Resources
More valuable information for Hartford-area entrepreneurs is just a click away. If you have a good lead on an entrepreneur resource, email the Entrepreneurship Committee at hypeETF@metrohartford.com.
Agency List
CT Small Business Administration
http://www.sba.gov/localresources/district/ct/index.html
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation.
CT Small Biz Development Center
http://www.ctsbdc.org
SBDCs provide services such as development of business plans, manufacturing assistance, financial packages, procurement contracts and international trade assistance. Special emphasis areas include e-commerce, technology transfer, IRS, EPA and OSHA regulatory compliance, research and development, defense economic transition assistance, disaster recovery assistance and market research.
CT Economic Resource Center
http://www.cerc.com/Content/About_Us.asp
CERC is a nonprofit corporation and public-private partnership that provides our clients with objective research, marketing and economic development services consistent with our mission of making Connecticut a more competitive business location.
Hartford Service Core of Retired Executives
330 Main Street
Hartford CT
860-240-4700
http://score.iscweb.com/www.index.html
http://www.hartfordscore.org
SCORE is composed of 10,500 volunteer business mentors, both working and retired, who counsel businesses from 389 chapter offices throughout the country. SCORE volunteers hail from every facet of the business community. Many have worked at large corporations and most have spent years cultivating small businesses of their own.
Entrepreneurial Center @ University of Hartford
Butterworth Hall
1265 Asylum Ave
Hartford, CT 06105
http://www.hartford.edu/ec
The Entrepreneurial Center is a program of the Center for Professional Development, the community outreach division of the University of Hartford. The Entrepreneurial Center supports aspiring entrepreneurs, start-up, and growing businesses using traditional face-to-face methods as well as newer, emerging methods.
Hartford Economic Development Corporation
15 Lewis St. Suite 204
Hartford, CT 06103
http://www.hedco-ghbdc.com/hedco-ghbdc
The Hartford Economic Development Corporation will be the acknowledged leader in assisting small business within the City of Hartford to help them develop business plans, acquire financing and achieve sustained successful growth. HEDCo will provide creative energy and superior loan administration services to a strategically diverse set of partners including its sister organization GHBDC, the City of Hartford, Connecticut's Department of Economic and Community Development and multiple community-based development initiatives. HEDCo will be the steward for the leadership, professional skills and infrastructure necessary to the success of our Mission." HEDCo's roots are firmly planted in Hartford and will continue to be dedicated to the future of Hartford, its neighborhoods, its residents and its businesses. We look forward to the future with optimism.
CT Center for Advanced Technology
860-291-8832
http://www.ccat.us/who
CCAT Headquarters, Suite 101
222 Pitkin Street, East Hartford CT 06108
CCAT Innovation Center
409 Silver Lane, East Hartford CT 06108
CCAT offers a wide range of services to a diverse base of customers that spans manufacturers, high technology firms, small businesses and entrepreneurs, educators and public policy makers. CCAT's expertise focuses on three core areas: efficiencies, workforce development and technology. All of CCAT's initiatives and programs are geared toward improving efforts in at least one of those three areas.
Hartford Public Library
http://www.hplct.org/Business/default.shtm
Events, resources, regional agencies.
Smart Start / CT Licensing InfoCenter
http://www.ct-clic.com/default.asp
800-392-2122
Smart Start, the business assistance service of the Connecticut Licensing Info Center, is a free personalized full-service program designed to guide businesses through the licensing and registration process. Smart Start's services are free, but agency fees still apply.
CT Community Investment Center
http://www.ctcic.org/business-resource-center/non-financial-resources
We don’t just lend money – we lend our expertise. If you’re a small business owner ready to take your business to the next level or an entrepreneur with an idea, you’ve come to the right place. Our website offers information about our loan programs and tools for business planning. We want to be your “one-stop” site for business assistance and information.
IRS: Small Business
http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/
Forms, taxes, workshops.
The Best Business Books Ever: The 100 Most Influential Business Books You'll Never Have Time to Read: Editors Of Perseus Publishing
Angel Investor Forum
"The Angel Investor Forum (AIF) was founded in 2004 in response to the growing need for an organized angel effort in Connecticut. Due to the widening gap in the capital markets, there is a shortage of funding available at the seed stage ($250K-$5M). This funding gap represents a great opportunity for investment in companies with substantial growth potential but an inability to attract venture capital. AIF members invest their time, talent and money in supporting companies with solid business models and their efforts to grow successfully."
