A Day in the Life of an Entrepreneur

Hi there! My name is Kevin Uland; I am a 4th year student at The Ohio State University here in Columbus, a new associate of Social Boomerang and working part-time at the Dublin Entrepreneurial Center (DEC). As an aspiring entrepreneur, I feel lucky to spend time here at The DEC with successful startup companies, local business leaders, and witnessing inspiring developments. Just recently, I tagged along for a day with one of the newest tenants at the DEC, Andrew Spott, founder and owner of an up-and-coming integrated web agency named Vivid Front. I recorded my time with Andrew and decided to share my experience living the life of an entrepreneur at the DEC.

Although Andrew begins his day preparing like many other business leaders, his unique experience happens when he arrives at the DEC. Unlike many other offices, the DEC offers advantages for startup businesses, “The difference is in the people who work here,” Andrew says. When I asked him to name a unique feature of the DEC, Andrew replied, “The people here are building actual businesses, not just a lifestyle.”

During our interview, Andrew indicated he moved into his office on the 4th floor less than three weeks ago, but felt welcomed right away. “The tenants help support each other,” says Spott, when describing how Andrew Moon of Network Logix offered up an extra office desk at move-in.

According to Andrew, he is forming great partnerships with other tenants like Sandy Blanquera, also a DEC consultant. She introduced Andrew to new revenue and new partnership opportunities with a tenant just a few doors down. We also met with one of Andrew’s newest partnerships, Lori Crock, the founder and lead writer of WrittenImpact, “Lori has a good handle on things – the content she put together was spot-on, unique, and refined, which is what web content needs to be,” Spott stated in reference to Lori’s work.

After sitting down with Andrew and Lori, we were casually interrupted by Mike Bowers of the Small Business Development Center, as he asked for some help with web work and web advertising – two of Andrew’s strengths. So we headed over and joined Mike and a member of the DEC Virtual Community and business startup owner, Timecha Swain of Slapstik Entertainment. After receiving some insight from Andrew, Timecha replied, “You’ve been very helpful and have given me a lot of options to consider!” The DEC is an excellent resource for any business startup seeking professional help.

I observed as Andrew used Skype to communicate project details with employees, got advice from other business owners on chat and worked on a client project. I mentioned how the multi-tasking seemed effortless. Spott replied, “When you own your own business, you are always working, always communicating and always on.”

I also had a chance to join Andrew and Sandy in a meeting where they drafted some educational events for small business owners. Andrew will be conducting a few workshops on the use of Facebook pages, blogging and E-marketing for greater online exposure. “Connecting with customers has a viral nature. It’s important that everyone understands and utilizes this concept,” Andrew states. These events will be held at the DEC first quarter of 2010 and offered at no cost.

At the end of the day, I recounted the discussion and happenings: one free desk, a meeting with a new DEC partner, a meeting with a potential client, working on client projects and creating opportunities to give back to the small business community by hosting some training. All-in-all, it was an interesting day living the life of an entrepreneur out at the DEC. I could see the role the DEC plays in assisting small businesses succeed. I can’t wait to see what new opportunities lay ahead of me as I hang out here. Tune in for more later…Kevin Uland

News from the Business Builders Club at Ohio State University - 12/1/09 - Ray Bohac featured

In This Issue

Also This Month:

Entrepreneurship Seminars

for Winter Quarter 2010

ARTSSCI 137.07 - Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Rocket Fuel for Creative Minds)

ARTSSCI 338.03 - Professional Pathways in Entrepreneurship

Tuesday Dec. 1st, 2009

Ray Bohac

Ray Bohac is the founder, president and CEO of CallCopy, Inc., one of the fastest-growing companies in the call recording and quality monitoring industry. It was Bohac’s vision that first identified the market opportunity, laid the plans for the development of the company’s solution suite, cc: Discover, and built the team to bring the product to market.
Prior to founding CallCopy, Bohac worked with multiple call recording systems while working for a global BPO/outsourcer. He recognized that of all the applications installed, none had the capacity to scale quickly and affordably to accommodate the changing needs of the clients. A market niche was identified, and Bohac began planning the development of cc: Discover. The end-user was a key consideration in every phase of design, and the finished product was an easy-to-use and feature-rich application.
CallCopy has seen tremendous growth since its inception in 2004. Unlike many small companies, CallCopy has achieved entirely organic growth with no outside investments, venture capital or debt. Because of its rapid growth, CallCopy was recently included in the 2009 Columbus Business First Fast Fifty list. In addition to its impressive expansion, CallCopy also takes pride in its people and products, winning both the 2008 Columbus Business First Best Place to Work award and the 2008 Product of the Year award from Technology Marketing Corporation (TMC).
Adding to his experience in corporate finance and business development, Bohac has extensive knowledge in IT systems administration and application programming, specifically within the realm of Computer-Telephony Integration (CTI). Bohac has been a featured speaker at various business and technology events
including the Ohio State Business Builders Club, TechColumbus and the PEP Talks. Bohac is also a founding member of Columbus TechLife, a grassroots group fostering greater culture and passion for social media, Internet, Web and other cutting-edge technology.

