Are You a Dreamer or Are You a Visionary?

Dreaming is fun because a dream can be anything. There are no rules, no approvals necessary and no one you have to impress or satisfy. You can turn off the safeties, play in traffic, and generally indulge in anything you want.

Businesses are built on dreams. Such dreams are unrestricted and creativity is free to flow. The fantasies that can be aroused are full of spectacles of wealth and the freedom such wealth seems guaranteed to create. There’s the gratification of receiving respect and accolades from powerful and accomplished people, and the self-satisfaction of controlling one’s own destiny. This is the temptation and the snare of starting your own business.

While dreaming is a necessary step, it is hardly the final one. The steps that follow have more requirements and they involve barriers and obstacles. When it stops being as easy as dreaming, many would-be entrepreneurs give up or perhaps never start at all. That is not such a bad thing. Starting a business is not for everyone, especially someone who is merely a dreamer. So what must a dreamer become to make it as an entrepreneur?

Vision is Dreams 2.0

To turn a dream into reality, there needs to be vision. What is vision anyway? Is it just seeing into the future? No, that would just be more dreaming. Vision is where you take your dream and apply the laws of physics, economics and human nature to make something happen. It is when you cut yourself off from all the wonderful possibilities that pop up in dreamland, choose one and make it real.

Not all dreamers are visionaries but all visionaries are dreamers. It’s just like all dogs aren’t cocker spaniels but all cocker spaniels are dogs. Vision is dream refinement and the visionary is the refiner.

Does business require vision? No. There are plenty of visionless businesses with visionless leaders. They plod along and fill a space in the marketplace. If that doesn’t sound very exciting, it’s because it isn’t. That lack of inspiration keeps things small, tight and constricted. In short, it neuters a business from having any meaningful impact in the world.

Does impact require vision? Indeed it does. It might seem grandiose to claim vision in a small business. But don’t forget, every big business started small. It started in someone’s head, it was a mere dream. Before it became reality, it became a vision. That’s how we got FedEx and Whole Foods Market, Ralph Lauren and Amazon. It’s also how we got Saint Benoit Creamery and Cafe Gratitude.

You probably haven’t heard of the last two. But that doesn’t mean they weren’t founded visionary people. Sometimes the vision is deep rather than broad. It’s your vision â€" you get to choose.

Why Vision Is Worth the Cost

You probably noticed that dreams are free but visions seem rather costly. To turn a dream into a vision, you have to take your dearly held dream, cut on it and throw away fanciful details and romantic notions. At first glance this may make vision sound like it takes all the fun out of things. But consider the difference between thinking about riding a roller coaster and actually strapping in to take the ride. Thinking about it is free but to get to that wild ride you have to buy the ticket.

Not everyone has the stomach for a roller coaster. But there are plenty of us who buy our ticket, take the ride, get off with a whoop and run to get in line to do it again. These people are the bonafide entrepreneurs who are truly visionaries.

There are some things in life you can only get by buying your ticket. Vision is one of them. Successful entrepreneurs can tell you it is worth the price. It is thrilling to see a dream of yours solidify into a vision that takes shape in the real world. It is exhilarating when your vision takes on a life of its own. It is exciting when other contribute to your vision, whether they be employees, customers or even competitors who drive you to give more and take it to a higher level.

Dreamers are a dime a dozen. Ideas are easy to come by. But vision requires sterner stuff. The upside of this truth is that it is a barrier to entry. Only the hearty even entertain the notion of being a visionary. Just making that choice puts you in an elite group.

So buy your ticket. Only ticket holders get to take this ride.

Dreaming Photo via Shutterstock

Are You a Dreamer or Are You a Visionary?

Dreaming is fun because a dream can be anything. There are no rules, no approvals necessary and no one you have to impress or satisfy. You can turn off the safeties, play in traffic, and generally indulge in anything you want.

Businesses are built on dreams. Such dreams are unrestricted and creativity is free to flow. The fantasies that can be aroused are full of spectacles of wealth and the freedom such wealth seems guaranteed to create. There’s the gratification of receiving respect and accolades from powerful and accomplished people, and the self-satisfaction of controlling one’s own destiny. This is the temptation and the snare of starting your own business.

