Register for Cincinnati Entrepreneur Boot Camp

June 3 & 4 C-CAP Entrepreneur Boot Camp
Date: 6/3/2009 8:00 AM - 5:30 PM

Host:
The Circuit

Description:
This is an intensive two-day workshop designed for growth-company entrepreneurs and future entrepreneurs

Day 1: 8:15am – 5:30pm (Registration begins at 7:30am)
Day 2: 8:15am- 4:30pm

Who Should Attend?
• Do you want to obtain startup funding from local investors?
• Do you need help deciding whether your great idea will fly in the marketplace?
• Is your young growth company building its team and creating its infrastructure?

What Will You Learn?
• How to Create a Business Plan That Attracts Investors
• How to Present Your Business Plan to Angels
• Who to Hire—and When
• How to Use Intellectual Property to Create Barriers for Competitors
• What Investors Want – Direct From the Investors
Plus: “One-on-One” sessions with local angels and prominent resource providers, who will give you real-time advice on your business proposal.

Registration includes daily: continental breakfast, refreshments, lunch, conference material

Space is limited and the annual event sells out.

C-Cap reserves the right to restrict registrants to bona fide entrepreneurs
No refunds or credits.

Location:
Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati
3805 Edwards Road, Suite 500 Cincinnati

Registration Deadline:
5/28/2009
Cost: $249.00

Naming your company: the 6-step tutorial

Naming a product or a company is not an easy task. There's so much wrapped up in a brand name - images it calls to mind, the personality of the word itself, the relevance to the company's offering - and in most cases... it's permanent! Compound that with the fact that every trademark and domain name out there seems encumbered somehow - it can be pretty frustrating.

As frustrating as it can be, it's pretty important to get it right. A name separates you from your competitors and is many times your first impression on a customer. An unforgettable name is a great asset - a way to create a unique and lasting impression on your customers without buying $1 million of advertising.

So let's think of how to go about really naming a product or company for the long run. Igor, a Bay-area naming firm, has come to the rescue with great tutorials on what's in a name.

Check out their "Branding the Beast" free downloadable book at:
http://www.igorinternational.com/process/naming-guide-product-company-names.php

Igor defines names as Functional (like Infoseek), Invented (like Google), Experiential (like Fathead), and Evocative (like Yahoo!). Their book includes an effectiveness score with hundreds of examples and case studies of various well-known brand names.

Here's just a taste of the 6-step process for naming a company in their book:

Step 1: Competitive Analysis - take a look at the other names in your space

Step 2: Positioning - figure out the nuances of your offering and incorporate those into your potential names

Step 3: Name / Brand Development - taking into account your brand, namestorm! Think of all the possibilities and then evaluate those possibilities in the context of your brand essence, character, promise, points of difference, and positioning

Step 4: Trademark Prescreening - you can check out http://www.uspto.gov/ to see live and old trademarks. You should also check the availability of related domain names - http://www.whois.com/ is a good resource.

Step 5: Creative / Testing - run the name or names by some people unfamiliar with the product or company and get reactions. A survey of family and friends or a full-on focus group may do the trick, depending on your budget.

Step 6: Name and Tagline - you have your name, now it's time to apply some context - imagery and taglines can help explain and define your name for your customers.

Happy naming!

Internship Opportunities

I've been pinged a few times (already!) about internships this summer. Working for VC's and start-ups is great experience and there are several firms (including my own) around town that take interns over the summer months and throughout the year.

If you are interested, send your resume to elizabeth@inoneweekend.org and I will connect you with start-ups, Neyer Holdings, and other venture capital firms here in town.

Happy hunting!