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Greater Rochester Enterprise, High Technology of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, and the University of Rochester are pleased to announce the first-ever Golden Horseshoe Business Challenge.
The competition will take place from noon to 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 31, at Casa Larga Vineyards, 2287 Turk Hill Road, in Fairport. The event is open to the public; the cost to attend is $35.
| Looking to start a new business? Think your company has the right plan for success? |
The Golden Horseshoe Business Challenge is targeted toward entrepreneurs in four cities in Western New York and Ontario, Canada, Rochester, Buffalo, and Ithaca in Western New York, as well as the city of Waterloo, Ontario.
The first-place winner will receive $100,000 in cash to help implement the winning business plan. Judges will include a select group of venture capitalists.
Participants in the Golden Horseshoe Business Challenge must first compete at the regional level. In Rochester, the 2007 Rochester Regional Business Plan Competition will take place on May 3.
The deadline for registration is March 23.
For more information on the 2007 Rochester Regional Business Plan Competition and Golden Horseshoe Business Challenge, please visit www.HTR.org. For more information on Greater Rochester Enterprise (GRE), go to www.RochesterBiz.com.
Entrepreneurship Alive and Well in Rochester!
Entrepreneurs & Angels
Since 2002, 50 start-up companies have presented their business plans to Rochester's tech community at Digital Rochester's past ten Entrepreneurs & Angels events. Many have grown into some of our community's most successful new technology companies: InSciTek Microsystems, Cl!x (DigiQuick), SmartPill, New Scale Technologies, CaterTrax, and Spectracom, to name just a few.
We'll be looking for the next promising new companies at our 11th Entrepreneurs & Angels event on Tuesday, March 27th at the Memorial Art Gallery. This popular event gives four to six start-up companies an opportunity to present their business plan to an audience of potential investors, advisors, and economic development professionals. Presentations begin at 6p.m. in the auditorium at MAG. Everyone is invited to stay for the dessert reception immediately following for the opportunity to meet the entrepreneurs one-on-one and see demonstrations of their innovative technologies. The event is free, but registration is required.
Strategic Partnering
Many start-up companies look for financing from angels, venture capitalists, and other investors to grow their business. Another effective strategy to launch a company or a new technology is to synergistically work with a strategic partner. On March 14th, we're pleased to join The Entrepreneur's Network to bring you an expert panel that will share the secrets of successfully using strategic partnerships to grow your business. www.digitalrochester.com/kus has all the details.
Rising Stars
Digital Rochester showcases successful local entrepreneurs in our quarterly Rising Stars series. Our most recent Rising Stars event featured Andre Godfrey, president and CEO of Entre Computer Services and Joe Oster, president and CEO of Structured Technologies Inc., who inspired and entertained us with their personal stories of entrepreneurship. Check out and register for our next Rising Stars event at: www.digitalrochester.com/rstars.
Networking
Don't forget to join us for networking on Tuesday, March 6, when we'll be celebrating DR's new "Spring Forward" networking celebration and on Tuesday, April 3 for networking on the road.
DIGITAL ROCHESTER
WWW.DIGITALROCHESTER.COM
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Staying on the Right Path
The word entrepreneur comes from the French word, entreprendre, meaning "undertake." For the most part, people start businesses because they want to undertake an idea they feel strongly about and think they can do better than anyone else. They feel the conviction to have to start the business. The emotional aspect of starting a business is very strong and if not kept in check may lead an entrepreneur down the wrong path.
Keep It In Check
Stay focused. Here is a list to get you started:
1. Develop a blueprint, a.k.a. business plan.
2. Identify your customers.
3. Invest the majority of your time in making money. Sell, sell, sell!
4. Focus on what works for you. Sell what the market wants.
5. Provide excellent customer service. Good word of mouth is the best advertisement.
6. Hire someone great. In the long run this individual will be well worth the cost.
7. Keep it to smaller quantity and higher quality. Bigger is not better.
8. Make sure you love your business as you will spend almost all of your time nurturing it.
9. Your passion and love for your business will be contagious and stimulate new business and customers.
10. Plan on no vacation for at least the first two years.
11. Plan on little "me" time for at least the first two years.
12. Remember... you can't call in sick.
The above list seems harsh and straightforward, but the data is clear on small-business start-ups. You must plan well so that you can enjoy the fruits of your labor.
