A new company takes care to plan their start-up phase very carefully.  It’s the beginning, and setting direction is important.  And every day we startup ourselves, but perhaps don’t usually think much about it.  Is there any guidance for entrepreneurs on how to kick off a new day?  And can these tactics be used by non-entrepreneurs?

There always has been lots of advice on great ways to begin each day. The common themes are stretching, eating well, and generally clearing the mind out (using music, meditation, and other techniques).

Among the off-beat methods include starting your day with a puzzle, such as a flying alarm clock (watch the video demo).  There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are even more ways to kick off your day (and 33 listed here, including “write a thank-you letter” and deleting old emails).

The web and social media have allowed us to create new routines, and the trend will grow as more apps and tools are available. Checking your online status every morning is routine for many. Waking up and checking in online before a shower or breakfast is common.  Loic Lemeur of Seesmic blogged about how he starts his day online about one year ago.  And via GapingVoid you can get Hugh MacLeod’s daily frickin’ cartoon every morning.

Morning Mojo Tactics:

Start your day - perhaps not every day – with questions to challenge where you are, and where you are headed. Whether for your own personal strategy, or a business, or a cause, here are some questions that may get a useful answer in the calm of the morning.

1. What from yesterday should I leave in the past? - and then picture it fading away and moving farther away.
2. Will today have a theme… what is motivating me right now? - what mini-goals are you setting to keep you focused?
3. Tonight when I look back and ask… what will I tell myself was the awesome thing I did today? - another way to keep your priorities in the forefront of your day’s activities.

Besides asking questions, capture some of the natural results from the night’s sleep.  Your brain is in a different state, allowing you to:

• get your stream-of-consciousness thoughts captured – capture a brain dump at the top of the morning so that you can help keep important thoughts from being overcome by the interruptions of the day, and then forgotten

The clip below shows best-selling author Marianne Williamson with thoughts of how to start the morning right, shedding the mental dirt from the day before.

Add thoughts on how you start your day or would improve it.

The music video to end this post is Thievery Corporation‘s Until The Morning:

Another natural song for the topic is the Rolling Stones’ Start Me Up.

[ sunrise photo: © Paul Worsham 2006 ]

The sign-up for the event will be available on Eventbrite and also can be done on the event page here.

Here are some tweeples on Twitter who tweet about startups.  Follow at your own risk – we think they are currently some of the best out related to starting and growing your business.  

The list was started before there were Twitter lists, and future versions will be put in places such as our twitter lists.   

The criteria for the list was simple: a search for tweets containing “startup” was monitored over a period of time, and people whose posts were usually about entrepreneurship, startups, and related areas were included… *if* they didn’t auto-DM (direct message) or have too much content of questionable value (affiliate links, etc.).  

This alphabetized list includes tweeters who are varied, from entrepreneurs, to advisors & strategists, and perhaps a bot or two.  The listings should appeal to a range from the solo home business owner to the funded startup executive.   Several pictures were included when formatting the post and time prevented including all. 

• @danmartell – Dan Martell of DanMartell.com – Strategies for Fast Growth Entrepreneurs
• @DavidCrow –  ”Technology and Community Evangelist”
• @HomeBizStats - home and small business tweets
• @hovo - Digilite Web Solutions (Canada) – tweeting on entrepreneurial, tech/platform, ecommerce
•  @OfficeDivvy - many tweets related to small businesses   
• @startupcrunch - startup, angel, venture capital tweets
•  @startupprincess – Kelly King Anderson of StartupPrincess 
• @SVstartupjobs - tweets a mix of tech articles and job openings
• @thinkvaulter - “Infopreneur: all about how to find & use information to maximum, business-building advantage “
• @TiStartups - from down under (Australia) comes updates related to startups, some tech, funding, and TWiST.
• @Venture_Capital - (no name) – tweets news related to startups and venture capital 
• @venturebin - “Web ventures & internet business report. Internet startups”
• @whuntpartners - updates related to startups, getting acquired, technology, entrepreneurship

---

Have another favorite who usually posts about startups & small business-related updates? Post it in the comments.  

