The Entrepreneurship Chronicle
Zero Million - The Entrepreneurship Chronicle
  The Entrepreneurship Chronicle :: July 2009 Issue :: 47

Editor: Ryan Allis
Sent With: iContact


QUOTE OF THE MONTH

"Only undertake what you can do in an excellent fashion. There are no prizes for average performance."

~Brian Tracy


Dear [fname],

I hope you have made progress on your entrepreneurial vision and that you gain value from this issue of The Entrepreneurship Chronicle!

In Chapel Hill, we are holding Entrepreneur & Social Entrepreneur Meetups once per month at my home. If you live in the area and care about changing the world, come on out. Details on the meetups can be found on the Facebook Group.

Entrepreneurially Yours,
Ryan P. Allis, CEO
iContact Corp.
2635 Meridian Parkway
Durham, NC
www.iContact.com


   Table of Contents
What Jess, Bob, and I Did in Africa
Ryan Allis

I'm looking out the Virgin Atlantic airplane window at Mt. Kenya as we end our twelve day trip to Kenya and Uganda. We've begun the twenty-eight hour journey home. East Africa is a beautiful region with substantial economic opportunity, and very worthy of a visit. This was my second trip to Uganda, but first to Kenya.

What Drew Us In

We went to learn. We went to visit some of the non-profits The Humanity Campaign has worked with in the past and those we are considering supporting in the future. We came back changed permanently having seen the juxtaposition of the beautiful rising Africa against the constant suffering of unlistened to and forgotten millions of people just like you and I. In the developing world, 2.6 billion people live under $2 per day (PPP adjusted) according to the World Bank and 49,300 people die each and every day needlessly from preventable disease and starvation according to the WHO.

Some of The Stories That Sear Themselves Into Your Memory

For just a second, imagine 139 girls from your local elementary school have been kidnapped by an armed rebel group and taken to a jungle 400 miles away. One hundred and nine of them are negotiated to be returned but 30 of them stay and are raped, abused, and are forced to be sex slaves for as long as thirteen years. Six of these thirty girls are killed attempting to escape. Imagine hiding in a snake-infested ceiling drop at your high school to avoid being kidnapped by the LRA. Imagine being 17 and living in a slum in Africa with over 1 million residents. Both your parents died of AIDS, then your grandfather was killed, then your pastor who took you in abused you. Now you're on your own, struggling everyday to survive. These are just some of the life altering stories I've heard over the last twelve days.

(Read the Rest of this Article Here....)

Purple Elephant Computer Factory

Purple Elephant Computer Factory There are a lot of things we take for granted, and one of which is the computer; we have computers at home, at the office, schools, kiosks on the street and at the library. Truth be told, not everyone has a computer, and for some families it's just another electronic they can't afford or can't maintain. If you know a child that is in need a computer, or if you have an old computer that you can donate for refurbishing, you can now look towards the Purple Elephant Computer Factory for KIDS.

The Purple Elephant Computer Factory for KIDS is a nonprofit organization that focuses on computer reuse in Raleigh, NC. They will take your donated computers and refurbish them, install Windows and other software to give to needy kids and individuals. By donating a computer, you will help reduce school drop rates, increase test scores, discourage gang participation and connect families with deployed active duty parents.

(To learn more or get involved visit: www.purpleelephant.org )

How to Buy a Media List That Gets You in Front of the Right People
Dan Janal

Reporters are dying to quote entrepreneurs, small business owners and consultants just like you. The trouble is, they don't know you exist!

If only you can get your hands on a great media contact list, then you can get your name and credentials in front of reporters. This way they will contact you when they are writing a story that would be perfect for you.

So how can you get your hands on a great media list that's filled with information about reporters who want to quote you in their articles?

Many companies sell names of reporters. Like everything else on the Internet, they vary by quality, features and services.

Before you buy a media list, be sure to ask questions like the ones below.

10 Questions You Must Ask When Buying a Media List So You Get the Most Bang (Publicity) for Your Buck

1. When was the list updated? Reporters change jobs quite frequently. And many newspapers and magazines are laying off people. So you want to make sure the list is updated on a daily or weekly basis. Otherwise, you'll waste time, money and energy sending messages to people who don't work there!

(Read the Rest of this Article Here....)

