LIVESTRONG Sporting Park: A Symbol of Hope, A Testament to Collaboration

How partnerships and collaboration bring out the best in the business world.

"Working together, ordinary people can perform extraordinary feats." -- Anonymous

Yesterday, Sporting KC (formerly the Kansas City Wizards) proved this quote to be true when it announced its partnership with the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the club's new $200 million stadium to be named LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.  And with a portion of all stadium revenues, including ticket sales and concessions, funding the foundation's advocacy work, it seems like this partnership would only happen in a fairytale.  But it's happening...and in our own backyard. 

The partnership between Sporting KC and the Lance Armstrong Foundation is a testament to the power of collaboration.  This "match made in heaven" has developed into a mutual relationship in which both parties seem to benefit.  But the relationship is meant to do much more than that- it has been made to change the world.

According to Sporting KC CEO Robb Heineman, the club plans to raise anywhere from $8-10 million for the fight against cancer through 2016 (Yahoo! Sports).  Not only this, but the partnership has also helped the generate the development of local cancer survivorship services for Kansas City residents and beyond.

"Professional sports provide a powerful vehicle to affect positive change in the world," said Lance Armstrong of the partnership.  "LIVESTRONG's partnership with Sporting Club gives us an innovative opportunity to advance the cancer fight in this region and we are eager to get started."  (SportingKC.com).

Armstrong discusses the impact that LIVESTRONG Sporting Park
will have on Kansas City and beyond.

Innovative indeed.  For LIVESTRONG, the partnership doesn't even cost a penny.  But this joint movement between Livestrong and Sporting Club is more than just a partnership and unique business agreement; it is an initiative to save lives through the power of collaborative work and strong partnerships.

"Obviously, the cause is very important to us, but the association with LIVESTRONG for us is significant," said Heineman.  "If we're trying to have a differentiated approach to Kansas City from the other sports teams, this gives us that.  So we can see those kinds of benefits, but the key driver was how we can go find an organization we believe is committed to the same sorts of things that our ownership group is committed to and that will be committed to investment in Kansas City."  (Kansas City Business Journal). 

The partnership is unique, and so is the stadium.  LIVESTRONG Sporting Park will seat 18,500 at soccer games and 25,000 at concerts.  In addition, the stadium will be one of the most technologically advanced stadiums in the US as it focuses on fan experience through WiFi access, themed club environments, IP television networks, and a membership affinity platform. 

The LIVESTRONG Sporting Park will become a symbol of hope and inspiration to people affected by cancer around the world.  The collaborative efforts on both sides of the partnership just go to show that here are bigger and better things out in the business world than making money, hitting it big, or becoming the next Mark Zuckerberg.  Through strong mutual partnerships, we can make the world a better place, one soccer game at a time.

Thanks for your Think Big efforts, Sporting KC and LIVESTRONG!

Written by Allison Way.  Allison is a writer and editor for Think Big Partners, Kansas City's early-stage business incubator and startup accelerator.  To read more of Allison's work, check out the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner as well as her articles on Helium, eZine, Newsvine and BrooWaha.  Follow Allison! @AllisonThinkBig

How Did Startup Weekend Actually Startup?

Startup Weekend in San Diego.

What do most of your weekends consist of?

Guzzling beer on the Lazy Boy while watching ESPN?

Sleeping in until 1:00 in the afternoon and grabbing a bowl of Cap’N Crunch?

Maybe it’s time to start doing something productive with your weekends.  And we have your opportunity:  Startup Weekend Kansas City. 

On April 15-17, Think Big Partners is proud to host Startup Weekend Kansas City—an opportunity for entrepreneurs to develop feedback on an idea, learn new skills, meet co-founders, and test the entrepreneurial waters.  Startup Weekend is a risk-free environment where everyone is expected to roll up their sleeves and dive into the exhilarating world of startups.  It’s all about collaboration, it’s all about coworking, it’s what we’re all about!

But how in the world did the idea for Startup Weekend, well…start up?