While dreaming is a necessary step, it is hardly the final one. The steps that follow have more requirements and they involve barriers and obstacles. When it stops being as easy as dreaming, many would-be entrepreneurs give up or perhaps never start at all. That is not such a bad thing. Starting a business is not for everyone, especially someone who is merely a dreamer. So what must a dreamer become to make it as an entrepreneur?

Vision is Dreams 2.0

To turn a dream into reality, there needs to be vision. What is vision anyway? Is it just seeing into the future? No, that would just be more dreaming. Vision is where you take your dream and apply the laws of physics, economics and human nature to make something happen. It is when you cut yourself off from all the wonderful possibilities that pop up in dreamland, choose one and make it real.

Not all dreamers are visionaries but all visionaries are dreamers. It’s just like all dogs aren’t cocker spaniels but all cocker spaniels are dogs. Vision is dream refinement and the visionary is the refiner.

Does business require vision? No. There are plenty of visionless businesses with visionless leaders. They plod along and fill a space in the marketplace. If that doesn’t sound very exciting, it’s because it isn’t. That lack of inspiration keeps things small, tight and constricted. In short, it neuters a business from having any meaningful impact in the world.

Does impact require vision? Indeed it does. It might seem grandiose to claim vision in a small business. But don’t forget, every big business started small. It started in someone’s head, it was a mere dream. Before it became reality, it became a vision. That’s how we got FedEx and Whole Foods Market, Ralph Lauren and Amazon. It’s also how we got Saint Benoit Creamery and Cafe Gratitude.

You probably haven’t heard of the last two. But that doesn’t mean they weren’t founded visionary people. Sometimes the vision is deep rather than broad. It’s your vision â€" you get to choose.

Why Vision Is Worth the Cost

You probably noticed that dreams are free but visions seem rather costly. To turn a dream into a vision, you have to take your dearly held dream, cut on it and throw away fanciful details and romantic notions. At first glance this may make vision sound like it takes all the fun out of things. But consider the difference between thinking about riding a roller coaster and actually strapping in to take the ride. Thinking about it is free but to get to that wild ride you have to buy the ticket.

Not everyone has the stomach for a roller coaster. But there are plenty of us who buy our ticket, take the ride, get off with a whoop and run to get in line to do it again. These people are the bonafide entrepreneurs who are truly visionaries.

There are some things in life you can only get by buying your ticket. Vision is one of them. Successful entrepreneurs can tell you it is worth the price. It is thrilling to see a dream of yours solidify into a vision that takes shape in the real world. It is exhilarating when your vision takes on a life of its own. It is exciting when other contribute to your vision, whether they be employees, customers or even competitors who drive you to give more and take it to a higher level.

Dreamers are a dime a dozen. Ideas are easy to come by. But vision requires sterner stuff. The upside of this truth is that it is a barrier to entry. Only the hearty even entertain the notion of being a visionary. Just making that choice puts you in an elite group.

So buy your ticket. Only ticket holders get to take this ride.

Dreaming Photo via Shutterstock

12 Ways to Spot Manager Material in Your Business

Hiring for startups isn’t just about finding people who can complete generic, repetitive job tasks. Entrepreneurs must make sure these new team members are ready to dive into practically anything, and then stay in it for the long haul to help the company realize its vision.

But once the business is past the early stages, it’s time to delegate systems to managers. Hopefully, you’ve already hired some â€" they just don’t know they’re the ones to step up to the management plate.

We asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invitation-only organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs, the following question to learn how to spot top management material on your payroll:

“What one tip do you have for identifying potential managerial talent from within your current employee ranks?”

