SMALL BIZ, STARTUPS & CROWDFUNDING THURSDAY IN-DEPTH: 50 Breaking News & Top Stories 8/7

• LegalSifter Helps Designers And Developers Read Their Contracts
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from TechCrunch » Startups
   If you are a freelancer, chances are you have to deal with quite a few legal documents when you get hired for a new project. But while it’s great to get to that stage, getting a lawyer involved to go over a $3,000 contract is...
• Electric Objects Finishes Its Run on Kickstarter and Scores Over $780,000
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Crowdfund Insider
  Revolutionary framed high-definition screen and integrated computer, Electric Objects’ EO1, has officially closed its crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter today (August 7th). The project’s 2,237 backers raised $784,719. The EO1 hangs on ...
• Two Tap Raises $2.7M Seed Round For Its “Shopping Cart For The Entire Internet”
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from TechCrunch » Startups
   Two Tap, a Y Combinator-back startup that aims to become the “shopping cart of the entire Internet,” today announced that it has raised a $2.7 million seed round from the likes of Khosla Ventures, SV Angel, former Visa ...
• Sproutling Smart Baby Monitor,Created by Apple / Google Alums, Launches Pretail Campaign
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Crowdfund Insider
  Sproutling is launching a pretail crowdfunding campaign for its Sproutling Baby Monitor, that claims to be the “world’s smartest baby monitor”.  Sproutling is aimed at helping parents navigate this “new adventure”...
• NY racing chief meets goals, gets $250K bonus
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from FoxSmallBusinessCenter.com
  The head of the New York Racing Association is getting a $250,000 bonus a year after taking over the state-controlled operator of three thoroughbred tracks.
• Wix Announces Revenue of $33.9 Million, New WixHotels
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Small Business Trends | small business experts
  Web-based cloud development platform Wix announced $33.9 million in revenue in its second quarter earnings report. The company also rolled out its latest app WixHotels specifically targeted at the small hotel industry. The earnings repre...
• 5 Insidious Ways Goal Setting Sucks the Life out of Entrepreneurs
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Inc.com
  How goal setting could be sabotaging your growth efforts.
• NudeAudio Super-M Bluetooth Speaker Raises Over $550,000 on Kickstarter
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Crowdfund Insider
  During the final days of its crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, NudeAudio Super-M reaches $556,389 from 5,578 backers. The device is a super-high performance Bluetooth speaker that is waterproof and sand proof that fits in any jeans p...
• 3 Ways to Take Advantage of Downtime
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Inc.com
  The dog days of summer are a great opportunity to reach out in ways you normally don't have time for
• Crowdsourcing to fund studies
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from CrowdFundBeat UK
  The story of a University of Oxford graduate who has crowdfunded her way to a master’s at the institution’s Wadham College has certainly divided opinion in the past few weeks. Emily-Rose Eastop, an “aspiring scientist, singer and hula-ho...
• Andreessen Horowitz Invests in ‘Big Data’ Analytics Firm Adatao
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from DealBook» Venture Capital
  The start-up is developing subscription-based software that lets companies search for patterns in the troves of data they collect in their regular course of business.
• Can You Pitch to Reporters on Social Media?
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from SmallBizTechnology
  Small business owners are often urged to network online, using sites like Twitter and LinkedIn to forge professional connections that help them as they build their businesses. As professionals strive to gain as much exposure as possible ...
• Kaspar Zhou, 500 Startups’ new guy in Jakarta, wants to get more aggressive in Indonesia
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Tech in Asia » Startups
  Kaspar Zhou does not look like an investment manager for one of the world’s largest venture capital and private equity firms. It’s a Wednesday afternoon at the German Brotzeit Bier Bar near the Somerset MRT station in downtown Singapore,...
• Changing perspectives in a world without barriers
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from SmallBusinessNewz
  From understanding consumer to understanding the relationship
• Leveraging Your Genius Via E-Commerce
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Inc.com
  Looking to sell a product or service online? Join the club. The good news is that the shopping cart is definitely half-empty.
• Good Technology Targets Small Businesses with BYOD Data Plan
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from eWeek - Small Business - RSS Feed
  The offering is aimed at SMBs looking to reduce the need for corporate data stipends and simultaneously protecting end-user personal privacy.
• 15 Surprisingly Inspirational Business Takeaways From Moneyball
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Inc.com
  A little entertainment, a little education, and a lot of inspiration. What's not to love?
• How 5 Minutes Worth of Effort Can Save Your Ego and Boost Your Business
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Inc.com
  Connecting with someone new? Take a few minutes to do your homework!
• New Game for Your Little Zuckerberg-in-Training
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Inc.com
  StartUp is a game of business strategy for kids and adults.
• Pivot3 Closes $12M Additional Funding
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from VC News Daily feed
  AUSTIN, TX, Leading supplier of hyper-converged infrastructure, announced today that it has closed a $12-million funding round.
• Digital Wallet Awareness High, Despite Low Consumer Adoption
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from eWeek - Small Business - RSS Feed
  Typical products purchased with digital wallets include coffee or drinks, retail items, games and books, as well as groceries.
• Gameface Media Secures $2.5M Series B
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from VC News Daily feed
  BOSTON, MA, Largest provider of free amateur sporting event photos in the world, today announced it had secured $2.5 million in an oversubscribed Series B funding round.
• Demographics to the Rescue: Why the Decline in Entrepreneurship Won't Last Long
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Inc.com
  Recent studies show that fewer new businesses are forming these days. Here's one reason you should be optimistic that trend will soon turn around.
• Weird Al Yankovic and the Anti-Marketing Mindset
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Inc.com
  You don't have to be a famous musician or celebrity to have success marketing your business. Here's what you can steal from a pro.
• What is Nofollow Attribute?
