Ventureweek

The fitness and diet industry is a multi billion dollar market in North America. Technology based startups are looking to capitalize on this industry. Health Rally  has developed a  social network around the idea that people will realize health goals if family and friends are watching, and providing quantifiable rewards for hitting milestones.

An example is a person  aiming to lose 20 pounds,  they register on the site . Various friends and relatives would join a “support team” to help reach the designated objective. Support team members each pledge a small amount of cash, which in the end adds up to a hefty sum if the person accomplishes his or her aim in a predetermined amount of time. The  site would monitor the progress of the participant in real time.

Health Rally would derive revenues from take a 7% service fee from financial transactions facilitated by the site. There will also be a  credit card transaction fees up to 3 percent.

TaskRabbit, is a hot service that matches people who needed errands run, domiciles cleaned, groceries bought and the like with people who were willing to fulfill their needs in exchange for a few bucks. TaskRabbit makes money by tacking on an average of 15 percent to every task fee. The company has raised some serious funding which has allowed them to expand to New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. Next on the list is Seattle, followed by Austin, Tex.. After expanding nationally, the company will  begin growing internationally. This is a hot startup that is a pioneer within the new “‘sharing indusrty’.

Originally Posted on Startup Professionals Musings

1. Build your network. These are people of all levels that have been there and done that, meaning people who know something that you need to know. See my recent article “The Do’s and Don’ts of Today’s Business Networking” on how and where to get started. You don’t need a thousand friends, but a few real ones can make all the difference.
2. Give and you will receive. Relationships need to be two-way, and can’t be just all about you. If you are active in helping others with what you know, they will be much more open to help you when you need it. The more you give, the more you get in return, both literally and figuratively.
3. Work on your elevator pitch.This is a concise, well-practiced description of your idea or your startup, delivered with conviction to start a relationship in the time it takes to ride up an elevator. It should end by asking for something, to start the relationship.
4. Don’t skip all business social settings.Face time is critical, even with the current rage on social networks, phone texting, and email. Studies show that as much as 50-90% of communication is body language. That’s usually the important relationship part.
5. Nominate someone as your mentor. Build a two-way relationship with several people who can help you, and then kick it up a notch with one or more, by asking them to be your mentor. Most entrepreneurs love to help others, and will be honored to help you.
6. Cultivate existing allies. These are people who already know and believe in you, but may not be able to help you directly in your new endeavors. But don’t forget that each of these allies also has their own network, which can be an extension of yours, if you treat them well.
7. Nurture existing relationships. We all know someone who claims to be a “close friend,” but never initiates anything. They never call, they never write, and wait for you to make the first move. If you don’t follow-up on a regular basis with someone, there is no relationship, only a former acquaintance.

In any business relationship, there will be give-and-take as situations and circumstances change, but you should also feel that, overall, the value is equal both ways. Good business relationships are your most valuable strategic assets. There aren’t many silver bullets, so don’t expect to survive as an entrepreneur Lone Ranger.

The White House announced Monday the launch of the Startup America Partnership, a private, nonprofit entity aiming to accelerate entrepreneurship in the United States. As part of President Obama’s Strategy for American Innovation, the ultimate goal of the new entity is to promote growth and create quality jobs here at home in the most forward-thinking industries, like clean energy, medicine, advanced manufacturing, information technology, and others.

The Partnership will be chaired by AOL co-founder Steve Case and will receive funding from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Case Foundation. Carl Schramm, CEO of the Kaufmann Foundation, will serve as a founding board member for the Partnership. Besides Case and Schramm, David Washington will be leading the new organization as interim CEO. Washington currently leads Partnerships for Purpose, a group whose sole goal is to bridge businesses, governments and philanthropy foundations with the aim of stabilizing the economy and creating vibrant communities.

Is a website for easily finding local service providers such as dog walkers, DJs and movers, today announced it has secured a first funding round of $1.1 million.

The company has created an online directory of local service providers who can easily create a profile that includes the company’s location, contact information, prices and reviews. The profiles are made searchable by major search engines, like Google, and can help businesses who may not have a website have an online presence.

Currently, the website only allows 10 work categories for profiles, including cleaner, DJ, dog walker, hairdresser, handyman, massage, mover, personal trainer, photographer, and tutor. This industry trend is growing rapidly and has a low barrier to entry.