Here’s what YEC community members had to say:

1. Look for Zeal

“As the founder of an ed tech company, I’m pretty confident that I can teach people most things, but I know for sure that I can’t teach passion. When you spot someone in the ranks who shows true excitement and enthusiasm for your mission and product, nurture them and encourage that zeal â€" you’d be surprised at the results. It’s not a specific skill set, just someone who believes in the mission.” ~ Jessica Brondo, Admitted.ly

2. Test Them Out

“If you need to identify whether an employee has potential for management, give him a chance to prove it. Assign a challenging and meaningful project he must complete with the help of other team members. Give him the role of team leader, and evaluate how well he performs in that role. Allow some time to go by, then grade him on skills like delegation, follow-through and communication. “ ~ Robert Sofia, Platinum Advisor Strategies

3. Identify Dedication

“I identify potential managers by seeing how they work and what that produces. Along with that, I find the people who lead by example. You want managers whose work goes above and beyond. They will inspire other employees to do the same as they work with those managers and see the example they set. If you find those people in your company and reward that spirit, you’ll create a really good work force!” ~ Kyle Clayton, Jackrabbit Janitorial

4. Recognize Accountability

“There’s no real way to tell who would be a great manager. But the one thing to look for is accountability. Who raises his hand when a crisis emerges? Who takes the heat when things go wrong? Who sticks up for his or her co-workers when a mistake is made? One of the most important assets of a manager is grace under fire, so if someone already has that attribute, that’s someone to keep an eye on.” ~ Jay Wu, Best Drug Rehabilitation

5. Look for a Natural Teacher

“When team members are naturally supporting and teaching others, that’s a great sign of managerial talent. It tells me that they know what needs to be done, are seeing others who struggle and are proactively helping them with education and training without being asked. Combine that with an employee who can hold others accountable to tasks and standards, and you have a great manager.” ~ Kelly Azevedo, She’s Got Systems

6. Look for People Who Take Action

“I look for people who take action. Specifically, I look for people who have told me what they’ve done instead of what to do. There are so many moving parts in a company. You need people who are not just self-starters, but people who take responsibility to try things (regardless of whether they succeed or not) and then tell you about that success or failure.” ~ Liam Martin, Staff.com

7. Look for Good Listeners

“In a startup, we’re often so focused on getting things done that we’re talking over each other, going with whichever idea is the loudest or the person who talks the most. Instead, look for employees who both listen and contribute. A good listener is a sign of a good decision-maker â€" they consider multiple points of view and really pay attention. They don’t always have to be heard.” ~ Susan Strayer LaMotte, exaqueo

8. Ask for Their “Why”

“I’m a co-founder of an executive search firm. We begin evaluating leadership talent by asking one simple question: “What’s your why?” Your “why” is your purpose for working. If that leader’s purpose aligns with the organization’s mission, we know that we can move on to the next phases of our evaluation process. Why? Because the people who excel in organizations are motivated by their missions.” ~ Brett Farmiloe, Markitors

9. Look for People Who Confront Problems

“I like to see people who lead by example, work hard, can see the bigger picture and can have the difficult conversations. In my experience, the latter is a critical and often overlooked attribute. I believe it was Ben Horowitz who said that he could judge the caliber of a CEO on his willingness to have the toughest conversations right away. Managers need to confront them head-on, not wait.” ~ Chuck Cohn, Varsity Tutors

10. Make Sure They Know Their Limits

“In addition to outstanding performance, look for people who have the ability to say “no” when they are overwhelmed or feel that they won’t be able to do a good job. Managers are often overextended, and it’s important to be able to focus on the areas where they can make the most impact. “ ~ Robert J. Moore, RJMetrics

11. Find Those Who Go the Extra Mile

“Staying after hours to knock out a project, the ability to handle stress (or mask it), communication style, loyalty and attitude are all important. People who go the extra mile as part of their personality (when nobody is watching) are great people to promote from within. It’s easy to tell who genuinely cares about the success of a company versus those who are only there to collect a paycheck.” ~ Ziver Birg, ZIVELO

12. Look for Initiative and Execution

“Look for the people who not only have new ideas, but who have the ability to make them move forward.” ~ Jeff Berger, Doostang and Universum Group

Spotting Photo via Shutterstock

12 Ways to Spot Manager Material in Your Business

Hiring for startups isn’t just about finding people who can complete generic, repetitive job tasks. Entrepreneurs must make sure these new team members are ready to dive into practically anything, and then stay in it for the long haul to help the company realize its vision.

But once the business is past the early stages, it’s time to delegate systems to managers. Hopefully, you’ve already hired some â€" they just don’t know they’re the ones to step up to the management plate.

