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JONATHAN PHILLIPS JOINS BUSINESS PLAN MASTER

Yes, I just came on board, and one of my jobs is editing this ezine.  Check out my bio if you like.  But more importantly, let me know if there is anything you want to see in this space.  There are never enough ideas!

BRIEFLY

Jacobs Capital Launching $125M Fund 

Jacobs Capital Group, a private equity group and venture capital investment group based in Pasadena, California, just launched a new $125M private equity fund. Jacobs Capital will use the fund to invest in alternative investments such as venture capital funds, and will be a fund-of-funds. The firm said that it will primarily invest in emerging managers with various industry specialties and geographic focuses. Jacobs Capital has made investments so far in California Technology Ventures II, LLC, Aphelion Medical Fund, Innovations Kapital IV, and Psilos Ventures III with the new fund.

SBI Holdings and State Bank of India Announce New $100 Million Fund

Japanese venture capital firm SBI Holdings is teaming up with State Bank of India to form a $100 million fund, the first of three funds planned by India's largest lender.

The fund will focus on investments in unlisted companies in India, SBI said in a statement to the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The two companies will jointly manage the fund.

"The fund will invest in companies in the knowledge sector," said a senior State Bank official.. "Other planned funds will focus on infrastructure and manufacturing."

He said the knowledge sector would include technology and healthcare research.

Bootlegging Run Amok

Tales of garages and millions of dollars in profits is legendary in Silicon Valley, begun, no doubt, by the venerable Hewlett Packard enterprise.

The notion of home grown businesses is gaining momentum again.  Maybe it's the economy.  Maybe it's just time.  Whatever the reason, Silicon Valley is hosting the newest revival of the Great Old Bootlegging Idea.

Catch this article from the San Francisco Chronicle for details.

New Business Incubator in The Piedmont Triad Research Park

Winston-Salem will soon have a new small business incubator AND a laboratory "hotel" offering short-term, low-cost facilities in the new Biotechnology Research Facility 1 building.

Affordable space is always a major consideration for new technology companies, and these two new facilities will serve the area well..

VCs Bemoan the Fact That There Are Too Few Good Projects

Maybe they're just spoiled by the hey days of venture capital.  Maybe entrepreneurs have lost track of how to present an idea.  Maybe there really are fewer good ideas than there were before.  And maybe there are just too many venture capital firms.

Whatever the reason, a common theme running through venture capital articles is that
(1) THE MONEY IS IS THERE, and 
(2) THERE AREN'T ENOUGH GOOD PROJECTS.

Remember, venture capitalists are looking for pretty strong returns in a relatively short period of time.  A venture capital firm is not a bank.  There are no 20 year payback terms here.

I have a suspicion that if venture capitalists started thinking more like specialized banks they would do a lot better.  The "lack of innovation" that they lament in startup businesses is also prominent in their own industry.  All the VC's seem to be chasing the same deals.

Podcasts from the SBA

The Small Business Administration has begun offering podcasts for small business owners on its Web site.

The 10-minute audio feeds provide an introduction to small business topics such as starting, expanding and financing a small business and will also offer advice for new and established business owners.

The podcasts will feature interviews with experts from the SBA as well as industry experts.

To access the podcasts, go to sba.gov/podcast. Files can be listened to on a computer or downloaded to an MP3 player.

Your unabashed guide to starting your own internet business.   FREE 7-part course.   Click on logo to sign up.

 

READY FOR A REVOLUTIONARY NOTION?

Have you had trouble locating small business startup grants?  Well, everyone else has had the same trouble.  

We may have a solution for you.  Note:  This is not for Newbies or for the feint of heart.  See the new article on Business Startup Grants.

BUSINESS IDEA -- Daytime Dog Sitter Agency

They had their bases covered.  One was a veterinarian; the other just finished business school.  And there was NO daytime dog sitting agency in town.

The logical response was Ruff Housing.

This is an industry that the U.S. Department of Labor predicts will grow faster than average for all occupations through 2012.  The pet industry itself will generate nearly $40 billion in revenue this year alone.

Christina Barnett and Kiera Tracy had found their niche.

It's a real bootlegging success story.  For months they did everything themselves, from installing the fence to writing ads.  After almost two years, they now have several employees, including a full time manager.  they also get about 200 dog visits a week.  At a daily rate of $20 per pet, profits are starting to add up.

FREE E-BOOK FOR YOUR BUSINESS SUCCESS

We'll be bringing you a totally free item in most editions.  Let's start out with 

	Netwriting Masters Course Want to sell more? Write better. Write smarter.  First, write to PRE-sell. Then write to SELL.  The ONLY course on the Net that shows you how to do both. FREE.

PARTING THOUGHT

Yesterday I dared to struggle. 
Today I dare to win.
Bernardette Devlin

That's all for this edition.  I'm looking forward to seeing you next time.

p.s. -- Got an idea? Question? Let me know -- maybe I can do something. To contact Jonathan Phillips CLICK HERE