Writing an Executive Summary for Your Business Plan

As promised, here's some advice on how to write the executive summary that you will provide to the panel of investors next week. Please plan on having enough copies for everyone--including students and myself. So plan on 30 copies total. I'm happy to pass these out for you as you prepare.


I've chosen this blog post from Guy Kawasaki and Bill Reichert, who are famous serial entrepreneurs, to explain your executive summaries. It's far better than any template or examples I could provide to you. Follow these rules and you'll have a strong executive summary that should easily be pulled from your business plans.

Unpaid bloggers sue Huffington Post, AOL

I noticed others have posted things about the build-up against Huffington Post and AOL for not paying thousands of writers/bloggers, but Politico is reporting that the writers have filed suit.

The lawsuit argues Arianna Huffington and the Post breached contract with at least some writers regarding an "implied promise" of compensation. The suit takes issue with the $315 million Huffington accepted as a buyout from AOL, arguing the latter likely would not have paid such a high sum "without the value (unpaid writers) created" through their work.

A spokesman for Huffington Post is quoted as saying the lawsuit is without merit, based on Huffington Post providing a platform that ensures bloggers' and writers' work will be read by "as many people as possible."

Brand You: How to Market Yourself

So in today's world, even if you have a job at a media corporation, you will need to create a "brand" for yourself. How you do that is up to you? But here is a good series from Innovative Interactivity to help you work through those issues.

Grants for your Website

This ehow article has some tips on where you can apply for grants to get your journalism site up and running.

Hannah Saunders

Amber Johnson-Weeks

Inspiring Videos on Investment, Press, Etc.

Guy Kawasaki on the "Art of the Start"

Guy Kawasaki is a serial entrepreneur. In this blog from Common Craft, they distill his lessons from the book "The Art of the Start." Some useful tips here for presentations!

How to Write a Great Business Plan

I know you all are going to start asking me for a "template" of how to write the business plan. There are many forms that business plans take. I've linked in another post to some of the Knight News Challenge proposals. But here is a book that you may want to consider purchasing .... or see if it is in the library. The Google preview may give you some good ideas as well.

Some Smart Advice That Hurts

Here's a great article about the myths about a college journalism education. We'll discuss this in class next Tuesday when I give you my hour-long schpiel about becoming a freelancer. But for now, read this, print it out, stick it up on your bathroom mirror because what's in it will help you not just as a college journalist but a journalist throughout the your life.

Knight News Challenge: Finalists and their Proposals

The Knight News Challenge has sent out letters to 28 lucky finalists. Here is the beginning of a list of the finalists and their proposals. If you are looking for ideas and templates to follow for your own business plans and proposals, you may want to take a look at these.

The Cloud That Rains Music

Amazon's newly launched cloud player is trying to outdo Apple's iTunes, by making your music available everywhere, (without synching your devices yourself) including your Android phone, because your music will be sitting "in the cloud". Click here to read more.

"Of the Web" not just on it...

Emily Low used to run the successful website for the Guardian, a leading newspaper in the U.K. She now runs the Tow Center at Columbia Journalism. In this interview with Neiman Labs, she discusses the philosophy behind the Guardian's push into digital content. A useful read, especially regarding the importance of technical skills.

Not what I was looking for but PACKED with good info

I'm still on the hunt for anything that gives me an idea of HOW MUCH money can be made with an ad network. But in my quest for said information I found this site. It's a list of 21 ad networks with a description of the ad format and relevant audience figures. It covers everything from in-text to widget ads and the previously unknown (to me) "advertorial" (not gonna lie...it's a little exhausting).
Still, it's definitely worth a look-see.

http://howtosplitanatom.com/news/21-great-advertising-networks-for-publishers/

A Huff Post blogger's take

In this blog post by Jeff Jarvis, the author is very defensive of the attacks made on Arianna Huffington by the New York Times. Jarvis shares his view that the NYT doesn’t understand the Huff Post and that there are multiple misconceptions about it. Jarvis addresses issues such as free content, aggregation, Arianna’s political stance and the idea of fun in journalism. Jarvis originally posted it on his own blog, but decided to post it on the Huffington Post even though it is the subject of his post. Jarvis’ commentary is another side to the NYT pay wall debacle and gives the view of an unpaid blogger at the Huff Post.

Kara Venturino-Eyde

Erin O'Connor