Startup
Unique Funding Opportunities for Women-Owned Businesses
While women own 30 percent of small businesses in the United States and are expected to generate a third of the new jobs, they receive less than 5 percent of the small business loan money each year. To fill this gap, organizations, nonprofits, and other groups are stepping up to offer funding opportunities specifically for…
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Small Biz Stories: The Challenges of Ascend Aerials
Starting Ascend Aerials has presented many challenges to founder Louie Northern, most notably in the form of FAA regulations. But, he says, overcoming those challenges requires not just the ability to do it, but the will. Wanting to do something, and even being capable of doing something, are not enough. It comes down to willpower…
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Small Biz Stories: To Succeed, Believe You Can
Everybody is looking for the ingredients for success. Louie Northern of Ascend Aerials suggests that success in your business requires not only the competence and capability to deliver on what you promise, but just as much and perhaps even more a belief in your ability do deliver. To succeed, you have to believe you can.…
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Small Biz Stories: Make It Real
When you’re starting a new business, one of the first challenges is making it real—and that includes in your own mind. Making something tangible that you can see and commit to is a big help to getting off the ground, says Louie Northern of Ascend Aerials. After coming up with the idea for the business,…
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It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint, When It Comes to Small Business
The first Sunday in November can only mean one thing: it’s the day of the TCS New York City Marathon event. Whether you run or not, you can’t help but watch the race and cheer on its participants. This year, I was excited to see Shalane Flanagan win the marathon — by one whole minute!…
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Small Biz Stories: Coming Up with the Idea
Coming up with the idea for Ascend Aerials began with a love for technology. Louie Northern’s work as an urban designer gave him a lot of exposure to the world of video editing and multimedia presentations, and when he first encountered UAS technology he was immediately smitten with the possibilities. While at first he was…
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Small Biz Stories: Designing a Lifestyle
Louie Northern of Ascend Aerials spent the past decade working as an urban designer and landscape architect, roles that prepared him well for becoming an entrepreneur and owning his own business. Many things contributed to his entrepreneurial aspirations, including his upbringing and professional roles that brought different challenges and different problems to overcome with each…
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4 Female Athletes Successfully Embracing Entrepreneurship
All throughout October, female entrepreneurs everywhere are celebrating National Women’s Small Business Month. As reported by the SBA, more than 11 million woman-owned businesses can be found in the United States, generating more than nine million jobs and $1.6 trillion in annual revenue, and conquering every industry from healthcare to social services. Going the distance…
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Small Biz Stories: Can Entrepreneurship Be Taught?
There are many different paths to becoming an entrepreneur, and the question of whether you can teach someone to become one is an important question for encouraging the growth and spread of entrepreneurship. Simms Jenkins of BrightWave Marketing says that he wasn’t a born entrepreneur. “I know in my case, certainly, the skills have been…
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What You Need to Know About Term Loans
Sometimes your business needs a cash injection. Whether you’re going to take on investors or engage in a form of debt financing (i.e., a loan), it’s important to choose the right form of financing for your business generally and the situation you’re in specifically. One of the most common options for small businesses is a…
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