Executive Training Program
”Finalize Prototype for Launch”
Wednesday, June 27, 2007 @ 6:30PM
Centergy - 2nd Floor (75 Fifth St. NW, Atlanta, GA 30308)
Free Parking in Front of Centergy Building

Georgia Entrepreneurs Society : Events

In terms of total broadband users, the US leads the pack with over 60 million broadband subscribers. But second-placed China is fast closing the gap. From 41 million broadband users a year ago, China now has more than 56 million and based on its current growth looks set to over-take America as the world's largest broadband market later this year.

Wow.

Broadband spreads across globe | | Guardian Unlimited Business

As you can see from the photos it's a very small jet. No including the pilots, it seats only three. That's the core of the air taxi concept.
DayJet - Air Taxi Service - Eclipse 500 Very Light Jet

Rather than chartering an entire plane, which I could never afford, you charter a single seat. The planes will operate between DayPorts. The first five DayPorts are in Florida. They include: Lakeland, Gainesville, Pensacola, Boca Raton and Tallahassee. The DayPorts are cities that aren't normally served by commercial airlines, or if they are the costs and travel times are somewhat out of whack. DayJet's flight costs are based on the window of flexibility you provide DayJet. The maximum window is 5.5 hours.

For example if I say, "I need to fly from Lakeland to Tallahassee tomorrow at 10am" then that's not flexible. As such I would pay the highest rate for the seat. However, if I say, "I need to be in Tallahassee tomorrow morning." and build in a maximum of 5.5 hours into my schedule then I pay the lowest fare.

How much are we talking? DayJet staff has told me the rate variation for the Lakeland to Tallahassee flight is projected to be between $290 and $800 per leg depending on the flexibility. For a round-trip to Tallahassee that would be just under $600.00 if I am flexible with my departure/arrival times. It might be a bit pricey, but everything is relative and the X factor is time.

Currently a trip to Tallahassee takes me about 5 hours via car, so round trip that's 10 hours in a car. With DayJet the flight is a little over an hour. Compare a little over two hours with ten. If I can 'work/bill' for any of that saved time then the jet has almost paid for itself. That's big the allure of 'corporate jet' travel, by saving time (and billing for it) that is normally lost at the airport, you make up for the price difference.

DayJet - Air Taxi Service - Eclipse 500 Very Light JetLet's look at travel costs. I bill clients for mileage. Roundtrip to Tally is 590 miles or at $.48 cents per mile that's $283.20. Throw in an overnight stay and a meal or two and you might get close to the cost of the fare.

To compare with commercial airlines, a round-trip ticket on Delta from Orlando to Tallahassee is anywhere from $390.00 to $450.00 depending on when you book. Of course with that you get all the fun of commercial air travel. A drive to the airport, security, delays, etc. For me the drive to Orlando airport is at least 45 minutes. Throw in security and the fact that you have to arrive at least 30-45 minutes prior and, well you know. With DayJet I drive less than twenty minutes to Lakeland Linder airport and then walk on a plane, with at most two other people.

When DayJet talks about their fares the usually make the comparison to business class fares, which for most flights are considerably higher than coach. For a run like Orlando to Tallahassee there are no business fares since you're flying on an RJ.

Will they make it? The market will obviously decide. I see them making the majority of their trips to-from Tallahassee in support of the legislature, lobbyists and other related government activity. Most of those folks have the budgets to cover the costs for flight costs.

DayJet plans to operate in the Florida market to prove their concept and iron out any bugs. From there they plan to expand across the Southeast, then on to the rest of the country.

Will I use it? I plan on it. I'll make a few trips and then re-evaluate the cost/benefit. The key is doing something constructive with the time you're saving by not messing around with commercial air travel and all the hassles.

Southern Fried Tech - Test Flight - DayJet Eclipse 500 Air Taxi Service

# Don’t believe what you read. Don’t EVER believe what you read about yourself.

# "The Press" is no longer the most important source of coverage; the bloggers are today’s opinion makers, especially when it comes to coverage of technology innovations and, more importantly, the gossip that fuels the buzz of which products are hot, which are duds.

# Traditional PR firms only marginally "get" the blogosphere. Unless you have true Wall Street Journal worthy news, or are stupid, don’t bother paying $20,000 a month for an ineffective PR agency. You are far better off to hire a 21 year old who understands your stuff, give him/her a laptop and a six-pack of Crunk!!, and having them start chatting online about your firm/product.

# If an article claims your company is a loser, your product is a failure or that you eat goats for lunch, don’t kick the story forward by responding; better pour your energies into creating the best business model, the most elegant business solution, and go out and sell your company for a fortune. Unless you actually do eat goats for lunch.

# Describing a product as "revolutionary, but with an evolutionary bridge" only makes sense to a journalist who will never actually use your stuff; your customers will think you have been smoking crack. Go "leverage your synergies" and "shift your paradigms" somewhere else, marketingdroid.

# Never, ever, even if you have a term sheet from Google on the table, tell a journalist that your goal is "a billion dollars or bust" unless you want the next headline to read "Bust" when your sale/merger/IPO falls apart.

