Here at BYU-Idaho, we have taken the challenge and are working to finalize a service project for the end of this week. The CEO organization will be holding a workshop of sorts for the local school children helping them understand the process by which a product is built and the cost associated with building it.

This week, November 15 - 21st has been deemed Global Entrepreneurship Week. The Kauffman foundation, the largest non-profit organization in the pursuit of entrepreneurial support globally has created a week that is desiged to promote and highlight the service and incredible innovations of entrepreneurs' worldwide.

Here at BYU-Idaho, we have taken the challenge and are working to finalize a service project for the end of this week. The CEO organization will be holding a workshop of sorts for the local school children helping them understand the process by which a product is built and the cost associated with building it. We will be using a innovative software developed by the Acton MBA program to teach their MBA students one this to look for when producing a new product. The program, RoboRush, is a online game for what seems to be little children although its insight is powerful while engaging and fun for the children. We are very hopeful that this project will work out. Click here for additional information about Global Entrepreneurship Week. For More on CEO and our upcoming service project, please check back soon. Additionally, you can join us on Facebook for continuous updates.

Picture & Article Provided by The Standard Journal

Go to www.hamptonlandmarks.com and share the link with your friends

REXBURG — Now citizens can vote not just for politicians, but also to help "save" the Romance Theatre.

The Rexburg theater has been nominated for Hampton Hotels' Save-A-Landmark program in 2011.

The voting process is already under way at www.hamptonlandmarks.com and will continue through Nov. 30. The prize is $30,000, which will go to the restoration of the winning structure.

In Idaho, the Romance is competing against the Potato Museum in Blackfoot and the Rock Creek Station, a cabin on the historic Oregon Trail near Twin Falls.

Winners will be announced the first week in December, just in time to coincide with International Volunteerism Day.

Restoration of the historic theater is already under way with a Saving America's Treasures grant.

The goal is to restore the facade and interior to its original look.

Local Romance Theater Committee members say the venue is planned as a focal point for the performing arts in the upper valley.

The Romance was built in 1917 and was originally known as the Rex in the days of vaudeville and silent films. It was remodeled and renamed in 1935 and began showing movies with sound.

After the Teton Dam broke in 1976 and flooded the theater along with the town, it was remodeled once again and became known as the Westwood Theater.

Later, with only a single screen competing with newer multiplex theaters, the Westwood closed in 2001.

The city bought it in 2005, and restoration has been picking up the pace since then.

The restoration committee hopes that citizens will help the theater gain more votes than a cabin or potato museum.

Click here for updated information

Posted: Friday, November 5, 2010 11:21 pm | Updated: 8:21 am, Mon Nov 8, 2010.

JOSEPH LAW jlaw@uvsj.com

So you might be asking yourself, what is this LinkedIn thing and why would I ever want to join another social networking website? The real question is why have you not join LinkedIn?

Linkedin is a professional network unlike sites such as Facebook and MySpace whose sole purpose is to connect friends and acquittance's to share photos and experiences. LinkedIn on the other hand is also designed to bring people together but for a much more meaningful purpose. That purpose, networking. LinkedIn allows you to upload your resume, join groups, contact old associates and current ones, classmates and others for the purpose to building a "professional network". This network can become your holy grail of contacts as you work to build it bigger and bigger over the years.

In addition, one great feature is that you can have former employers, co-workers, friends and professors recommend you. Think about it this way, when you are being considered for a new job, your future employer will turn to google.com to learn a little more then maybe was presented in the interview. What would you like them to see, your Facebook page and the stupid and meaningless rants you have posted and pictures of you doing something dumb or a well polished individual with great recommendations and work experience?

I think you know the answer. There are a million other reason to join LinkedIn if you haven't already. If you have, it is a great time to go and update your page. Use LinkedIn for what it is worth, finding the people who mean the most to you and networking with them. Trust me, this is one site you want to join!

Eric Ries was one of those fresh-faced tech geniuses of the late 1990s who'd spent his adolescence as an expert computer programmer and his years at Yale University developing his own well-funded dot com. If anyone was poised for startup success it was this guy.