We asked members of the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invitation-only organization comprised of the country’s most promising young entrepreneurs, the following question to learn how to spot top management material on your payroll:

“What one tip do you have for identifying potential managerial talent from within your current employee ranks?”

Here’s what YEC community members had to say:

1. Look for Zeal

“As the founder of an ed tech company, I’m pretty confident that I can teach people most things, but I know for sure that I can’t teach passion. When you spot someone in the ranks who shows true excitement and enthusiasm for your mission and product, nurture them and encourage that zeal â€" you’d be surprised at the results. It’s not a specific skill set, just someone who believes in the mission.” ~ Jessica Brondo, Admitted.ly

2. Test Them Out

“If you need to identify whether an employee has potential for management, give him a chance to prove it. Assign a challenging and meaningful project he must complete with the help of other team members. Give him the role of team leader, and evaluate how well he performs in that role. Allow some time to go by, then grade him on skills like delegation, follow-through and communication. “ ~ Robert Sofia, Platinum Advisor Strategies

3. Identify Dedication

“I identify potential managers by seeing how they work and what that produces. Along with that, I find the people who lead by example. You want managers whose work goes above and beyond. They will inspire other employees to do the same as they work with those managers and see the example they set. If you find those people in your company and reward that spirit, you’ll create a really good work force!” ~ Kyle Clayton, Jackrabbit Janitorial

4. Recognize Accountability

“There’s no real way to tell who would be a great manager. But the one thing to look for is accountability. Who raises his hand when a crisis emerges? Who takes the heat when things go wrong? Who sticks up for his or her co-workers when a mistake is made? One of the most important assets of a manager is grace under fire, so if someone already has that attribute, that’s someone to keep an eye on.” ~ Jay Wu, Best Drug Rehabilitation

5. Look for a Natural Teacher

“When team members are naturally supporting and teaching others, that’s a great sign of managerial talent. It tells me that they know what needs to be done, are seeing others who struggle and are proactively helping them with education and training without being asked. Combine that with an employee who can hold others accountable to tasks and standards, and you have a great manager.” ~ Kelly Azevedo, She’s Got Systems

6. Look for People Who Take Action

“I look for people who take action. Specifically, I look for people who have told me what they’ve done instead of what to do. There are so many moving parts in a company. You need people who are not just self-starters, but people who take responsibility to try things (regardless of whether they succeed or not) and then tell you about that success or failure.” ~ Liam Martin, Staff.com

7. Look for Good Listeners

“In a startup, we’re often so focused on getting things done that we’re talking over each other, going with whichever idea is the loudest or the person who talks the most. Instead, look for employees who both listen and contribute. A good listener is a sign of a good decision-maker â€" they consider multiple points of view and really pay attention. They don’t always have to be heard.” ~ Susan Strayer LaMotte, exaqueo

8. Ask for Their “Why”

“I’m a co-founder of an executive search firm. We begin evaluating leadership talent by asking one simple question: “What’s your why?” Your “why” is your purpose for working. If that leader’s purpose aligns with the organization’s mission, we know that we can move on to the next phases of our evaluation process. Why? Because the people who excel in organizations are motivated by their missions.” ~ Brett Farmiloe, Markitors

9. Look for People Who Confront Problems

“I like to see people who lead by example, work hard, can see the bigger picture and can have the difficult conversations. In my experience, the latter is a critical and often overlooked attribute. I believe it was Ben Horowitz who said that he could judge the caliber of a CEO on his willingness to have the toughest conversations right away. Managers need to confront them head-on, not wait.” ~ Chuck Cohn, Varsity Tutors

10. Make Sure They Know Their Limits

“In addition to outstanding performance, look for people who have the ability to say “no” when they are overwhelmed or feel that they won’t be able to do a good job. Managers are often overextended, and it’s important to be able to focus on the areas where they can make the most impact. “ ~ Robert J. Moore, RJMetrics

11. Find Those Who Go the Extra Mile

“Staying after hours to knock out a project, the ability to handle stress (or mask it), communication style, loyalty and attitude are all important. People who go the extra mile as part of their personality (when nobody is watching) are great people to promote from within. It’s easy to tell who genuinely cares about the success of a company versus those who are only there to collect a paycheck.” ~ Ziver Birg, ZIVELO

12. Look for Initiative and Execution

“Look for the people who not only have new ideas, but who have the ability to make them move forward.” ~ Jeff Berger, Doostang and Universum Group

Spotting Photo via Shutterstock

CoSoSys launches DLP solution for Macs

Data loss prevention vendor CoSoSys has launched a context aware tool for Mac OS X.

