i3m Blog

Getting advice and investment for your startup

Jan 032013

Tanya Combrinck talks to North-East-based venture capitalist Jonathan Gold about what UK technology startups need to know when looking for advice and raising capital

This article first appeared in the January 2012 issue (#223) of .net magazine – the world’s best-selling magazine for web designers and developers.

.net: What does a new business need to do to appeal to you as investor?

JG: It’s about communication and having a clear vision of what your business is, not what the product is. A common mistake technology companies make is that they spend too long telling us about how wonderful the product is, but they forget that investors don’t want the product, they want a piece of the business, and all too often that’s what’s missing. So people need to have a better understanding of how the finances of the business are going to work.

The cliché is that venture capitalists are looking for a great innovative product and an investable team, so people forget about decisions such as where to rent offices, or whether to buy or lease a piece of equipment. All those decisions have a financial consequence, and those things are commonly left out.

MORE: Getting advice and investment for your startup | Interview | .net magazine.

HTML5 Inches Closer to the Finish Line

Internet News, Tech News 232 Responses »

Jan 032013

The W3C has an early Christmas present for web developers: The standards body that oversees the lingua franca of the web has published the complete definition of the HTML5 specification.

HTML5 isn’t an official standard yet, but the move to what the W3C calls “Candidate Recommendation” CR status means that the spec is largely stable, features are frozen, and testing can begin. In other words, the W3C is on track to publish the final version of HTML5 by 2014.

While developers targeting modern web browsers are already using HTML5 and many of its accompanying APIs, the move to CR status is nevertheless important because it marks the beginning of the interoperability and testing phase.

MORE: HTML5 Inches Closer to the Finish Line | Webmonkey | Wired.com.

Facebook: Five things to watch for in 2013

Internet News, Marketing 374 Responses »

Dec 202012

While 2013 might see another big acquisition — a run at Yelp or Pinterest, say, or some hot startup that suddenly has too much traction for Zuckerberg to ignore — thats not the path the company is on. Instead, itll keep scooping up smaller companies. And given all the changes that occurred in 2012 — a range of new ad products, the rollout of Facebook Gifts, closing the Instagram deal, and, oh, that big IPO that helped set the we-need-to-make money mindset — much of what happens next year seems somewhat predictable. Here are five things to look for:

MORE: Facebook: Five things to watch for in 2013 | Internet & Media – CNET News.

Google Sends Holiday Package

Agency News, Marketing 662 Responses »

Nov 202012

Check out this impressive Google Engage starter pack we received for the holidays. It’s got a nice business card holder, a stack of postage-paid postcards, and a stack of cards for $100 worth of adwords advertising.

So, we’ve got some good deals for you on internet ads for the holidays – give us a call.

10 simple ways to secure your WordPress site

Internet News, Tech News 345 Responses »

Nov 192012

Some simple housekeeping can make a world of difference to the likelihood of your site getting hacked. Kim Crawley has the tricks

WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) on the web. Developed with PHP, and powered by mySQL databases, WordPress is used by an astonishing 8.5 per cent of all websites. Web-delivered malware and website cracking are becoming increasingly common, and with such a large percentage of web content using WordPress as a CMS, any security vulnerabilities in WordPress’ coding or framework could affect millions of websites.

This article will explain how you can best protect your WordPress site from malware and cracking, without having deep security knowledge.

via 10 simple ways to secure your WordPress site | Feature | .net magazine.

Pinterest For Business Launched

Internet News, Marketing 403 Responses »

Nov 192012

One of the hottest and fastest-growing social networks ” Pinterest” has started a business Pinterest which allows business and brands to use Pinterest for online brand building and marketing.

A growing number of brands has started embracing Pinterest , and it’s no surprise that a growing number of brands are making the image-centric service a part of their social media strategy.

But up until now, their activities on Pinterest have technically been in violation of the service’s rules, which forbade commercial usage.

The official rules of engagement changed yesterday, however, as Pinterest officially launched Pinterest for Business.

via Pinterest For Business Launched | Online Marketing Trends.

Google Unveils Half-Page Unit For AdSense

Internet News, Marketing 393 Responses »

Nov 192012

Google has unveiled the so-called “half-page” 300×600 unit for AdSense, claiming that one of the top requests from publishers in the last year has been for larger ad sizes in AdSense accounts.To put it in perspective, see the above graphic. The half-page is that tawny-colored box in the center, offering as close to a full-screen takeover as a display ad can.

via Google Unveils Half-Page Unit For AdSense – MarketingVOX.

New tools for web design and development: September 2012

Education, Internet News, Tech News, Web Design 463 Responses »

Oct 032012

So many good things appeared in September that Mark Penfold couldn’t bear to cut the list down to the traditional 10. Here are 11 top utilities for building on the web

It’s a real mixed bag this month. IDEs, prototyping tools, visual effects, slide shows … there doesn’t seem to be any obvious connection. But the tendency for tools to incorporate some degree of playing-field levelling remains evident.

For example, a mobile framework that enables you to ‘code once’ – and in JavaScript, no less. Prototyping tools with components for multiple platforms, IDEs that facilitate rather than getting in the way of fluid development. An important goal for each of these projects is to iron out some of the web’s wrinkles so you can focus on solving real problems not re-inventing the wheel.

Stand-out performance though, has to go to Microsoft for WebMatrix 2. Not just because it’s a strong piece of kit but because it puts so much of the PC giant’s other output into sharp relief. And yes, IE, that still means you.

MORE: New tools for web design and development: September 2012 | Feature | .net magazine.

The iPad Mini Already in Mass Production in Asia [REPORT]

Tech News 242 Responses »

Oct 032012

Apple’s Asian suppliers have started mass production of the smaller version of Apple’s iPad tablet, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Two sources claim the iPad mini — as it may or may not be called — will have a 7.85-inch screen with a lower resolution than the current iPad model.

The device’s screen is made by South Korea’s LG Display company and Taiwan’s AU Optronics, claim WSJ’s sources.

MORE: The iPad Mini Already in Mass Production in Asia [REPORT].

Seattle Police Crime Blotter is Now 51 Hyper-Local Twitter Feeds

interface, Internet News 292 Responses »

Oct 032012

The city of Seattle is taking its police blotter to Twitter.

Called “Tweets-by-beat,” the Seattle Police Department has started 51 hyper-local Twitter accounts, based on officers’ beats, to keep residents up-to-date about the happenings in their neighborhood.

The digital program started the last week of August, and will supplement the department’s online blotter. Anyone can read these feeds — even people who aren’t on Twitter, says Sgt. Sean Whitcomb of the department’s Public Affairs office.

“We made it super easy,” he tells Mashable. “All you need is an Internet connection.”

The idea behind the new Twitter accounts is to raise public awareness of personal safety and to prevent crimes.

“Maybe people will take the time to use some common sense to reduce the likeihood of them being victims of crime,” Whitcomb says.

The department has used its main Twitter account @SeattlePD for several years; it tweets about topics ranging from breaking crime news to a lost pet snake in a local park.

MORE: Seattle Police Crime Blotter is Now 51 Hyper-Local Twitter Feeds.

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