott ABCLED.com said...; Dallas
First we all must understand that our goal as a small business is to not to let the national chains take over the power control of the world.
We must grow together as a team and work on getting one rule in America changed, because the people spoke. Try to to get a 100 things changed at once, we have no chance. As an outside sales person for LED Action moving signs, I see business all over America that are in towns that are not small business friendly. In fact they are working to kill the small business by not letting them have signs letting the customers driving by their store have an action moving sign on their store or sign pole outside. National chains can run TV ads, it does not matter to them where the ads run, they have locations everywhere and money to spend on the ads, even if it only gets them a 2% return they are happy.
Will everyone in America, just stand there and let the major chains and the Government make rules to help the national chains destroy the small business?
Wait until you are on the national chain black list and cannot get a JOB and small business are a thing of the past, then we will see where you stand.

Scott
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: July 27, 2010 @ 08:07 AM; Yolanda Lamar-Wilder said...; Indianapolis, Indiana
As the Founder of a national women's organization of women entrepreneurs, its to our discretion to identify what innovative and creative concept will benefit in starting a business. Its all about the mindset of knowing how important it is to be build your wealth but help create jobs that will help strengthen our economy. We live in a country where "the world is our oyster". We can be what we want, start what we want, make the money we want. I challenge you all that are not and those that are entrepreneurs, take the pledge. I am an Entrepreneur Extraordinaire!
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: July 27, 2010 @ 10:07 AM; Doug Woodard said...; Battle Creek, MI
If we focus on education, I would love to test the opinion that entrepreneurship education/research misses the mark in part due to 1) its preoccupation with economic events (business start-up in particular) and 2) that entrepreneurs practice their unique set of traits and methods continually over the course of their lives.

My contention is that entrepreneurship is a process that deals more with how people act (or could act) in transitional stages of their lives and as such, is an intense, brief series of episodes over the life course.

If this observation is remotely accurate, then entrepreneurship education should be refocused to give students the entrepreneurial tools (critical thinking, opportunity recognition, idea feasibility testing, resource gathering, etc.) that they can adapt in accordance with the change demands exerted from all of their subsystems--not just in relation to economic and/or career choices.

Anyone else feel the same way?
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: July 27, 2010 @ 02:07 PM; Kyle Milliken said...; Bainbridge Island, WA
To generate new value we must be willing to forgo the old value in the structure which still stands highest. If this structure does not let us leave willingly to generate new value then we cannot let it stand. I not speaking about a revolution, i'm talking about the cold hard calculated nature of capitalism, for it is nothing new on this earth and shall remain until our days are done.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: July 31, 2010 @ 07:07 PM; Ina Stanley said...; Atlanta, GA
I personally feel that entrepreneurship isn't expressed enough to young people, particularly around the age of middle school. I know that we were pretty much taught to do good in school, go to college and get a good job when we were growing up. I knew that people owned businesses, but it never really occurred to me that I could until just a few years ago (and I'm nearly 27). Fostering the entrepreneurial spirit from a younger age will help young people growing up to expand their horizons and contributions to the community and the economy.

I'm hoping that schools will start to teach a little more of this, and I'm personally working on plans to develop a non-profit to aid with this.

I also agree with Catherine from Springfield, OR. We do so much for other countries that we don't seem to do enough of right here at home. I know there are plenty of start-ups that could use a hand in the funding area, but with the way the banks are these days it's nearly impossible to get a loan. Why can't we have as much faith in our home-grown entrepreneurs as we do in entrepreneurs from other countries? Kiva is a wonderful program, but our entrepreneurs here at home deserve the same opportunities. It isn't easy to start a business here just because we're in the US. It can be quite difficult in fact, and our entrepreneurs deserve a little help as well.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: August 01, 2010 @ 08:08 PM; Manuel Angel said...; Bogota, Colombia
Schumpeter describes the entrepreneur's as a Creative Destruccions, because our ideas destroys the obsolete companys and ideas of the world. We are the motor of society and the engine who moves any economy around the world.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: August 11, 2010 @ 04:08 AM; Bill LaJoie said...; Phoenix
The two greatest gifts my father gave me were a Jesuit Education where I was taught how to think and a kick in the ass out the door at 19 years of age with $100 paper route money in my pocket and NO real prospects. I made it up as I went along. What fun!
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: August 11, 2010 @ 04:08 AM; Bill LaJoie said...; Phoenix
I've dipped my toe in every industry category I can think of - Financial services, Information Services, Retail, Distribution, Accounting, Customer services, Medicine, Law and Manufacturing. I've been financially successful every time. Wow, what a ride!!! What great fun I've had. I'd rather do what I did than be king of the world. In a sense I was. To the young entrepreneurs who will pick up the gauntlet and carry on - create the future that everyone else will be dumbfounded by when it arrives.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: August 27, 2010 @ 02:08 AM; gurbachan said...; Massachusetts
America cannot have a strong recovery without the immigrant diversity of ideas and their additional funding.

