I am simply passing along this link to a huffingtonpost.com article about Boomers and startups. Just what I have been preaching – you are not too old to participate in a start-up dream of your own. Let’s start with the stat that the number of 50-something startups is double that of founders under 25. I received an invitation the other day to nominate top “30 under 30″ entrepreneurs for Hawaii. I thought, “C’mon! Why not 50 over 50?”

Essentially, what GIGAOM’s Michael Wolf is predicting is an end to the middlemen in certain artistic arenas, allowing artists to benefit directly via technology. Not a new revelation. We have seen this evolution happening for some time. What I like about Wolf’s article is the introduction he gives us to actual artists and companies that are at the forefront of the technology. These examples will provide templates for artists and other startups. The new tech platforms allowing artists to bypass traditional middlemen – i.e., Soundcloud and Topspin – will win big. In a sense, they will become the middlemen, albeit a kinder, gentler sort that will need to be attuned to the needs of the artists to survive. Here’s the article direct link: http://goo.gl/ZSy4z.

I just lifted a colleague’s blog title (same title as mine, above). I did it because I really could not say it better than his blog says it. He’s a marketing guy and his article is found here: Biz Bits Blog. Choose wisely when you name your business.

I enjoyed this Entrepreneur blog post about Brian Levin who started a caffeine-infused premium jerky company called Perky Jerky. I especially liked that he got his “break” from a small Hawaii-Alaska distributor. I also liked the description of how Brian did his initial guerilla marketing, then expanding to “brand ambassadors” and then to cache events, and finally to box stores. Now I need to figure out where to get my Perky Jerky in Hawaii.

If you haven’t heard of StartupWeekend then you should. Startup Weekend is a national organization, was founded by Andrew Hyde and spawned from the entrepreneurial chops of some of Seattle’s best and brightest, Marc Nager, Clint Nelsen, and Franck Nouyrigat. The Startup Weekend is designed around action — meaning if you come with an idea, you can pitch it, build a team, and launch it, sometimes on the spot.

Continue reading ‘Hawaii To Host “Startup Weekend” for Entrepreneurs (Sometime?? Hope, hope)’

The Wall Street Journal blog WSJ.COMran an article recently titled So You Want To Be A Millionaire in Three Years. That post was based on comments posted on a message board inviting answers to the question on “how to become a Millionaire in three years” posted by a user. Many of the answers were sarcastic and not too helpful, but one quite detailed answer, posted by an entrepreneur stirred a lot of attention. The WSJ.com article listed a few of the tips from that entrepreneur. I thought the tips were well thought-out and inspiring. Below is the initial list (apparently from a contributor called “jasonlbaptiste”). Some additional tips were added as the discussion ensued. The entire message board discussion is found here: message board at Y Combinator. .

Continue reading ‘On Becoming A Millionaire’

This is not a rant. I try to stay away from the negative. But what is going on outside in my office parking lot is difficult to ignore. See these cars? They are owned by the State of Hawaii, and they have been sitting in our lot for over two years now. They run (or they did when they were left to rot). Finally, the landlord is requiring removal. But, the State’s rep tells me that they will not sell these cars, auction them, sell them for scrap, or even donate them to people in need of transportation. Why? Because the red tape to have the State authorize any of these responsible dispositions of its autos is too great. It is easier to have them towed to the dump and smashed and shredded. And that is where they are going. No benefit to anyone. Perfectly good transportation. No money to the State. Money will be paid out by the State to tow these vehicles and have them destroyed.

Continue reading ‘You’re Doing It Wrong!’

Occasionally a client comes to me for assistance in transitioning their business from a sole proprietorship to a corporation or limited liability company. Once the entity is formed and assets are transferred, etc., the conversation with the client will go something like this:

Continue reading ‘Don’t Blow Your Corporation or LLC Protection!’

I googled “Incorporate in Nevada” and one of the representative sites that came up invited me to incorporate in Nevada for three reasons: 1) Protection from personal liability for business debts; 2) Perpetual existence of the corporation; and 3) No limit on the number and citizenship of C-Corporation shareholders. This is so bogus, as any corporation formed in any state provides those three benefits. It is obvious this particular company was playing on the ignorance of the typical do-it-yourselfer by suggesting that there is something magical about Nevada (or Delaware, or Wyoming) as the state of formation of your entity. The truth is that in almost every situation, a company will do just fine by incorporating or organizing as an LLC in the state where its business will be located.

Continue reading ‘Keep It Aloha Hawaii When Incorporating’

I wrote about Hawaii Oceanic Technology, Inc.‘s application to farm Ahi back in June of this year. The EIS was approved and it appears Hawaii (specifically, the Kona-Kohala coast of the Big Island) will be the first commercial tuna (Ahi (bigeye)) in the U.S.A. Here’s the story in the Honolulu Advertiser.