ADT Home Business Security System
Jordan Tracy
You have your business plan all ready, a few clients lined up, the extra bedroom turned into a home office with a brand new computer, yet all you have prepared for is at the mercy of an intruder. It is one of the most commonly overlooked parts of starting your home-based business - home security. When you bring your business into your home, the protection of your home becomes even more important.
  • First, you now are storing important information such as client credit reports or financial statements.
  • Secondly, because you are storing that information, you may now be a target.
  • Thirdly, your home address is probably now advertised in some places as a business address, drawing additional attention to your property and,
  • Finally, since you are at home during the day, you are more likely to be dragged into an altercation with a home invader.
So, what should you be looking for in a home security system?

(Read the Rest of this Article Here....)

Zero to One Million: How I Built My Company to $1 Million in Sales . . . and How You Can, Too
Ryan Allis

Book Description

Do You Want to Become a Multi-Millionaire Entrepreneur? Here's How.

By the time Ryan Allis had reached the age of twenty-one, he had achieved the financial goal most people just dream about: He made built his company to one million in sales. Allis has since grown his company iContact Corp., a provider of Web-based email marketing and online communication softwares, to $28 million per year in sales, and has helped numerous clients increase their sales dramatically.

Now Allis shares the secrets of his lightning-fast success with you. In Zero to One Million, he details his simple yet innovative evaluation system of "Market-Advantages-Return" to help you determine if your business idea is viable. Once you have a solid foundation, you can apply his advice for successfully running your business-from initial planning to managing high-speed growth.

  • Evaluate your business idea using the innovative MAR system
  • Write a business plan sure to excite your investors
  • Launch your company with minimal expenditure
  • Boost online sales using cutting-edge marketing strategies
  • Watch all your hard work transform into millions

Did you know that eighty-one percent of millionaires are entrepreneurs? Join the pantheon of successful businessmen and women with Zero to One Million.

About the Author

Ryan P. Allis is CEO of iContact Corp., a venture-backed email marketing and online communications firm that has grown from nothing to over $28 million in annual sales and 165 employees. Ryan is also the Chairman of the web marketing firm Virante, Inc.

(Buy the Book....)

Connect With Ryan
Connect Via Facebook

Do you have a Facebook account? If so, Ryan's on Facebook too. Just look up Ryan Allis (the one at UNC-Chapel Hill). Send Ryan a message or a friend request.

Connect Via Linked In Ryan also uses LinkedIn. If you want to connect to Ryan on Linked in just look him up and send a connection request to allisr [at] icontact.com.

Follow on Twitter

Or Follow Ryan on Twitter: ryanallis

Don't have Facebook or LinkedIn but still want to ask Ryan a question? Feel free to email Ryan at allisr [at] icontact.com. Thank you!

Closing Notes

This concludes issue #47 of The Entrepreneurship Chronicle. If you are not subscribed and would like to subscribe, please visit http://www.zeromillion.com. If you would like to contribute content, become involved with the zeromillion.com team, make suggestions, or provide feedback please feel free to contact us at info@virante.com.

This newsletter is published by www.zeromillion.com with support from the Entrepreneurs' Coalition. The newsletter is sent using the iContact email marketing software.

Comments/Suggestions: myoung@virante.com
Contribute Content: jbohall@virante.com
Contact Publisher: jstaub@virante.com
Inquire About Services: info@virante.com

Archives online at: http://www.zeromillion.com/echronicle/

Premier Sponsor: Virante

Virante is a full service interactive marketing agency providing services including social media marketing, search engine optimization, website development, web marketing consulting, blog deployment, link building, CPC spend management, print design, and much more.

Virante's Free SEO Tools
none Duplicate Content Tool
none Clean IP Tool
none Density of Keyword Tool
none Reciprocal Linking Tool
none Theme Distance

More FREE SEO Tools can also be found at http://www.Virante.com

Interested in having a branded-version of these products for your SEO group? Contact Russ Jones - rjones@virante.com.

If your organization is interested in any of our services, please contact Virante's Director of Client Services, Jake Bohall, at (919) 459-2834 or jbohall@virante.com or Submit an RFQ.

Sponsors

"I studied the lives of great men and famous women, and I found that the men and women who got to the top were those who did the jobs they had in hand, with everything they had of energy and enthusiasm and hard work"
- Harry Truman, former U.S. President

Published by Zeromillion.com, the top entrepreneurship resource online
All Contents Copyright © 2009 by Virante, Inc.