But unlike the Sergey Brins of the world, Ries didn't reap millions. His company folded with the crash of 2000, leaving him buffeted by the dispiriting aftermath of the dot com bust. Ries was a fast-learner, though, and after a few years of missteps, he came up with his own startup theory, a strategy that eventually helped him earn his fortune and even more impressive, help launch a new entrepreneurial movement. To Read more Click here.

Yesterday we had the great privilege of having one of the most successful entrepreneurs' and philanthropists in the world visit our campus. Jon M. Huntsman is a man of great ability and integrity. As he spoke to the students that Newel K. Whitney Business Summit, all where touched by his love of the Lord and his passion for life. He spoke mostly about us becoming responsible citizens and students and never relenting on our moral and ethical duties. His talk entitled "Personal values determine our success in Business" was a message of optimism is a time when such an attribute is hard to find. He began his talk by giving this admonition "God did not put us here to fail, have faith in yourself, believe in what you are doing and be a person of integrity. It is up to you how your life evolves." Elder Huntsman also spoke about the inevitability of trails and the ever increasing need for sacrifice. He said "Difficulty is the one excuses that history never forgets" but called for our hard work and sacrifice never loosing hope and faith in the Lord no matter the obstacles that we face. 


Elder Huntsman has also been recognized for his philanthropic work throughout the world. more specifically, he has been revered as one of the most generous individuals in the world. His goal and motivation in life is "cancer". Elder Huntsman is a four time survivor of cancer, he watched his mother die in his arms from cancer and he father also passed away from cancer. He have raised billions of dollars for cancer research. The Huntsman Cancer Foundation is leading the way in the fight to cure cancer. This is his real life's work. 


Elder Huntsman was asked in the Q&A session, he was asked what we can do to show our appreciation to those we admire and his response I believe was profound. He said, although i am paraphrasing, "To live a life of integrity is the highest honor we can give to those we admire." 

Today was a great day for the CEO organization. We held our Tri-annual elevator pitch competition. In all, 11 people competed for the $$ up for grabs. I first thought, entrepreneurship is hard at work at BYU Idaho. There were great ideas ranging from every kind of product and service.

For those of you who might be wondering, what is an elevator pitch competition, I will tell you. The idea behind an elevator pitch is as though you entered an elevator and there just happened to be a successful entrepreneur in the elevator with you. As a result, you take the 10-15 floors, up or down (I hope 'up' for your sake), to explain the ingenious and innovative idea that you have come up with and try, in that 90 second pitch, to have them buy into what you are trying to do, resulting in a huge wad of cash being dumped into your lap! But really, instead of being in a elevator, you are in a room with a number of judges who tend to be finance guys or gals who then rate your presentation and if they like it, they award you money. It is a pretty awesome.

Competing at a school level is less dramatic but still a great learning experience. Additionally, if you do win, it will probably be the easiest $100 you ever earned for 90 sec of work.

So now you are sitting there thinking, well why didn't I participate? Well, really we are wondering the same thing! But you are in luck, each semester these competitions are held and prices are awarded. So, prepare now and come February 2011, you will be prepared!

HPO The Snowbird from U of T Engineering on Vimeo.

We have a new page for those looking for great books to read! This is a growing list and it would love your additions! If you have great books that aren't on the list, please let us know and we will add them!

4 leading venture capitalists offer their takes on the ups and downs of VC investment, what captures their attention and the best ways to seek out VC money.


The Voices of Venture Capital - Entrepreneur.com

By SARAH E. NEEDLEMAN

Before committing to a solo public-relations practice last year, Saverio Mancina emailed more than two dozen executives in his network to find out if their companies would consider hiring him on a project basis. Then, he consulted with industry colleagues through social-networking sites like LinkedIn for feedback on his proposed business model.

"The question I needed to answer for myself was 'Would clients pay a certain rate to work directly with me or would clients want to know there was a team behind me?'" says Mr. Mancina, who at the time was anticipating a pink slip from his employer of five years.

Ray Ehscheid

Saverio Mancina asked more than two-dozen executives if their firms would consider tapping his expertise before he launched a solo public-relations practice last year.

When he was indeed laid off about four months later, Mr. Mancina, who is based in New York, says he felt confident moving forward with his solo plan. Today, he has 10 steady clients and earns about 85% of his previous income.

Do Your Homework

If you're financially motivated to launch a business, you may be tempted to simply jump in. But experts strongly recommend first taking the time to do some research to determine if your venture has legs to stand on. Otherwise, you could end up in worse economic shape.

