TechPoint launching new peer-to-peer network for founders
The Indiana Founders Network is intended to help entrepreneurs connect with peers for personal support and networking. The group’s kickoff event takes place in January.
Small Biz Organizations
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Elevate Ventures makes 3-year investment commitment to Bloomington, Columbus
Elevate Ventures, Bloomington-based incubator The Mill and the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce on Thursday announced they have entered a three-year agreement to invest $2.5 million to bolster the entrepreneurial ecosystems in Bartholomew, Brown and Monroe counties.
U.S. small business optimism hits highest level in history
Small businesses are increasingly optimistic as the economic expansion enters its 10th year and the Trump administration prioritizes industry deregulation and tax cuts.
Co-working haven Speak Easy names new executive director
After a period of rapid growth for The Speak Easy, Julie Heath wants to refocus its energies on membership development and providing startups in central Indiana the resources necessary to grow.
Speak Easy eyes new downtown operation
The Speak Easy, a 4-year-old co-working space near Broad Ripple that’s become one of the most popular entrepreneurial hubs in the region, is gearing up to expand downtown.
Executives, networking helped make 2015 a watershed year for VC funding
Many startups, here and elsewhere, secure venture capital funding by touting their market traction, revenue growth and other statistics, all in an effort to prove to investors that they’re good bets. However, a look behind the scenes of High Alpha and three other big venture deals last year suggests that, oftentimes, landing capital has more to do with relationships and luck than with metrics.
Small biz agency graduates first mini-MBA class
The Emerging Leaders program, managed by the Indiana SBA office, runs for seven months and targets entrepreneurs from historically challenged communities.
Businesses could save $327M if state pays off federal loan
Businesses will pay $126 per employee to the federal government next year if the state doesn’t pay off a loan that propped up the unemployment program during the Great Recession before Nov. 10.
Startup haven Speak Easy taps new executive director
Danielle McDowell, 31, is best known locally for co-founding and selling hair products website Loxa Beauty to an industry giant in 2013.
Springer picked to head small business operation
Indiana's Office of Small Business Entrepreneurship has picked a new director for its efforts to provide contracts to small businesses.
New co-working space bucking the tech trend
The Grindery is opening soon on Martin Luther King Jr. Street, and it has a slightly different character from the other shared-space sites that have popped up in recent years.
Small biz lending starting to thaw
More small businesses in Indiana are securing loans as owners learn to present their companies better and banks warm to small-business lending after years of hesitation.
Indiana small business caucus meeting across state
The General Assembly's Small Business Caucus will host town halls across northern, central and southern Indiana beginning in early August and continuing through mid-September.
Small-business group absorbed by state was ailing
Gov. Mike Pence in June signed an executive order that folded a tiny northern Indiana not-for-profit called Partners in Contracting Corp. into a new state Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship. What he didn’t say was that Partners in Contracting was in trouble and likely would have folded operations had the state not stepped in.
Indiana SBA lending drops in 2012, but still exceeds 2010
Indiana businesses borrowed $424.7 million through U.S. Small Business Administration programs in 2012, an 18-percent decline from 2011, latest SBA statistics show.
Satellite training sites give entrepreneurship agency a boost
Participation at Business Ownership Initiative-led training sessions is up nearly 30 percent so far this year as more Hoosiers start businesses of their own. Executive Director Julie Grice is looking for more counselors and money.
Develop Indy and partner will focus on small business support
Business Ownership Initiative of Central Indiana focuses on one-on-one counseling, capital access.
Development groups form alliance
Business Ownership Initiative of Indiana has big plans for its 15th year, including a new location, a new partner and a new strategy for delivering its services.
Small biz outlook: All doom and gloom?
The National Small Business Association’s 2011 Mid-Year Economic Report, released Wednesday, shows that small-business owners are losing confidence in an economic recovery.
Small Business Administration announces top state lender
The Indiana Statewide Certified Development Corp. has been recognized as the most robust lender through the SBA’s 504 loan program.