City of Rochester
R. Carlos Carballada, Commissioner, Economic Development
WWW.CITYOFROCHESTER.GOV
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2007 Rochester Entrepreneurship Conference, Featuring B. Thomas Golisano as Keynote Speaker
Organizing sponsors HTR, GRE, RIT and UR are pleased to invite you to join us for the 2007 Rochester Entrepreneurship Conference on Friday, March 9, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Simon Graduate School of Business, on the campus of the University of Rochester.
The focus of the 2007 Rochester Entrepreneurship Conference is "Improving Your Chances of Success: A Process Perspective," and will feature three concurrent session tracks: Starting High Potential Ventures, Accelerating Venture Growth, and Commercializing Technology. Each track will have four sessions, beginning in the morning and continuing through the afternoon.
The morning keynote address will be provided by Rochester's own B. Thomas Golisano, founder of Paychex. This year's conference speakers, presenters and panelists will include an exceptional selection of local successful entrepreneurs, investors and capital experts, successful innovators and researchers, and economic development experts.
"The Rochester Entrepreneurship Conference is the single most important annual entrepreneurial development event in the area, as it brings together aspiring and experienced entrepreneurs to learn from each other and share best practices," said Peter Waasdorp, executive professor at the Simon Graduate School of Business. "This year we're expecting well over 200 people from a wide variety of industries, disciplines, and approaches to partake of this unique educational and professional development event, raising the visibility and positive impact of entrepreneurship in our region."
The 2007 Conference is targeted to concept- and early-stage entrepreneurs, growth stage entrepreneurs, researchers, professional service providers, college faculty, and students. This year"s conference will feature box-lunch breakout sessions, enabling attendees to engage in true roundtable discussions on the topics presented in the sessions.
Registration for the event is $95 for the day (including lunch and refreshments). Online registration can be found at http:// www.regonline.com/121143 and a complete schedule is available at http://www.htr.org/2007entconf.asp.
HIGH TECH ROCHESTER...The Innovator's Edge
WWW.HTR.ORG
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The Village at High Falls
In 1994, new Mayor Bill Johnson and several City Council members threatened to pull the plug on High Falls.
By that point, $24 million in public funds had already been invested in the district, in an attempt to create an historic office and retail district. In addition, the city was spending $1 million annually in operating costs, including the popular laser light show. But national and regional office occupancy rates had begun to plummet, and the hoped-for private investment never materialized. The City was ready to turn off the spigot.
RDDC and a group of business leaders convinced the mayor to give the district one more chance to recoup the public investment. They recommended that High Falls be recast as an "entertainment district", the hot new trend emerging in downtowns across the country. The City agreed, and the conversion was timed with the opening of Frontier Field.
For a number of years, High Falls was very successful. New clubs and restaurants opened, young people from around the region flocked there, and limousines fought for prime parking on weekend nights. Buildings on the market for years began turning over for more than their asking prices. Two out-of-town investors outbid each other for what became the Jillian's property.
So, what went wrong?
Times changed. Three more entertainment districts emerged downtown that directly competed for the High Falls nightlife audience,St. Paul Quarter, East End, and Upper East End/Alexander St. Their popularity was enhanced by the development of cool urban housing. Weighed by poor management, combined with ill-conceived business schemes, High Falls began to falter.
Surprisingly, it is a growing and successful office market that has changed High Falls' fortunes. Within the district are some of the region's most unusual and well-managed buildings, attracting law firms, design professionals, and media and marketing enterprises. A business incubator serves startup ventures. Ironically, two new housing projects were announced last month that will begin strengthening the demand for nightlife again.
ROCHESTER DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
WWW.ROCHESTERDOWNTOWN.COM