Investors of the 21st Century

Reid Hoffman is an Entrepreneur, Product Strategist and Investor. He is currently the partner of Greylock, Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of Linked In as well as much more.  His focus ranges from product development, business operations to strong knowledge in young companies and their growth.  Reid’s expertise is something that continues to grow with the innovation of online marketing as companies find new innovated ideas to stop one step ahead of their competitors.  Greylock is a private equity firm, which Ried serves on the Zynga board. “James Slavet and I partner on Greylock's investments in Groupon and Coupons.com.” All of the companies we know so well and use in our every day life.

In an article Reid wrote for TechCrunch speaking how to develop a business plan.  With ever changing technology and more consumers wanting information now as well as the Internet being a place to search for anything, Reid asks several important questions.

       How will you reach a massive audience?

<!   What is your unique value proposition?

       Will your business be capital efficient?

All of these questions lead to keep a new business in a growing direction. Today’s audience is extremely large and being able to reach a large audience in the most effective manor is crucial. In addition, he asks what makes one’s new business stand out and have unique value? Why would one want to choose a new business over a long time standing business? In the end, will one have the cash flow? No business can survive without cash flow. One must ask themselves, will I make money?

I believe these are the top three questions a new business owner should think about. If all of these questions can be answered in a well thought out manor, then one’s business will be a success! Reid stays ahead of the curve and focuses on each ventures strengths individually, IE: Facebook, Linkin, keeping each audience separate, but yet open.

http://www.360digitalartist.com/business-plans-experts/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/reidhoffman

http://techcrunch.com/2010/09/27/greylock-gives-super-angel-turned-vc-reid-hoffman-a-20-million-seed-fund/

David Stock has started several companies, many which have gone public all before the age of 22 years old. He specializes in software technology and serves on numerous boards for a variety of companies. He has learned to stay in a company in when things are not looking on the bright side. David pushes through and with determination is an extremely successful investor.  

Davids’s focuses on how investors value start up companies with eight key ideas.  Of the eight the top three are:

<!    Understanding how startups are valued

<!    Identify your specific risks
        Look for quick ways to Mitigate Risks before fundraising

David’s expertise is in lowering the risks as the value of one’s business increases. Set expectations that are realistic and obtainable. Many business ventures fail due to milestones not being met as they are set unrealistically.

“I have one final comment: success at raising money does not equal business success. I have generally found that it is far easier to raise money than it is to get paying customers. If you have just raised a round at a great valuation, don’t confuse this with real success in business. That only comes from selling your product to lots of customers!” David Stock http://www.360digitalartist.com/business-plans-experts/

http://www.360digitalartist.com/business-plans-experts/

http://www.matrixpartners.com/site/team_detail/david_skok/

Social Media Marketing in the Entertainment Industry

VERVE Management’s CEO of, Ryan Kristopher, is a powerful company focusing on the future of Social Media. Companies are not hiring Social Media Directors as there is more and more time being spent on Social Media Marketing. Whether one has an established company or a start up business, one can gain a large amount of exposure and understanding through Verve Management. Verve Management creates custom strategies for social media marketing and also leverages, blogs, Youtube, Facebook and Twitter. I believe the Verve Management is headed in the right direction to assist companies in taking on the social media buzz. It is not an easy task to measure social media or “soft metrics” and see the it affects a business’s bottom line.

Having creative and direct content in one’s website is extremely important and understanding how the relevant content can affect a business’s exposure. Verve Management includes the option for consulting on the one’s website’s content to ensure the best information is showcased. One must remember to engage, entertain and inform their audience while creating an increase in their bottom line. As many of us know, social media is not the easiest to see how it affects the bottom line. We as consumers do depend on social media for others thoughts and recommendations therefore it is the consumer’s duty to make sure their reputation is being monitored in the digital world.

I firmly believe Verve Management services offers the edge to business, which allow the entertainment industry to keep on the edge of technology. I would love to see them branch out into more mobile consulting. With statistics such as; consumers check their smart phone 40 times a day, 1 in 5 people purchase something on their smartphone, having an m.site (smartphone web version) is extremely important. More and more people are using Ipads, Iphones rather than laptops and computers. Mobile traffic is continuing to grow and will soon out reach everyday computers. In addition to social media marketing, mobile marketing is quickly growing to surpass social media. We as consumers and business owners need to be where the consumer is, ever changing as time changes. 

Contemporary Christian Female Musicians are shaping the Industry

Promoting Contemporary Christian Artists in today’s entertainment industry is not a straightforward undertaking. The Christian Community can be a narrow audience where artists are not paid a tremendous amount of money. Most artists receive exposure due to the free local events they cover. The industry is changing, many artists including, Francesca Battistelli, Collin Raye, Kutless and many others are evolving Christian Music to be spread among many genres of music.  The number of women only bands and solo female artists are on an upswing, truly moving the music market on the radio, concerts, and sales.

The most popular solo female Christian musician in 2011 was Francesca Battistelli. “Her combination of jazz, blues, and pop make her the perfect Christian alternative to a secular artist like Sara Bareilles, and the sheer classiness of her sound has won her a huge audience and shows her evident passion for music”. (Logan)

These trends are sticking around and rising as Christian Women are continuing to stay true to oneself, keeping their eyes and hear focused on God. They are staying grounded and not allowing the entertainment buzz of paparazzi and tabloids to show the artists in that light.  These artists are full of faith, worship and hope; with top tracks including lyrics about faith, life and the pain in the world.  All of these women are ambitious and nothing in their life allows them to stop what they enjoy most. Keep your eyes out for the top five female singers as they continue to rise.

1.       Francesca Battistelli

2.       Britt Nicole

3.       Brooke Barrett Smith

4.       Krystal Meyers

5.       Stephanie Smith

As a faithful Christian who enjoys music and a large fan of Francesa Battistelli, JM Productions, LLC will focus on keeping these talented Christian based musicians in the right line of light. JM Productions will continue in growing their exposure and creative ability allowing the artists to shine through their music.  

http://www.newreleasetuesday.com/article.php?article_id=176

http://www.mademan.com/mm/top-5-young-female-contemporary-christian-singers.html

http://www.mademan.com/mm/top-5-young-female-contemporary-christian-singers.html