Funding Post: Venture Capital & Angel Investors
"For Ten Years FundingPost has been connecting Thousands of Angel and Venture Capital Investors with Entrepreneurs."
Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Law Clinic | University of Connecticut School of Law
"The Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Law Clinic at the University of Connecticut's School of Law provides students with the unique opportunity to counsel Connecticut's innovators on an extensive range of intellectual property (patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret) and related business law issues."
Library of Congress
"Today's Library of Congress is an unparalleled world resource. The collection of more than 147 million items includes more than 33 million cataloged books and other print materials in 470 languages; more than 63 million manuscripts; the largest rare book collection in North America; and the world's largest collection of legal materials, films, maps, sheet music and sound recordings."
U.S. Copyright Office
"Our homepage has been created with the desire to serve the copyright community of creators and users, as well as the general public. Here you will find information about our online registration option and other news about reengineering; all our key publications including informational circulars; application forms for copyright registration; links to the copyright law and to the homepages of other copyright-related organizations; a link to our online copyright records cataloged since 1978; news of what the Office is doing, including business process reengineering plans, Congressional testimony, and press releases; our latest regulations; and much more. We hope you will find what you are looking for here and perhaps learn something new. Our goal is to provide the best public service and the best quality product. We welcome your comments."
United States Patent and Trademark Office
Patents, trademarks, intellectual property. Search for existing registrations or file for a new one yourself. All here.
CT Licensing Info Center Blog
CT Economic Resource Center Blog
CERC SiteFinder - Connecticut's Commerical Real Estate Source
"CERC SiteFinder® is Connecticut's most comprehensive online real estate database of available commercial properties. From here, brokers, economic developers and end users can post and search for retail, office, industrial, investment, and specialty real estate. For more than a decade, SiteFinder has been a key tool among hundreds of daily users in the transaction process, resulting in successful deals helping to grow businesses and jobs in Connecticut."
CERC: ProgramFinder
"CERC ProgramFinder is Connecticut's comprehensive database of business programs and services. ProgramFinder contains information from both the public and private sectors, as well as from federal, state and local levels. "
Connecticut Licensing Info Center (CLIC) - Resources & Information to Become Licensed in CT
Young Presidents' Organization - YPO
"Our Mission: Better Leaders Through Education and Idea Exchange.
Our Core Values: A great deal has changed since YPO’s founding 60 years ago, but certain things have remained the same: the value of a peer network and trusted mentors, the importance of ongoing education, and the need for a “safe haven” where issues can be aired in an environment of confidentiality. Over the past six decades, YPO has maintained its core commitment to these ideals while embracing change with each successive generation of young business leaders."
Inc.com
"Inc.com, the website for Inc. magazine, delivers advice, tools, and services, to help business owners and CEOs start, run, and grow their businesses more successfully. You'll find information and advice covering virtually every business and management task, including marketing, sales, finding capital, managing people, and much, much more."
Fast Company
"Fast Company is the world's leading progressive business media brand, with a unique editorial focus on innovation in technology, ethonomics (ethical economics), leadership, and design. Written for, by, and about the most progressive business leaders, Fast Company and FastCompany.com inspire readers and users to think beyond traditional boundaries, lead conversations and create the future of business."
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It: Michael E. Gerber
Good to Great: Jim Collins
"Start with 1,435 good companies. Examine their performance over 40 years. Find the 11 companies that became great. Now here's how you can do it too. Lessons on eggs, flywheels, hedgehogs, buses, and other essentials of business that can help you transform your company."
