The process of raising venture funding generally goes something like this. Depending on the stage you're at, your experience and reputation, and connections some of these steps can be skipped:

1. The Introduction: You get introduced to a firm through a former entrepreneur they've invested in, an investor they've worked with in the past, a trusted attorney they know, or at a Venture Conference.
2. The Initial Review: An associate at the firm reviews your executive summary and gives a cursory look at your full plan and projections and if interested, schedules a call with you. It helps if you already have existing revenue or have had a previous successful venture.
3. The First Call: You speak with the associate by phone about what you are doing.
4. The Partner Discussion: If the associate likes what you are doing, he or she speaks to a partner at the firm about the opportunity.
5. The First Meeting: If you can get the interest of a partner, they will invite you to their offices to meet you, or meet at your office if you have an office, depending on their level of interest and your location. During this first meeting you will generally discuss your:
1. Background and Experience
2. Team Makeup
3. Competition
4. Product Differentiation
5. Market Size
6. Funding Needs

This month Zeromillion recognizes the Bamboo Bike Project.

This project is a partnership between The Earth Institute at Columbia University and Calfee Designs that aims to facilitate a local bicycle building industry in Africa.

The site documents the project's trip to Ghana to build a bike out of locally sourced supplies. They were successful and they're making progress towards helping African's jumpstart a local bicycle industry.

To learn more or get involved visit bamboobike.org

Business communications researchers have studied the phenomenon of stage fright experienced by would-be public speakers. Let me summarize most of the findings in very down-to-earth terms: Most people would rather die than stand up before an audience and deliver a speech.

To suggest that these individuals are as "nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs" may be something of an understatement in describing these public speaking "scaredy cats." The symptoms are similar to food poisoning: a queasy feeling in the pit of one's stomach, shakes and jitters, and a sincere desire to roll up into a fetal position.

As a public speaker and one who has provided instruction to others to help them develop their own skills, I have found that certain approaches work. Other approaches "look good in theory," but are not as helpful. One of the oft-repeated suggestions for overcoming stage fright includes the classic advice, "imagine everyone else is naked." However, it is rare that everyone else is naked, upon the speaker's arrival to the podium and as he or she surveys the audience. In fact, I have spoken extensively, and I have yet to spot even one naked audience member I do think I would have noticed.