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November 5, 2009

Bold Ventures

Making hay with rural TV
When Patrick Gottsch first tried to launch a cable network aimed at rural viewers, it went bankrupt within a year. More than a decade later, he tried again, certain that agricultural programming and "Hee Haw" reruns would find an audience. He was right: Today RFD-TV reaches an audience of 40 million homes across more than 20 nations. Fast Company (11/2009)

Copier salesman finds a way to print money
After 20 years as a copier salesman in the U.K., Stephen Armistead realized there must be a market for all the used machines companies were replacing. He founded Trade Copiers to sell refurbished copiers to dealers around the world, especially in developing countries. Armistead says he can ship copiers to China for no more than the cost of delivery within the U.K. Telegraph (London) (10/31)

Finance & Growth

Does "slow and steady" really win the race?
Software entrepreneur Joel Spolsky writes that he used to worry that "the wheels would come flying off" if he let his company's growth get out of hand. Yet steady, predictable growth has its dangerous side, he warns. Software companies such as Ingres and Ami Pro disappeared despite their steady growth, he notes, because of faster-moving rivals. Inc. (11/2009)

CIT: Business as usual for now, but questions loom
Small-business lender CIT Group filed for bankruptcy protection on Sunday, late enough in the year that most businesses were already stocked for the holidays, Catherine Clifford notes. Still, no one is certain what the self-proclaimed "bridge between Wall Street and Main Street" will look like when it emerges from bankruptcy protection, forcing many entrepreneurs to scramble for alternatives, she writes. CNNMoney.com (11/3)

The Whole Entrepreneur

How to tell a $1 billion story
Marc Benioff, the co-founder of SalesForce.com, says articulating his vision was key to building a $1 billion company. He offers seven communication lessons for other entrepreneurs, including making friends with reporters and telling timeless stories. BusinessWeek (11/4)

Essay: Forget about work-life balance
Looking back on 30 years of marriage -- and 31 years of business -- Jay Goltz argues that there is no such thing as balance in an entrepreneur's life. Instead, "it is about compromise, choices and, often, regret," he writes. For Goltz, the key was redefining success in such a way that he could enjoy it once he achieved it. "Sometimes controlling your ambitions can be a good thing," he writes. The New York Times/You're the Boss blog (11/3)

Featured Content

SmartQuote

You didn't become an entrepreneur to be safe and reasonable."

--Joel Spolsky, CEO of Fog Creek Software, writing in Inc.

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