Quoting Jessica Dickler, CNNMoney.com staff writer;
“CNNMoney.com asked several venture capitalists to reveal what they look for in entrepreneurs before they will even consider investing in their start up. And for the most part, they were all in complete agreement.”
Passion
“Aside from the usual paper trail of credentials, the most important thing is that [entrepreneurs] have a great passion for the idea”
Focus
Beyond a passion for a specific idea, the VCs agreed that “a founder must be seriously committed to making the business a success”
People
Almost as important as the individual driving the business is the team of people backing it up.
Innovation
It may be …read more

As a follow up to the Top Ten Tips for Writing Your Business Plan, here are excerpts explaining a Standard Business Plan Format from Business Week “Business Tools and Advice.”
Certainly worth the click-through for a full and complete explanation.
Cover page. The cover page should be professional and informative and should contain an appropriate confidentiality legend.
Executive summary. The executive summary is the introduction to your business plan and the most vital section.
The company description. This should convey a sense of the history of the company, as well as its goals.
Management. The management section of the plan identifies key members of the …read more

For those of you who are contemplating entering b5’s “Jump Start Your Business” contest BusinessWeek’s Business Tools and Advice section has;
Top 10 Tips for Writing Your Business Plan

Create A Vision – “Once you have a clear road map for your business, you can plan your journey with more confidence.”
A Budget Isn’t The Same Thing As A Plan – “A budget should be the product of all the other elements in your plan.”
Don’t Ignore Your Customers – “Take the time to learn about your customers, and build your business plan around their needs and desires.”
Don’t Shortchange The Competition – “If you …read more

Do you want to start a new business? Do you have a plan? If you have a plan, share it with b5’s Business Channel and you might find yourself winning some invaluable help to jump start your business into success! Here’s the scoop… (yes, absolutely copied from Taxgirl)
Jump Start Your Business!

Thinking of starting a new business? Need help with a business that you just started? Enter our “Jump Start Your Business” contest and win a b5media Prize Pack valued at more than $3000 including free financial software, merchandise and valuable business advice from the business professionals at …read more