Tampa Bay Innovation
Center Events
(FDTS)September 17 - 19, 2012 Clearwater, Florida
StartUp XchangeSeptember 25, 2012
5:00 - 7:00 pm
Pinellas Park, Florida
October 4, 2012
12:00 - 1:30 pm
Largo, Florida
Tuesday
October 9, 2012
8:30 - 10:30 am
Tampa, Florida
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Partner Events
Accounting & Tax Procedures
September 13, 2012
12:00 - 2:00 pm
Clearwater, FloridaUnderstanding QuickBooks
September 20, 2012
12:00 - 2:00 pm
Clearwater, Florida
Seminar: How I Started a Multi-Million Dollar Firm from my Extra Bedroom
September 26, 2012
1:00 - 2:30 pm Tampa, Florida
Funding Options: Position Your Company for its Next Evolution
October 4, 2012
5:15 - 8:00 pm
Tampa, Florida9th Annual Industry Achievement Awards GalaNovember 16, 2012
6:00 - 11:00 pm
St. Petersburg, Florida
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 WELCOME
Although the startup community is a frequent focus of many technology activities - and is important as well to the Innovation Center - many of us tend to think of these entrepreneurs as first time business owners hoping to move from their day jobs to running their own businesses.
We're learning that there are some distinct subgroups within the startup community. More and more frequently, we are talking with more seasoned entrepreneurs who may be on a second or third startup or may have come from an executive role with an entrepreneurial organization. In other cases, we hear from researchers and scientists from USF, Moffitt, Draper and other local or regional organizations who are interested in commercializing their research.
We expect this to be an even more frequent occurrence in the future, particularly in the light of the Center's relationships with so many of these research organizations. This is clearly a sign of the maturation and development of the Tampa Bay area technology community, and one that bodes well for its future.
Tonya Elmore
President
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TECH Talk Insights
Growth OR Profit? A Fool's Choice
By Chuck Papageorgiou
|  Business owners, whether at the startup or veteran level, often struggle with achieving a balance between growth and profit strategies. This is something we've studied for some time, applying and refining our concepts in several businesses, including ones we've started up and run ourselves.
Before getting into too much detail, some definitions are in order:
* Value: The total dollar amount the market is willing to pay
for a company at any time
* Growth: The increase in revenue and/or market share
over time
* Profit: Return on invested capital (ROIC) over time
As you might expect, I have a few theories about profit and growth that I've developed and tested over the years:
* The metrics that matter in the long term are a) building a
sustainable company and b) creating shareholder value.
* Both growth and profit are important, but at different
times. It's a mix that is continually adjusted and requires
constant, active management over time.
Finding the balance
Although balancing growth and profit is (or should be) on the business owner's mind all the time, few of us are really doing it. Those who do, are often doing it poorly, but either don't realize that or are sure it will be better next time! Even the people who brag about their successes have often experienced a number of starts and stops, as the benefits of doing it right take time to materialize. (More ...)
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| eHub's Sponsor Spotlight | Our special thanks this month go to our featured sponsor, Head of Lettuce Media, (HOLM) which delivers personalized, result oriented social media services for both large corporations and small businesses. In 2009, CEO Antony Francis started HOLM to help businesses effectively target the right people with the right message. A specialized approach helps businesses enter the conversations online about their brand and build a community that will help fuel advertising and PR strategies.
Their teams of highly skilled social media experts provide social media coaching, corporate training and speaking and event promotion tools. HOLM studies effective social media tactics to develop an integrated social media plan from clients based on the latest trends and tools. Recently, the company has garnered national recognition through their involvement in Foursquare Day and speaking at events such as South by Southwest (SXSW).
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| eHub Member Spotlight
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In this edition of Member Spotlight we are featuring Ashok Kartham, CEO of Mize. The short interview will hopefully allow you to get to know and be inspired by our eHub members.
eHub Member: Ashok Kartham,, CEO, Mize
Years in the business: 15
Where do you get inspiration and new ideas?
I get new ideas for business or product when I put myself in customer's shoes to understand the pain and think about possible solutions. I spend time learning and understanding the new technologies, so I can think of ways to apply those enabling capabilities to find new solutions. Another great source for new ideas is reading on wide range of topics and what inspires you or ignites new ideas could be completely unrelated to the area you have been working on.
Tell us about your current project/venture/business:
Mize (m-ize.com) is a platform for connected, social, and mobile consumers to access product information, advice, support and services from the companies as well as the social networks. (More ...) |
| TECH Talk
|  The October TECH Talk presentation will be held Tuesday, October 9, 2012 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at Microsoft Headquarters offices, 5426 Bay Center Dr., Suite 700, Tampa. Curt Creely, partner with Foley & Lardner LLP, will present "Granting Equity to Employees and Contractors." Foley, a national law firm with approximately 900 attorneys in 21 offices, provides award-winning business and legal insight to clients across the country and around the world.
Presented by Tampa Bay Innovation Center as part of the eHub, TECH Talk is the area's only free monthly breakfast, networking and education event developed specifically to meet the interests of the local technology community.
If you haven't yet attended TECH Talk, we hope you'll put this on your calendar. There is no fee to attend, but space is limited. Click here to register.
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| StartUp Xchange | Have you defined your target markets? What financing options are available? How do you protect your ideas? Are you ready to bring in partners or investors? Have you defined your value proposition? Innovators and start up entrepreneurs can get some answers at our monthly StartUp Xchange. Accessing Tampa Bay Innovation Center mentors who are available to answer your questions as you navigate your entrepreneurial journey.
September mentors are Mike Eitler, business consultant, Group 125 LLC, Chris Paradies, Intellectual Property Attorney, Fowler White Boggs, and David Dvorak, CPA, DvorakCPA.
Presented by Tampa Bay Innovation Center as part of the eHub, StartUp Xchange is an informal monthly gathering of entrepreneurs, innovators and Innovation Center mentors who are available to share their advice and experience to help further your idea or start-up. Learn more at www.meetup.com/startupxchange.
DATE: Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2012
TIME: 5-7 p.m.
LOCATION: BJ's, 3800 Park Blvd., Pinellas Park, Florida 33781
COST: No charge; refreshments are the responsibility of each attendee
REGISTER: www.meetup.com/startupxchange
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| Innovators Digest | In case you missed them, here are some recent articles and blog posts for innovators and entrepreneurs.
How to Make the Leap from Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur
By Eric T. Wagner for Forbes.com
Pamela Slim is the author of Escape from Cubicle Nation - how to make the leap from being a corporate prisoner to a thriving entrepreneur. (More ...)
No Time Like the Present
By Leigh Buchanan for inc.com
Why were so many Inc. 500 companies founded during the recession? Because a good idea is more powerful than a bad environment. (More ...)
Startups, That Crowdfunding You're Raising May Scare Off Other Investors
By Michael W. Stocker for BusinessInsider.com
Entrepreneurs considering raising capital using crowdfunding should be prepared to abide by the Pee Wee Herman rule: if you like it, you might have to marry it. (More ...)
5 Steps for Building an Innovation Pipeline
By Karl Stark and Bill Stewart for inc.com
If your business has problems turning ideas into business growth, you may need to create an internal team charged with bringing new products to new markets. (More ...)
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Based in Largo, Florida, Tampa Bay Innovation Center is an innovation and entrepreneurship center that assists emerging and entrepreneurial technology companies in accelerating their success.
If you'd like to learn more about our services, click here for our website, email us or call 727-547-7340.
Tampa Bay Innovation Center
7887 Bryan Dairy Road, Suite 220
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