Todd Jones: Rounding Up The Startup Scene
by September 2, 2015 9:48 am 131 views
Talk Business & Politics Startup/Tech/Entrepreneur writer Todd Jones pulls together his handy round-up of state and national headlines worth exploring. Here’s the latest:
COMICS AND ENTREPRENEURS
This past Saturday was the River City Comic Expo and in November Conway will host the Comi-Conway. It is true that comics, graphic novels and anime are still very popular among youth. My First Startup is seeking to capitalize on this reality with a company that helps kids be a part of a comic book while teaching them the alternatives of a 9-to-5 job.
The startup has a Kickstarter campaign. It appears that the co-founders are trying to raise $10,000 by September 24th.
DRONES, DRONES AND PILOTS
Drones have become one of the most popular new toys and teaching instruments in the tech world. When attending an event at the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub, drones always draw a crowd. Drones have also had their fair share of obstacles. For local drone pilots like Todd Owens in Conway, they might find their expertise as a new avenue of income.
Startup Droners.io is bridging the gap between experienced drone pilots and businesses who might need them.
“In the meantime, Droners.io, a startup based out of Rhode Island, is connecting experienced drone pilots with customers. Whether it’s for marketing purposes, filming, or otherwise, customers who don’t own a drone or don’t want to learn how to fly one (safely) can hire out a drone pilot for their project. To be a drone pilot on the site, you have to have a FAA 333 exemption which enables you to legally fly a UAV for commercial purposes,” reports Forbes in a recent article.
GETTING ‘FLINGED’ FROM THE APPLE STORE
How can having your app be banned from the Apple Store be the best thing to happen to you?
Marco Nardone, CEO and founder of Fling, shares his experience at TechCrunch. Nardone tells the story of how the app started, the way it became in conflict with the Apple Store, what they learned, and how they corrected the issue. He also offers up some really helpful lessons learned.
THE BUSINESS OF PROMOTING YOUR NEW BUSINESS
Do you have a new business? Are you looking for ways to promote? Tech.co just posted an article on effective ways to promote your new business.
Most startups have one thing in common: a limited budget. If you really want to be successful, you want to be able to maximize the results with the budget that you have. This is a task that is hard to accomplish. Consider the following methods since they are really effective for most newly launched businesses.
10 YEARS LATER, IS NEW ORLEANS A ‘SILICON BAYOU’?
It has been ten years since Hurricane Katrina came roaring onshore in New Orleans. The city has been rebuilding in more ways than one. Just about a month before Katrina came in, Tim Williams hosted 21 entrepreneurs who were looking to pitch ideas to various investors and a chance, for him, to witness the rebirth of a city’s entrepreneurial system. Except, it did not happen. At least not at that time.
Williams recalls:
“We thought we had made it,” Williamson says, echoing the sentiment of other entrepreneurs we spoke with who were part of that event in 2005. “There was a feeling that we had some companies that were ready to grow. There was hope.”
“Thirty-four days later,” he says, “the city was shut down and full of water.”
According to the Mashable article:
The New Orleans of 2015 is home to an undeniable frenzy of startup activity. What the city is missing, according to numerous investors, founders and academics, is at least one big breakthrough company that fetches an eye-catching valuation, goes public or gets acquired for enough money to lift up others in the startup economy.
The article is a fascinating look at an aspect of Post-Katrina many do not think about.