The Tipping Point: Malcolm Gladwell
25 Best Business Books Ever | Business Pundit
The Best Business Books Ever: The 100 Most Influential Business Books You'll Never Have Time to Read: Editors Of Perseus Publishing
"The Best Business Books Ever illuminates the key ideas and contributions of the 100 books that should form the basis of any manager's, business student's, or entrepreneur's library. The Best Business Books Ever places both historical and contemporary works in context and draws fascinating parallels and points of connection between books from different places and times, all of which have contributed to our collective understanding and practice of the art of management." (Amazon.com)
Seeing What's Next: Using Theories of Innovation to Predict Industry Change: Clayton M. Christensen, Erik A. Roth, Scott D. Anthony
"This book attempts to answer the question: “How will innovation change an industry, and what impact will this have on the firms I care about?” By building on a framework of three core theories of innovation, the authors develop a three-part process of predicting industry change: (1) identifying signals of change; (2) analyzing competitive battles; and (3) understanding strategic choices." (PersonalMBA.com)
Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant: W. Chan Kim, Renée Mauborgne
"In contrast to Michael Porter’s work, W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne advocate a different approach to strategy: focus on creating new industries that change the competitive landscape completely. By focusing your resources on creating uncontested market space (a “Blue Ocean”), you’re working to simultaneously make your firm the industry leader and make your current competition irrelevant." (PersonalMBA.com)
Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors: Michael E. Porter
"By paying particular attention to the power of suppliers and customers, the threats of new entry and substitutes, and the level of internal rivalry in the industry, Porter argues that it’s possible to identify opportunities and develop strategies that create a profitable, defensible competitive position for your firm." (PersonalMBA.com)
10 Inspiring TED Talks for Startups
"The mission of TED (Technology Education Design) is to promote "ideas worth spreading." And as such, there is plenty of material that entrepreneurs - folks definitely interested in spreading their ideas - can find inspiring in the recordings available on TED's website."
Entrepreneurship | Video Courses on Academic Earth
Free online video courses in opportunity recognition on Academic Earth from the likes of Google, Palm, and others. `
Product Development | Entrepreneurship | Video Courses on Academic Earth
Online free video courses on product development from multiple industry speakers, from IDEO to Microsoft to Electronic Arts.
Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Peter F. Drucker
"Drucker discusses seven clear signs that indicate opportunity for business innovation: (1) unexpected success, (2) incongruity between reality and ideal, (3) identification of an unmet need, (4) changes in industry or market structure, (5) demographic shifts, (6) changes in public perception, and (7) discovery of new knowledge. By watching for these signs to identify an opportunity, then creating and acting on a systematic plan to deliver a valuable product, businesses can create new value." (PersonalMBA.com)
The Myths of Innovation, Scott Berkun: Books: Reviews, Prices & more
"It’s particularly difficult to innovate on demand, and Berkun is clear to point out that the best ideas don’t always win. Even after having an idea, it’s typically not apparent that’s it’s particularly innovative or good, and it’s likely that your idea will face a great deal of resistance. By knowing what to expect in advance, you’ll be less likely to give up or invest precious time and effort on adopting complex and unrealistic “innovation methodologies”." (PersonalMBA.com)
How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide
"Most profitable business ideas are simple: they focus on creating systems that can be multiplied and duplicated without massive costs. A few of the many critical concepts presented in this book are: premium pricing, exclusivity, niche marketing, up-selling, cross-selling, and franchising. You’ll also learn how to become a recognized expert in your field, market products directly to the public, profit from selling information, and build salable assets." Source: PersonalMBA.com
The Startup Success Podcast
Entrepreneurship | Video Courses on Academic Earth
List of lectures and presentations on entrepreneurship from various universities and academic communities.
UpStart Bootcamp : 7 Ways To Assess A Startup Idea
"Evaluating a new business idea? First, ask yourself the following questions..."
Top 8 Boston Angels on Twitter | Bostinnovation: Boston Innovation and Tech News Blog
Startup Daddy- Start And Grow A Business And Still Make Time For Your Family – Business Startup Podcast & Blog
" I want to share my experiences as I get my new start up off the ground, while juggling the demands of family life with a young child and a baby. I reveal strategies here that my clients pay me good money to help them implement. I hope you find them useful."
Innovation and Entrepreneurship Research - Knowledge@Wharton
A potpourri of advice across a wide range of topics and categories key to starting and running a business.
Escaping the 9 to 5 Podcast
"Ever wish you could learn from the best in the business without having to pay 5 figure consulting fees? Well luckily for you that’s exactly why I created the Escaping the 9 to 5 podcast! On it I interview extraordinary entrepreneurs who have started their own businesses, reach great levels of success and lived remarkable lives. Learn from the cream of the crop as they candidly open up about their failings, successes and share tips that can save you tons of time & money by avoiding pitfalls and taking advantage of shortcuts."