It was a late night in June of 2007 at TechStars when the idea was coined.  Danny Newman and Stan James discussed how they missed collaborating on projects with others now that they were working on bigger projects, later David Cohen and Joe Scharf pushed founder Andrew Hyde to take the concept into reality. In May of 2009, Marc Nager and Clint Nelsen really saw an opportunity to help Startup Weekend continue to grow and took over the operations of Startup Weekend.  When everyone started collaborating, Startup Weekend became a success because of its drive towards coworking, idea-building, and entrepreneurship. 

Today, there are at least three Startup Weekends that occur each weekend in various cities…and not just in the U.S.!  You can find Startup Weekend in Paris, Kyoto, Kalamazoo and many more!     

So what are you waiting for?  You have an idea, you have a free weekend, and it’s time to put them to good use!  Put down the bag of Lay’s potato chips, get off your Lazy Boy and join us for Startup Weekend, coming to Kansas City April 15-17 at the Think Big Partners business incubator (1800 Baltimore, Kansas City, Missouri).  Register today!  Now’s your chance to Think Big! 

Written by Allison Way.  Allison is a writer for Think Big Partners, Kansas City’s early stage business incubator and startup accelerator.  To read more of Allison’s work, check out the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner as well as her articles on Helium, BrooWaha and eZine.  Follow Allison! @AllisonThinkBig

Are You at Risk for Being "Facebook Fired"?

Although Facebook can act as a small business’s saving grace (thanks social media!), it can also get individuals (and even companies) into a boatload of trouble.  When an employee of a company gets in trouble for what they put on Facebook, they can be fired in an instant.  In fact, so many people have had this happen to them that the term “Facebook Fired” has been coined in the business world. 

Last week, I attended the Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Brainfood Breakfast called Does Facebook Have You Twittering about LinkedIn?  The breakfast discussed the importance of social media, especially when it comes to networking and getting your company’s name out there.  But in addition, the seminar also covered an area that I wasn’t as familiar with: that of being “Facebook Fired”.

In the seminar, I was introduced to one of the funniest and most infamous “Facebook Fired” real-life examples:

So the next time you’re tempted to vent about your job, make a funny comment about a partner, or post pictures of yourself after you called in “sick”, just remember, you could get “Facebook Fired!” 

Obviously, this is one of the more extreme examples of "Facebook Fired", but it is only one of the many.  Avoid becoming "Facebook Fired" (or having to "Facebook Fire" someone) but following these general guidelines:

Facebook Tip #1: Use your Facebook account for the social part of your life.  LinkedIn can be used just as effectively for your work life.  This may mean not friending your boss or your coworkers on Facebook.

Facebook Tip #2: Keep in mind that once it's on the Internet, it is public.  No matter how "secure" your privacy settings are set on Facebook, there may be a way for someone to access it.

Facebook Tip #3: A good rule of thumb for deciding whether or not to publish something on Facebook: if you have to debate it, DON'T POST IT. 

Written by Allison Way.  Allison is a writer for Think Big Partners, Kansas City’s early-stage startup incubator and business accelerator.  To read more of Allison’s work, check out the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner as well as her articles on Helium, BrooWaha and eZine.  Follow Allison! @AllisonThinkBig

Don't Miss Out On This Week's Launch and Learn Seminar!

On Wednesday, March 9th, 2011, Think Big Partners and KC Young Pros are hosting a Launch and Learn Seminar called Market You Through Networking, presented by James Moburg of LeadTunnel.

At the luncheon, Moburg will walk attendees through the best networking strategies including how to take advantage of LinkedIn, utilizing Facebook for marketing and meeting business people, and how to present yourself effectively at networking events. 

To attend the event on Wednesday, register online.  We look forward to seeing you and teaching you the importance of networking in Kansas City!

Info:
Launch and Learn Series: Market YOU Through Networking
Hosted by: Think Big Partners & KC Young Pros
Date: Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Time: 11:30AM - 1:30PM
Location: Think Big Partners (1800 Baltimore Kansas City, MO 64108)
Price: $25 (lunch provided)
Questions? 816.842.5244

More info...

