Startup & Entrepreneurship

This week I've been attempting to work out the value of our company, which means I've been taking the business world's equivalent of a Dark Arts class at Hogwarts.

Anthillian, Rentoid.com founder and 2009 Cool Company Awards judge Steve Sammartino yesterday had the good fortune to meet Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. He asked Greenfield for his number one tip for entrepreneurs starting up a business. Greenfield, generous guy that he is, offered two. Sammartino videoed it.

Anthillian, Rentoid.com founder and 2009 Cool Company Awards judge Steve Sammartino yesterday had the good fortune to meet Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. He asked Greenfield for his number one tip for entrepreneurs starting up a business. Greenfield, generous guy that he is, offered two. Sammartino videoed it.

Olde-tyme writers dropped sleepers into their work, lines only later generations would have the nous to decode. Matthew da Silva intrepidly delves into bookish bombs that fizzled.

Cold calling is tough, humbling, depressing and exhilarating, all in the space of a day. Having just started his own business, John Kelly is learning this the hard way.

Franchising is often a desirable growth option for profitable companies looking to expand. However, competing with the best in the game requires planning and a sound strategy. Ian Krawitz, of market research house 10 Thousand Feet and www.toprfranchise.com.au, shares his top seven tips for franchise success.

Jeremy Levitt once had a promising career at the international law firm Allens Arthur Robinson. For him, entrepreneurship was just a pipe dream, and it wasn't until the moment he finally shook off the guilt associated with leaving the law firm that the dream had become reality.

With no employees or office space, Yaro Starak makes half a million dollars a year sitting in a café typing on his laptop. He represents a new breed of digital entrepreneurs, one of just a handful of people who make good money from professional blogging.

With so much information flying around these days, it’s easy for good ideas to slip through the net. Roger La Salle highlights the importance of trawling deep and wide.

When it comes to building a company from scratch, there’s no substitute for hard work, writes Sahil Merchant.

We’re conditioned to think that people who excel at school are the ones that go on to excel in business. However, research indicates that a better guide is not the distinction between A and C students but between ‘fixed’ and ‘growth’ mindset individuals. Robert Wood explains.

Here's an example of a small business driven by his love for soft drinks. What's remarkable about John Nese, owner and founder of Galco's Soda Pop Stop, is that he has unintentionally created his own blue ocean strategy, selling something as simple as 'sugar water'. Thanks to the Startup Melbourne blog for bringing this to our attention.

Here's an example of a small business driven by his love for soft drinks. What's remarkable about John Nese, owner and founder of Galco's Soda Pop Stop, is that he has unintentionally created his own blue ocean strategy, selling something as simple as 'sugar water'. Thanks to the Startup Melbourne blog for bringing this to our attention.

Oodles.com founder Steve Sherlock has been documenting his efforts to raise a multimillion dollar Series A funding round by the end of January 2010. In the fifth instalment of this series, Sherlock has just returned from a trip to London where he gathered advice from several people who’ve been around the investment block a few times.

Earlier this year, Digg users were invited to submit questions they would like to hear Branson answer, then urged to rate (digg) the questions of others. Then, socialite-turned-media-mogul Arianna Huffington put the top ten most dugg questions to Branson on the inaugural Virgin America flight from San Francisco to Orange County, California. Some people find the experience of listening to Arianna Huffington a bit like fingernails down a blackboard, but Branson's dulcet tones and the hum of the jet engine help to balance things out.

Georgina Rinehart, Chairman of Hancock Prospecting, was named the 2009 Telstra Australian Business Woman of the Year at an awards ceremony held in Melbourne on Thursday night.

Greg Roebuck, founder and CEO of online automotive classified advertising platform carsales.com, was last night named the Ernst & Young 2009 Australian Entrepreneur Of The Year at an awards ceremony held in Sydney.

Greg Roebuck, founder and CEO of online automotive classified advertising platform carsales.com, was last night named the Ernst & Young 2009 Australian Entrepreneur Of The Year at an awards ceremony held in Sydney.

These three amusing sketches are courtesy of the BAFTA-award-winning comedy sketch program Harry and Paul, featuring Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse. While clearly lampooning the regular UK Dragons, who won't be familiar to most Australians, there's also much mirth to be found in their portrayal of the shows endless line of absurdly optimistic entrepreneur-pitchers.

These three amusing sketches are courtesy of the BAFTA-award-winning comedy sketch program Harry and Paul, featuring Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse. While clearly lampooning the regular UK Dragons, who won't be familiar to most Australians, there's also much mirth to be found in their portrayal of the shows endless line of absurdly optimistic entrepreneur-pitchers.