If you are a small business owner in Indianapolis, Dayton, OH, or Columbus, OH, please take a few minutes to fill out this quick survey.

The researcher behind this survey, Terri Lechton, is currently pursuing her doctorate in business with interest in entrepreneurship from the University of Maryland, University College.  She is conducting a survey on how entrepreneurs in the Midwest acquire financial, human, and information resources.  She is interested in seeing if homegrowns (those always living in the area), transplants (those new to the area), and boomerangs (those from the area who left and returned) approach and acquire resources differently.

The survey only takes about 5 minutes to complete.   She is hoping for 350 responses from Indianapolis business owners with less than 100 employees.  If you are interested in viewing the results, you can register in the results area. All of the data collection and analysis will be complete and sent to your inbox in September.

Local Indianapolis business owner Lorraine Ball is on a mission and she needs your help. She is conducting a simple 12 question survey about how local business owners use and integrate social media into their daily business routine.

The survey was inspired by the small business clients she works with every day. Much of her business is focused on building websites and helping her clients use social media as part of their overall PR/Marketing strategy.

She will be collecting the data all week, so if you are interested check out her blog next week for the results, and add your email address and the results will be sent to you.

The Entrepreneur’s Census was conducted in the spring of 2010. The census was designed to achieve three objectives:

1. Bring attention to the vital field of entrepreneurship and innovation
2. Record benchmarks for entrepreneurs throughout the United States
3. Compare the circumstances facing entrepreneurs in New York, Boston and Silicon Valley

The Entrepreneur’s Census provides some interesting findings. One finding, that relates to EAC’s work with youth, showed that 70% of respondents were either born in the city where their business is based, came for education, or came for a prior job.

Read more of the findings and recommendations from this current study of entrepreneurs. Click here for the full article.

by Matt Nettleton

I like to golf but I am not a good golfer. About a month ago I got out to play my first round of the season with a golf pro buddy of mine named Scott. As I hacked my way out of a sand trap and then putted for a 6 on a picturesque par 3, Scott asked me a good question, “When was the last time you actually practiced your short game? And by practice I mean, really worked to systematically improve your technique through repetition and measurement of results?”

Well, it was clear to me (and to Scott as well) that I did not practice. That I had not bothered to take an honest look at what I was doing and put together a systematic approach to becoming a measurably better golfer.

So I said the only thing I could “3 years ago I went to a Dave Pelz school. They taught me drills and techniques to make my game better. But I don’t have time to practice. I am just hoping I still remember what they told me.”

Scott’s response stung a little, he asked “How is that working for you?”

For some reason, I expected performance without practice. But I know better, I know that regardless of profession, professionals practice their profession. And I know that to get better at golf I need to practice too.

About a week after my sand trap humiliation, I was talking to a business owner buddy of mine. He told me about his business, and the economy and some of the sales struggles he had been having recently.

Sensing an opportunity I asked the question I had been waiting to ask, “Tom, how much time do you spend practicing sales?”

Tom said the only thing he could “I took some training a couple of years ago, they taught me some systems and techniques designed to help grow my sales. But times are tough now, the market has changed, my competitor’s are better than they were, and I don’t have time to practice. I am just hoping I still remember what they told me.”

I hope my response stung a little; I asked “How is that working for you?”

To improve your sales, attend Matt’s Workshop 30 Second Commercial on June 23. Click here for registration details.

After graduating from college at Cal Poly San Louis Obispo, Chris McCann moved to Silicon Valley with no family and few friends in the area. He wanted to meet other entrepreneurs and become part of the startup community here, so he attended as many tech and entrepreneurship events as he could.

Now, after 6 months of attending events, he can proudly say that he is a part of the startup community here in Silicon Valley because of the relationships he built with the people he met at events. Chris wants to spread this feeling of successfully entering a startup community and the power of high-quality local events to the health of every startup community around the world.

An Indianapolis [Startup Digest] recently launched.  Learn more at [Startup Digest]

Jeff Heinzmann, State Director of the Indiana Small Business Development Center Network, will speak at the June 16th EAC networking event. Mr. Heinzmann will give a brief overview of the climate for small business in Indiana and the role of the SBDC Network, as well as other programs of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

The event will be held on June 16th from 5-7 p.m. at The Anker Consulting Group located at 698 Pro-Med Lane, Carmel, IN 46032. Registration is required but there is no fee to attend. Click here to register.

If you are thinking about starting a business or you own a business, you will find valuable information and resources at the Indiana Small Business Fair. For more information see http://indianabusinessfair.com/