Written by Allison Way.  Allison is a writer for Think Big Partners, Kansas City's early-stage startup accelerator and business incubator. To read more of Allison's work, check out the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner as well as her articles on Helium, eZine and BrooWaha.  Follow Allison!  @AllisonThinkBig

HighTower Stands Tall in Think Big Partners' Coworking Space



The HighTower team busy at work at Think Big Partners.


When HighTower Furniture Group was looking to expand to a new location, it looked past Indianapolis, skimmed over Detroit, and merely glimpsed at Chicago.  Finally, the group landed in a place "more unique" than the other large Midwestern cities: it landed in Kansas City.  And more specifically, in Think Big Partners' coworking space. 

When asked "why Kansas City?", HighTower's VP of Sales, Kristin Goodman simply smiled.  "We wanted Kansas City because it's different than a place like Chicago.  And at HighTower, we are all about being different."

As HighTower's third location (they are also located in Los Angeles and New York City), Kansas City provides the interconnectedness of a "small" city with the energy and collaborative vibe of a big entrepreneurial community.

Once landing in a city that met HighTower's needs, the company was then on the search for the right office space.  Serial entrepreneur and founder of HighTower, Scott Hartkopf, found Think Big Partners online and recommended Goodman to take a tour of the space.  Immediately after taking the tour, Goodman and her team were convinced: this was the office space for them.

"We were extremely cautious and particular of our surroundings when choosing an office space," says Goodman.  "When we saw Think Big Partners' space, we loved the creative-design environment that it offered.  We automatically felt comfortable here."

As a company that manufactures and sells modern office furniture, HighTower knows what a creative, comfortable, and innovative workspace should look like.  Now as tenants in Think Big Partners' coworking space, the team of HighTower Kansas City can collaborate with entrepreneurs, remain close to the buzzing downtown area, and most importantly, stay inspired and motivated throughout the workday.

"An innovative workspace like Think Big Partners brings out the best in people," says Goodman.  "It brings out creativity.  It gives you confidence.  Everybody needs to work in a space that makes them want to work; this space does it for us."

If you're interested in becoming a tenant at Think Big Partners, call, click or stop by today!

816.842.5244    |    http://www.bizperc.com/  

1800 Baltimore Kansas City, MO

Written by Allison Way.  Allison is a writer for Think Big Partners, Kansas City's mentorship-based startup accelerator and business incubator.  To read more of Allison's work, check out the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner as well as her articles on eZine, Helium and BrooWaha.  Follow Allison!  @AllisonThinkBig

The Trials and Tribulations of Trademarks

Guest blogger Donald Simon gives his best advice when it comes to trademarking your business. 

Upon reading a recent article about Target’s trademark troubles in Canada, I was reminded of the importance of selecting a strong business name.  A strong trademark or service mark (the “mark”) allows a business to build goodwill and brand reputation in the goods or services it sells.  A weak mark may sideline your marketing efforts and might even entangle you in expensive legal battles.  Selecting a legally strong mark in the early stages of your business can save you from a lot of future headaches.

So, what is a trademark?  According to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”), a trademark is “a word, phrase, symbol, or design, or a combination of words, phrases, symbols, or designs, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others.”  A service mark identifies a service instead of a product.  Simply stated, a mark is a brand name and probably the most important asset your business will ever own.

In general, the more distinctive a mark is, the wider its scope of protection will be.  Marks can be categorized as having varying levels of strength or distinctiveness from coined terms like KODAK or EXXON, which receive the highest legal protection, to generic terms like “clock” for timepieces, which receive no protection.  In short, your customers must be able recognize the mark as distinguishing your goods or services from those of others. 

Before adopting a new mark, it is advisable to make sure that no other business in your industry is using it or something confusingly similar.  If you adopt a mark that is the same or similar to an existing mark, you may be liable for infringement.  To avoid this, you should conduct a search of existing marks in your industry.  This can be accomplished in two phases.  The first phase consists of looking for exact matches of your proposed mark in the USPTO database and on the Internet.

