Entrepreneurs Lounge next meeting

The Entrepreneurs Lounge has come a long way since its inception a few months ago. We now believe that we need to stop and do a more serious and detailed planning of the future of the group in order to meet the needs and interest of all members and to work towards fulfilling our mission to promote entrepreneurship. For that reason, we will be hosting a very important meeting and encourage your attendance and feedback.

When our group was established earlier this yea, the founding members decided upon four key objectives:
Motivate: Encourage current and future entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship as a career choice
Teach: Share knowledge and resources pertaining to the operational challenges of entrepreneurship
Idea Generation: Brainstorming new business concepts
Networking: Connecting professionals with interest and expertise in entrepreneurship


As a next step, we would like to invite volunteers to become part of a Board of Directors for the Entrepreneurs Lounge whose responsibilities will be to help shape the future of the group, define the best ways to implement the strategy and vision of the group, and promote the activities and the group itself.

We are planning our next meeting for Saturday, April 18 at the UGA Gwinnett campus (room TBA) from 10am – 12pm. Please join us if you want to volunteer as a nominee to join the Entrepreneurs Lounge Board of Directors or you simply want to provide your feedback and help define the future of the Entrepreneurs Lounge. Prospective board members should plan on being a core member of the group and to take an active role in the planning, organization and execution of programs and events. Time commitment will average six to ten hours per month.

What do we need from you? Suggestions and feedback! Think about the following questions and plan to discuss at the April 18 meeting.

If you are an experienced entrepreneur, what would you like to see in this group to help you advance your venture?
If you are an aspiring entrepreneur, what do you need to help you make the leap into entrepreneurship?

Examples are:
What workshops/ training programs would you like to see?
What lectures/ speakers would you like to hear?
What type of networking events would you be most interested in?
What other suggestions do you have?

We will continue to promote events sponsored by other local entrepreneurship organizations, such as UGA StartUps, Terry Entrepreneurship, VentureEAT, The Entrepreneurship & Venture Capital Club, and events such as Super Extensive Entrepreneur Lecture Series being presented by Chris Hanks and Jim Beach (http://www.internationalentrepreneurship.com/super_seminar.asp).

Please contact Michelle Conkle m_conkle@bellsouth.net or Andres Garcia agarcian@uga.edu with any questions.

Entrepreneurs Lounge Event with Ricky Steele

We are proud to present Ricky Steele @rickysteele as our guest speaker on the Entrepreneurs Lounge meeting on Saturday March 21st at the Terry Executive Education Center in Buckhead.

The presentation will be based on Steele's book "The Heart or Networking" and you will hear about the characteristics of a successful networker and how to become one. 

... Mr. Steele has been profiled and cited in numerous local business publications and several national technology publications. In an issue of Catalyst Magazine, Mr. Steele was tagged as “Mr. Everywhere” in an article about Technology Leaders in Georgia. The Atlanta Business Chronicle has named Mr. Steele one of the “Who’s Who in Technology” during his employment at both PwC and Korn/Ferry International...   read more

Register to this event free of charge and tell the author a little about yourself and what you would like to hear in the presentation.   

Bring your business cards and be ready for a great networking session.

Date:  

Saturday, March 21st, 2009

10:00am to 12:00n 

Location:  

Terry Executive Education Center

3475 Lenox Road NE, Suite 200

Atlanta, GA 30326 US

Planning vs.Doing

I am a planner by nature. I love to plan, dream, build and explore in my mind before embarking on a new adventure. So where do you draw the line between the planning process and the doing process? We've all heard about the dangers of a lack of planning, but is there such a thing as planning too much?

I believe there is. How many great ideas and inventions never saw the light of day because they "weren't quite ready" or because the person behind the idea never crossed the line from planning to doing? Is the world a better place for not being exposed to half-planned ideas or is it worse off for being deprived of innovation? What wonderful plans are you making today and when will you transition from planning to doing?

Planning is important, but it isn't until the planning meets with action that it has any relevance. The world is changing at an amazing pace, so unless you are constantly adapting your plans to the evolving environment, those plans have an expiration date. Whether you are planning a vacation, a return to school, a career move, or an entrepreneurial endeavor, make certain you have a time table in mind for launching your plan. Without the goal of the launch in mind, your plan is just a dream.

What is a 'Service'?

I just came across a definition of Service and I found it very interesting and I am sharing it here:

A 'service' is a means of delivering value  to customer by facilitating outcomes customers want to achieve without the ownership of specific costs and risks.

Customers will pay for determined outcomes that they perceive have value for them, assuming no other risk than the price paid for the service.   

Can your company provide a 'service' that adheres to this definition?  If not, you might need to revisit your company's service catalogue.

Definition taken from ITIL V.3

Local Events - UGA Startups: Franchising; The Good, Bad and the Ugly

Here is another great resource for entrepreneurs in the Atlanta area. UGA Startups is a series of seminars and panels organized by the UGA Entrepreneurship Program: 

"The Terry College of Business Entrepreneurship Program designed the series as an interactive, informal and safe program open to anyone with a serious interest in launching a business. No brokers, consultants or persons soliciting business are invited to attend and this helps attendees feel comfortable discussing fears and concerns about starting a business without pressure to become a client of the persons giving advice."

This is an event that I recommend to every aspiring or experienced entrepreneur. Franchasing is a very viable alternative to start your own business and has an impressive success rate.  As anything, it has its pros and cons and there are concepts that are applicable to any type business.

The event is free for UGA alums and $10 for others.  See details of the event  or register.

Thursday, January 29, 2009
6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

The Terry College of Business Executive Education Center
3475 Lenox Road 
Second Floor, Lobby Level
Atlanta, Georgia 30326  

Entrepreneurship in Atlanta and Georgia

Some interesting facts about Entrepreneurship and Atlanta.

* Georgia was among the 10 states with highest entreprenurial activity in 2007: Idaho, the District of Columbia, Arizona, Tennessee, Louisiana, Wyoming, Vermont, Montana, Georgia and California.

* Among the 15 largest metropolitan areas in the United States, the highest entrepreneurial activity rates were in Phoenix, Riverside-San Bernardino, Atlanta, Los Angeles and Miami.

* The age groups 35-44 and 45-54 experienced increases in entrepreneurial activity.

From the Kauffman Index Entrepreneurial Activity report.

The Inc magazine features the fastest-growing private companies in the country.

Among the Inc 500 Georgia ranks as the third state with 31 companies, after California (78) and Texas (43).

It is good to be in Atlanta.  

January Meeting Moved to Sat Jan 17th, 2009

The January meeting of the Entrepreneurs Lounge was moved to Saturday January 17th.

Remember to keep working on your goals, post an entry in this blog, and start developing your Gang of 5 groups.

See you Saturday Jan 17th.

-AG