The American Entrepreneur Podcast
"A show about starting and growing businesses hosted by Ron Morris, a noted Western Pennsylvania entrepreneur who has personally started up 11 companies and has been instrumental in the startup of dozens more. The show features key business advice and insights from top professionals, interviews with renowned entrepreneurs from all walks of business life, and business questions and ideas from the show's audience."
Stanford's Entrepreneurship Corner: Podcasts
"Stanford University's Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Seminar is a weekly speaker series that brings innovation leaders from business, finance, technology, education, and philanthropy, to share their insights with aspiring entrepreneurs from all over the world."
The New Business Road Test – What entrepreneurs and executives should do before writing a business plan
"So you have a business idea. How do you ensure it’s a good one before you commit your savings and the next few years of your life to making it happen? Never fear: Professor John Mullins of the London Business School is here to help. The New Business Road Test is a systematic method of determining the viability of any business before you invest time, effort, and resources in a new venture." Source: PersonalMBA.com
The 99 Best Business Books – The Personal MBA - The Personal MBA: Master the Art of Business
"MBA programs don’t have a monopoly on advanced business knowledge: you can teach yourself everything you need to know to succeed in life and at work. The Personal MBA features the very best business books available, based on thousands of hours of research. So skip b-school and the $150,000 loan: you can get a world-class business education simply by reading these books." PersonalMBA.com
The Four Steps to the Epiphany: Steven Gary Blank
"The essential book for anyone bringing a product to market, writing a business plan, marketing plan or sales plan. Step-by-step strategy of how to successfully organize sales, marketing and business development for a new product or company. The book offers insight into what makes some startups successful and leaves others selling off their furniture. Packed with concrete examples, the book will leave you with new skills to organize sales, marketing and your business for success." Amazon.com
SmartUps: Lessons from Rob Ryan's Entrepreneur American Boot Camp - Google Books
No nonsense. Blunt. Practical. If you like it you can contant Ryan and apply to join him on his ranch in Montana for a long hard week of concept development. "In Smartups, Ryan focuses on methods he's developed over the years for building a sustainable business that makes money. He emphasizes the importance of testing ideas on customers and making sure that a product offers something new and important. Recognizing a team's key competencies is crucial, Ryan says. He also finds it necessary to take certain steps at the correct stages of a company's inception. Smartups will show you how to turn your idea into a real product, take it to investors, and get your start-up started right."
Engineering Your Start-Up: A Guide for the High-Tech Entrepreneur by Swanson, Baird 1and1-1st
"Engineering Your Start-Up offers a dose of reality for all aspects of the start-up world. Among the topics covered: securing funding (or surviving until you do), dealing with venture capitalists, writing a business plan, creating a management team, market positioning, stock ownership and grant practices, protecting intellectual property, and many other topics."
Free Business Advice in Connecticut For Small Companies
"Our counselors are experienced business people who volunteer their time to provide expert advice to small business owners and entrepreneurs helping them "Live Their Dreams". SCORE® assists businesses in Connecticut, from general management and operations to promotional campaigns and internet marketing. Face-to-face or on-line, our Counselors possess the aptitude and attitude to aid in the success of small businesses. SCORE® Counselors provide you with in-depth, industry-specific assistance in evaluating a business idea or in planning for sustainable growth." HartfordScore.org
Guy Kawasaki: Art of the Start
"This book is a weapon of mass construction. My goal was to provide the definitive guide for anyone starting anything. It builds upon my experience as an evangelist, entrepreneur, and most recently, as a venture capitalist who found, fixed, and funded startups. The book is as relevant for two guys in a garage starting the next Google as social activists trying to save the world. GIST: cuts through the theoretical crap, theories and gets down to the real-world tactics of pitching, positioning, branding, recruiting, bootstrapping, and rainmaking."
Seth's Blog: Competition
Great overview of why competition matters, especially for startups.
Recommend an Entrepreneur Resource.
Do you have good lead on an entrepreneur resource? Email the Entrepreneur Committee at hypeETF@metrohartford.com.