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Notable Startup Meetups In The US In 2013

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Launching a startup is no easy task, no matter the niche you target, and that means that you’ll need access to all of the encouragement and resources available to you in order to succeed! If you’ve got a startup in mind for the near future – or even today – check out these five notable startup meetups in the US:

1. NoPay Startups

NoPay Startups

Focusing on bringing people with big ideas together with people who have the skills and resources necessary to make them a reality, the NoPay Startups meetup group provides an excellent platform from which to outline your plans for the next big thing, and you’re sure to find just the help that you need to get it off of the ground – all for free, of course!

When and Where: NoPay Startups meetups are held throughout the Mountain View, California area all year long, providing a beautiful backdrop to an invigorating topic!

2. Startup OC

Startup OC

If you’re in the Orange County area of California and have a startup to plan, build, or pitch, the Startup OC meetup group is the place for you! Hosting monthly geeky events, this group aims to provide the resources that you need to drive your idea forward, along with the marketing skills that you’ll need to sell it convincingly to willing investors, making it the true total package for those looking to launch their startup sky-high.

When and Where: Pay a visit to the Orange County area of Southern California in order to take in StartUp OC events, held throughout the year. If you’re staying elsewhere in California in order to take in multiple meetups, Click here to check out great car rental rates in the area!

3 Startup Atlanta

Startup Atlanta

Aiming to serve as a sounding board for new ideas from people in and around the Atlanta region, the Startup Atlanta meetup group will assist you in learning to know the difference between smart ideas and those that are destined to fail, helping you to pour all of your time and resources into those with the best chance of success on the open market.

When and Where: Check the southern city of Atlanta, Georgia in order to take part in the fun and professional building taking place at Startup Atlanta meetups!

4. Startup Weekend Houston

Startup Weekend Houston

Part of the International Startup Weekend organization, the Startup Weekend Houston group is one that focuses on less talk and more action where building viable startups is concerned, teaching you everything from the basics of brainstorming, to the many variables that come into play during the planning and pitching stage.

When and Where: Presenting an opportunity for another southern adventure, Houston, Texas is the place to be for these meetups, held on multiple weekends throughout the year.

5. Los Angeles Startup Pitch Night

Los Angeles Startup Pitch Night

A big part of launching a successful startup is being able to pitch your idea effectively to those who would fund your efforts, and that’s exactly what the Los Angeles Startup Pitch Night aims to help you do!

The people attending these monthly meetups will help you to practice and perfect your pitch, showing you the ropes where catching the eye of investors is concerned, promising to increase your chances of getting your big idea from the planning stage to the building stage – to the selling stage!

When and Where: Innovation is the name of the game in a city the size of Los Angeles, so you can count on lessons from all sides when you visit the L.A. Startup Pitch Night!

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Jessy is the business blogger and indie entrepreneur.

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How to Come Up With Practical Solutions to Problems – A Checklist Anyone Can Follow

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When it comes to development and production, all of us will come to road blocks from time to time where we become unsure how to progress and are forced to halt our development. This can be highly frustrating as it means we’re unable to continue with the project until we come up with a solution, but the good news is that there are many things that can help us to do just that. Here we will look at some of the best ways to come up with solutions to practical and technical issues that may be standing in your way.

Sleep On It

A wise man once wrote that to solve any problem the answer is to ‘think on it deeply, and then forget about it’. While it’s of course not that simple in reality though, there is nevertheless some truth to the fact that our best ideas often come to us when we’re trying not to think about them. If you find yourself stressing over a problem and working yourself into a sweat then the chances are that thinking on it ‘harder’ isn’t going to yield the results you want. Instead then, take a conscious effort to take a break and to have a sleep on it and that way you’ll be able to come back to the problem reinvigorated and with a fresh perspective.

Sketch it Out

If you have a problem with a design or a plan that you’re currently mulling over in your head, then it’s often very useful to simply put it down on paper so that you can see it and so that it’s no longer completely abstract. The issue here is that it’s hard to manipulate an abstract idea in our brains, whereas drawing it or creating a mind map can enable us to visualise the bigger picture and to see answers that might be staring us in the face. Putting your plans down on paper is also a very good way to communicate them, and this way you can bring other people in on your

Create a Prototype

If writing your idea down or drawing it doesn’t get the results you want then you may need something more directly comparable and more tangible. To this end one of the best solutions is to order a prototype which could mean building your product yourself out of spare parts or using injection moulding or 3D printing and that way you’ll actually be able to hold your product in your hands in its current situation.

