This is a business forum targeted to manufacturers, and companies interested in export. It explores how innovation and creativity leads to business growth and international trade.

Best practices will be shared by the following companies:

• Piller Meats
• Virox
• FTG

The Hon. Perrin Beatty, President of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and David Pascoe VP of Magna, E-car systems, are the keynotes speakers.

Event Details: Tues. October 5^th, 8:00am – 1:30pm, Mississauga Convention Centre.

Registration: http://www.innovate2global.com/

It turns out, however, that the best managed enterprises don’t just recognize the flowers among the weeds; they mow down a lot of the flowers, too.

There is a tendency to want to chase after and monetize all of our different ideas, but with finite resources this is impossible. As this article suggests, one should employ at least two filters on ideas. First throwing out the bad ideas, and second tossing out “the good ideas that aren’t quite good enough to justify a thinner spread of resources, a greater diffusion of focus, and possibly a more complex customer experience.”

This is especially true for startups. You have to be ruthless with your ideas and stay focused or pivot based on new learning that tell you one of your ideas is better to pursue! I have seen too many companies try to do too much and blow their brains out (and their investors money up!), failing to accomplish anything meaningful. Simply because something could be a good thing to pursue, doesn’t mean it should be pursued.

publishing very useful papers on and resources for the Angel and entrepreneurial communities. Today I came across two articles of his that map the early-stage technology investor ecosystems in Silicon Valley and Boston. I have copied the Silicon Valley map below for reference, but these maps are better viewed from Lerner’s own websits, which I recommend you visit anyway.

These maps, initially started by Lerner, have been augmented by feedback from the investor communities in both areas and are a great tool for both Angels seeking potential co-investors in a specific region or entrepreneur seeking strategic investors for the same. Thank you, David, for this very useful resource.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Entrepreneurs must always remember that angels, acting alone or in groups, are all individuals, with their own motivations for and interests in investing.

Some angels will only invest in one industry. Some angels will invest in many industries. Some angels will be extremely hands on – even taking senior roles within their investee company – mentoring the company and leveraging their network and expertise to help insure its success. Some angels will invest in a company and leave it to other investors to help ensure the company’s success. No one size or set of motivations describes all angels.

That said, there are a few things that all investors will look for in their potential investments; or at least should be looking for. I usually sum these things up as the “3 T’s” – being Team, Traction and Technology (Read more about the 3 T’s and their relationship to the failure modes of investee companies here.).

The Wall Street Journal in an interview with Susan Preston on April 25th, How to Win Angel Funding, did an excellent job of rounding out the investment criteria of angels. Every entrepreneur seeking capital should review this article to ensure their opportunity, at the very least, meets all of the criteria set out in the article. These include:

A solid potential for return.

A good plan for the cash.

A winning attitude.

A seasoned team.

A competitive edge.

A well-defined exit strategy.

With a market for private investment capital characterised by extreme scarcity, demand far exceeding supply, an entrepreneur cannot afford to approach investors without having satisfied all of these criteria. If you have not met these, I would suggest that you will have an exceptionally hard time securing capital as, in a market such as ours today, even companies that have met and far exceeded these base criteria are having a difficult time securing capital.

Past Fusion Workshop facilitator, John Miers a celebrated communications expert, has just released a new book: “Hit Me Again!… I Can Still Hear Him!: The Secrets of Superb Public Speaking.”

In this book, John Miers explains his singular approach to business speaking – helping speakers discover how to be less self-conscious and more natural while communicating.

John Miers helps people build on their unique personality to become more informal and relaxed. He likens it to having a conversation with a few close friends, a situation where none of us worry about how we present ourselves.

This books shows you in simply, well explained steps how to become an effective natural public speaker.

If the workshop facilitated by Mr. Miers is any indication, this book will be full of tips essential for any CEO.

I often get calls asking for help in coaching CEOs on how to pitch to investors or customers. Might I humbly suggest that this be your first step?