Motivation is a feeling you can have. Action is actual activity that brings results (positive & negative).  Many are motivated, many dream, and relatively few take action. Anyone can have a lull in the action, and sometimes it just takes listening to others to get going again.

1. Think Big – Donald Trump: An audio clip of Trump discussing thinking big, staying focused, and momentum. Focus on the solution, not on the problem, and see an opportunity for what it is. Use frustration as a motivator. Be passionate, and see yourself as victorious.  “Never give up, never quit.”

2. Taking Action vs. Procrastination: Jeff Chavez. Why do we procrastinate?  Three suggestions: (1) we’re bored, (2) we’re overwhelmed, and (3) you’ve lost confidence.

3. Action Creates Energy: – In this video, more on action, in a discussion with peak performance expert Ed Tseng. Dr. Rob Gilbert states “Action creates energy” at just past the five minute mark in the clip, and mentions that energy level doesn’t have to be connected with how you feel.

Four

If you are a tech startup (or thinking of starting): you can plug in now into the Mid-Atlantic region’s growing community, including events every month (see DCTechEvents), to help grow and expose your business to the world.

Besides the list of events below, there also is Bootstrap MD – a workshop/panel format that will inspire and inform you.

Below are the startup organizations we found that presented or showcased their stuff live during 2009, and the event(s) which they were showcased, and in some cases links to video or other media from the event:

The events included above are:

1 – SR4 – Startup Rockstars 4 – 03/12/2009
2 – SMS - Social Matchbox Spring – 04/02/2009
3 – TC5 – TechCocktail DC 5 – 05/20/2009
4 – SR5 – Startup Rockstars 5 – 06/03/2009
5 – LBD – Launchbox Digital Demo Day 09 – 08/05/2009.  The LaunchBox Digital accelerator program.  Event writeups include: SomewhatFrank,(video), TechCrunch, and many others.
6 – SMS - Social Matchbox Summer Social (<-click for writeups) – 08/20/2009
7 – TC6 – TechCocktail DC 6 – 08/27/2009 (photos).  Writeups include: SomewhatFrank, Poptoid
8 – SR6 – Startup Rockstars 6 – 09/09/09

Please let us know of additions & corrections.  This matrix will be updated through the end of the year, adding media links, and including more events that are still being scheduled.

We are also creating the 2010 Washington-Baltimore Startup Directory and invite you to submit your startup (or your favorite startups) using the submission form here.

Those interested to help in future versions of this list are encouraged to volunteer using the contact form.

Tuesdays are startup news days here.

This week the attention is on the DEMO event, which is being streamed live. Our own Startup Rockstars alumni Diditz is there, along with dozens of other startups. (see articles at the bottom of the post)

And in other news, the economy (at least in the US) continues to show signs of improvement.

Recent articles & blog posts:

4 solid ways to engage a venture capitalist – Smart Planet
(the above found via: Social Networking May Help Entrepreneurs Connect With Venture Capitalists – Gaebler)

What Have VCs Really Done for Innovation? – TechCrunch

Venture Capitalist At Your Service – VentureBlog

They’re drinking it up in New York – LA Times (about success selling bottled NY tap water)

Videos:

Entrepreneur advice: break down brick walls - Vator.TV – Bambi Francisco interviews Lorenzo Carver (Sept. 2009)

Tapping In To Creative Potential – George Kembel in the clip below explores the question: Is creativity available to all of us, of just the gifted?  This video about the d.school explores the idea of latent creativity:

More articles related to DEMO

• DEMO: Fuze Box promises a richer web meeting experience (demo.venturebeat.com)
• DEMO: Whodoyouknowat backs professional social networking (venturebeat.com)
• DEMO: Diditz turns Facebook albums into pages that can be indexed on the web

• VentureBeat acquires Tradevibes (inquisitr.com)

But, that might change, and so lately some research on the subject has been done.  As a result, here’s some nuggets on ways a small business can get some “real” media exposure, not just online social media.

Before you read the list below, think about why you want to be on TV.  Is it for personal branding, fame, and reputation?  Is it for overall organization awareness?  Or is it a product or service pitch?

And is it the right time, or will it be by the time you get on the air?  For a product pitch, it should be ready for the prime time, as the general advice is you get one shot.