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Fisher Business Plan team looking for help

We would like to design a company that focuses on employing members of the homeless population in Columbus, OH. We would take principals from the Fair Trade Business structure. The business would be using recycled materials that could create products that would be sold. Our business plan would include a ideas on how to employ homeless members of Columbus, how to design and build our products, the storefront in which they would be sold, and how to sell them.

Anyone interested in helping write a business plan for the following concept please contact

Nikki Modlich at modlich_5@fisher.osu.edu

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Leading Casual Game Columbus Based Company Donates Portion of iPhone Game Profit this Holiday Season

"Hit iPhone farming game, Ranch Rush, by FreshGames, helps Action Against Hunger with a significant donation for the Thanksgiving and holiday season"

COLUMBUS, OH, November 25, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- This Thanksgiving, FreshGames, a leading casual game company, is giving a portion of profits from sales of Ranch Rush, a popular casual farming game for Apple's iPhone, to Action Against Hunger, a global humanitarian group dedicated to saving the lives of malnourished children while providing communities with sustainable solutions to hunger. Thanks to FreshGames and Ranch Rush fans, more than $12,000 was raised for the organization.

"Action Against Hunger is very pleased to benefit from Ranch Rush's iPhone profits," said Geoffrey M. Glick, Action Against Hunger's Director of External Relations. "Sustainable farming techniques are a key component of our programs to provide long-term food security to families around the world, so the relationship with Ranch Rush is a great fit. We're grateful for FreshGames' support and contribution to our organization."

Ranch Rush, developed by Columbus-based FreshGames, started as a smash hit for PCs and Macs and became the first time management iPhone farming game. The company wanted to offer fans of the game the opportunity to enjoy Ranch Rush while supporting an important cause.

"By donating 20% of each Ranch Rush game purchased on the iPhone, we were able to contribute a significant amount to support Action Against Hunger's programs in more than 40 countries," FreshGames President Stephan Smith said. "Ranch Rush gamers who purchased the game via the iPhone not only got their favorite game to play anywhere, but they also contributed to a worthy charity. We're thrilled to be a small part of a global cause for the less fortunate, especially during the Thanksgiving season."

FreshGames will be launching Ranch Rush 2 in the upcoming months, which is expected to be equally popular with gamers. The sequel promises a tropical farming adventure with plenty of new surprises.

For more information on Ranch Rush 2, and FreshGames, visit www.freshgames.com or www.ranchrush2.com.

About Action Against Hunger
Action Against Hunger | ACF-International is a global humanitarian organization committed to eliminating world hunger. Recognized as a leader in the fight against hunger and malnutrition, ACF works to save the lives of malnourished children while providing families with sustainable access to safe water and long-term solutions to hunger. Intervening in emergency situations of conflict, natural disaster, and chronic food insecurity, ACF has pursued its vision of a world without hunger for 30 years, assisting some five million people in more than 40 countries each year. For more information, please visit www.actionagainsthunger.org.

About FreshGames
FreshGames is a leading developer and global publisher of "casual games." Based in Columbus, Ohio, the company was formed in 2002 by industry gamers and veteran marketers with a shared vision to create cool interactive games to play over the Internet, through handheld devices and across multiple platforms. FreshGames has won multiple awards for its original "casual game" content, including Cubis , Word Mojo , ZenGems and Ranch Rush . Millions around the world have downloaded the company's games, which also appear on leading online portals such as Yahoo, MSN, RealArcade and BigFishGames, and through major retail stores both domestically and internationally. Its games also are available for multiple devices and platforms, from Palm , Pocket PC ,iPhone and iPod to online casinos and skills-based gaming sites. More information is available at www.freshgames.com.

