Startup Talk: SBA Announces Launch Of InnovateHER 2016

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SBA ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF INNOVATEHER 2016: Building on the success of the inaugural 2015 InnovateHER Business Challenge, the federal Small Business Administration has announced the launch of “InnovateHER 2016: Innovating for Women Business Challenge and Summit.”

The InnovateHER Challenge is a national prize competition aimed at unearthing products and services that impact and empower the lives of women and families through local business competitions that culminate in a live pitch final round.

During the InnovateHER finals, up to 10 Finalists will compete for the Top 3 cash prizes totaling $70,000 provided by Microsoft. This year, the national InnovateHER finals will be held on March 16 & 17, 2016 in the Washington, D.C. metro area as part of a larger women’s summit.

AT&T, CENTURYLINK RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDING TO EXPAND ARKANSAS BROADBAND NETWORKS: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently announced that telecom carriers in Arkansas will receive more than $54 million from the Connect America Fund to provide broadband services in rural and remote areas of the state with little or no high-speed Internet access. AT&T and CenturyLink will receive the lion’s share of the funding.

STARTUP JUNKIE UNVEILS PARTICIPANTS IN ‘2.7.0.’ ACCELERATOR: Startup Junkie Consulting has selected the applicants for its 2.7.0. mentorship-driven accelerator program which is designed to help entrepreneurs advance their companies in the food, retail and supply chain industries. This new accelerator’s name — 2.7.0. — stands for 2 months time, 7 companies and 0 boundaries, but because of the quality of applicants 11 companies were selected.

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE IN TECHNOLOGY SECTOR FALLS IN AUGUST: Consumer confidence toward the overall economy and technology spending dropped in August, according to the latest data released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). The CEA Index of Consumer Expectations (ICE), which measures consumer sentiment about the U.S. economy as a whole, dropped 3.7 points from July to 170.1. July’s ICE also tracks lower for July year-over-year. The CEA Index of Consumer Technology Expectations (ICTE), which measures consumer expectations about technology spendi ng, dropped 1.7 points to 86.7 in August.

DUN & BRADSTREET: SMALL BUSINESS OPTIMISM GROWING – Small businesses in the U.S. are continuing to demonstrate optimism about the future, according to results of the latest Dun & Bradstreet and Pepperdine Private Capital Access (PCA) Index.

The third quarter 2015 PCA survey showed that for both businesses with annual revenues under $5 million and those between $5-$100 million, private capital access increased by 2.8%, compared to three months ago, with demand increasing 0.7%.

For Q3 2015, 49% of respondents revealed their main purpose for raising financing was for growth or expansion, up from 42% in Q3 2014. The PCA study also revealed that a greater percentage of respondents indicated demand for new financing in the next six months, a reflection of continuing optimism about the economy among business owners. Sixty-two percent (62%) of respondents planned future growth or expansion in Q3 2015, a 12% increase since Q3 2014, while 56% expect growth due to increased demand in Q3 2015, compared to 43% in Q3 2014.

The Q3 2015 Index report is derived from 2,893 completed responses collected from June 29 – July 17, 2015, and contrasted with survey results collected from Q2 2015. Download results here.