January 13, 2012

The Curator

Should you skip college and launch a startup? According to a new Y Combinator and TechStars study, that’s not the path of all success stories … entrepreneurs are more educated than previously thought. “There is a growing belief that startup founders are starry eyed kids that live at home with their parents, and while there is a number of dreamers in that boat, most tech startup founders are highly educated, intelligent and driven.” (AG Beat)

Need access to capital? Many small businesses won’t look to Bank of America Corp for it after their recent credit squeeze. “The Charlotte, N.C., bank is demanding that these customers pay off their credit line balances all at once instead of making monthly payments.” (Los Angeles Times)

Experts proclaim that you must be profitable. Mark Suster, entrepreneur turned VC, debates the issue and explains, “There is a healthy tension between profits and growth. To grow faster, businesses need resources in today’s financial period to fund growth that may not come for six months to a year.” (Both Sides of the Table)

Is social responsibility in season? New online fashion startup,  Ben & Fakto is on a mission to bridge the gap between fashion and social responsibility. “… a team of young French entrepreneurs launch an online store that donates money to support microcredit projects overseas.” (Smart Planet)

Do your employees share your work ethic? The Gallup Organization estimated some time back that there are over 22 million employees with a poor work ethic. Veteran startup mentor, Marty Zwilling, suggests, “Somewhere along the way, work ethic seems to have been replaced by a pervasive sense of entitlement, especially in the younger generations.” (Huffington Post)

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Photo Credit: Erasmus Mundus