FountainBlue's Clean Energy Entrepreneus' Forum

Successful Entrepreneurs Stories

June 4, 2007

Thank you to our sponsors at DLA Piper and PeopleConnect!

Below is the compiled advice from our speakers:

Advice to Entrepreneurs:

• Focus on the needs of the customer/the market opportunity overall
  • Know your market as a primary customer if necessary
• Finding money is the greatest challenge for early stage, pre-funded companies
• Quarter over quarter increases in revenues are challenges for later-stage companies

To help find money, continue to create value, quarter over quarter:

• Focus on customer needs/market trends and opportunities
• Think outside the box for these opportunities rather than enter into a saturated market
• Rewrite your business plan based on changes in customer/market needs/government regulations, etc.,
• Hire the right people and keep them engaged
• Believe in yourself and your vision. Be persistent and don't give in the towel.
• Enlist the right partners, supporters and advisers.
• Think through where the challenges may arise, even if you think that it's in an area where you/your team are solid.
• Ask for advice from everyone

Interesting market opportunities might include:

• Materials solutions:
  • New carpets, cements, desks, glass, metals and other common materials which are better designed for manufacturing and usage
• Fuel solutions
  • Jatropha, Castor Oil, algae and other fuel options which are plentiful, grow in varied environments, and are not sources of food
  • Solar, wind, hydro, thermal and other alternatives to coal
• Solar solutions:
  • Poorly designed products and processes which make it difficult to deliver solar solutions
• Other
  • Clean water solutions