OEN Blog

20 Success Tips from OEN Tom Holce Awards Finalist, Jama Software

sarenar — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 04:27:26 GMT

Jama Software, a Portland, OR based start-up and finalist in Development category of the OEN Tom Holce Awards was willing to share their Top 20 Start-up Success Tips. Read and take what’s relevant to your entrepreneurial experience.

What's it take to be a successful entrepreneur?

We're not experts, but from our own collective experience, tons of advice we've received and the stack of books we've read over the years, we've pulled together a list of the top 20 success tips we try to apply every day we go to work at Jama. See which ones you believe in.

#1 Enjoy the journey.

A business is a journey, and usually a long journey, so you better enjoy the ride because you'll commit a lot of time and energy into building your business. The "J" in our name "Jama" stands for "Journey", to remind us of this point.

#2 Always give back.

Yes, you have to make money, that's rule #1 in business, but there's no reason why a close second can't be to give back. It can be through volunteer hours, community involvement - whatever fits your company's personality. At Jama, we give to Kiva.org. Make it a priority from day one to be a socially responsible business. It's doable, and it doesn't require a lot of money, just commitment.

#3 Make decisions.

Actually, make fast decisions. Too many businesses fall victim to indecision. Make a decision, see if it works, or not, and keep moving forward.

#4 Move fast.

This goes hand-in-hand with #3. You need to move and execute fast. Speed is one of the advantages a start-up can have over larger, more established competitors. They have too many layers of management to go through so decisions happen slowly. Move quicker than your competitors to response to a market trend or a customer need.

#5 Keep it simple.

Some things are complex, like product development. However, too often people and businesses create their own complexity when a simple solution is right there in front of them. Be obsessive about simplicity, in your processes, in how your product works and in how you do things as a business. The reality is customers will reward you for "keeping it simple".

#6 Listen to customers.

It's an overstatement to say, "Customers are always right." They're not. Just like you're not always right. However, you should always listen to them. Hear what they're saying. Understand what they're wanting, and then give them exactly that.

#7 Trust your gut.

In balance with #6, you need to trust your gut. There are times when you'll have different feedback from customers, advisors, partners and everyone under the sun. At those times, you have to go with what you believe is right. And if it's wrong, be nimble, adjust and try something else.

#8 Release often.

This applies mainly to software product development. Get your product out there. Take an iterative approach. You can spend the rest of your life trying to perfect every detail. Let customers and partners put your product to the test. You'll be amazed by the feedback you'll get. It will also force you to prioritize the highest-value features to add.

#9 Follow your passion.

You have to love what you're doing, there's just too much work involved not to. Too many people have pursued business ideas because they thought they were lucrative only to be miserable managing businesses they don't enjoy. Don't make that mistake.

#10 Be creative.

The business world is overrun with noise. Find a way to stand out - in your product, in your message, in your company's personality, in the way you market and sell your product. As a start-up, you can't outspend bigger established players, but you can win by being more creative in how you solve problems for customers.

#11 Take chances.

If you don't like risk, get out now. At some point, you have to take chances. Some will work, others won't. Be smart in preparing for the ones not to work, but maintain this entreprenuerial spirit even when you become the next big company. It will serve you well to have this in the DNA of your culture.

#12 Do your homework.

A great idea alone isn't a business. You have to do your homework. Know your market. Know your competitors. Know your customers. And, not just for the purposes of a business plan. Keep on it every day, because things change constantly and if you don't have your finger on the pulse, you'll be out of touch.

#13 Don't overanalyze.

You can overdo #12. It's called analysis paralysis. Too much data, too much analysis will freeze you. Take the information that's most relevant and discard the rest. Best to try things, see what works, see what doesn't and then learn, adapt and execute.

#14 Work smart.

When you're a start-up, you can't afford not to work smart. That doesn't mean be cheap, it means be resourceful. Get the most from the time and money you invest in your product, marketing, sales, every facet of your business.

#15 Find your niche.

Don't try to boil the ocean. It's the hardest thing to resist as a business. You want to please everyone and do everything. Don't. You'll do none of them well. Pick a high value niche and own it. Do it better than anyone else and be the brand for that specific problem that customers love.

#16 Play at work.

Play music. Play Xbox. Play foosball. Whatever you can do to make your corporate culture fun to be in. Yes, there needs to be a relentless focus on execution and getting work done. But, you'll discover that good people know how to balance work and play. And, all work and no play, makes your company a dull boy. Otherwise, good people will find a more enjoyable place to work.

#17 Speak honestly.

It sounds like something you shouldn't have to remember to do, but it's amazing how many companies don't follow this simple rule. It's easy to communicate good news, but you need to apply the same approach to good news, bad news or otherwise. You're either building or destroying trust every day, there's no neutral ground. The reality is if you're trying to spin customers, the media or anyone else, they see right through it anyways. Be open and honest, always.

#18 Invite feedback.

You might be smart, really smart, but you can't do it alone. Nor should you. When applied correctly, there is tremendous power in the wisdom of crowds. Your business has an online community whether you've carefully built it or not. Better to invite, listen and respond to the feedback than have no awareness of what's being said. Feedback is your friend, if you let it be.

#19 Be an open book.

Some companies like to guard every secret, even from their employees. Many companies including Jama are finding success adopting the complete opposite philosophy - of being as open as possible with its strategy, news, financials, product roadmaps and future plans. It's amazing what happens when you're open with the people you work with every day including customers, partners and employees. It's a little thing called trust. And, that might be the best competitive differentiator you could build.

#20 Be collaborative.

Gone are the days of departmental silos, break the walls down. Collaborate with everyone, and not just internally with employees. The most valuable collaboration you'll do is with your customers and partners. Over 70% of great ideas come from outside the building. You just need to be there to listen.

Re-printed with permission of Jama Software.

Oregon Entrepreneurs Network Names Winners at the 15th Annual OEN Tom Holce Awards for Entrepreneurship

sarenar — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 04:00:38 GMT

Doug Fieldhouse of Vesta, ClearEdge Power, ID Experts, nLIGHT and BRING Recycling Are Selected as this Year’s Award Winners

Sept. 18, 2008, Portland, Ore. — The Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) announced the winners of the 2008 OEN Tom Holce Awards for Entrepreneurship during its 15^th annual awards ceremony on September 18, 2008. The ceremony, held at the Oregon Convention Center, honored finalists in four categories: Entrepreneurship Award for Individual Achievement; Development Stage Company of the year; Working capital Stage Company of the year; and the Growth Stage Company of the year.

Doug Fieldhouse of Vesta received the 2008 Entrepreneurship Award for Individual Achievement. “Doug exemplifies the entrepreneurial spirit that we celebrate with these awards,” said Bob Sternberg, judging chair for this year’s awards. “He thinks big and looks for ways to make a tremendous impact, and he has the ability to execute on those ideas in ways that scale up effectively. His success with Vesta is just one example of his ability to change and jump into new opportunities and persistently grow the business over time.” In addition, he has a long history of mentoring and coaching young entrepreneurs.

In the Development category, ClearEdge Power of Portland, Oregon is this year’s winner. ClearEdge Power is a pioneer and provider of ultra-clean and efficient on-site energy generation systems. They have a substantial market opportunity and are professionally managed, well funded and are making substantial progress with product development and early adoption customers.

ID Experts of Beaverton is the winner in the Working Capital Category. ID Experts provides identity theft protection services for individuals, corporations and the public sector. They have successfully adapted to the changing needs of the market when required. Their painstaking and labor intensive process to restore customers’ identities will make it difficult for other companies to compete successfully against them in this marketplace. Due to these efforts, they have a 100 percent success rate restoring identities.

The winner of the Growth Category is nLIGHT Corporationof Vancouver, Washington.

nLIGHTdevelops and manufactures photonics modules for industrial, defense, and medical applications. The company had the vision to intelligently re-invent itself in the early stages of the collapse of the telecom bubble and the temerity to implement that new strategy under extremely difficult circumstances. It applied its skills and ingenuity in the marketplace to create, shepherd and grow a novel mentoring program (MAPS—Mentoring for Advanced Program for Students) that is having a real impact on local education and the future of this community.

BRING Recycling is this year’s winner of the Non-profit Award. BRING Recycling collects and resells low-cost used building materials as well as provides deconstruction and recycling services. Revenues generated fund conservation and education programs about the best way to reuse and recycle. BRING Recycling was selected for its organizational and entrepreneurial strengths overall, and how the organization was able to change course to meet changing demands in the community. BRING Recycling received a $5,000 award from the Meyer Memorial Trust at the Awards Ceremony.

“The recipients of this year’s awards have been successful because of their determination, independent thinking, and their ability to change direction and chart their own course.” said Linda Weston, executive director and president of OEN. “From clean power to identity protection, these Oregon and Southwest Washington companies are making innovative contributions that make a difference in our communities and beyond.”

The winners were chosen from 14 finalists by the OEN award judging committee, chaired by Bob Sternberg. Companies from throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington were nominated for the Awards, and were narrowed to the 14 finalists after hundreds of hours of due diligence, including site visits and face-to-face interviews. A comprehensive list of winners and finalists follows this release.

List of Nominees and winners

Individual Category

Doug Fieldhouse, Vesta- Winner

Ray King, AboutUs.org

Susan Sokol Blosser, Sokol Blosser

Working Capital Category

ID Experts- Winner

Beaverton, OR

Pop Art, Inc.

Portland, Oregon

PV Powered

Bend, Oregon

Growth Category

nLIGHT Corporation- Winner

Vancouver, WA

HemCon Medical Technologies, Inc.

Portland, Oregon

Timbercon

Lake Oswego, WA

Development Category

ClearEdge Power- Winner

Portland, Oregon

AboutUs, Inc.

Portland, Oregon

Jama Software

Portland, Oregon

Plas2Fuel Corporation

Chris Ulum

Kelso, WA

About OEN

Founded in 1991, the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network is a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to providing opportunities for Oregon entrepreneurs and improving the business climate for emerging, growth-oriented companies statewide. The organization has members throughout Oregon and southwest Washington. For more information about the OEN, visit its website at www.oen.org.

For more information, press only:

Jessica Foote

OnPR

503-802-4406

jessicaf@onpr.com

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Start(it)up and Be the Leader of the Pack…. Zzzoom!

sarenar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:20:37 GMT

Ready to Ride at the15th Annual OEN Tom Holce Awards for Entrepreneurship

Thursday, September 18, 2008, 5 PM - Oregon Convention Center - Portland Ballroom

OEN is raffling off a custom Triumph Speedmaster motorcycle as part of a fundraiser to support the organization’s programs and services. OEN supports the entrepreneurial community via mentoring, education and networking activities that foster business growth and employment opportunities in Oregon.

The Bike

Check out photos of the finished bike. The custom Speedmaster sports 865 CCs worth of power to blaze new trails whether you’re tearing up the Gorge or zooming around town. The bike was customized by Chuck Lange at Pat Clark Motorsports Pat Clark Motorsports and is a signed work of art by world-renowned pin striper Bob Spina.

How to Win

The drawing to win the bike will be held at the OEN Tom Holce Awards for Entrepreneurship at 7:30 pm on September 18, 2008 at the Oregon Convention Center. Winners need not be present to win. There are 500 tickets available; price for each ticket is $100. Retail market value is $16,000. Tickets will be sold at the event. Call the OEN office for more information at 503-222-2270.

Attend the event

We’re busting loose with the special 15th anniversary OEN Tom Holce Awards for Entrepreneurship dinner. Be there when we honor the best of Oregon’s rule-breaking, adventure-addicted entrepreneurs with a 15th anniversary blow-out.
Prices of the event are $195/ticket and $1950/table. No refunds after August 15, 2008.

http://www.memberservicecenter.org/irmweb/wc.dll/orporntw?id=orporntw&doc=events /event&kn=9

OEN Customized Triumph Speedmaster Photos

sarenar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 20:11:03 GMT

OEN is raffling off a custom Triumph Speedmaster motorcycle as part of a fundraiser to support the organization’s programs and services. The custom Speedmaster sports 865 CCs worth of power to blaze new trails whether you’re tearing up the Gorge or zooming around town. The bike was customized by Chuck Lange at Pat Clark Motorsports Pat Clark Motorsports and is a signed work of art by world-renowned pin striper Bob Spina. See the photos below:

The OEN Customized 2008 Triumph Speedmaster

OEN customized 2008 Triumph Speedmaster from the rear view.