According to the company, this solution meets a company's content protection needs and data loss prevention (DLP) requirements and helps IT administrators to turn Macs into secure computers for the enterprise.

The tool will report file transfers to removable devices, online applications and to the cloud, and is available as a hardware or virtual appliance within the Endpoint Protector 4 centralised web-based administration console, claimed CoSoSys.

Roman Foeckl, CEO of CoSoSys, said: “Data loss prevention for Mac OS X is no longer an issue for businesses incorporating Macs into their network.

“We provide them with the first tool to solve their data loss problems on Mac endpoints, as well as on Windows PCs. Endpoint Protector 4 Content Aware Protection for Mac OS X comes as a solution to our clients' and partners' needs.”

Attack services and databases of personal details are widely available online

Millions of personal details and attack services are available via a simple online search.

Speaking to SC Magazine, Raj Samani, EMEA CTO at McAfee, said that a simple search for DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attack services or ‘credit card numbers for sale' will give results on the first page, while personal details are also available on online auction websites.

He said: “This shows how easy they are to find and how anyone can do it cheaply. Of the personal details on online auction websites, are you happy knowing that your details could be among them?”

According to new research by McAfee, a million email addresses can be bought for £321.66 or ten million for £569.19. The research also highlighted the huge scale of ‘crimeware-as-a-service', where tools are created and used to conceal malware from security protection mechanisms.

Samani said: “The cyber crime market now affords potential criminals with a multitude of services that means that deep technical expertise is not a prerequisite.

“We are witnessing the emergence of a whole new breed of cyber criminal. As a result, the volume of cyber attacks is likely to increase, and current trends and data suggest that this is exactly what we are seeing today.”

Troels Oerting, head of the EC3 European Cybercrime Centre, said: “Today's cyber criminals do not necessarily require considerable technical expertise to get the job done, nor, in certain cases, do they even need to own a computer. All they need is a credit card.

“A marketplace offering cyber crime tools and services provides would-be criminals with an arsenal that can either be used as a component of a cyber attack or a handy way of outsourcing the process entirely.

“This underground marketplace is enabling an army of cyber criminals - and the cost is being borne by all citizens. Indeed, the ease with which such tools are available enables cyber criminals to target not only citizens, but also businesses and governments at a rapidly growing rate.”

11 Mobile Apps to Download When Doing International Business

What is one mobile app that specifically helps entrepreneurs doing international business?

The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

1. WhatsApp

WhatsApp is a seamless instant messaging/text messaging platform on your phone that allows you to send unlimited messages to any of your contacts FOR FREE, regardless of where they live. It is hugely important to be able to reach out to my employees working abroad quickly and cheaply at any moment’s notice. Email is great, but this is ideal for quick questions that need immediate responses.

- Jessica Brondo, Admitted.ly

2. Doing Business

The Doing Business site and its companion app have been excellent resources for getting quick comparison facts about various countries. These not only provide great information to help you decide where and how to set up an international business, but also a context when talking to customers in day-to-day business and sales.

- Robert Castaneda, ServiceRocket

3. HKTDC Mobile

HKTDC Mobile offers information and resources for international buyers and vendors on a wide variety of topics, including establishing business connections, international market data and a high-quality sourcing platform.

- Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance

4. Box

Box is an awesome B2B product that allows you to create, edit and share files with a very secure backbone. When you are working with international partners, Box enables you to not only collaborate, but the mobile app also makes it very easy for you to pull up any type of marketing or sales file you might need to close a deal.

- Aaron Schwartz, Modify Watches

5. Skyscanner

Sometimes I have to travel out of the country to attend conferences and various events. I often find out about these opportunities at the last minute, and because I do not have a formal travel agent, I use Skyscanner to quickly search my potential flights among over a dozen airlines all at once based on my desired departure and return times. I can then book my flight right in the app itself.

