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Prometheus Awards by Maureen Collins-Williams
Imagine auto parts suppliers like NAPA and Advanced Auto combining their inventory into a massive online 'cloud'. Imagine living in a town of 500 and having live video feeds to your Doc in Des Moines 24 hours a day. How about an alternative to credit cards created in Iowa? All these and dozens more innovations make up the annual Prometheus Awards.

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2011 was incredibly successful as our first year of offering regional Dream Big Grow Here contests across Iowa. Our winners from 2011's contest and preparing to now pitch for a $10,000 follow on investment at EntreFest in early March. Due to the response and interest from our sponsors and entrants from 2011, we've decided to bring things back for 2012. In the coming months we will be announcing the dates and regions for this year. Please stay tuned to DreamBigGrowHere.comfor information on the specific regions and dates. We'll also be announcing them in this newsletter as things formalize.
 

Virtual & Online Home-Based Business Opportunities by Rob Williams
Here are some real and legal ways to make money online, from your home, or just in your spare time!

Raise Cash on Crowdfunding Sites
Need start-up capital - and fast? You may want to try crowdfunding, a money-raising strategy that's become increasingly popular in recent years.

• If you are looking for cash to start your business and getting sick of hearing “no” from Uncle Larry, the bank, your mom, and everyone else you have tried – give the clouds a go – seems to be working for others.
• I love these articles sharing tips on how to get your business off the ground while you get a paycheck from someone else.
• Quick advice on why a business plan is still necessary, even if you aren’t going after 3^rd party financing. I wouldn’t say it needs to be a novel by any means, by a couple pages to keep you on track is going to be well worth it down the road.
• barCamp is coming to the Cedar Valley in a couple weeks – www.barcampcv.com - I strongly encourage you to come- Feb 4^th. Seth Godin does a great job of explaining what its all about, via the TED imperatives
• Here is a little motivation for all of you entrepreneurs-in-waiting
• This is a great piece on the crowdfunding revolution, where things are at in the U.S., and why it makes sense to give it a look – mostly from a marketing/pr point of view.