AEP wins stimulus funding for GridSmart - $75 Million

Source: Business First

The federal government has accepted American Electric Power Company Inc.’s bid for $75 million in stimulus funding, putting the company on track to begin rolling out its $150 million GridSmart initiative next month.
The Columbus-based utility’s AEP Ohio subsidiary on Tuesday afternoon will get word from the U.S. Department of Energy on the funding for GridSmart at a news conference scheduled at the company’s Dolan Technology Center in Groveport. AEP Ohio had applied this summer for stimulus funding aimed at companies that can demonstrate how so-called “smart grid” technology can boost the safety and reliability of energy nationwide through regional projects.

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio in March cleared AEP to put $54.5 million toward the program and seek federal funding. AEP has said it will finance the remaining $20 million of the project not covered by its own spending or federal funds with the help of corporate partners that include Columbus-based research giant Battelle and General Electric Co. (NYSE:GE).
AEP’s GridSmart project is set to start in northeast Central Ohio next month with the installation of 110,000 “smart meters” at customers’ homes and businesses that allow greater control over use. GridSmart also plans to fund the testing of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and energy-efficient appliances with expectations for more than 500 new jobs created over three years as a result.
Beyond benefits for customers, the program also helps AEP keep in step with new state requirements. Through a comprehensive energy bill passed last year, AEP must cut its energy output by 0.3 percent this year and 0.5 percent in 2010. That cut increases incrementally over the next few decades to hit 22 percent in 2025.
“Not only will this project help us reduce the power that we need to generate, cut emissions and also delay the need to build generation, it will more importantly give customers the tools and information needed to use electricity more efficiently,” AEP Ohio President Joe Hamrock said in a release.
AEP (NYSE:AEP) delivers electricity to more than 5 million customers in 11 states, including about 1.5 million Ohio customers. The company last year earned $1.38 billion on $14.6 billion in revenue.

Ohio Fosters Career Development in Advanced Energy Sector

Source: OhioMeansBusiness.com

What is a talented material science and engineering graduate to do in Ohio? Just ask Ryan Wayne. Ohio Third Frontier’s support of fuel cell technology helped him land a position researching fuel cells with the Case Advanced Power Institute at Case Western Reserve University, where he was working towards his master’s degree.
Ryan’s experience working with fuel cells as a graduate student eventually landed him a job as a scientist with GrafTech, a 120 year-old company located in Parma, Ohio that has recently transformed its business to accommodate the advanced energy industry of the 21st century. At GrafTech, Ryan develops components for fuel cells and other advanced electrochemical devices.

Recently, Ryan spoke with us about how Ohio Third Frontier, an unprecedented and bipartisan commitment to expand Ohio's technological strengths, helped launch his career. He said, “By supporting research in emerging fields and encouraging collaboration between Ohio’s universities and industry, Ohio Third Frontier creates employment opportunities for researchers on the leading edge of technology, helping reverse the brain drain from our state.”
Ryan believes that Ohio Third Frontier helps create high-tech, “green” manufacturing jobs by encouraging established companies to expand their operations into the advanced energy sector. Ultimately, Ryan told me that he believes that Ohio Third Frontier will be successful in its long-term mission to create the technology clusters that will establish Ohio as a world leader in advanced and renewable energy.
To read my full interview with Ryan, click here.

Reservoir VC fund aids California company

Source: Business First

A California information technology company is boosting its sales and development efforts following a recent round of funding led by Reservoir Venture Partners of Columbus.
Reservoir recently led a $5 million venture capital deal for San Jose-based PacketMotion Inc., a firm whose technology helps companies manage risks from insider fraud and protect data. As a result, the company said it has created a post for a worldwide sales and business development chief.
PacketMotion is one of a number of information technology firms in which Reservoir invests. Central Ohio companies it has backed include Dublin-based software firm Sypherlink, Westerville online publishing firm ECNext and Dublin medical device maker CleveX.

Netarx moving to Arena District

Source: Business First

Technology firm Netarx LLC is packing up its Brewery District office and heading to the other end of downtown Columbus.
The company, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., said its Columbus office will move next month to 3,000 square feet in the Arena District’s One Marconi Place building at 274 Marconi Blvd. Netarx helps businesses design, plan and manage their network communications.
Netarx, which has 200 employees and about 10 in Columbus, opened an office in the city in 2006, when the firm had roughly 50 workers. Since then, Netarx has quadrupled in size, the latest growth coming with an August deal to buy a business unit of Minneapolis-based Analysts International Corp. (NASDAQ:ANLY). Netarx now has several offices nationwide.
“Our new location brings us closer to clients like the Columbus Blue Jackets and Columbus Clippers, which was a huge added benefit,” Kirk Horn, district manager for Columbus, said in a release.