# Journalists are like teenagers, they have their collective crushes, then move on. Really. I'd give an example, but I've already forgotten about them all.

# The best quote in an article is from your customer telling the world why they love your product. The worst is you telling the world why they should love your company. That is unless the quote is from your mother telling the world how hard you work, that you are such a nice boy/girl and that her greatest wish is for a grandchild.

# If you are being interviewed by a journalist, read their recent articles. There is no better way to deflate an interviewer than to suggest they cover a topic they just wrote a story about the week before.

# You do keep track of what people are saying about your company, right? Subscribe to blog searches through Google or Bloglines and pay attention. Leave comments to blog posts where appropriate. It ain't rocket surgery.

10 Startup Marketing Commandments - Startupping Forums - Mark Fletcher

James Howard Kunstler
Author of
The Long Emergency
The Geography of Nowhere
and other books
Updated June 11, 2007

James Howard Kunstler

Kinetic Ventures is a leading venture capital investor in high growth, technology driven businesses. For over two decades we have partnered with outstanding entrepreneurs to build world class enterprises. Since 1985 we have organized and managed 7 venture funds and invested in over 100 companies. Our professionals have over 55 years of collective experience in technology, strategy, sales, finance, banking and operations.

Throughout our history, we have focused on early and growth-stage investments. We invest in three major areas:

*Communications. Technologies that bring greater speed, functionality, usability or accessibility to communications and data networks.
*Information Technology. Information technology-enabled solutions that bring greater efficiency, collaboration, security and functionality to users.
*Power/Clean Technology. Companies that offer compelling solutions to the power industry by taking advantage of the ongoing and rapid technological evolution in communications, energy, and information technologies.

VC with an Atlanta office.

Kinetic Ventures

Seraph Group is an early stage venture capital firm comprised of successful business leaders and entrepreneurs who bring deep domain expertise and proven operating experience to help entrepreneurs build successful businesses. We are deeply committed to bring not only ‘smart money’ to the table, but also a network of relevant contacts and relationships that produce results for entrepreneurs. Our unique investment process is entrepreneur friendly, expedient, responsive and professional.

Through our global network, entrepreneurs can be anywhere and leverage the resources of Seraph Group. If you have the vision, the drive and the right product and services to make a difference, we encourage you to reach out to us. By leveraging the deep operating experience of Seraph members, entrepreneurs can increase their likelihood for success.

We encourage you to learn more about how we work, our team, and our portfolio companies by exploring this section of our site.

Atlanta VCs specializing in seed/angel round investments.

Literally 2 blocks from me.

Seraph Group

UPS Strategic Enterprise Fund
The Strategic Enterprise Fund (the "SEF") is the private equity strategic investment arm of UPS. The Fund is a corporate venture capital group which focuses on developing critical partnerships and acquiring knowledge returns from its investments in information technology companies and emerging market-spaces.

Established in 1997, the SEF is an important business development tool that enables exploration of emerging markets and technologies that may enhance the evolving business model of UPS. The Fund monitors external business environments and allows UPS to learn from companies directly involved in the new economy. Knowledge gained from fund investments helps UPS to "Enable Global Commerce" by providing our customers with tools to enhance every aspect of business. These tools broaden and speed the flow of not only goods, but information and funds as well.

The Fund invests in companies that are strategically relevant to UPS, and reflects the strong emphasis that UPS places on becoming the leading provider of technologically advanced services in the transportation and logistics industry.

Whoah, UPS is a VC.

UPS Strategic Enterprise Fund

Founded in 1983, Atlanta-based Noro-Moseley Partners ("NMP") is one of the largest and most experienced venture capital firms in the southeastern United States. Since its inception, NMP has created five limited partnership funds totaling approximately $580 million in capital and has invested in approximately 160 companies.

In 2000, NMP announced the closing of NMP V, a $320 million venture capital fund, the largest ever in the Southeast. Our mission over the last twenty-three years remains the same: to partner with strong management teams to build companies of significant value.

NMP invests primarily in Southeastern-based, early and established growth stage companies. This includes companies in various stages of maturity from first round financings to established companies looking for growth capital for acquisitions, recaps or shareholder liquidity. Our industries of interest include technology, healthcare and business services. Please see the Investment Strategy section for a detailed description of our investment criteria.

We are actively searching for great entrepreneurs with growth plans to create significant value. NMP will partner with you to realize your long term vision and provide the appropriate financial resources, experience and foresight to help take your company to the next level.

Noro-Moseley Partners

ION Venture Forum Callout

The Atlanta CEO Council has just announced a call for companies to present at the ION Venture Forum to be held September 25-26 at the Buckhead Ritz-Carlton in Atlanta.

This is a major investor showcase for emerging technology companies. They are expecting 120 - 150 venture capitalists at the event. I had the opportunity to do a submission for CipherTrust that was accepted and give the company's investor presentation at the event in 2003. It was well worth the time.

If you are looking to raise venture capital in the near future you can apply here. Applications close August 17.

Lance Weatherby blogging about the ION Venture Forum. Be there and be square.

Force_of_Good: ION Venture Forum Callout