Biosortia’s Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Guy Carter stated: “Biosortia collaborates with the best researchers in our strategic therapy areas. We see great potential in this drug discovery project.”

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CITY OF DUBLIN, OHIO — The City of Dublin is proving that you can make environmentally positive decisions for your community and save money while doing it. The city made a change to a high performance low emission diesel fuel (HPCD) last year after a 3-month fuel study that showed the significant savings and emission reductions.

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CoolTechGirls – first meeting will be held this Saturday, May 18th at the Dublin Entrepreneurial Center.  Check out the article in the Dublin Villager to get the scoop (http://goo.gl/ya4mA), or visit the CoolTechGirls Website (http://www.cooltechgirls.org).

To RSVP for the free event, email info@cooltechgirls.org or call 614-410-4949.

CXOWARE Develops Program to Measure Risk in Dollars and Cents

Imagine having an idea for a product that is so innovative your customers are willing to pay for it before it’s even on the market.

CXOWARE’s reputation for delivery of evolutionary analytical software for information security and risk management has enabled the company to develop new products through customer feedback and partnerships.

The company, co-founded by Dublin resident Jack Jones, currently has two locations: one in Spokane, Washington and one at the Dublin Entrepreneurial Center.

CXOWARE’s latest product, a software application called FAIRiq helps quantify risk in dollars and cents through an approach called Factor Analysis of Information Risk.

The ability to measure information and operational risk in economic terms is a valuable approach, says Chad Weinman, director of integration services.

“Our goal is well-informed decisions,” he says. The software provides companies with the ability to make effective comparisons and determine how to proceed with any tactical or strategic decisions.

“It’s an accurate model of what the risk is and quantifies exposure to risk,” according to Weinman, who says that the model is applicable to just about any situation from bank robberies to lost wedding rings.

“I’m not a math person by profession and neither are the majority of our users,” Weinman says. “Our product does the calculations and our model breaks down risk into elements, which can more easily be estimated.”

So far, CXOWARE hasn’t faced any competition for the product. In fact, Weinman says many potential competitors have contacted the company with requests to license it. The company also is finding that customers are seeking the software on their own based on accreditations it has received from The Open Group, a global consortium that sets IT standards.

Three more products are on the horizon, but details aren’t ready to be released, Weinman says. They, too, will most likely be funded by current customers. As a company, CXOWARE is striving to be recognized as a leader in information risk management.

So when the opportunity came to become part of a truly collaborative business community that would remove silos and barriers for local businesses, he jumped at it.

Tear Down Silos

For large, established businesses, silos can be organizational, technological, and geographic, with information and communication being stifled by the sheer size of the enterprise and accessibility of data.

But for emerging businesses, obstacles can present themselves in different forms; access to experts, professional facilities, and powerful infrastructure, for example.

As a tenant of the Dublin Entrepreneurial Center in its original location, Kopp maintained an office there while he built his business, Metro Data Center LLC, a full service, state of the art data center.

“The DEC provided the foundation I needed for getting my business off the ground,” says Kopp.  “But the support I received went far beyond the physical facility.  I was able to tap resources I never would have had access to without the DEC.  And I was able to work in a supportive and vibrant atmosphere that fostered innovation and collaboration.”

From Tenant to Partner

When the original site of the DEC was purchased by Ohio University for the future home of its Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, the search was on for a new DEC location.

This challenge turned to opportunity for a true public-private partnership, when the City of Dublin and partner TechColumbus approached Kopp about using the office space that surrounded Metro Data Center to create a unique entrepreneurial community.

Dana McDaniel, Deputy City Manager and Director of Economic Development for the City of Dublin explains, “Combining an entrepreneurial center and data center is a first in Central Ohio, and responds to the needs of startup and established businesses alike.  It’s a natural partnership.”

Gather Around a Pillar

Metro Data Center is the central pillar at the heart of the DEC.  The 6,000 square foot data center houses the mission-critical IT infrastructure of major clients including Dublin’s DUBLink fiber optic network and OARnet, the statewide broadband network and shared services provider for Ohio education and public communities.

More than 90 emerging businesses now call the new DEC facility home, and the resources of the powerful Metro Data Center are accessible to these businesses.

“Where else can a startup business have access to a full-service SOC 2 / HIPAA-certified data center for hosting their operations?” asks Kopp.  “It is a distinct competitive advantage for these emerging businesses.”

The Real Differentiator: A Collaborative Environment

Many business incubators and accelerators provide affordable office space and technical advisory services.  The differentiator for the DEC is that its focus is on establishing a vibrant collaborative community.

As satisfying as it has been to build a business, Kopp says being part of the collaborative atmosphere of the DEC is one of the most gratifying aspects of his career.

“I’m struck by the partnerships and collaboration I see happen on a daily basis, from entrepreneurs sharing expertise, to businesses joining forces to solve problems, to the business-focused educational programming and networking events presented here.  It’s a great thing to be part of.   It’s the validation of a personal and professional vision.”

Click here to take a look: goo.gl/FqbVK

What can you say in that 60 seconds that will spark interest, provide enough detail to show credibility, and land a follow-up meeting?

Recently at the Dublin Entrepreneurial Center, Rick Coplin and Greg Pugh of TechColumbus presented an interactive session on the essentials of an effective elevator pitch.  It was part of the business-focused educational programming open to the community at the DEC’s twice-monthly Jelly event.

What’s the right situation for an elevator pitch?

A good pitch is useful for much more than the hypothetical captive executive.

