"Economic growth and job creation is directly tied to young businesses with the potential to become part of tomorrow ‘s Fortune 500, so recognizing and rewarding those most promising startups on the path to success may inspire others to follow their examples," said Carl Schramm, president and chief executive officer of the Kauffman Foundation. Read full story:

1. Character: Bankers will consider your personal character, which includes both your personal and business credit history.

2. Capacity: Does your business have the ability to repay the money you are borrowing?

3. Capital: How much capital do you and your business already have?

4. Collateral: Collateral is extremely important in getting a small business loan. The bank will want to see that, in case the profits you project from the business don’t pan out, you have a “backup plan” for how they will get repaid.

5. Conditions: This refers to the loan terms, including how much you are requesting, the length of the loan and the purpose you intend to use the money for.

6. Cash Flow: Last, but not least, bankers will want to know how the loan or line of credit will affect your business’s cash flow.

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Anecdotal Evidence: It does not take but one minute to look around the world and prove any thesis of a peak tech founder age incorrect. There are countless entrepreneurs over the age of 30, including Reid Hoffman (age 35 in 2002), Evan Williams of Twitter (age 35 in 2007), Mark Pincus of Zynga (age 41 in 2007), Arianna Huffington of the Huffington Post (age 54 in 2005), among many others. Read full story:

1. Come up with an idea.

2. Think through all angles.

3. Get feedback.

4. Respond to feedback.

5. Build a basic product.

6. Open shop.

7. Test what you’ve created.

8. Make adjustments.

9. Get ready to grow.

10. Stomp on the start-up accelerator.

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The study shows that when scientists switch jobs — and job locations — during their careers, the move has two distinct effects on their influence. First, their papers gain citations from scholars who are their new neighbors, even as their citation frequency in papers by their former neighbors remains constant. Read full story:

“Increasingly, smart phones are the vehicle through which Americans access information.  This is certainly true of many entrepreneurs and small business owners and this new application ensures they will have access to SBA’s resources and programs – literally at their fingertips,” said SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills.  “Greater mobility fits with the new user-focused SBA.gov launched recently, and is another example of the steps we are taking to do a better job of connecting entrepreneurs and small business owners with the tools to help them start or grow their businesses and create jobs.”

Developed and donated as a gift by Palo Alto Software, Inc., the SBA mobile app will make the search for extensive resources more efficient, whether users are starting a new business or taking an existing business to a new level.  The app will first be available for the Apple iPhone®, with future versions for other smart phone platforms.

The mobile app will help users connect with SBA district office staff and SBA-affiliated counselors and mentors who can provide free, personalized small business assistance.  The user-friendly format of the app will help answer questions such as: How do I start a business? Where can I go in my area to get free help with writing a business plan? And where do I begin finding funding for my business?

The SBA mobile app also features a built-in startup cost calculator to help estimate the costs associated with getting a business off the ground, plus an SBA partner locator to help users find SBA offices, Small Business Development Centers, Women’s Business Centers and SCORE.

The free mobile app can be downloaded from the SBA’s website at www.sba.gov/content/sba-mobile-app.

There are currently 21 operating geothermal power plants in Nevada with a total operating capacity of 441.8 MW. In 2010 Ormat Technologies brought its Jersey Valley power plant online, adding 15 MW to Nevada’s geothermal capacity. With more developing projects than any other state, it is expected that Nevada’s geothermal generating capacity will increase significantly in the future.

In addition to the 65 geothermal projects in development, 26 geothermal prospects with potential for power production have been identified. Read more:

Tell Entrepreneur magazine how you’re making a difference with your business and you could be the Entrepreneur of 2011!

If you’re making an impact–on your industry, for your employees and in your community–this is your award to win. Past winners have rocked our world with radical headgear, taken us back to basics with healthy snack ideas, and made innovative contributions to the sustainability movement. Now it’s your turn. 

Entrepreneur® magazine’s ENTREPRENEUR OF 2011 and EMERGING ENTREPRENEUR OF 2011 Contest was recently announced. To enter, complete the contest entry form on Entrepreneur ® magazine’s website, www.entrepreneur.com/e2011.  Entry forms must be completed electronically and submitted online.

The U. S. Department of Energy’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DOE EPSCoR) hereby announces its interest in receiving applications for Implementation Grants from the academic or industrial research community in states and territories (hereafter referred to as jurisdictions) eligible for the program.

Specifically, applications are sought for improvement of research competitiveness in key science and technology areas related to DOE Mission(s) identified by the jurisdiction’s EPSCoR governing committee or other appropriate organization on behalf of the jurisdiction. Grants awarded under this program are meant to improve research infrastructure and to support a group of scientists and engineers including graduate students and post doctoral fellows working on a common scientific theme within or across one or more than one EPSCoR jurisdictions. These awards are not appropriate mechanisms to provide support for individual faculty science and technology research projects.

LOI Due Date: June 1, 2011,

Please submit to the Director, Nevada EPSCoR Office: Lori Brazfield at: lori_brazfield@nshe.nevada.edu

Preproposal Due: June 13, 2011

Full Proposals Due: June 23, 2011

All applications must be submitted through Grants.gov

The goals of these two groups are very different: Individuals use social media to connect and share with friends and family. The return-on-investment expectation is pretty low – just “hit” them back, and they’re happy campers.

Businesses develop a social media strategy to connect with and ultimately sell to customers. And that last part – sell – is what makes their social media ROI so tricky. Read full story: