Although the list goes on an on, these reasons alone are enough to convince me that I have chosen the right path!

1. You get to keep ALL of the profits of the business, not just a meager tidbit of what you are worth.
2. You can tap into your unlimited potential and explore your true passion.
3. You don’t have to set an alarm clock.
4. You can decide when to work and when to take a break.
5. You can wear your pajamas to work.

From his apartment in 1999, Marc Benioff started a new-fangled software company, Salesforce.com (CRM). While there have been some missteps along the way, the company is a model of success. Today, Salesforce.com generates more than $1 billion in sales, is profitable and has a market cap of $9 billion.

How did Marc do it? Well, now we have a chance to find out. That is, he has written an excellent book about his experiences and strategies, called Behind the Cloud: The Untold Story of How Salesforce.com Went from Idea to Billion-Dollar Company -- and Revolutionized an Industry.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi is leading a bipartisan congressional delegation to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. On this trip, Members of Congress are seeing first-hand the innovative technologies the auto industry is investing in to create the jobs of the future and to ensure our national competitiveness.

Over the last three years, the New Direction Congress has taken a series of steps to spur innovation in the auto industry, strengthen U.S. manufacturing, and create the jobs of the future. Beginning with the Innovation Agenda and the 2007 energy bill, through the auto industry rescue, and this year with the Recovery Act, Cash for Clunkers, and the Omnibus spending bill, this Congress has worked to spur an economic turnaround for the auto industry, U.S. manufacturing and Michigan. In 2010, more will soon be delivered through the Recovery Act along with key legislation in progress. Congress is committed to continuing to preserve our manufacturing base, which is essential to our economic and national security.

LONDON, ENGLAND: It took only a few weeks of research for Romanian entrepreneur Emi Gal to decide to base his digital media firm in London, and his choice confounds a fairly enduring set of stereotypes about Britain's global appeal.

International experts agree there has been genuine progress in the country which a few decades ago was fast fading as a magnet for the science, health and technology brains and entrepreneurship that also drive the knowledge economy.

'London is pretty much the centre of the world if you want to work in media and advertising,' Mr Gal, 23, told Reuters.

Newswise - An international report on new business development released Thursday (Jan. 14) in Santiago, Chile, includes the first global study of social entrepreneurship, co-produced by a professor at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business.

For the first time, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) includes a study of the prevalence of people engaged in entrepreneurial activities with a social goal, whether profit or non-profit, public or private.

Siri A. Terjesen, assistant professor of strategic management and international entrepreneurship, produced the social entrepreneurship component of the report with Rachida Justo of the Instituto de Empresa in Spain and Jan Lepoutre of Ghent University in Belgium.

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--A proposal that would change how certain private placements are regulated could mean another hurdle for small businesses in a cash-strapped, recessionary environment.

Sen. Christopher Dodd's draft legislation for sweeping financial reform includes a provision that would give back to state regulators the authority to oversee certain aspects of private placements, known as Reg-D offerings. States lost certain powers, such as the ability to review offerings and to prohibit bad actors from initiating Reg-D offerings, when Congress enacted the National Securities Markets Improvement Act of 1996, or NSMIA. That watershed law aimed to create uniform federal regulation of certain "covered securities" previously regulated at both the state and federal levels.

This is the eighth of several 'Innovation Perspectives' articles we will publish this week from multiple authors to get different perspectives on 'What product or sector is in desperate need of innovation?'. Here is the next perspective in the series:

by Rocco Tarasi

Is there an industry more in need of innovation than education?

Rethinking University Education - It is one of the largest industries in the United States, with over $1 trillion dollars spent annually. You are a consumer in this industry practically from birth until death. And yet most believe that the industry has lagged the pace of innovation so much that the education market today is comparable to the newspaper industry of 1999 - enjoying healthy profits before innovative start-ups disrupt their existing (archaic) business models.

Before you write off the American economy, consider this remark from Nathan Myhrvold, the ex-Microsoft genius who now runs an idea factory called Intellectual Ventures: “For the last few decades I’ve bought Japanese or German cars but no Japanese or German software. Only the United States can handle the thinking speed of the software field.”

We live in a country where makers of high-value-added software are hounded as antitrust outlaws, while the smoke-belching industry of making money-losing cars is lavished with government bailouts, but never mind that. US business ingenuity is so robust that not even the government can kill it.

As Gregg Easterbrook demonstrates in his engaging new book, “Sonic Boom: Globalization at Mach Speed” (Random House), the big challenge today is to accept challenge — perpetual, stressful, constant upheaval. The chances that someone in your family will suffer economic trauma — pay cut, loss of job — in a given year are up to 26%. Like the treadmill, the world economy punishes as it delivers benefits.

What's the mission of the Mississippi Technology Alliance?

Our mission is to drive innovation and technology-based economic development in Mississippi. We work with start-up companies, university spin-outs and existing companies to turn innovative ideas into successful businesses. Our MEP.ms subsidiary, ranked No. 1 in the country, assists manufacturers by deploying products and services that help them compete in the global economy.

Business plan competitions tend to emphasize technology.

Many competitions, like Nokia’s Mobile Rules Contest and those held by Rice University and the Hong Kong University of Sciences and Technology, either prefer or require plans in the fields of life sciences, clean technology, aerospace, mobile or information technology.

Same thing with public economic development offices that hold competitions — like the Alabama Launchpad and the Rochester Regional Business Plan Competition — to create jobs and wealth in their regions. More examples can be found in our guide.

RICH BENDIS PUBLISHER OF innovation DAILY IS A JUDGE IN THE TEMPLE UNIVERSITY BUSINESS PLAN COMPETITION AND A MENTOR TO REBECCA DAVIS THE WINNER OF THEIR 2004 COMPETION WHO IS REFERENCED IN LORA'S ARTICLE ABOVE.

