John Pleasants, formerly of Electronic Arts, has been named the CEO of Playdom — one of the hottest online startup companies in existence. The makers of the famous “Mobsters” game, Playdom is regarded as the quickest growing social gaming company in the world.

While with Electronic Arts, Pleasants was the former President, COO and Global Publishing.

Said Pleasants: “I’m thrilled to join Playdom. Online gaming is the fastest-growing sector of the gaming industry, and social gaming, in particular, is transforming the way people play and experience games. With its expertise understanding player behavior, Playdom is uniquely well positioned to lead the industry. Playdom is also an angel- and self-funded growth company, making it a standout in any industry.”

Dan Yue, who was Playdom’s CEO before the hiring of Pleasants, will become the company’s Chief Product Officer.

Said Yue: “We’re experiencing tremendous growth in all areas of our business. John’s operational expertise and strong industry relationships will be key to scaling the company quickly and forging the right partnerships. Moreover, John’s vision for the future of social gaming aligns strongly with my own. I look forward to working closely with him to deliver a bigger, bolder social gaming experience to our players.”

Layoffs in any business are difficult to deal with. Layoffs in a startup business are extremely hard to deal with because every employee will start wondering about their job security and the health of the company. Unfortunately, in this economy, many times layoffs are unavoidable.

If you have a startup business and you need a few tips on how to best deal with layoffs, here are a few guidelines:

Give Notice
If at all possible, give the people who are getting laid off as much notice as possible. This will lessen the shock of the layoff and give the employee more time to look for another job.

Explain the Reasoning
If you have to lay someone off, there’s probably a reason why. While it will still be a bad day for the person getting laid off, if you give him or her a valid explanation, they will be able to deal with it better.

Offer to Help
You don’t have to do the legwork but at least offer to help the laid off employee find a new job. You can give a recommendation if need be and perhaps even contact some other companies in your industry to seek job opening.

Be Honest
With the rest of the employees at your startup business, honesty is the best policy. Don’t try to hide financial woes or pretend business is better than it actually is at the moment. Instead, explain the exact situation in which the business stands.

Layoffs are Difficult (Image: Flickr)

In this podcast of Success Secrets, I interview Betsy MacKinnon, VP of Marketing & Communications at Inquisix.com

Inquisix is a wonderful new startup which may have the answer to the ongoing problem of finding an online networking group that focuses on business and business development.

Listen in to find out how you can become of of this company’s beta testers.

Image credit: Inquisix.com

I don’t know about you, but when I am up in the wee hours of the night, I am seeing a lot of infomercials telling people now is the best time to start a business.

I’m seeing such statements on many blogs and social media sites. But I wonder, is it really true? Or just some hype?

It’s easy to point to the latter. Times are tough and people are scared that their jobs may disappear (if they haven’t already). So having a plan B is always a good idea. But should that be starting a business?

Perhaps. If you are willing to do the work.

The many get rich with your own business ads are schemes: multi-level marketing/pyramid, or the how-tos offered often give you a taste of what you SHOULD be doing, but never the REAL secret sauce: how to make it really profitable.

Here’s why: ads and promotions like this tell you it’s easy. It’s not.

It takes a lot of hard work - probably more work than your typical job. And you MUST be willing to work long hours, including learning things like marketing, bookkeeping etc, that you may have never had to do before.

So is it possible to start a business in a recession? Sure, thousands have done it. But ask them how, and they won’t tell you it was easy.

Image credit: munny_makin, on Flickr

As Barak Obama begins his new career, all eyes are watching to see how well he does in his first 100 days in office.

And already there are questions and concerns on what he can really accomplish in a little more than 3 months.

It got me wondering, can anyone accomplish a lot in their first 100 days?

As an entrepreneur who’s starting a business, it can seem like a daunting task at first. But if you follow some of the same steps President Obama has, you will surely make an impact!

• Set objectives and goals. It’s very clear what’s on Obama’s agenda and what he hopes to deal with first.
• Gather a team that will help you. No one can do it alone. Find the help you need, whether they are advisers, staff, or volunteers and interns to get the jobs done.
• Be realistic. You’re not going to get everything done that you want in 100 days. Setting priorities is just as important as the goals you want to achieve.
• Communicate. Share as much information as you can and keep the dialogue open with your team.
• Celebrate. When you achieve a goal, celebrate a little. At least a high-five is in order.

Can you make it work? Yes, you can.

image credit: Haneybabe, on Flickr

Thanks so much for being a reader here at Startup Spark. It’s time to celebrate, and one of the ways I do it is to give you a couple PR gifts as well:

So whether your question is on how to write a release, or even helping you find a newsworthy idea to pitch to the media, I’ll be helping you for free… if you make the call.

To register for the NOON call, go to https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/schedule/display.do?udc=103rcboobfagy

To register for the 8 PM call, go to https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/schedule/display.do?udc=xf6qjr5f3s1z

And for an extra PR boost, don’t forget to download a free press release. Please visit http://www.beheardsolutions.com/holidaygifts20081TO.htm

Image credit: bpitzer20, on Flickr

For more than a couple of years, I have been looking for a networking/mastermind group of entrepreneurs. You know, people you might do business with - or help you find business, but more importantly, people who understand and can give you some advice and support once in a while.

Heck, it’s lonely being a solo entrepreneur!

I’ve tried BNI and even a local networking group, but both really didn’t have entrepreneurs in mind.

I’ve checked on Meetups, but nothing seems like it fits right.

You see, I’m an entrepreneur that works from my home. Many small business owners don’t get me. I think part of it is that they think I need a traditional office in order to be serious about my work.

And I understand why. I’ve met many people who have businesses from their home, and at least around my parts, they aren’t very serious about their businesses.

So what’s a gal to do? Perhaps create her own group?

If you’re having the same kind of issues finding a networking/mastermind group, let me know by leaving a comment and perhaps it’s time that we join forces.

Image credit: JMichaelSullivan, on Flickr

I understand why the car companies need want a bailout. And certainly their new video is compelling. (How much did that one cost ya’ GM? Could you have saved a few hundred thousand dollars by not having a PR firm whip it up for you? Take a look at the video below and tell me what you think!)

But does that money really make a difference to a large corporation that will probably go under anyway? Or would the money be better spent elsewhere?

Perhaps by providing a small business stimulus package to millions of small businesses that employ the majority of people in the US?  Perhaps give some money for the SBA to guarantee more small business loans? Perhaps help them provide affordable health care to staff?

More than half of current small business owners are having some cash flow problems. That’s according to the most recent American Express small business survey of 768 owners of small businesses, defined by companies with fewer than 100 employees.

And unlike other surveys, more than a third are feeling the pinch of a tightening economy. So what are they going to do about it?

Those responding to the survey said they will be accepting lower margins on sales, work longer hours, as well as cut capital and marketing expenses in the near future.

Maintaining current business and sources of revenue (35 percent of respondents) has replaced growth (29 percent) as the number one priority of business owners. 

A new survey shows that small business owners are optimistic - but realistic - about business growth during this economic downturn.

Intuit’s lastest Small Business and the Economy survey found that more than 80 percent of the business owners surveyed see opportunities for their businesses. And 64 percent expect to grow.

More than 67 percent are worrying, however, about how they will get new customers and clients. And more than half (60 percent) are planning to reduce costs.

And for the second month in a row, the Small Business Optimism Index has actually gone up, signifying that small business owners are feeling more optimistic.

I’ll admit, I am probably with these folks.   I think things will be fine, but know that getting new customers is going to be tougher than ever.

So what do you think?