New Flex group in Columbus - check it out and join

New Flex group in Columbus. Inaugural session targeted for Jan. become a member and stay tuned for details. http://bit.ly/5GCHle

We're still seeking a facility to hold the first meeting. If you have space and would be willing to house this meeting let us know.

The first session will be an introduction to Flex using Flex4 and FlashBuilder

From: Christopher Grant - Sr. Technical Architect at Gap Inc. Direct

Shawn Morton - Social Media Director at Nationwide talks about twitter

Source: Smorty71.com
About Shawn Morton
Married father of 4, director of social media at Nationwide Insurance, consumer electronics enthusiast, hair metal aficionado. View more on LinkedIn.

My interview about Twitter in Columbus Monthly
Dec 2009 Columbus Montly

It has been quite a week for the sMoRTy71 media juggernaut. First, the interview I did with Lindsey Miller about Yammer for Ragan.com was published on Monday. Now, the interview I did with Noah Blundo for Columbus Monthly's December 2009 issue is out in print.

Noah interviewed several people around town, including Christina Christian from the Mid-Ohio Food Bank and Debra Jasper and Betsy Hubbard from the Kiplinger Program for Public Affairs Journalism at The Ohio State University, to get a perspective on using Twitter as a business tool.

I shared what we've learned over the past 16 months of using Twitter for Nationwide.

The article isn't available online (and I haven't actually seen a paper copy of it). A colleague scanned it so that I could check it out. You can check out the B&W scanned copy here. If you have a physical copy of the magazine, you can find the story on pages 65 and 66.

While I'm not a big fan of having my photo taken, I am glad that they left my stuffed tribute to Sheldon J. Plankton in the shot :)

5 Startups demos featured at IT Martini Hour 8

The countdown is here! There’s just one week to go until IT Martini Hour 8: Ghost of Projects Past hits BoMA for an evening of YOUR IT Community shaking, stirring, and VOTING for the DEMO that wins the coveted Community Choice Award.

Thanks to Fast Switch, the award includes a $1000 cash prize! A project consultation from QStart Labs and testing services from Platform Lab round out a prize package worth more than $10,000!

Brand Thunder Boom is an extreme makeover for the internet browser, which lets people transform a standard browser into one decorated with themes in their favorite sports team, entertainment franchise or internet site.
Hash Party is a twitter hashtag trend explorer that allows the user to see and discover not only the what of what people say regarding a trend but see the who and the social graph behind those that say it.
eEvent is a powerful yet easy-to-use integrated web and mobile based solution for events with multiple committees, and allows multiple organizers to successfully collaborate and manage all efforts - before, during and after the event.
FuelMileage.com delivers real world fuel mileage stats, not the inaccurate EPA estimates – and let’s you track your cars mileage via text message updated fill-ups.
Cancer and Disease Research using Technology assists medical professionals with early detection, efficiency, and repeatable measurements and results for disease.

Click here to register: http://bit.ly/1DCLPl

Developers - don't miss out on CodeMash on Jan 13-15 - Register before rooms run out

What Is CodeMash?

CodeMash is a unique event that will educate developers on current practices, methodologies and technology trends in variety of platforms and development languages such as Java, .NET, Ruby and PHP. Held January 13-15, 2010, at the lush Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, Ohio, attendees will be able to attend a world-class technical conference amid Ohio's largest indoor waterpark. Nobody will frown if you show up in shorts, sandals, and your loudest t-shirt. You might even win a prize for doing so.

What Will Be Presented?

Attendees will be treated to an impressive set of keynote addresses from industry luminaries. CodeMash 2009 had keynotes from Mary Poppendieck, Eric Meyer, and Mads Torgersen. Rest assured, CodeMash v.2.0.1.0 will have the same, or better, level of content!

More than 45 sessions will be held, spread across the following tracks:

Architecture: SOA, W3C Standards, WS* Implementations, Interoperability and all things 30,000 foot or higher.
Desktop Development: Standalone Applications, Fat/Smart Client, Client/Server and all things running local on Windows, Mac or your favorite Linux distribution.
Web Development: Web services, Ajax, frameworks, and all things related to the browser.
Methodologies: Anything pertinent to how modern development methodologies help build software faster, cheaper, and with less grief.
Mobility: All things mobile: platforms, devices, content distribution, social networking, community building, and anything else used in conjunction with those devices which have little screens.
Languages: What's new and cool in languages such as C#, Java, PHP, Python, PHP, Ruby? Of course there are other languages which we've omitted from this list for reasons of space but don't mean to offend their feelings.