- Michael Costigan, Youth Leadership Specialist

6. RingCentral

With RingCentral, I can pick up all of my voicemails and make free U.S. calls within the iPhone app while I’m connected to Wi-Fi and abroad. Also, when I call from the app, it shows our U.S. office number, so I can do business from anywhere.

- Paige Brown, Dashbell

7. Google Translate

I was recently in Hong Kong, Taipei, China and Shenzhen, China. Because of the language barriers, it’s immensely helpful to have a quick translation app. Google Translate is perfect because after it does the translation, you can flip your phone and it will display the phrase as large as possible (like a notecard).

- Ziver Birg, ZIVELO

8. GroupMe

GroupMe is great whenever I go to conferences or need to stay in touch with my staff for emergencies. I love how easy it is to create groups and get notifications, regardless of whether I’m on a data plan.

- Liam Martin, Staff.com

9. Egnyte

Similar to an entreprise-level Box or DropBox, Egnyte has better drive-mapping (for multiple offices’ access to large files) and additional features that have helped us collaborate with multiple offices worldwide. Not to mention it allows me to access everything I have remotely through my local drive.

- Ming Chan, The1stMovement

10. Priceline.com

When working internationally, it’s not human capital that you have to worry about â€" it’s the mileage capital on your company’s contribution margin. Priceline.com’s ”Name Your Own Price” feature works, whether it be China or Canada. Every time I travel, I stay at a solid three-star hotel for $60 per night; however, last time I brought my family along to stay in a beautiful four-star for $130.

- Matt Ehrlichman, Porch

11. Skype

Using the Skype app on your smartphone is an easy way to limit international phone bills, stay in touch via video and be available to your customers when they need you to be. Since the calls, video conferencing and chats are integrated into one stream, your relationships with clients become more of an ongoing conversation and less oriented around formal, periodic calls.

- Chuck Cohn, Varsity Tutors

11 Mobile Apps to Download When Doing International Business

What is one mobile app that specifically helps entrepreneurs doing international business?

The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, the YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert content library and email lessons.

1. WhatsApp

WhatsApp is a seamless instant messaging/text messaging platform on your phone that allows you to send unlimited messages to any of your contacts FOR FREE, regardless of where they live. It is hugely important to be able to reach out to my employees working abroad quickly and cheaply at any moment’s notice. Email is great, but this is ideal for quick questions that need immediate responses.

- Jessica Brondo, Admitted.ly

2. Doing Business

The Doing Business site and its companion app have been excellent resources for getting quick comparison facts about various countries. These not only provide great information to help you decide where and how to set up an international business, but also a context when talking to customers in day-to-day business and sales.

- Robert Castaneda, ServiceRocket

3. HKTDC Mobile

HKTDC Mobile offers information and resources for international buyers and vendors on a wide variety of topics, including establishing business connections, international market data and a high-quality sourcing platform.

- Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance

4. Box

Box is an awesome B2B product that allows you to create, edit and share files with a very secure backbone. When you are working with international partners, Box enables you to not only collaborate, but the mobile app also makes it very easy for you to pull up any type of marketing or sales file you might need to close a deal.

- Aaron Schwartz, Modify Watches

5. Skyscanner

Sometimes I have to travel out of the country to attend conferences and various events. I often find out about these opportunities at the last minute, and because I do not have a formal travel agent, I use Skyscanner to quickly search my potential flights among over a dozen airlines all at once based on my desired departure and return times. I can then book my flight right in the app itself.

- Michael Costigan, Youth Leadership Specialist

6. RingCentral

With RingCentral, I can pick up all of my voicemails and make free U.S. calls within the iPhone app while I’m connected to Wi-Fi and abroad. Also, when I call from the app, it shows our U.S. office number, so I can do business from anywhere.

- Paige Brown, Dashbell

7. Google Translate

I was recently in Hong Kong, Taipei, China and Shenzhen, China. Because of the language barriers, it’s immensely helpful to have a quick translation app. Google Translate is perfect because after it does the translation, you can flip your phone and it will display the phrase as large as possible (like a notecard).

