Thriving as a Tech StartUp in an UpStart economy - Beating the economic blues

Belated happy new year to tech startups and their friends of the North of UK. Our first event is on 28th January 09 at Howarth Clark Whitehill, Manchester. I thought of starting the year with a lighthearted subject. Discussing how to survive, reposition and emerge as champions ready for exit when the economic turnaround takes place in 24 to 36 months from now.

It all started with sub-prime mortgages followed by prestigious banks going under worldwide resulting in low liquidity and economic contraction. Large companies are cutting down costs and headcounts with significant hits on R&D. In most cases all R&D spend has been frozen or cancelled. This is a great time for tech startups to innovate, prove concepts and be there strong when the economy recovers.

Whilst the last three years so the emergence of web 2.0 startups with no clear focus on revenue generation, the current economic climate is forcing these startups to think otherwise. The startups with the right strategy will emerge, grow and have the opportunity to acquire struggling startups.

The event page can be access through here

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I ought to let you know about few changes to the website and Northern StartUp 2.0 in general:

1. I have imported my NS20 mail list from address book to the website. Our community is now 1000 strong. If you wish not be associated, please let me know and I will gladly remove your account from the site.

2. On-line payment through paypal has been introduced. If you pay at the door or pay later on, you will now have to pay a higher fee. Two pricing mechanisms have been introduced. Lower amount for startups and slightly higher amount for non-startups. Memberships have also been introduced. See prices for more detail. To qualify for startup rates, you must be running or involved with a digital product based company and most likely be listed in here.

3. I have requested external funding to continue to run these events. Whilst the gate fees cover the event expenses, it does not contribute to the significant time I spent on organising these events. If you think these events are bringing value, please lobby the Regional Development Agency and others to support this initiative financially. I would also like to hear very much about opportunities you had due to Northern StartUp 2.0

4. Northern StartUp 2.0 is partnering formally with the BBC, Sun Microsystems, eOffice, Howarth Clark Whitehill, Daresbury Science and Innovation Centre, and First Flight Placements. Most of these companies will be offering services designed specifically for our StartUps. I will write to you separately about each of the service. First Flight Placements have already taken the lead by looking at seven startups for funding.

5. In Feb, we will return to discuss mobile communications market. In March, the plan is to take number of startup companies to London (Workshop plus Talent showcase through Dragon's Lair).

That's it for now. Look forward to meeting you at the next event on the 28th. Don't hesitate to contact me for any aspect of Northern StartUp 2.0. Oh Shameful plug: just released edocr API. Why not build a mashup? If not technically savvy, why not upload documents to edocr.com today and turn your documents to marketing gems?