What is the Conference's Schedule?

The conference schedule is still being finalized, but the general timing will look like this:

Weds, 13 Jan

Registration Desk Open: 7am - 8pm
PreCompiler

Breakfast & Registration: 7am - 8:30
Morning sessions: 8:30 - 12:30
Lunch: 12:30 - 1:30
Afternoon sessions: 1:30 - 5:30
DINNER IS NOT INCLUDED

Day 0 Panel: 7pm

Thurs, 14 Jan

Registration Desk Open: 7am - 5pm
Breakfast: 7am - 8am
Keynote: 8:15 - 9:30
Morning Sessions:9:45 - noon
Lunch/keynote: 12:15 - 1:30
Afternoon Sessions:1:45pm - 5:50
Dinner/keynote: 6pm - 7:30
Cocktail party: 7:30pm - 9:30pm

Fri, 16 Jan

Registration Desk Open: 7am - 5pm
Breakfast:8am - 9:30
Morning Sessions:9:45 - noon
Lunch/keynote: 12:15 - 1:30
Afternoon Sessions:1:45pm - 4:30
Closing Raffle:4:40pm - 5:30

How Much Does CodeMash Cost?

Registration prices are shown on the Registration page.

Where is CodeMash?

CodeMash is held at the wonderful Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, Ohio. Yes, Sandusky. Ohio. In the middle of winter. The Kalahari has the Midwest's biggest indoor water park and a world-class conference venue.

How do I get to CodeMash?

You can walk, take a dogsled, or ride your favorite yak, but frankly we recommend driving. You can find directions to the Kalahari on their site. If you need to fly into the region, Cleveland's airport is conveinient. You can use Tom's Limo service for a shuttle, or you can coordinate a carpool on the CodeMash Google Group.

Where do I Stay While at CodeMash, and How Much Does It Cost?

You can stay wherever you like for CodeMash, but the Kalahari Resort has offered up some tremendous rates for attendees. You can read the specifics at the CodeMash Google Group discussion page.

TechLife LinkedIn Profile - R. Reade Harpham - The Designer

Manager, Industrial Design and Human Factors

Current

Manager, Industrial Design and Human Factors at Battelle Medical Device Solutions

Past

Industrial Designer at Battelle Product Development Group
Industrial Designer at Aerosport Modeling and Design

Education

UIAH (University of Industrial Arts Helsinki)
The Ohio State University

Websites

Public Profile

http://www.linkedin.com/in/readeharpham

Manager, Industrial Design and Human Factors
Design Leadership for Health and Life Sciences Global Business.

Accomplishments:

Managed Industrial Design and Human Factors capabilities and staff for $25MM Medical Device Development business unit.

Directed development of internal human factors processes to comply with FDA 21 CFR Part 820 guidelines, ISO 13485 and ISO 14971.

Served as System Engineering Lead for human factors on all medical device programs.

Created and staffed a multi-disciplinary “Center for Design” to meet unique needs and demands of Industrial Design within Engineering centric organization.

Generated Industrial Design specific job codes, salary grades, role expectations and career plans.

Authored Industrial Design “Expert Delivery” expectations and guidelines for staff.

Maintained a $1MM + Model and Prototype Facility and staff.

Created “Directed Discovery” process for Phase 0 activities.

Authored several trade articles on importance of integrating Human Factors for Medical Device Development.

Lead all Industrial Design and Human Factors related aspects of sales and marketing, from opportunity qualification to post-submittal surveillance.

Specialties

Design Leadership in Technology focused companies
Industrial Design for Medical Devices
Bridging the gap between Technology and Humanity
Design for Social Impact
Design that matters…

WHAT SHOULD WE WATCH FOR SIGNS OF ECONOMIC RECOVERY? You're invited to a special financial forum.

You're invited to a special Financial Forum, featuring the insight
of Richard Yamarone, one of our nation's top economists.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Fisher College of Business, Pfahl Hall

	All registered attendees will receive a copy of Mr. Yamarone's book The Trader's Guide to Key Economic Indicators. For more information and to register, click the link below. Registration is limited.*

This event is brought to you by

*$25 registration fee. © 2009 Time Warner Cable, Inc. All rights reserved. Time Warner Cable Business Class is a trademark of Time Warner Inc.
Used under license. All other corporate brands and logos are trademarks of their respective companies.

click here for more info - WHAT SHOULD WE WATCH FOR SIGNS OF ECONOMIC RECOVERY? http://bit.ly/53Mfej