Now with your product actually there in front of you you’ll be able to manipulate it, rotate it and look at it from all angles. This should greatly increase your chances of finding what it is that’s wrong with it, and even enable you to test out solutions and to try making alterations to see how they would actually affect the final product.

Plunder Old Ideas

The story of how post-it notes were invented is one that has found its way into entrepreneurial lore. Apparently the tale goes that someone managed to develop a very light adhesive while playing around with chemical mixtures and found it entertaining but ultimately useless – what would you do with such a weak bond?

As such then they discarded the idea to the archives and gave it no more thought until they found themselves wanting to leave a note for a friend where they’d see it. What could they use that wouldn’t be impossible to detach from the computer or work surface? Looking through their old files they came across their idea for the light adhesive and voila – the post-it note was born. If you have an old folder or a filing cabinet of ideas somewhere then it might just be worth looking through them in case you’ve already come up with the answer you’re looking for.

Crowdsource Solutions

Finally if you’ve looked at your issue from every angle and you’re still stuck then it may be time to bring in help to find your solutions. Crowdsourcing basically means taking advantage of the ‘genius of the crowd’ by letting as many people as possible take a stab at your idea. Initially this could just mean talking things through with friends (and you’d be surprised how useful it is to just bounce ideas off someone else) but if you want to take it further it could mean asking your potential market through a forum on your website or through social networks. A million heads are better than one as they say…

This insightful article was authored by Sara Brown. When she is not busy working, she likes spending her time cooking or shopping. You can read more about her posts on prototype manufacturing here.

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Goodbye Strings on Fingers, Hello Planners!

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A busy life doesn’t always mean a happy life. It’s frustrating when you have a full laundry list of things to do and places to be but you feel disorganized and unprepared. But it doesn’t mean that your life is doomed to play the juggling game forever. Luckily, in this modern day and age there are plenty of tools to help you plan and remember – the most useful of which is the planner. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, it’s time to get yourself familiar because you are about to be introduced to your own personal assistant that you can carry around in your purse or backpack…and you don’t have to send them a Christmas gift!

Most of us first experienced planners as students, usually outfitted with school colors and pictures of the mascot, outlined with various student events, and tiny spaces for actually writing in your assignments and test dates. These are never the best planners but they get the job done. Hopefully you weren’t one of the kids that threw theirs out once they were issued because they actually could help you out with a thing or two! And if you did use your trusty planner, I am going to venture that once you graduated, you never used one again. But it’s time to go back to basics because a planner can be useful and easy. Here are a couple tips in using a planner. You’ll be organized and accounted for in no time!

  1. Penmanship, penmanship, penmanship! I have to start with penmanship because if you can’t read your writing, none of my other tips will be worth a darn thing! Find a pen with a comfortable gel grip and an inky flow that you like. I personally prefer pens with classic black ink, a rollerball tip, and a clip. These pens are easy to read, easy to write with (nay, a joy to write with), and easy to carry around. It seems odd that the right pen will help you plan more than a nearly empty plastic pen. Basically, it comes down to enjoying what you’re doing. If you don’t enjoy writing in your planner, then you’re not going to. So find a pen that makes writing fun and reading easy, and that’s half the battle right there.
  2. Big dates first. Nothing is worse than planning time for assignments or study sessions and then realizing it’s your parents’ 20th anniversary. When you purchase your planner, the first thing you should do (after filling out the “Belongs To: page…obviously!) is go through the entire year and write in important birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and anything else that would take time away from school and/or work. While most major holidays will already be written into your planner, maybe you have a friend who throws a killer party on Halloween weekend every year. Be sure to include events like that so you can plan around it when the time comes. And besides, you deserve a little fun written into your busy schedule! This will ensure your personal life doesn’t get completely taken over by school and/or work.
  3. Plan as you go. This is another tip that is vitally important and without it, nothing else will help you get by! Therefore, be sure to write assignment, appointments, meetings, etc. into your planner as soon as you’re told about them. If you’re feeling lazy and decide you’ll just remember that assignment and write it down later, you’re wrong. It’s important to keep things fresh on your mind and plan out your time as soon as you know. This way, nothing can be forgotten.

Are you feeling confident in your time management skills now? These tips are simple and few but they ensure you are covering the basics when it comes to writing in your student planner or working agenda. As you get more acquainted with the ways of time management, you’ll find different things that work for you, that keep you coming back to your planner to both write in it and read from it. But one thing is certain, the more you do use your planner, the more it will pay off. Looks like it’s time to start planning!

Gina Vinnitsky is an SEO Copywriter working with Action Agendas, makers of useful and personalized student planners. Check out their great selection of planners and agendas online.

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