"Once you've started a business, you've already invested a lot of money and time," says Andrew Zacharakis, professor of entrepreneurship at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass. "If you find out afterward that consumers don't want what you're selling, it can be very hard to make a midstream adjustment."

One way to explore a business idea's feasibility is to solicit the opinions and advice of experienced professionals in your target industry, even prospective competitors. Mr. Zacharakis recommends starting at trade shows, seminars and other business events if you don't have specific contacts in mind. Ask people what they like and don't like about your planned venture, if they foresee any obstacles to building it, and what suggestions they might have.

Also go directly to your target market and ask about their interest in your product or service and how much they'd consider paying for it, Mr. Zacharakis says. If you plan to sell a product or service to pet owners, for example, you could canvass dog parks, groomers and veterinarians' offices.

Low-cost services like SurveyMonkey.com and Zoomerang.com let you compile a survey online. In general, you pose a question and select answer options, such as multiple choice or fill-in-the-blank. Then you receive a Web link that you can post to your Facebook page, Twitter feed, personal blog or other website. Continue Here

By EMILY MALTBY

Where's the money? The economy is on the mend. The government has launched a boatload of programs to get small businesses financing. President Barack Obama has urged banks to give the companies a "third and fourth look" before rejecting them for loans.

Yet entrepreneurs are still struggling to land credit. Only half of small businesses that tried to borrow last year got all or most of what they needed, according to a survey by the National Federation of Independent Business. In the mid-2000s, 90% of businesses said they got the loans they needed.

What's going on here? Why is the credit crunch alive and well when it comes to small businesses?

Part of the problem is that most of the government programs created to address the problem have focused on Small Business Administration loans, which total less than 10% of overall lending to small companies. But there's a wider issue at work. Banks and the government are trying to avoid repeating the mistakes that led to the subprime meltdown. It's a perfectly understandable goal—but it's freezing up financing. Click Here to continue reading...

Elevator Pitch Competition has been rescheduled for tomorrow at 2pm. Please bring 4 copies of a short write up of your idea to give the judges. You will have 2 min to pitch your idea to the judges for the chance of making $250! We hope to see you there!!

CEO

The Spring 2010 Business plan competition has been canceled due to lack of entries from students. This is unfortunate news but understandable. We will keep you posted on future events! Check back often for additional information!!

The Brigham Young University Idaho Elevator Pitch Competition is tomorrow Thursday May 28, 2010 in RM 220 of the Smith Building on Campus. Come and check it out and participate if you can in what will be a dual for the best idea and pitch! We hope to see you there!

Please attend the University Forum Thursday May 20, 2010. For information, see previous post.

Clayton M. Christensen is widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost experts on innovation and growth.

Brother Christensen holds a B.A. with highest honors in economics from Brigham Young University, and an M.Phil. in applied econometrics from Oxford University. He received an MBA from the Harvard Business School and was awarded his DBA from the Harvard Business School.

Brother Christensen has served as a director on the boards of a number of public and private companies.They generate tens of billions of dollars in revenues every year from product and service innovations that were inspired by his research.

For additional information on Brother Christensen, see the following website: www.claytonchristensen.com

Ok, so the last one was a little boring but this one is better I promise!! Enjoy and leave your thoughts and ideas!

Come to our first meeting of the semester on Thursday April 29 at 2pm. We will be in room 286 in the Smith Building! We will be getting things ready for the semester and worked to get everyone involved that wants to be. Come and bring your friends! ALL MAJORS ARE WELCOME AND ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND! No matter your passion in live, CEO BYUI is here to help you achieve dreams! See you there!

CEO Leadership

Watch and leave your thoughts by commenting...

Come support BYU-Idaho Collegiate Entrepreneurial Organization at I-Night on April 20 @ 7pm! We will be running the Marshmallow Hockey table! We need your help and support so come and hangout while helping to build your network of contacts as well! See you there!

Although this blog is still a work in progress we are very excited for the upcoming spring semester. Check out our new blog and keep checking back as much more will be added as time goes on. Please email us at byui.ceo09@gmail.com if you are interested in joining the BYU-Idaho Collegiate Entrepreneurial Organization.