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from BizSugar Hot Topics
  Over the past nine years it has evolved into something much broader. Now the "nofollow attribute" is used widely for different situations on many different parts of websites, not just the comments area. We'll show you situation...
• The Burrito Principle + 11 More Unique Marketing Ideas
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from BizSugar Hot Topics
  How can a marketing idea or bit of advice stand out from the crowd? We've certainly been eager to experiment with answers to this question-headlines, timing, frequency, etc. How about giving your great marketing idea its own name? In thi...
• Content Marketing Success Starts with Your Blog!
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from BizSugar Hot Topics
  Updating your company's blog even just a couple of times a month can generate far more leads than you're currently seeing. 17 Vote(s)
• The IoT Supply Chain Company BT9 Reaps Over $2.4 Million in Committed Crowdfunds on OurCrowd
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Crowdfund Insider
  BT9, an Internet of Things (IoT) company enabling real time monitoring of the transport and storage of perishable products in order to provide actionable intelligence for optimizing food safety and drastically reducing waste, has secured...
• Ideas for Thanking Your Employees
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from BizSugar Hot Topics
  Here are a few ideas I have found companies using to thank their employees. I hope these give you a few ideas of your own. You should always be on the lookout for opportunities to thank your employees for great work. 16 Vote(s)
• 8 Words or Less: What’s Unique About You?
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Inc.com
  A contest to find the individuals, companies and products that have the best short brand message.
• 8 Great Websites, Communities and Organizations for Women in Business
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from BizSugar Hot Topics
  Are you a woman business owner looking for ways to grow your small business? Check out these 8 organizations that can help women in business. 17 Vote(s)
• Dr. B’s 9 Billion-Dollar Success Secrets
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Inc.com
  During his time at the helm of his technology and engineering business, Dr. J. Robert Beyster built a remarkably successful business. Here's how he did it.
• 5 Considerations Before Rebranding
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Inc.com
  Rebranding can be a challenge for any company. What should business owners know about effective rebranding when their companies' brands undergo a much needed change?
• This Tiny Offline Retailer Is Taking on Amazon, and Winning
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Inc.com
  How one entrepreneur intends to beat Amazon at its own game.
• 3 Big Myths About “Big Data”
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Inc.com
  With the current hype around big data, be careful not to fall for any of these big data myths.
• Why Your Company Should Be Using Responsive Design
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Small Business Trends | small business experts
  Is your website or e-commerce site using responsive design? If not, now’s the time to make a change. An increasing amount of Internet traffic is coming from mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. Not only are users doing social ...
• Can You Be a Good CEO and a Good Parent at the Same Time?
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Inc.com
  A CEO resigns to spend more time with his kids. Is he just admitting a truth no one likes to talk about -- being a successful executive and a good parent at once is impossible?
• Glassdoor Benefits Review Feature Tallies Employee Perks
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from eWeek - Small Business - RSS Feed
  Among the categories are health and wellness, such as insurance plans, financial and retirement benefits, vacation time and perks like free lunches.
• The Top 10 Questions to Ask Your Mentor
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from FoxSmallBusinessCenter.com
  So you finally mustered the nerve to ask a mentor for a cup of coffee. You’re sweating. You can feel pressure mounting. She strolls through the Starbucks door holding an Americano with two pumps of hazelnut in one hand and years of exper...
• BYOD Security: 5 Risk Prevention Strategies
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from FoxSmallBusinessCenter.com
  The BYOD (bring your own device) movement is going strong and shows no signs of disappearing any time soon. 
• Omnichannel Customer Service No Longer Optional
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from FoxSmallBusinessCenter.com
  Being a customer service representative in the digital age is both a blessing and a curse. 
• The Great Lakes: Home to 'South Bay Bessie' and the Most Active Angel Investors in the Country
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Inc.com
  Where are angel investors putting their money? It's not just about California anymore.
• 5 Entrepreneur Ideas That Investors See Too Often
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from BizSugar Hot Topics
  People are always asking me for an inside tip on Internet sites that will be "the next big thing." Those are hard, since someone has to invent something innovative, but I do have some views on other ideas whose time has come an...
• The Purpose Of A Business
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from BizSugar Hot Topics
  What's the purpose of a business? The purpose of a business according to Drucker is to create a customer. But what if it was so much more than that? This post shows why your business should stand for something. 16 Vote(s)
• Kate Middleton’s brother makes… edible selfies!
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Small Business
  The Duchess of Cambridge’s brother, James Middleton, hopes his business idea will get him the royal treatment: turning Instagram snaps into marshmallows.
• You’re the Boss Blog: Letting Someone Go With Dignity
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from NYT > Small Business
  At my first company, I made all of the classic mistakes, including at least 20 hiring errors. That meant that I got a lot of opportunities to practice what I have learned about letting people go. I have gotten better.
• Why It's Worth Making Time for This Lengthy Morning Ritual
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Inc.com
  The habit that will most help you focus and stay sane might initially sound like way too much of an effort.
• Help Is One Button Away With EduProtect The Fastest Personal Security Device In The World
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from TechFaster » Crowdfunding
  Imagine knowing if you ever found yourself in any unsafe situation that help was just a click of a button away. Even if you live in one of the safest areas in the world, there’s always that one chance something could go badly and i...
• This Singapore misfit is now kickstarting Australia’s space industry
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Tech in Asia » Startups
  Brian Lim was a destined by the system as a bottom feeder in Singapore. But now, he is kickstarting Australia's space industry.
• 5 Bad Facebook Habits That Make People Un-Like You
  Thursday, August 7, 2014 from Small Biz Daily
  By Adrienne Erin With over 1.2 billion monthly active users and the coveted 25-34 age group making up about 30 percent of its users, Facebook has become the cornerstone to most companies’ social media presence. Given Facebook’s penetrati...