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Jun 18 2020

LaunchNET News: Support for your Summer Side Hustles

We coach Kent State founders, innovators, dreamers, and doers!
The latest & greatest from LaunchNET Kent State
Creating a community of Kent State makers, innovators, creators, collaborators, and business owners.
We are open and happy to assist you with any advising and business questions you may have.
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News & Announcements
LaunchNET helping high school students succeed in their businesses
Julie & Tabitha from the LaunchNET Kent State team mentioned as judges for the Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio virtual 2020 JA Entrepreneurship Challenge & Expo.

We are working to help all students gain useful skills and knowledge from entrepreneurial endeavors! 
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Build your network! Connect with mentors!
Flash Mentors is a new program being piloted by LaunchNET to connect Kent State students with professionals who can help answer questions about careers, ventures, and specific topics.

We now have community boards for All the CEO Ladies, Entrepreneurial Help & Resources, and we are starting one focused on the Arts.

Have an idea for a community? Let us know!
Sign up now
EEC Side Hustle summer program
Although the microgrants are not available any longer, anyone can participate in the sessions!

Virtual workshops are free and open to all students. Registration required.

Who are my customers and where are they?
June 17, 4pm - Register
Should I think bigger? Am I leaving money on the table?
June 23, 4pm - Register
How can I sell online?
June 25, 4pm - Register
How do I incorporate my business and protect my idea?
June 29, 4pm - Register
What's my Profit Plan?
July 1, 4pm - Register
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A letter from the editors: Our Bootstrap Obsession – The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

Let each of us own our success, exhibit the risk-taking, grit, and determination it takes to forge our own paths to define and achieve it, but with the recognition that we don’t get there alone.
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The Advocate's 2020 Champions of Pride Come to Life in AR Experience
CONGRATULATIONS to our friend and Kent State colleague, NJ Akbar, for being named a Champion of Pride!!
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Competitions, Events, Opportunities
Each month we spotlight a WBC member followed by networking between small business owners. The member will share information about their business and the services and products they offer. Learn about what projects and programs the WBC has upcoming and how you can become a member of our growing small business network. This Month the Spotlight Member is Antoinette Worsham, Founder and CEO of Medical RevCycle Management and T1Diabetes Journey Inc.
Through our two-year, full-time Fellowship, we find people working on a plan to make the world better in a big way. Then we help them become impactful leaders by connecting them with the tools, resources, and communities they need to bring their ideas to life.
The Masterclass certification is for those wanting to earn a living as an intercultural trainer OR those who wish to bring 'trainer level’ knowledge back to their organization.
Ingenuity Cleveland is pleased to accept nominations for organizations and people making a difference in our community. 

Ignite! Impact Awards honor budding entrepreneurs and creatives promoting social impact through creativity and the arts.  Ignite! Impact Award Winners are typically people who are traditionally underrepresented in entrepreneurship, including women, minorities, and people of diverse backgrounds and/or abilities. Ignite! impact awards proactively help build equity in our creative and entrepreneurship communities.
Application Deadline: August 26, 2020
gBETA is a program of nationally ranked startup accelerator gener8tor. gBETA is a free, seven-week accelerator for early-stage companies with local roots. Each program is capped at five teams, and requires no fees and no equity. 
To be considered for the cohort:
  • Entrepreneurs who live or work in the city of Cleveland and its neighborhoods
  • Entrepreneurs outside of Cleveland who are currently impacting (in a significant way) the citizens of the city of Cleveland or will impact the city of Cleveland via job growth over the next 18-24 months.
  • Must have met with one of our business advisers to be considered; appointments to meet with an advisor must take place by August 3, 2020.
  • Ideal candidates are businesses generating more than $25,000 in annual revenue.
Applications Close – 8/3/2020
Amplifying  voices in our community - especially those of color - is more important than ever, and the #VoicesofCLE public art initiative is a call to action for local artists and creators to inspire, communicate and represent through their medium. This effort is meant to provide a platform for freedom of expression and encourage healing while also sparking conversation and action, here and now, as we unite to move Cleveland forward.

Pitbull, worldwide entertainer and entrepreneur, is committed to helping Latino and Latina entrepreneurs keep their ventures alive during the COVID-19 shutdown.

"I know that being an entrepreneur is hard. I grew up in the streets and I know how real it is but I believe that we will win," said Armando Christian "Pitbull" Perez. "That's why we're not just here to talk about it. We're here to be about it."
 Case Western Reserve University is hosting a variety of free online conversations with entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, etc. over the course of the summer. 
It's time to share your voice. An Akimbo Workshop with Alex DiPalma.
Business Resources

Do you have a Facebook shop yet??

Here's a 5 step guide on how to sell on Facebook and set up a Facebook Shop page the quickest way possible. Selling on Facebook demystified here!
Securing a grip on Instagram's algorithms is challenging because it's in a constant state of change. The algorithms are what determine whether or not your target audiences see your posts. Ways to beat the algorithm continue to saturate the Internet. But how do you know what works? 

The birthplace of rock is just the third city to run a Backline program. The program is put on by Milwaukee-based gener8tor, which is also behind the gBETA small-business pre-accelerator startup programs.
A podcast content series to help all entrepreneurs sleep a little better at night. Hosted by #StartinCLE founder, Ed Bucholtz.
In order to truly achieve sales success as an entrepreneur, you need to have a deliberate plan that will allow you to attract customers. In this video, I go over some of my tips for coming up with your own sales plan.
Specifically for Black/Brown women professionals, visionaries, creatives, and aspiring business owners, small business owners, and entrepreneurs.
Let's be in community while quarantined.
The Ohio RISE Survey is a statewide research initiative to understand the impact of COVID-19 on Black women business owners in the state of Ohio. ByThe Alliance of Black Businesswomen and Entrepreneurs of Ohio. 
Getting Through Together
The Kent State community is banding together to provide the resources and research necessary to aid in the fight against coronavirus. Learn more about the ways our students and faculty are helping others.

Listed is the Black-Owned Businesses Directory based on categories that are openly ready and available for you to shop their products and services.
Join the SBA Cleveland District Office, the IRS, and the U.S. Department of Labor to discuss Corona Virus Tax Relief for employers and business owners.

During this webinar, you'll learn about the Employee Retention Credit, and Paid Sick Leave, and Paid Child Care Leave. These programs offer a credit on employment taxes to business owners who participate.
These 10 apps and directories help you find Black-owned businesses to support in your community. 

Racism, police brutality, and systemic oppression all impact Black mental health. These mental health resources for Black women can be used during the Black Lives Matter protests.
Here’s the thing: diversity and inclusion work is a marathon, not a sprint.

Of the many things we miss from our pre-pandemic lives, hugging may top the list. We asked scientists who study airborne viruses to teach us the safest way to hug.

Resources for creating your own podcast.

Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Meghan Meeker, Director of Social Media and Engagement at Amp Strategy, will be sharing social media best practices for dealing with difficult things on social media, pesky trolls, and chatting and best practices for making great content.
Keep on Learning
How to Transform Your LinkedIn Presence So It's Not Just a Resume

Learn how Michaela Alexis built a mega personal brand on LinkedIn based on lessons she learned when one of her posts went viral – Content Marketing Institute
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