Fact is, you’re constantly faced with situations in which you need introduce yourself and your business.  Preparing an effective elevator pitch will ensure you’re always ready for an introduction to a prospective client, investor, hiring manager, or even your friends at the neighborhood cookout.

Your pitch will take on a different flavor for each situation, but the core elements remain the same.

Make an impression

People make snap judgments.  The first few seconds of a conversation determine whether you capture or lose your audience’s attention.

Start your pitch with something that will connect what you do to your audience on a level they can relate to.  It’s OK to start with humor, a gripping anecdote, or even a compelling statistic.  But keep it short and focused.

Educate and create interest

An elevator pitch is a well-crafted advertisement.  It’s the handshake of a new relationship and an invitation to continue the conversation.

Once you have their attention, support your initial assertion with facts to establish credibility and state what makes you or your approach different.

Make the problem, solution, and opportunity clear.  There’s little worse than getting to the end of a pitch and having your audience think, “That’s great, but so what?”

Focus on the audience, not your cool thing

Too often, a business owner or professional is so excited about their business, product, or approach that they want to tell you everything all at once.  This comes from a justifiable pride in their business or accomplishments.  But it’s the wrong approach for an elevator pitch.

If you lead with a granular level of detail at a cocktail party, people will reach for the hors d’oeuvre tray instead of their calendar to schedule a follow-up meeting.

Stick to the high points, and keep the focus on what the audience will want to hear about what you do.

Practice and refine

Get out there and try it.  Wind up and deliver your pitch to friends and colleagues – and even strangers at the airport.

It’s only through practice that you can assess and improve your effectiveness; both by hearing the words come out of your mouth, and by getting direct feedback from your audience.

How does your pitch stand up?

The session concluded with an opportunity for the professionals in the audience to present their pitch and get feedback from the group.

Based on information from the session, several took a new approach to the way they describe their business and their role.  Some standouts:

* I help organizations find their hidden treasure.

* I’m a Swiss Army knife.

* I’m an Environmental Superhero.

* I help start-ups. That’s all I do… I love to help start-ups.

Each of those opening lines makes you want to learn more, doesn’t it?

Resources

Download the slide deck from this presentation via slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/RickCoplin/elevator-pitch-essentials

To learn about upcoming programming from the DEC, visit: http://www.decindublin.com/events/event-calendar/

But lost in the firestorm was the prospect that these executives may have had legitimate reasons for having their employees report to the office.

Having worked in a variety of businesses from a major national bank, to a small private business, to a fast-paced Silicon Valley software company, I’ve experienced several work environments and noticed that even the best individual or remote worker can be subject to the pitfalls of the stay-at-home life; distraction, loneliness, and the feeling that you have to solve every problem yourself.

For the telecommuter and the budding entrepreneur, a vibrant work environment can provide the structure and support that is needed for even the most independent workers to thrive.  And since I’ve been spending time at the Dublin Entrepreneurial Center, I’ve seen such an environment first-hand.

Community

Humans are social animals, and even if you’re not working directly with other people at the office, being surrounded by the energy of a dynamic office environment and building interpersonal relationships can fill a void that exists in a remote, or work-at-home life.

People need the sense of community, collaboration, that comes from that interaction, and you can’t get this when you’re telecommuting or starting a business from your kitchen.

Even if it’s just a brief water-cooler talk about the Buckeyes’ game, that quick conversation can clear your mind and become the transition point between tasks.

Collaboration

Often, individual workers or independent small businesses face problems that are outside their core competency, and tackling these problems can stall progress on the main mission.

Being surrounded by a community of smart people gives the benefit of collective knowledge. When members of the business community are willing to share their experiences and be seen as a resource, the result is an informal network of mentors, with experts in virtually every discipline.

Facing your problems and helping others in a collaborative way also can lead to otherwise unforeseen partnerships and joint ventures.

This sort of collaboration is common with the business-oriented training, mentoring, topical programming and co-located work of an innovative collaborative work environment of a Jelly.

Communication

When the choice is between email, telephone, and an in-person conversation, I’ll always choose talking to someone face-to-face.

The transactional nature of electronic communication limits the conversation and is subject to misinterpretation.  And it can take way too long to compose. While teleconferencing services have improved this, they are still less personal.

Working directly with someone can reduce mistakes, speed projects, and create an enduring relationship.

Connections

Being part of a vibrant community of like-minded business owners lets you know people and be known, expanding your network of suppliers and potential customers.

Do you need a graphic designer for a new company logo or business cards?  A writer to compose your sales collateral?  Or are you looking to provide such services for the small business community?

Odds are someone in the community will be able to hook you up, while creating these connections on your own from a home office would be a more daunting task.

It’s not all bad

This isn’t to say that all telecommuting or working at home is bad.  There are certainly times when I’ve been more productive focusing on a planning or writing task by locking myself in my home office and letting my work phone go to voicemail for a few hours.  And I’ve appreciated the flexibility that has allowed me to work from home while nursing a sick kid.

Maybe Yahoo and Best Buy took their edicts too far, but I think they did have a point.

So, what’s your take? 

We’d love to hear your opinion:

• What type of work environment do you thrive in?
• Should Yahoo and Best Buy reverse, modify, or keep their bans on telecommuting?

JASCO, located in the Dublin Entrepreneurial Center, has been honored with a commendation from the Consul General of Japan in Detroit, recognizing its services to Japanese-American relations.  Read all about this prestigious recognition here