Free Audience Tickets

Lots of shows have free tickets.  Getting in to watch the David Letterman show taping was easy, as I’m a fan, and passed the quiz they ask people who want to be on the show.  After being in the show audience in mid-town Manhattan, I was a few blocks away in Time Square, and was approached by, of all people, a Letterman show intern.

The guy was looking for people who wanted to be in the audience the following night.  He explained that they had a sort of quota to get tickets out, and that they were looking for energetic people, especially tourists who have that extra “wow it’s New York City” energy going.  So I learned that besides the published way to get Letterman tickets, they are sometimes available for free on the street the day before a live shoot.

But how does this help me get exposure? What the show also has are the various segments where they are looking for audience members who can do unusual feats, have done interesting activities, have a strange story related to some theme of the show, or whatever that night’s special segments might need.  I saw audience members volunteer while still on the line outside of the Ed Sullivan theatre.

And we’ve all seen these audience members who get on TV, and some get asked about their line of work, their passions, their hobbies, etc.  A few do squeak in a mention of their business, organization, or cause.  Even those who don’t get to talk can still boast “As seen on national TV”!

Free TV audience tickets can be found online at sites such as TVTickets/AudienceTickets,  TVTix, StandingRoomOnly, ApplauseStore.  Articles such as this one in Travel & Leisure this NY-related write-up in Newsday and this LA-related article can help.  Note that getting tickets to Rachel Ray and other popular shows are more difficult.

And you can also aim to get on a TV game show if that fits your plan.

Getting On TV To Pitch

There are a number of ways to work your way onto TV.  The most obvious for small businesses is to get on someone’s show and pitch your product if it fits with the show’s theme, such as “green products” or “home decor tips”.  You can consult with experts such as Jacquie Jordan, who I have seen on TV myself, including talking about her book Get On TV!

And to reach for the big national shows, the advice is that you will need a TV demo video, and if you’re working on your own, a TV pitch letter.  The letter should have your headline (think of how article headlines grab your attention – or don’t grab – and you get the idea).  The letter & video demo should cover what problem you address (with details), how you solve it, and your credentials.  The results you offer should be obvious, visible, and compelling.  The better the story, the better the odds of being noticed.

And when dealing with the producers and others involved, be helpful, polite, and flexible.  Even if the first booking attempt doesn’t work out, you want to be on the list to call again.

There are other resources on the subject:

• CNN Money: How To Get Your Product On QVC
• Video on how someone got their product on QVC and found success:

• Christopher Lee May: TV Booking Tips and Tricks
• Susan Harrow (author of How To Get Booked On Oprah): Media Training
• Center Networks: How To Get Your Startup On TV

The video below is a news interview segment with AJ Khubani of Telebrands that discusses how to sell your product on TV.  One takeaway is that with a TV ad, 90% of the responses come within a minute of a commercial airing.

And besides appearing on another person’s show, you could make a pitch for your own show, including a reality show.  Or just find out  how to get on a reality show (also see RealityWanted.com).  Perhaps the original example of reality show success is in the 1980′s when a British show profiled the unknown singer Sheena Easton trying to get a record contract, and that exposure led to her real fame as a pop star.

More industrious entrpreneurs can work to create their own cable show, and we’re not talking Wayne’s World.

A final caution is to be aware that there are reports of shady operators who are not exactly in the business of making TV shows, yet get tens of thousands of dollars from entrepreneurs by promising what they cannot deliver.  As in any area of life, research who you’re dealing with.

Getting On The Local News

There are different ways to be on the news, local or national.  While the negative ways can help (as in being infamous), we can assume you want the positive way.  This includes being sought out as an expert, as someone who can relate to a given situation, or who volunteers to be interviewed.

Also, plan for the holidays… and other special days.  If you have an angle that would work for a themed show, get in touch beforehand with local stations.  And using social media techniques such as Twitter and Facebook, it’s easier than ever to reach out to find out how to get to the right person.

And, the Help A Reporter Out (HARO) site is designed to help all type of reporters connect with sources, including TV reporters.  I personally know people who have used the service, which is free, and have gotten press in major national magazines as a result (I believe this includes Cosmo and Business Week).