Obama Administration Makes $37 Million Available to Create Jobs, Strengthen Economies of Trade-Impacted Communities
Federal Funding Available Under EDA’s Community Trade Adjustment Assistance Program
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) has announced that nearly $37 million in grants is available to help communities suffering from the adverse effects of import competition develop ways to more effectively compete in the global economy. The funding is available under EDA’s Community Trade Adjustment Assistance (Community TAA) Program, which was created in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

“While global markets offer tremendous opportunity for economic growth, they also present challenges for many communities,” U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development John R. Fernandez said. “The Community TAA Program will help American communities develop strategies and projects that will transform their communities and help them regain economic competitiveness. By funding projects that support innovation and entrepreneurship and encourage regional collaboration we are able to partner with communities to create a framework for sustainable economic development for years to come.”

SEE COMMENT FROM RICH BENDIS AT END OF ARTICLE

In Silicon Valley, where we can get a little too worshipful of icons like Steve Jobs and John Doerr, it's reassuring to know that even the gods get it wrong sometimes.

Exhibit A: the Segway.

You remember the Segway, right? It's that odd scooter you occasionally see a local police officer riding on patrol. Or maybe, if you work in a warehouse, you actually use one.

Well, in case you missed the news — and here's guessing you did — Segway announced last week that it was sold to a British investor for an undisclosed sum. The company, which is based in Bedford, N.H., and has about 85 employees, will continue to operate, thanks to some additional money raised as part of the deal.

SHANGHAI, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Hu Jintao has called for more efforts to promote independent innovation and upgrading of the industrial structure during his inspection tour to Shanghai which ended Sunday.

Hu visited scientific research bases, industrial parks and workshops of enterprises during the four-day tour, making investigations and research on the transformation of the mode of economic growth and work to promote sound and fast economic and social development.

Hu stressed promoting independent innovation and making breakthroughs in core technologies. Such breakthroughs would provide strong support for the transformation of the mode of economic growth, he said.

Entrepreneur Magazine says 2010 will be the year of the entrepreneur because unlike a large company we are fluid and flexible and can respond quickly. We’re also small and light on our feet since we use Cloud Nine technology to outsource even some of our core systems. And that frees us up to stay fluid, to monitor and respond to the changing moods and needs of our target audience. Between home offices and virtual assistants and tech people from all parts of the world, we can even start up with very little money. The trend now is for friends and family to bankroll a start up. Anything is possible. Your dream can become a reality even now. Especially now.

I hadn’t thought of myself in that light before – fluid and flexible, and if I get too bogged down in where I think I should be going I may not be able to see where I could be going.

NAPLES — Collier County commissioners were made to feel like visiting directors of Fortune 500 companies.

Economic Development Council (EDC) of Collier County officials turned out for a meeting this past week to impress commissioners with the EDC’s efforts to attract businesses and jobs.

The EDC’s oral and video presentations were similar to what they’d show companies seeking to relocate.

Here at Admix Web, we think it is important for web designers and developers to  learn and improve themselves by sharing what they know and learning from what others share! Because of this philosophy, love to share links from Community News Section and amazing links we find ourselves. Below are the links we find to be the most helpful, educational, and useful for web designers and developers. Remember to post your links so that we all can continue to improve our ability as web developrs and designers and increase our knowledge, and in the end, increase the quality of the sites on the web! Enjoy!

For young budding entrepreneurs approaching graduation this spring, or for those looking to go back for a post-graduate degree, finding the right program for your needs is very important. In their seventh annual joint effort last fall, Entrepreneur Magazine and The Princeton Review teamed up to rank the top 25 undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurship programs in the United States. Only six programs managed to make the top 10 in both lists, securing their spots at the top of the best overall entrepreneurship programs.

An Assessment of Where Entrepreneurship and New Companies Stand in the Current Economy

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following advisory was issued today by the Kauffman Foundation:

WHAT: Comprehensive overview of entrepreneurship, the critical links between new companies and economic recovery, and recommended solutions for fueling job growth.

MEDIA ALERT: Kauffman Foundation to Present 'The State of Entrepreneurship' Address and Report
Event and media-related details include:

* Carl Schramm, Kauffman Foundation president and CEO, will deliver a "State of Entrepreneurship" address at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, January 19 at 12:30 p.m. EST.
* U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke will speak about what the administration and the Department of Commerce are doing to encourage the growth of entrepreneurship in America.
* Entrepreneurs from multiple sectors will participate in a panel discussion and share their personal stories following the "State of Entrepreneurship" address.
* Kauffman Foundation will release the results of an exclusive survey tracking entrepreneurs' concerns and their perspective on the economy.
* A printed report including an analysis of entrepreneurship trends and the challenges facing new business, an overview of the links between job creation and entrepreneurs and concrete policy recommendations will be released at the event.

Like others in the tech-journalism business, we here at Xconomy tend to pore over the latest statistics about the entrepreneurial economy pretty obsessively: how much money venture firms are raising and investing from quarter to quarter; how much they dole out to each new startup in their portfolios; how much these portfolio companies eventually return to their investors through mergers, acquisitions, or public offerings.

But what if none of this really matters? What if it turned out that the number of new companies created by entrepreneurs is pretty much the same every year—and that things like how much money venture firms are handing out, or how many companies are achieving lucrative exits, or how many students are graduating from business school, or how many startup incubator programs are springing up, make no difference whatsoever to the nation’s overall levels of entrepreneurial activity? Would this mean that all the conferences and white papers and blog posts about the best ways to boost innovation and entrepreneurship are, in the end, pointless?