Stop calling humans as aliens and stop branding immigrants as illegals.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: August 30, 2010 @ 11:08 AM; Georgina Terry said...; Trinidad and Tobago
My key message is that entrepreneurs (aspiring and seasoned) need three key ingredients for success - PASSION + VISION + ACTION = SUCCESS

I also believe that one of main reasons many new businesses don't succeed is that the new entrepreneurs does not get themselves ready for entrepreneurship. The focus is on getting their business ready, but before the business, they need to get THEMSELVES ready for this new career.

Live YOUR Passion

Georgina Terry
Passions to Profitability Expert
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: September 11, 2010 @ 06:09 PM; Patrick Maley said...; Tomales, CA
Entrepreneurs face the daunting task of proving themselves right every day. Sometimes friends, family & business associates do not believe you can & will succeed. Most non-Entrepreneurs succumb to the notion of "wait & see". Entrepreneurs do NOT have the luxury of non-belief. We can only afford relentless dedication & commitment toward the goal of success. Once we are, those who didn't believe now do & want what we have. So it is up to us to show them there is a better way for them, their families & their communities. I pledge to show them that path.
RE: Build A Stronger America Ideas: September 13, 2010 @ 04:09 PM; Michael Johnson said...; Charles City, Virginia
Solutions start with problems, it is so basic we miss it. Scaled up, economic hard times are opportunities for a leap forward by societies willing to cultivate true creativity. We were endowed with very powerful, universal drives to create both meaning and fruitfulness. That sentence reveals the how: create.

I appreciate one persons comment about creating value. We add value with time, labor, raw materials, capital, but most dynamically with Creativity. The creative impulse goes beyond entrepreneurship or the arts... it's basic to life.

I am convinced that the failure of so many of the economic solutions of the present Administration is not so much that they are big government solutions (vs. local community) or that they are "progressive' solutions rather than conservative. To me, the failure of these solutions are that they do not inspire meaningful creativity and imagination.

I have long been fascinated by demonstrations of creative fruitfulness generated from simple seed investments such as Micro-lending, Community loan funds, Pay-it-Forward school projects, and Tenfold Challenges. I wonder how much of the way out of our current difficulties would be found in local communities helping locate the creative impulse in all of us while we inspire each other to 'create' our own way out of economic paralysis.

Adopting just one idea from the vast creative arsenal available to us, what if we challenged young people with small seed investments to create Tenfold returns? The scenario goes like this: A challenge is made, sometimes by a church or school, to take a seed cash amount and double or triple it or create a tenfold return. That return is usually earmarked to fund some community project, but could just as easily fund that young person to expand a business idea or fund their continued education. A portion could also go to fund two other youth entrepreneurs, and so goes the multiplication. In practice, some (but not all) take the challenge, and those that do almost always meet the goal, and in the process not only create the multiplying effect, but discover great things about themselves in the process.

Think about it from your perspective (or for the young people in your family or community)... if someone were to make an offer of giving you $10 and challenging you to turn it into $100 in 30 days, could you do it and would you accept the challenge?

Would you accept a $100 to $1,000 challenge in 90 days?
Or, a $1,000 to $10,000 challenge in 6 months?
How about $10,000 to $100,000 in a year?

How many new businesses could be started in your own community? How many lives would be changed? Could your community become a model for others?

These thoughts are challenging, but then again we are already living in challenging times. Maybe a little community conversation and imaginative thinking would be well worth it... and maybe, just maybe it might be the beginning of our own economic stimulus, and a recovery of much more than we first imagined.
RE: Entrepreneurs Movement: October 29, 2010 @ 06:31 PM; Joe Wasylyk said...; I am 65 years old Canadian and I believe there will be a Seniors (50 Plus) Entrepreneurial movement that will significantly add to the prosperity of all North Americans. At the present time I am writing a non-fiction book in this area that is scheduled to be self-published in December, 2010.

Joe W.
Seniorpreneur
RE: Entrepreneurs Movement: December 03, 2010 @ 09:53 AM; jjones444 said...; I think entrepreneurs need to find something they are passionate about and something they believe in. There's no use in starting a company if it's not something you are willing to sacrifice for. They also need to be counseling the public about their products and services and seeing if they are even in demand. There's also no point in selling a product nobody wants to buy. I think it's time that we all be as real as possible. That's the only way we're going to get out of this crisis.
RE: Entrepreneurs Movement: December 15, 2010 @ 11:45 AM; Mike Schmidt said...; We need to change state securities laws to allow for state-level stock exchanges that will enable both equities as well as royalty financing agreements or revenue participation agreements to be traded between individuals which will open-up an entire new base of funding for small business and enable liquidity for seed angel investors who can realize returns on their investments sooner, and tie their success in parallel to the entrepreneur's. Revenue Participation Certificates are not a new idea, (they have been around since the 70's), but they are not well understood or used more frequently.
RE: Entrepreneurs Movement: January 24, 2011 @ 12:58 PM; Kenneth Buck said...; What we need is capital. The banks have screwed us all. They took our tax dollars and feathered their own nest. They put none of the capital to work creating jobs.
RE: Entrepreneurs Movement: March 16, 2011 @ 10:05 PM; Susan Hasty said...; Until our business owners recognize the fact our government is broke and our banking system is insolvent and stop looking for salvation there, this country will not begin the painful process of recovery. Business model Innovation and increasing financial literacy are key to rebuilding our nation. The best our government can do is to encourage investment in private companies is to encouraging investment in private companies and get out of the way. Many web based lending platforms (disruptive technologies) are being launched that will create a shift in the market for lending from banks as a general monopoly.

