What's In, What's Out and What's Coming Up!!

It is no secret that the entertainment industry is ever-evolving. The industry manages to not only stay abreast of current trends, but the industry is the leader in implementing and generating trends.  To keep up with trends of this industry is a full-time job.


The industry's current trend is to use digital platforms to create content and distribute it to the general public. Social media sites have been instrumental in disseminating information, entertainment and advertisements. Over the past ten years, televisions, smart pads, kiosks, autos, and wireless devices have created many new media channels and platforms for the industry. The consumers constant crave for information faster and with more accessibility is insatiable and the industry works diligently to ensure that technology plays a vital role in supplying those demands to the public. Ten years ago, experts in the industry were forecasting that televisions would start to become obsolete, as consumers would be more interested in viewing content, "on the move", via computers, laptops, cell phones and other mobile technological devices (globalfuturist.com).


Marketing and technology are the two critical components that are needed in this industry as well as to an entrepreneur in this market. These are two areas that the industry has mastered and has led the charge, showing other industries the way to reach target markets quickly, seamlessly and more cheaply.


The future of the industry is just as exciting and optimistic. Now that the industry has mastered how to market and provide information to the public through technology, the focus is now on content and its distribution. Content will soon be in the hands of the consumer as opposed to the companies that generally produce content. In fact, as you can clearly see from platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Viddler, etc., consumers have begun to control the content. Many projects from television and movie studios are ideas that are directly associated with content that has been created by consumers and have gone viral or captured the attention of the industry's power players.


The trends in this industry are perpetual and constantly changing. One aspect that will never change is the industry's ability to grow, change and lead the world with innovative and relevant trends, while staying connected with its target market...the public.


http://www.globalfuturist.com/about-igf/top-ten-trends/top-ten-entertainment-trends-for-the-21st-century.html

Show Me The Money!! (Financing for Small Businesses)

Nothing is more important to an entrepreneur or a small business owner than financing/capital. As many small business owners quickly realize that more money is always needed than was initially anticipated, the search for third party sources of cash begins.


Luckily, there are a multitude of financial resources available to give or loan money, teach you how to prudently use money and how to generate money.


The Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI)  is one of the best vehicles that supports small businesses and entrepreneurs that have community based initiatives.  CDFIs is a funding source which consists of private-sector organizations from a myriad of private and public sources (http://cdfi.org/index.php?page=info-1d). According to the CDFI website, the organization financially assists small businesses through the private sector contributors such as "Corporations, individuals, religious institutions, and private foundations. Depository CDFIs, like community development banks and community development credit unions, get capital from customers and non-member depositors." The biggest source of CDFIs funding is through a federal CDFI fund, which makes funding available through capital grants, equity investments, and awards to fund technical assistance and assistance and organizational capacity-building. To be eligible for an FA award, a CDFI must be certified by the CDFI Fund before it applies for the award. Prospective applicants that are not yet certified must submit a separate certification application to be considered for FA during a funding round. Both certified and non-certified CDFIs are eligible to apply for TA awards. However, non-certified organizations must be able to become certified within two years after receiving a TA award.

Touting themselves as the "voice for microenterprise", Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO) is instrumental in assisting small businesses via "microlenders, small business development organizations, non-profit lending organizations, and educational institutions dedicated to microenterprise." Some of their contributors are Capital One, Citibank and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. 



"AEO presents showcases to highlight successful businesses. It is an opportunity to demonstrate the importance of small businesses across the country, as well as the business support organizations that help them thrive.The showcase allows entrepreneurs to promote their products and services, develop relationships with other business owners, and share information on the resources that have been instrumental to the startup and growth of their companies." (AEO, http://www.aeoworks.org/index.php/site/page/category/aeo500_business_owners/)


The CDFI and AEO are just two resource vehicles for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Without financing, small businesses and their ancillary services will fail. All small businesses and entrepreneurs require these pertinent resources and information.

Well, what does this mean...? These organizations are showing start-ups the money!!


Community Development Financial Institutions


Association for Enterprise Opportunity