Startup One Stop

Good morning, All,

We suffered the untimely death of a much-loved family member last week, and our brain isn’t quite functioning properly yet, so we do ask for your indulgence this week. And apologies that I had to miss the Rock Out at the Empire State Building, but I will be at the next one. Mark your calendars: November 15^th, and again, we’ll be on the 60^th floor of the Empire State Building. Early bird rate is available, so make sure to register now: http://terraceparty5-auto.eventbrite.com/  And our thanks to our ESB host and sponsor: Corporate Tax Network is a national accounting and consulting firm catering exclusively to the entrepreneurial, start-up, and SMB business communities.  Due to our niche in the start-up community, we understand the issues that new organizations face, and we consult with these firms in order to facilitate growth.  In addition to our tax services, CTN also provides incorporation assistance, bookkeeping, payroll, business planning services, and wealth management services.  SOS members have an opportunity to sign up for a free for the “intro to business taxes” webinar. Or feel free to contact Ryan directly: email him at rcain@corporatetaxnetwork.com, and make sure to mention SOS.

When did Groupon become the gift that keeps on giving? – no pun intended. The Chicago-based startup announced that their long-awaited/previously postponed IPO is back on and let the chips fall where they may (HEY, GROUPON HATERS, ANALYZE THIS: Groupon Breaks Even In Q3 http://read.bi/oIrIQ4; ‘Groupon Is A Disaster’ http://read.bi/qGmrQU). Forest through the trees: There are serious VCs invested in Groupon, and BI’s Henry Bodgett (who wrote the first article cited) is not only a former Wall Street analyst rather than a reporter: he has also taken quite a bit of venture money for his publication (Business Insider raises $7 million from investors http://bit.ly/njQBxC) and some it came courtesy of the very same investors who backed Groupon. And yet BI was among the first/loudest to cry ‘conflict of interest’ when Michael Arrington announced his new VC fund not too long ago. We don’t know if Groupon is going to be the biggest IPO in internet history (doubtful) or if they’ll even be around in five years. It would be refreshing – and inspire a bit more confidence – if Blodgett considered taking a page from the playbook he threw at Arrington and disclosed that BI and Groupon – or whatever other company on which he may be reporting – share investors so that online journalistic integrity doesn’t continue to devolve into being just another oxymoron – right up there with Facebook IPO. Onward and forward. Read More...

Good morning, All,

Yes, EW+SOS+ER Rock Out is tonight and we will have investors and potential cofounders there for you to meet. This time, it’ll be taking place at the Empire State Building, and the view is – again – spectacular so don’t miss it! http://bit.ly/mY5QED

Special help for you and a word from our sponsor: Corporate Tax Network is a national accounting and consulting firm catering exclusively to the entrepreneurial, start-up, and SMB business communities.  Since our founding nearly ten years ago, we have supported thousands of clients both nationally and internationally from a wide range of industries with their tax planning and preparation needs.  Due to our niche in the start-up community, we understand the issues that new organizations face, and we consult with these firms in order to facilitate growth.  In addition to our tax services, CTN also provides incorporation assistance, bookkeeping, payroll, business planning services, and wealth management services. They’re also hosting our EW+SOS+ER event at the Empire State Building – and offering SOS members an opportunity to sign up for a free “intro to business taxes” webinar. If you’d like to pass ‘Go’ and contact Ryan directly, email him at rcain@corporatetaxnetwork.com, and make sure to mention SOS. Read More...

Good morning, All,

It’s a short week, so just one – somewhat abbreviated – newsletter and remember, our next EW+SOS+ER Rock out…  will be taking place October 18^th, and yes, we will have investors and potential cofounders there for you to meet. This time, it’ll be taking place at the Empire State Building. To register: http://bit.ly/mY5QED

Manhattan will get a new addition to the entrepreneur ecosystem this month as Hubitat opens the doors to its new townhouse co-working space in Flatiron. We’ve had a discreet preview of the multi-floor complex to see its work in progress and happy to note that there’s excellent provision for amenities, associated corporate services – and its backed by a team of mentors, including serial entrepreneurs and angel investors. We’re excited about the model and will keep you posted on the series of launch events, and you can also track them on facebook & twitter @hubitat. Cool beans! Read More...

Good morning, All,

We prepared this newsletter before the news hit last night that Steve Jobs had died, and although we did work with him in the mid 90s, in the days when he was out of favor at Apple, rather than add yet another eulogy, we give you the word of Jobs himself before proceeding with our regularly schedule program:

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future,” he told Stanford University graduates during a commencement speech in 2005. “You have to trust in something: your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and has made all the difference in my life.” Read More...

Good morning, All,

Yes, we know the newsletters have gotten a bit long, so we’ll be sending out two this week, and let us know what you think:

The first will include deadlines, events and member queries – we figured you’d want them and the sooner the better. The second will be more focused on news from around the industry for your edification; member news and good stuff that is helpful to startups. And away we go: Read More...