The “BuZZ”

Building your network over lunch! Meet an angel investor! Make a great impression for a business incubator!

Last week was a post on The Three on Top –  some of latest technologies in agriculture.

As a blog that covers many topics, tech4agri ispleased to bring to you the “NEW’ Buzz words of the entrepreneurial world. Buzz words refer to phrases that are on trend or have become popular in a given field. In that sense buzz words are short lived however they are dynamic enough to contribute to shaping an industry.

Buzz words indicate where development is heading. As such start ups or businesses that are ready for investment are advised to keep up to date on these trends which would contribute to their much needed progression.

Stemming from the The 5th Global Forum on Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship which was held in East London, South Africa, from 28 – 30 May, 2013, here are some up to date buzz words from the entrepreneurial sphere:

Angel Investors – These are wealthy individuals who provide capital for a your business start up usually in exchange for a stake in/ownership of your community. This is usually done informally therefore your business must be quite innovative and sustainable in order to generate an angel investor’s interest. At times. there are groups of these person,s as they pool resources which means even better odds of success for you and yours.

Business Incubators – According to social media powerhouse, wikipedia, these are programs designed to support the successful development of entrepreneurial companies through an array of business support resources and services, developed and orchestrated by incubator management and offered both in the incubator and through its network of contacts. An invaluable service it is, however your business must be on point in order to be provided with this service. Many of these outlets are available in Africa which is seeing unbelievably fast growth in business, industry and commerce.

Social Good Projects – these are ventures, businesses and group projects aimed at helping a specific community or at risk group. Its aim is not necessarily to earn profit but to earn an income from what one is passionate about –>>this is what tech4agri aims to be: a social enterprise in agriculture for youth!

The Dragon’s Den – If you haven’t seen it already, you’re missing out! With names such as Shark tank and Dragon’s Den, one gets the idea of a high pressured situation. In this case entrepreneurs of every kind must pitch their ideas in hopes of receiving investment directly from the judges themselves. At the Global Forum there was a live event such as this for 20 entrepreneurs all with powerful ideas. Even so…..by no means is it easy to convince someone to give their money to you for your goals.

Partnership and Networking – Tried and true, these buzz words remain a long standing part of the sector and they will be for a long time to come.

Seed Money – Do you have to ask?! That all important investment money for start – ups and small business that are ready to expand.

Mentorship – We young people need all the help we can get. Nothing beats experience and mentorship brings that to the fingertips of the leaders of tomorrow. Similar to partnership and networking, the buzz word is a long standing member of the community…however it has for some reason become increasingly difficult to attain…what do you think?

It’s over! You’ve just been updated by tech4agri! Have a great week!