If your proposed mark survives USPTO and Internet searches, then you can begin phase two: a full search of existing and pending registrations and of unregistered prior users.  USPTO and Internet searches alone are not enough to determine whether a mark is available for use.  You should hire a professional search firm (such as Thomson) to conduct a full search and hire a trademark attorney to interpret the results.

Once you have a high degree of comfort that the proposed mark is free, start using it!  Your right to prevent others from using it starts the moment you first adopt it and use it publicly and you do not have to register a mark in order to exert your rights.  However, registering your mark with the USPTO has several advantages, including:

• public notice of your ownership claim;
• ability to initiate an infringement action in federal court; and
• legal presumption of your exclusive right of use.

With regard to trademarks, the old adage applies: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Don’t let trademark troubles sidetrack you from Thinking Big!

 

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Written by: Donald R. Simon, J.D./LL.M., is president and CEO of Simon Business Consulting, Inc., a firm providing consulting services such as business and marketing plan development, incorporations, intellectual property advising, franchising regulatory assistance, and presentations on the basics of starting a small business.  Send questions or comments to don@simonbizconsulting.com.  This blog is provided as a source of information and is not to be construed as legal advice or opinion, or to form an attorney-client relationship.  For legal advice, please consult an attorney.

Since When Did Networking Become Such a Huge Deal?

Using LinkedIn, Facebook, and business events to your advantage.

It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

This cliché can certainly pertain to all different aspects of life, but none truer than that of business.  In business, it truly is all about who you know, not what you know.  From landing your first job out of college to partnering with some of your community’s biggest movers and shakers, building and maintaining business relationships is critical when working in and working on a business.

But when did networking become such a big deal?  Networking and building strong relationships has always been an important in the business world.  But today, with tools such as LinkedIn and Facebook, networking seems to have taken a dramatic turn.   And perhaps for the better. 

Let’s take a look at the facts. 

66,266,528 :: the number of people that are currently using LinkedIn.  Almost half of these users are located within the United States.  But are you utilizing LinkedIn correctly? 

1.5 million :: the number of local businesses that have Facebook pages that you can visit and network on.  But are you using these Facebook pages to your advantage?

79% :: your chances of sealing a deal are 79% higher when business networking is involved.  But are you meeting the right people in the right settings to get the deals sealed?

To answer all of these questions (and many more) Think Big Partners is hosting Launch and Learn: Marketing You Through Networking in collaboration with KC Young Professionals.  LeadTunnel co-founder and networking expert James Moburg will present real-life lessons from his networking experiences and provide tips and strategies to network effectively on- and offline.

“Most young people have a ton of opportunities to network.  They just don’t know how to do it right," says Moburg.  "Time is an investment itself, and i can help people get a big return on their investment by following my techniques."

The Launch and Learn Series will take place on March 9, 2011 from 11:30AM until 1:00PM at Think Big Partners location (1800 Baltimore, Kansas City, MO). 

During Marketing You Through Networking, Moburg will focus on the following areas:

• How networking can improve and empower you (with examples from real life stories)
• The two crucial networking areas you can personally focus on in 2011
• The 101 crash course in how to maximize your networking event experience
• Marketing yourself effectively in the long run and becoming more memorable

But Moburg is looking forward to teaching more than just that. 

“I want people to leave this Launch and Learn event with three things,” he said.  “First, I want people to feel empowered to take their networking skills to the next level.  Second, I want attendees to use my personal examples of networking as proven strategies.  Third, I want to help people to stand out for the rest of their lives.”

Are you ready to stand out for the rest of your life? 

If so, join Moburg, Think Big Partners and KC Young Pros for an inside look at playing the networking game.   

Register today!

Written by Allison Way.  Allison is a writer for Think Big Partners, Kansas City’s mentorship-based startup accelerator and business incubator.  To read more of Allison’s work, check out the Kansas City Entrepreneurship Examiner as well as her articles on Helium, eZine and BrooWaha.  Follow Allison! @AllisonThinkBig