Natural Entrepreneur: What is the Natural Entrepreneur?

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Letter from the Editor

What is the Natural Entrepreneur?

Anyone who goes into business probably believes they have the instincts to make it successful. The elements of success are partially innate, partially learned, and perhaps partially luck. So, a natural entrepreneur is one who has some instinct for business, learns from his own and others’ experience, and is willing to try his or her luck at it. Many analogies to Nature also come to mind, when we speak about survival, growth, competition, and so on.

The mission of this newsletter is to help cultivate the natural instincts of entrepreneurs; to advise on best practices and tools that help young businesses survive, grow, and thrive; to share business resources and access to information; and to help foster a sense of community within the region by sharing experiences.

Natural Entrepreneur is the statewide electronic publication that specifically speaks to entrepreneurs in New Hampshire. And while there is a wealth of State and local resources to support business activity (which we’ll be sure to talk about over the coming months), our distinction is, we come to You, every two weeks, on your desktop. We also aim to be fun, informative, and interesting.

Why this focus on New Hampshire? While NH is a great place to live and work, the State is often overshadowed by our neighbor to the south, or lumped in with other States in the New England region. We’re not trying to be too parochial however. Rather, there is important self-interest in seeing greater business development specifically within New Hampshire, to grow local economies, strengthen our tax base, increase employment, and other advantages that accomplish a stronger economic development. NH-based companies, whether their market is local, national, or global, do not necessarily need to go out of State to find resources, staff, and professional advice.

And, while NH is big enough to have a lot of expertise and diversity in industry, it is still small enough for people to get to know who’s who. A newsletter like this most likely wouldn’t be possible in Massachusetts, or especially in New York or California, where it would be necessary to specialize in a specific industry or geographic region. Natural Entrepreneur hopes to foster this sense of community available in NH, with articles written by NH people, for NH people. These are your neighbors. If you want to follow up, you know where to find us.

Still, it is natural to ask, Why do a newsletter? Some short answers include,

We’ve spoken with a number of business people and entrepreneurs around the State who would appreciate the ability to more easily find resources, business tips, and networking events. They agreed an electronic newsletter format sounds valuable and would subscribe;
There is a significant amount of business expertise in New Hampshire. The newsletter offers an efficient publishing outlet to share experience and knowledge;
Businesses who serve the local business community can advertise and reach new customers;
Finally, it is a sustainable business model. Advertising-based electronic newsletters are a proven business model with low startup costs and minimal overhead.

According to the NH ELMIB “Vital Signs 2004” report, the rate of new business starts in New Hampshire is increasing. New Hampshire has over 33,000 businesses, where 95% have fewer than 50 employees, and 75% have fewer than 10 employees. And there are over 50,000 self-employed workers in the State. We aim to target readers across industries, including high tech, manufacturing, local services, or any other business that may serve local, national, or international markets.

There’s also an exciting level of events, programs, and other activities in the region aimed at entrepreneurs, such as the NH High Tech Council events, Gov. Benson’s Start Up NH Business Plan Contest, numerous industry and business organizations, and much more. There is a clear audience for these programs, and by association, the Natural Entrepreneur newsletter.

Further indication of the strength of this venture, we have assembled an distinguished Board of Advisors, composed of New Hampshire business experts and mentors, to participate in this project, representing business, academic, and public sector organizations across the State. The timing and conditions seem ripe for a communication vehicle like this newsletter.

Personally, I have several motivations for the newsletter. I am a serial entrepreneur, having started several companies over the years, with varying levels of success and exits. Like many of our contributors, I’m seeking a publishing outlet for my writing, something a little more formal than a personal Blog (web log), but more expedient than national publications. I’ve tremendously enjoyed participation in recent years with several local business and industry organizations which encourage new business development and entrepreneurship.

In the coming months, we’ll bring you insightful articles from NH business leaders and experts, with the aim of enhancing your chances of business success. We all get too much email these days, and most of it is junk. In contrast, I hope you’ll find Natural Entrepreneur to be one of those valuable and appreciated messages you get and actually read.

Jonathan Linowes
President and Editor
June 2, 2004

P.S. Please feel free to forward copies of our newsletter to your friends and colleagues, and encourage them to subscribe!

Upcoming Events

Feb 21 (8-9:30a): NH Forum on the Future, NHHTC, CR Sparks, Bedford, NH

March 1 (6:30-8:30p): Women's Business Center and MicroCredit-NH Networking Event, Bank of America, Portsmouth, NH

March 6 (10a-noon): Growth Capital Resources in New Hampshire, City of Nashua, Office of Economic Development, Daniel Webster College, Nashua, NH

March 8: (12pm -1pm) Break the Rules and Close More Sales, Amoskeag Business Incubator, Manchester, NH

March 16: Peak Pitch (pitch your plan to invstors on the chairlift), Mt. Sunapee, NH ($)

March 22: Breaking Trends in Web Develoment, UVCIA, Hanover, NH ($)

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