Struggling Entreprenuer

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In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we deliver the audio narration of a brief blog post from The Unintentional Entrepreneur from 16 February 2010. The title of this post is “Do It Yourself Marketing Lessons for Your Small Business.”

This short post delivers 6 recommended marketing lessons from the experience of the author that can help you keep your business on track.

Especially noteworthy was Lesson 4 – Avoid Social Media “Experts.” As the editor’s note calls out, the definition of a Social Media Expert is ‘an individual who says that he is.’

Copyright (c) 2010, Matrix Solutions Corporation and www.unintentionalentrepreneur.com. All Rights Reserved.

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In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we deliver a repurposed podcast episode by Chris Benjamin, the Rogue CFO, which discusses the exposures of Business Incubator Programs and Firms.

Taken from the Podomatic Series of The Rogue CFO’s Expert Guide to Launch Startups, this episode describes the Business Incubator programs. Chris also gives situations from his own experiences as a CFO and Financial Advisor where these types of programs and firms really did not deliver the value to the Entrepreneur and Startup firms. Chris also gives you the symptoms of these types of firms that are in the business of grouping startups together, but not really delivering what they promised to launch the startup firm.
A word of caution and the tell-tale signs of these types of programs that have not delivered what they promised are always welcome, so that the Entrepreneur is aware of them–and know how to recognize and avoid them.Copyright (c) 2010, Matrix Solutions Corporation and Chris Benjamin Consulting, LLC. All rights reserved.

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In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we interview Tee Morris–actor, author, Entrepreneur, consultant, Podcaster and now Social Media Specialist and Professional (note: we did NOT say “Social Media Expert or Guru or Evangelist” — and you will see why this is important in the audio podcast).

What Tee Morris has learned from his roles as Entrepreneur, author, New Media and Social Media Specialist has brought him to a point in his life which is fulfilling his passion–both as a simultaneous employee (although more like a consultant)  in a day-job while still being able to be a full-time Entrepreneur in his passions of fiction writing, authorship, podcaster and blogger.

Most recently, as an Entrepreneur, he has written and published 2 more books in the Social Media space–and these are both about the electronic tool twitter:

- All a Twitter (Que Publishing, 2010)

- Sams Teach Yourself Twitter in 10 minutes (SAMs Publishing, 2010)

In this episode, we explore how Tee used the skills and knowledge he gained from being an Entrepreneur, author and Podcaster to move into the Social Media space. And, like others in the field today, their skill set is so high that other firms who may hire them as consultants now take advantage of offering them an employee position  (which really amounts to more of a subject-matter-expert consultant) within the firm.

Thus, we see Tee Morris as an ‘inbetween-preneur’ at this stage of his many careers–especially with Entrepreneurial experience as a key factor.

Tee has done this with Intersections, a firm dedicated to security. As you will hear in this audio episode, Tee Morris is contributing to their social media program while enriching his own passion and knowledge.

One item we did not get to include in the audio episode (due to length) is a post and reference that Tee gave us for his blog, which you may find of value:

http://teemorris.com/2009/08/05/perseverence-and-peter-gabriel/

 Tee Morris can be reached in the following ways:

email:  tee @ teemorris.com (to avoid spam)

twitter:  @teemonster  (Tee’s personal side)

@itstudios (Tee’s professional side, at Imagine-That Studios)

web:  www.teemorris.com.

Copyright (c) 2010, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

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In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we deliver the audio narration of the Boston Globe article (complete and unabridged, with all appropriate attributions) called ‘Starting up out of necessity — Dismal Job Market breeds ‘reluctant entrepreneurs.’

Authored by D. C. Denison, who is on the Globe staff, this article (which was published on the web on 19 February 2010)  provides case studies of those entrepreneurs who became small business owners as a last resort after having been laid off — in some cases, where both husband and wife had lost their jobs around the same time.

As you will hear in this audio episode, the main objective of family members in the work force today seems to lean to having a structured job in an enterprise or in the Public Sector. However, sometimes the necessity of finding a revenue stream for a family’s income may come via a reluctance to enter the small business environment and become an entrepreneur. Hence the title “Reluctant Entrepreneur.”

We thank the author, D.C. Denison, for written permission to deliver this audio version to you in this podcast.

Copyright (c) 2010, Matrix Solutions Corporation and www.boston.com and D.C. Denison. All Rights Reserved.

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In this episode of The Struggling Entrepreneur, we interview Talmadge Boyd, Entrepreneur and organizer of the unconference event in Austin called VideoCamp.

 Tal’s firm is called Reel Social Media. He handles the sales and the business end of the company, while his partner is the operations and tech specialist in the area of online video.

As you will hear in this audio episode, Tal has been able to mix his passion for owning his own business and the world of social media, new media and video into a growing company.

In addition, his enjoyment for having collaboration among his colleagues and customers has driven him to organize and host the first VideoCamp unconference in Austin. Although there have been 3 other VideoCamps worldwide prior to this one, the feedback from the attendees of this event’s being a “great success” will undoubtedly have this event again in Austin in future years (thanks to Talmadge).

In promoting his business, Tal has become a speaker in many events locally–seeking leads, getting business and enjoying what he is doing much more than his prior time in Corporate america while working as a project manager in what others call “Cubicle Nation.”

However, Tal’s passion is tempered with good business sense, as he reminds us that the number one priority for a growing firm is to get sales from business development while operating the business.

We look forward to Tal’s success and to next year when he will probably be asked to once again organize and host the Austin annual unconference called VideoCamp.

Tal can be reached on twitter:  @talmadge or via email at

talmadge @ reelsocialmedia.com  [to prevent spam]

Copyright (c) 2010, Matrix Solutions Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

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