- Ziver Birg, ZIVELO

8. GroupMe

GroupMe is great whenever I go to conferences or need to stay in touch with my staff for emergencies. I love how easy it is to create groups and get notifications, regardless of whether I’m on a data plan.

- Liam Martin, Staff.com

9. Egnyte

Similar to an entreprise-level Box or DropBox, Egnyte has better drive-mapping (for multiple offices’ access to large files) and additional features that have helped us collaborate with multiple offices worldwide. Not to mention it allows me to access everything I have remotely through my local drive.

- Ming Chan, The1stMovement

10. Priceline.com

When working internationally, it’s not human capital that you have to worry about â€" it’s the mileage capital on your company’s contribution margin. Priceline.com’s ”Name Your Own Price” feature works, whether it be China or Canada. Every time I travel, I stay at a solid three-star hotel for $60 per night; however, last time I brought my family along to stay in a beautiful four-star for $130.

- Matt Ehrlichman, Porch

11. Skype

Using the Skype app on your smartphone is an easy way to limit international phone bills, stay in touch via video and be available to your customers when they need you to be. Since the calls, video conferencing and chats are integrated into one stream, your relationships with clients become more of an ongoing conversation and less oriented around formal, periodic calls.

- Chuck Cohn, Varsity Tutors

Declining Profits, Not Mojo, is Behind Drop in Entrepreneurship

Has the United States lost its entrepreneurial mojo? That’s the conclusion of a recent Wall Street Journal article that chronicles the decline in start-up activity in the United States over the past 30 years.

I disagree. While the article is right on the facts - entrepreneurial activity is on the decline in the United States - it’s wrong on the cause. Americans are creating fewer and smaller start-ups than they used to because running a small business has become less profitable.

Let’s start with the facts. Entrepreneurial activity is down. In 1977, 16.5 percent of American companies were newly founded Census Bureau data show. In 2011, only 8.2 percent were.

Americans created 2.56 new companies with employees per thousand people in 1977. In 2011, they generated 1.31.

Added to this decline in the rate of business formation has been a drop in employment by entrepreneurs. U.S. Census figures show that the average new business had 6.7 employees in 1977. In 2011, the mean number of employees in a new company was only 5.5. Similarly, Bureau of Labor Statistics data show that the fraction of self-employed people with employees has dropped from 20.7 percent in 1995 to 13.8 percent in 2010.

Why the decline in entrepreneurial activity?

The Wall Street Journal thinks Americans have become risk averse, leading fewer of them to start companies. But the data belie the risk-taking story. According to the Flash Euro Barometer, a periodic survey of people in numerous countries conducted on behalf of the European Community, Americans’ attitudes towards the risk of starting a business have changed little in the past 12 years. In 2000, 27 percent of Americans agreed with the statement: “One should not start a business if there is a risk it might fail.” In 2012, that fraction statistically the same - 28 percent.

Let me offer an alternative hypothesis: the decline in entrepreneurship is the result of rational cost-benefit analysis by would-be entrepreneurs. Running a business just isn’t as profitable as it once was. Internal Revenue Service data show that, adjusted for inflation, the net income of the average sole proprietor - who make up three quarters of all people in business for themselves - was 40 percent lower in 2010 (the latest year data are available) than it was in 1977.

The direct comparison of rates of entrepreneurship, small business profitability, and risk taking are compelling. Between 2000 and 2010, the per capita rate at which Americans started new businesses declined by 25 percent, and the income of sole proprietors fell by 23 percent in inflation-adjusted terms, but the fraction of Americans who thought that one should not start a business if there was a risk of failure remained the same.

Americans’ entrepreneurial mojo is still there. But as the profitability of running a sole proprietorship has declined, more and more Americans are directing their mojo elsewhere.

Declining Profits, Not Mojo, is Behind Drop in Entrepreneurship

Has the United States lost its entrepreneurial mojo? That’s the conclusion of a recent Wall Street Journal article that chronicles the decline in start-up activity in the United States over the past 30 years.

I disagree. While the article is right on the facts - entrepreneurial activity is on the decline in the United States - it’s wrong on the cause. Americans are creating fewer and smaller start-ups than they used to because running a small business has become less profitable.

