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It started with a rather innocuous line in a New Zealand publication.  An entrepreneur is investing in 37 hostels scattered throughout the country.  Not big, fancy hotels.  No, small, basic hostels.   Mmmm, nice idea, I thought.  The economy is wavering.  Families still want quality time together, and standard vacation spots are pretty pricey.  This, I thought, just might be a major trend for the future.

Then I ran across Seth Godin's publication on getting businesses to think small.  He berates large corporations for not being nimble enough to adapt to changing times.  He really takes newspapers to task for not claiming the internet as their own when they had the chance to do it -- now the internet belongs to the little guy.

Then I saw an article about the Entrepreneur of the Year award.  It went to Jose Diaz, a Florida-based Hispanic and owner of a defense contractor business.  He began real small:  two employees and all the money he could pull out of two credit cards.  (He's now quite a bit bigger, and justifiably so.)

All of which says that setting our sites on growing is great.  But it's the small matters that matter.  Whether your company has one employee or one thousand, never ever lose track of your most important customer:  the one, the single, sole, solitary one you are working with right now.

Small does matter.  I'll take a small diamond over a large clump of grass any day.

Tanya loves animals.  And she loved taking her dogs on vacation with her.  But finding hotels that would accommodate pets was a real hassle.  Other people had to be in the same pickle.  

Holidoggys.co.uk is the very natural result of that pickle.

This is just the type of business that works so well for home businesses, including work at home moms.  Virtually all the work can be done over the phone or via email, even selling advertising.

Great idea, Tanya!

There are probably a number of other countries that could use a resource like this, too.

This is just what retailers ordered!

Most shopping areas will provide demographic information, both for planning purposes and for financing purposes.

But it's always a good idea to confirm information, especially when you're the one paying the rent.  Now there is a way for you to do it, instantly and FREE.

Click here to try out the snazzy demographic program..  

This was created as a demonstration site, but you can input any address and then view the relevant demographic data from the Census 2000 Report as well as the Census 2000 Housing Report. A Google Map identifying the particular region appears alongside the displayed data.  

This site is a creation of SRC ( http://www.extendthereach.com), a developer of business intelligence software. SRC was founded in 1997 and is located in Orange, Calif. 

While this demo site is just a simple application, it serves as a nice example of how a Google Map "mashup" could be applicable for business research purposes. "Mashup" is a big word in internet technology these days.  Basically it means combining two or more data sources to make something new.

And this is indeed a very useful something new.

Don't miss the SBA Web Chat Series on September 14, 1:00 EDT.  Warren Brown of Cakelove Baker will host a discussion on entrepreneurship.  To join the webcast, go to www.sba.gov, and click on "Your Small Business voice Online Chat."  Post questions for Brown before the September 14th chat by visiting http://appl.sba.gove/livemeeting/liveCakeLove/introlcfm .

Venture Michigan Fund I is now open to invest in venture capital funds focused on growing early stage technology companies in Michigan.  The fund is fully subscribed at $200 million.  The money will go to venture capital companies that will make investments and have their returns guaranteed through tax write offs.

Maverick Angels, a SouthernCalifornia-based angel investment group, announced the launch of a new chapter in Silicon Valley. The Northern California Chapter's Inaugural Meeting will take place on Friday, September 29th at the headquarters of global investment giant Franklin Templeton in San Mateo, California.

Food and beverage makers could soon tap into a range of new ingredients with a healthy twist as sugar and sweetener firm Tate & Lyle launches a new venture capital arm to focus on next-generation ingredients.  It is kicking off with an initial investment of 35 million euros.

Fortis Venturing, Triodos Innovation Fund and DOEN Participaties announced that they have jointly set up Start Green: a new fund that will invest in ten Dutch starter companies engaged in sustainable technology.  The fund management will actively promote the commercial success of the businesses in which the fund invests. Its support may include business development, sales leads, strategic partnerships, management consultancy, recruitment and selection, and help with international expansion.

The Small Business Administration has discontinued its low documentation loan program, one that had been very popular with small businesses.  Many communities are filling the gap with "community express loans".  The major difference is that recipients of community express loans need to sign up for mentoring assistance in order to get the loan.  Since the loan is not guaranteed, it is still a really good deal for the small business owner.  Check with your local SBA lender and see what the status of these loans is in your area.

Here's one that is proposing a franchised restaurant development:  Lucy's.  It's not the best business plan we've seen.  In fact, it is just typical.  But this is what a typical plan looks like.

SiteSell -- the web host that judges its success by your success.   Take a look at some SBI clients that have made it to the top 1% of all sites.  

American Express .  The best all-around business card on the market.  Many options -- sky miles, cash back, etc.  Choose the one that fits your business best.

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