Other Options

Sponsoring a TV show, especially a locally-produced one, may get you the interview or product exposure you want.  This may also be possible as a barter exchange, such as supplying your awesome fresh cakes in exchange for a mention on the show.  As you watch TV shows, try and notice how products and services get mentioned and you can then find the shows that are open to sponsors.  Many shows also make it easy to contact them about sponsoring or how to be on the show.

Since movies shown in theatres usually later get shown on TV, you could take the approach to get your product or service in a movie.  Large blockbuster movies look to products from major brands, and you may have an edge if your product makes sense for the movie.

But your better option may be to work with a local independent film crew, who may be happy to feature your wares for the price of some pizzas on the set.  You can often find these efforts by networking in local film groups, and scanning online ads such as Craigslist and local newspapers and city guides.

And, if the time needed to carry out your TV booking and promotion is overwhelming for your time budget, you can hire someone to do it for you.  Companies that specialize in media campaigns, PR, and related marketing are for another post in the future.  If you see someone on TV making a pitch on a show you want to be on, you can dig up how that happened, and what companies or people can help you.

Hope this helps, and if it did, leave a comment about your experience.  See you in TV land!

• StartupDay 2009 - found via this Seattle news/blog post, the event is a “conference for pre-entrepreneurs interested in founding or joining a tech startup“.  It happens on Sept 26 in Seattle, Washington and is organized by Seattle 2.0.
• TechCrunch50 is today (and yesterday), and features presentations from 50 startups, plus 50 more in the pit. If you are thinking to present anywhere at a large pitch conference, this ReadWriteWeb post on TechCrunch50 will give you tips.  And there have been previous TC50 events, and you can read how the previous demo-ers are doing.  One presentation is embedded below – Insttant – and you can view more videos here.

• Also from TechCrunch50 is this startup funding-related post: TC50: Everyday Investors Can Help Startups “IPO” On The Sprowtt Marketplace
• Upcoming is the DEMO event next week, Sept. 21-23, with 70 products and prototypes showcased over 3 days.
• 10 Common Mistakes That Startup and Small Companies Make – FastCompany
• Fancy Doing a Startup? YCombinator Has a Business Plan for You – FastCompany
• The Promise of the ‘Lean Startup’ – BusinessWeek
• How a Tiny Startup Used Twitter to Find App Store Success - Business Week – discusses how taptaptap used Twitter to help it’s Convert iPhone app launch into being one of the top 30 paid apps within a week.
• Twitter And The Revenue Dilemma – Washington Post
• Top 10 rules for Web start-ups needing venture funding – a video posted last week from a live presentation.  With a New Zealand bias, perhaps, the advice is useful for the rules around: Creating value, brilliant team building, mantra creation, get going, bootstrap, global know-how, fast adaptor advantage, everyone sells (marketing), change, and people trumping technology.

This is the first news-video-blog posts article – hope it was helpful to advance your business momentum, knowledge, & enthusiasm!

Success is a continuous journey – Richard St. John – talks at a TED event about success in terms of learning and re-building… an initial “success” is not the end-game.

The video is just under 4 minutes long.

The second clip is a two-minute montage from down under (Australia) -

Passion Is The Key - an Australian TV show, Your Business Success, provides business tips from leading entrepreneurs. This video discusses concepts including unbridled confidence, momentum, and persistance, along with the statement “it’s important to have a passion for what you do“.

And the next video uplifts from a realistic view of the spectrum of success -

A Kinder, Gentler Philosophy of Success – Alain de Botton – talks about success in terms of many areas, including talking about types of “self-help” books, careers, meritocracy, and other topics in the context of alternatives.  Memorable quotes include: “You think you know what [success] means“, “…a lot of the time our ideas of what it would mean to live successful are not our own“, and “…make sure … that we are truly the authors of our own ambitions.” and “Let’s make sure our ideas of success are truly our own.”

(17 minutes)

and, wrapping up, another upbeat short clip is presented…

8 Secrets Of Success – Richard St. John – talks about success in terms of:

• Passion
• Work
• Focus
• Persist
• Ideas…

…and the rest of his 8 secrets, in just 3 1/2 minutes:

Whatever the day, these videos and ones such as John Wooden on True Success can get your motivational mojo going!