Let’s start with the facts. Entrepreneurial activity is down. In 1977, 16.5 percent of American companies were newly founded Census Bureau data show. In 2011, only 8.2 percent were.

Americans created 2.56 new companies with employees per thousand people in 1977. In 2011, they generated 1.31.

Added to this decline in the rate of business formation has been a drop in employment by entrepreneurs. U.S. Census figures show that the average new business had 6.7 employees in 1977. In 2011, the mean number of employees in a new company was only 5.5. Similarly, Bureau of Labor Statistics data show that the fraction of self-employed people with employees has dropped from 20.7 percent in 1995 to 13.8 percent in 2010.

Why the decline in entrepreneurial activity?

The Wall Street Journal thinks Americans have become risk averse, leading fewer of them to start companies. But the data belie the risk-taking story. According to the Flash Euro Barometer, a periodic survey of people in numerous countries conducted on behalf of the European Community, Americans’ attitudes towards the risk of starting a business have changed little in the past 12 years. In 2000, 27 percent of Americans agreed with the statement: “One should not start a business if there is a risk it might fail.” In 2012, that fraction statistically the same - 28 percent.

Let me offer an alternative hypothesis: the decline in entrepreneurship is the result of rational cost-benefit analysis by would-be entrepreneurs. Running a business just isn’t as profitable as it once was. Internal Revenue Service data show that, adjusted for inflation, the net income of the average sole proprietor - who make up three quarters of all people in business for themselves - was 40 percent lower in 2010 (the latest year data are available) than it was in 1977.

The direct comparison of rates of entrepreneurship, small business profitability, and risk taking are compelling. Between 2000 and 2010, the per capita rate at which Americans started new businesses declined by 25 percent, and the income of sole proprietors fell by 23 percent in inflation-adjusted terms, but the fraction of Americans who thought that one should not start a business if there was a risk of failure remained the same.

Americans’ entrepreneurial mojo is still there. But as the profitability of running a sole proprietorship has declined, more and more Americans are directing their mojo elsewhere.

Opera certificate malware posed as an update and stole login details

The Opera attack from last week, which saw a malware signed as a certificate, posed as an Opera update.

According to Trend Micro, it obtained a sample of the malware that bears the outdated Opera certificate and once executed, it steals crucial information from certain FTP clients or file managers including user names, passwords and server names. Trend Micro detected this malware as TSPY_FAREIT.ACU.

It also said that the malware gathers more information from browsers and collects login data to access accounts or even initiate unauthorised transactions. “They can also profit from these stolen data by selling these to the underground market,” it said.

Opera estimates that several thousands of Windows users are affected as a result of their installed Opera software automatically installing the said malware bearing the outdated certificate. To address this issue, Opera has promised to release a new version of its browser.

Opera said that the attack last week was achieved after attackers accessed and stole at least one certificate that they used to sign malware. Sigbjorn Vik, who works in quality assurance at Opera Software, said that the hackers did not compromise any data belonging to users, and that the infection has been neutralised.

Vik also claimed that the certificate was "old and expired", and that for a 36-minute period on 19th June, "a few thousand" Windows users who were running the browser, may have automatically received and installed the malware.

White hats reveal major holes in NSA website

Several vulnerabilities have been found in the National Security Agency (NSA) website.

Although now reported and fixed, a report found that there were cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities on the main NSA forward facing web server. The report claimed that two vulnerabilities were found in "shoddily outsourced third party software written in ColdFusion", which Rustle Research researcher Horace Grant said could be used to impersonate NSA personnel and web traffic.

He said: “Why are unreliable third parties creating the software that guards our national secrets?"

One of the NSA vulnerabilities that was exploited by ethical white hat hackers exists in the ‘Careers' section of the NSA website. It said that internet users who enter data into the ‘Feedback' fields were treated to a visual representation of their data reflected back at them.

The other bug is an XSS attack that allows URL redirection. The report said that when the ‘Mail to a Friend' notice is queried, and nsa.gov is appended at the end of the address, it is then exempted and allowed to redirect to the provided address.

The holes were reported and have since been patched.

According to research by FireHost from late 2012, XSS was the most common attack type in Q3 of 2012, with more than one million XSS attacks blocked during that period.