OEN customized 2008 Triumph Speedmaster: Front fender view.

OEN customized 2008 Triumph Speedmaster signed by legendary pin striper Bob Spina.

OEN customized 2008 Triumph Speedmaster on the showroom floor. Think you might be in love? Call the OEN for details about how to purchase a ticket to win this sweet ride 503-222-2270. Drawing to win bike will be held at the OEN Tom Holce Awards for Entrepreneurship at 7:30pm on September 18, 2008 at the Oregon Convention Center. Winners need not be present to win. There are 500 tickets available; price for each ticket is $100. Retail market value is $16,000.

OEN Announces the 2008 Non-Profit Award Finalists: BRING Recycling to be honored

sarenar — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 06:41:39 GMT

Oregon Entrepreneurs Network Announces 2008 Non-Profit Award Finalists*
BRING Recycling to be honored at 15^th OEN Annual Tom Holce Awards for Entrepreneurship Dinner*

July 28, 2008, Portland, Ore.- The Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) is pleased to announce the 2008 finalists and award recipient for the non-profit category of the OEN Tom Holce Awards for Entrepreneurship: [BRING Recycling|http://www.bringrecycling.org/] of Eugene, Oregon; [Bonneville Environmental Foundation|http://www.b-e-f.org/] of Portland, Oregon; and [Verde|http://www.verdenw.org/] of Portland, Oregon.

BRING Recycling was selected as the winning non-profit organization for 2008, and will be honored at the 15^th Annual OEN Tom Holce Awards for Entrepreneurship at the Oregon Convention Center on September 18, 2008.

BRING Recycling collects and resells low-cost used building materials as well as provides deconstruction and recycling services. Revenues generated fund conservation and education programs about the best way to reuse and recycle. BRING Recycling collaborates with schools, agencies and businesses and serves more than 70,000 people a year in Lane County.

“OEN established this award as part of its annual awards to recognize the creativity, sustainability and management of successful non-profit organizations in Oregon,” said Linda Weston, President and Executive Director of OEN. “OEN believes that the entrepreneurial spirit should be celebrated in our non-profit community as well as in our business community.”

The OEN Tom Holce Entrepreneurship non-profit award is given annually to an organization that has shown entrepreneurship and creativity in addressing business and operational issues, achieving strategic goals, and/or creating jobs. The award is based on the entrepreneurial nature of how the organization approaches its management and activities, including sustainability, management and successful implementation towards a stated mission.

“We had more and stronger applications than ever before, making it an extremely difficult decision this year,” said Kandis Brewer Nunn, Judging chair for this year’s awards. “The three finalists were each exceptional in their receptive industry and for the stage of their organizational life. That made the decision difficult because they each shined in distinctive ways.”

“BRING Recycling was selected for its organizational and entrepreneurial strengths overall. The tipping point for the panel was their strong action in devising a new core business to ensure their survival in the face of a rapidly cannibalized market. Changing course, after having helped create that market, is difficult enough for a private sector entity; it is doubly difficult for a non-profit to take similar action given the general conditions present in that sector,” said Brewer Nunn.

In addition to Kandis Brewer Nunn who is Principal of Strategic Resources LLC, the panel of judges included Jay Bloom, President/CEO, Bloom Anew; Mark Holloway, Executive Director, Social Venture Partners; Isaac Regenstreif, Principal, IHR Consulting; Paul Reich, Program Officer, Meyer Memorial Trust; and Joyce White, Executive Director, Grantmakers of Oregon & SW Washington.

About Bring Recycling

BRING Recycling is one of the nation’s oldest non-profit recyclers. Since 1971, they have encouraged people to rethink what they use and what they throw away. They help the community keep useful items out of the landfill, find ways to use less stuff, reuse as many things as possible and recycle the rest. From collecting and processing household recyclables to teaching kids about using earthworms to compost, BRING has a wealth of information, practical tips and programs to help people live sustainably in Lane County. For more information, visit [www.bringrecycling.org|http://www.bringrecycling.org/].

About OEN

For more information, press only:

Jessica Foote

OnPR

503-802-4406

jessicaf@onpr.com