The silver lining in the financial crisis is that "business as usual" is gone. The Great Reset requires businesses, government and individuals make necessary changes that should have been made years ago for our country to remain a competitive force in the world.
RE: Entrepreneurs Movement: April 19, 2011 @ 08:30 AM; Gene Pflughoft said...; The recent downturn in our economy has been the greatest time for new entrepreneurs. People are realizing that large companies do not equal security. We have started more businesses during poor economic times than ever. Many young people in this new generation are stepping up to chart their own course. Hispanics see opportunities that others often miss. They see their population growing and are taking advantage of new markets and new trends. Older people are realizing the skills they have and are setting up businesses to offer companies their knowledge and expertise through their "new company".

These are excellent times with new opportunities. True entrepreneurs are not looking for a handout or "free money". They are taking the same chances and setting up small businesses that made this country great. Look at any large business and realize that it started somewhere as an idea and with hard work, it grew into the corporation that it is today.
RE: Entrepreneurs Movement: September 26, 2011 @ 08:59 PM; Vena Jensen said...; There is a revolutionary shift in the business world, and ecopreneurs are on the cutting-edge of the new paradigm. Tired of the deceit, endless greed and reckless ambition of the established corporate culture, ecopreneurs are motivated less by fixation on excessive profit-margins and more by authenticity and respect for themselves, their families, community, the environment and humanity as a whole.

Ecopreneurs recognize that business holds immense potential to benefit humanity in extraordinary ways. They embrace capitalism – free markets, entrepreneurship, competition and voluntary trade – as an opportunity to create healthy, functioning abundant economies. Acknowledging that business is an interdependent, interrelated system, they are aware that trust, compassion, collaboration and value-creation are essential elements of win-win approaches that create thriving, healthy, sustainable communities and ecologies.

Ecopreneur describes an entrepreneur that conducts business in a manner that balances the ecology of management, the market, capital, law, location, media and ownership with the needs of customers, family, community, the natural world, and the global society. There are many names for this type of entrepreneur: conscious capitalist, organic entrepreneur and social entrepreneur to name a few. Eco-entrepreneurism has experienced enormous growth over the past fifteen years and continues to be recognized as an important part of the nation’s social, economic, ecological and political landscape.

This new breed of entrepreneur listens carefully, explores feelings, gives generously of their time and money, and seeks balance and fulfillment in their lifestyle. They embrace the principles of economy: recycling everything, fitting form to function, rewarding cooperation, embracing diversity, curbing excesses and tapping the power of limits. They know that whatever challenges may lie ahead, it is likely that there is a model within nature that can be used to find effective strategies to solve it.

Ecopreneurs recognize that the secret of abundance lies in the willingness to let the creative process transform themselves and their businesses through connection, communication and concern. Like nurturing gardeners, ecopreneurs plan, cultivate, sow, fertilize, and tend their businesses with patience, appreciation and devotion and, in so doing, find the necessary ingredients and tools to develop better products and services that not only serve humanity in the present but begin to intuitively anticipate its needs. They recognize that the products and services they cultivate are meant to provide “nourishment” to humanity.

Merging purpose with profit is the great challenge of our times. Ecopreneurs instinctively know that business connects us to each other and, if used wisely, can connect us to a deeper level of our being, to our core essence.

The process of growing a business is an opportunity to realign all dimensions and find personal equilibrium between values, goals, beliefs, greater purpose and actions. The awareness of our humanity is an integral part of business and is vital for the work ahead – healing the soul of business. To do this, we need ecopreneurs who are willing to challenge and be challenged, to transform and be transformed. The shift is happening; are you an ecopreneur? To learn more about how to embrace ecopreneurial principles, visit www.claritygreen.com.

An Ecopreneur Circle group will be starting up soon. Learn more about the Inspired Ecopreneur Circle here: http://www.claritygreen.com/inspired-training/. If you are interested in participating in this group, please contact me at claritygreen@comcast.net.

We’d love to have you join us!
RE: Entrepreneurs Movement: March 05, 2012 @ 12:27 PM; Steven Crowell said...; Funding and legal resources... are what I lack. I am trying to break into a market saturated with illegal competitors products.
RE: Entrepreneurs Movement: April 22, 2012 @ 04:25 PM; Frank Masanta said...; Yes, i believe entrepreneurs are a driving force for America's economic recovery. But on the contrary, the world, like America, needs innovative entrepreneurs. Who will, " In the world without money" come up with innovations that attracts money. If you have to take a journey, its better to assume that there is no water along the way, not only are you going to prepare yourself to reach your destiny without drinking water, but naturally, you are going to be innovative enough to find the way on how to access the water.

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