I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions…

goals

Resolutions, well-intentioned as they may be, don’t have the power that goals do. Goals are resolutions with their shoes on. Goal-setting is a process to bring about change, increase success, live purposefully, and put creativity to work.

The first step is getting clear about what you want to accomplish. Amazing things can happen once you start clarifying. If you’ve never written down your goals, make time to do so soon. Take advantage of the natural energy that comes when embarking on a new year. Continue reading

GIST – Great Ideas for Starting Things

GIST

Guy Kawasaki likes to start his speeches with a top-ten list based on the topic he is speaking about.  When it comes to the list of most important things an entrepreneur must accomplish, his list has only five. Continue reading

Fast Pitch Winners Announced!

Picture1

The Cumberland Business Incubator’s (CBI) Global Entrepreneurship Week’s final event on November 22nd provided the opportunity for 7 business owners to pitch their business plans to a crowd of family, friends and community leaders. Continue reading

Incubation Increases Success

DSC_8426

Entrepreneurs have limited time, knowledge and resources.  They need to focus on what matters most to them and what they need to do better than their competitors, but the rest still needs to get done and that’s where incubators can be of great help.  Continue reading

WELCOME to Global Entrepreneurship Week!

cbi bucks

What is Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW)?  Check out the Kauffman Foundation sketchbook  http://www.gew.co/resources  for an overview.  GEW is 35,000 events in 125 countries around the globe – all in one week.

Global Entrepreneurship Week at the CBI concludes with FAST PITCH FINALS on Friday November 22nd at 5:30pm.  This free event is open to the public. 

Seven entrepreneurs will each pitch their business for 5 minutes and answer questions from the audience.  It’s a bit like Shark Tank, with the twist that the audience will be there to provide support and offer suggestions to help the entrepreneurs make the connections they need to succeed in their businesses.

GEW2013

Continue reading

Pitching & Presenting

GEW2013

It’s the season of presentations.  Global Entrepreneurship Week is November 18th through the 24th, just a short week away.  We hope you’ll join us for the Final Round of Fast Pitch at the CBI on November 22nd at 5:30pm to hear the business presentations – “Pitches” –  by local entrepreneurs.  Some of these entrepreneurs have been working on improving their presentation skills by participating in the workshops we have provided to help them get ready for the final round of Fast Pitch on the 22nd, in front of a public audience.  In additional to the CBI Fast Pitch, there are Start Up Weekends and 48 Hour Launch events around the globe as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week. These presentations matter.  On November 8th, Seth Godin posted a blog about presentations. Continue reading

Where Are You When It Comes to Effort vs. Success?

effort

Every now and then it’s a good idea to take a step back from your day to day focus and take a look at where you are in terms of the success you’re trying to achieve. For business owners, the definition of Success is very personal, but usually it’s going to be measured by how much money and freedom your business generates for you.

“The road to success runs uphill.”  – Willie Davis

Mr. Davis makes a great point – you can’t achieve long term success without effort.  In a lot of things you do, your success is directly tied to the amount of effort you put into it.  The more effort you put in, the more success you’ll get. Continue reading

What Are CBI Bucks??

CBI 2013 logo

fast pitch

CBI Bucks are your voting power at Fast Pitch.

CBI Bucks are only good on Friday November 22 from 5:30pm until the close of
voting at Fast Pitch.

Fast Pitch is part Shark Tank (but only the very best parts of the show) and
part American Idol.  As in Shark Tank, there will be businesses or
would-be businesses making their business pitch. As in American Idol, your vote
counts!  You vote with CBI Bucks. Continue reading

5 Tips for a Successful Fast Pitch Presentation

fast pitch

Are you considering making your business idea pitch at the Cumberland Business Incubator Fast Pitch during Global Entrepreneur Week?  You know it’s a great opportunity to share your amazing, world-changing business idea with your community.  You’re excited and a little nervous.  You might not have ever done a pitch session before, so you may not know quite what to expect.  What follows should help you prepare. Continue reading

Global Entrepreneurship Week

GEW

It’s all about getting everyone and everything ready for Global Entrepreneurship Week, or so it seems, at the Cumberland Business Incubator.  Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) is the world’s largest celebration of innovators, inventors, entrepreneurs, business owners and job creators who bring ideas to life, driving economic growth and expanding human welfare. Continue reading