The Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum (UVEF) appointed John Pilmer as its 2010 chairman.

As chairman, John oversees all Forum activities and management.

“This is an exciting place and time to be an entrepreneur,” Pilmer said in the official press release. “Organizations like Forbes and Inc. recognize Utah as a leader in aspiring businesses. As the economy turns around, investors and lenders are ready to put their money into promising ventures, and they look to Utah for compelling start-ups and exceptional entrepreneurs. UVEF is ready to make the most of this unique opportunity.”

John understands the challenges entrepreneurs face, and the strategies that can help them succeed. He founded PilmerPR in 2003, which specializes in small-business public relations. PilmerPR helped launch successful businesses like Mozy, ElectraTherm, iFollo and eComfort. PilmerPR, itself, has continued to grow and win numerous awards.

UVEF is a volunteer non-profit support group that helps entrepreneurs and small-business in Utah succeed through education and networking. John succeeds Roger Andrus, Executive Director of UtahAngels and Business Development Corporation of Provo, as UVEF chairman.

See the Official Press Release

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Watch John Pilmer explain the benefits of UVEF membership, and the state of entrepreneurship in Utah:

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I would love our PR firm to work 100% on environmental issues like water, clean energy, and cleantech. Our clients like ElectraTherm have proven our effectiveness in this effort.

A LinkedIn cleantech group member recently asked a question about the water shortage in Los Angeles. My answer was so good, perhaps you may enjoy reading it as well.

LA is at the tail of a tiger that is getting grouchy-the Colorado River, providing water to 25 million people in 7 states. Follow that river upstream and you will find a battle royal brewing over this symptom of man’s unsustainable management of this limited resource.  (see LA Times article)

Until the mid 20th century the river supported a rich marshland, now decimated, teaming with wildlife. The river, so wide and grand at points, now trickles into the Gulf of California, sucked dry by our determination to sustain the unsustainable.

Yes, PilmerPR would like to be the PR firm that fights for better stewardship of fresh water in the western U.S. And, let’s not stop there, we want to be the PR agency of record for stewardship of the ocean where our tons of waste and over fishing are really screwing up one of our most incredible food resources.

What’s the answer? Education and a view beyond the next drink are a start. Until we share a vision of mutual benefit and stewardship of resources, we are only treating symptoms of the problem.

http://pilmerpr.com/green_public_relations.html
jpilmer@pilmerpr.com
LinkedIn group: Office of Sustainability

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There are so many new green technologies under development that it’s hard to keep track. Here’s one more. What if I told you there was a cleantech auto transmission under development that will yield 30% greater MPG, even in big-rig trucks? Gas, diesel, electric, CNG–doesn’t matter. What if I further told you that Hyundai, Honda, Toyota, and Subaru were all looking at it. More to come…

Did you know that in the U.S. we consume 176 billion gallons of motor fuel per year? (source: USDOT) If 1% of our vehicles increased their MPG by 30%, that would save 528 million gallons of fuel the first year.

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More more info: jpilmer@pilmerpr.com

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Today was my first luncheon as UVEF 2010 chairman. Today’s excellent UVEF speaker was Gary Rhoads, PhD in Marketing , Stephen Mack Covey Professor of Marketing, and Director of the Entrepreneurship Center at Brigham Young University.  He discussed powerful concepts from his new book BoomStart:  Super Laws of Successful Entrepreneurs.  BoomStart identifies why many start-up companies fail in their first 2 years of business because they spend millions of dollars on traditional marketing tactics that simply don’t work.

Here are just a couple.

Sharpen the Angle. Dimensions of increasing the angle of attack for a new project or service include:

Customers must have a Need to Believe your message. Big perceived problem equals big opportunity.

You must give the customer a Reason to Believe. Make it easy for them to see why they need your stuff.

Blow Away Expectations.  You must demonstrate superior value . Focus on dominating in one area first.

You must make a Unique Claim about your product or service.  This can neutralize the competition.

UVEF will soon make audio of today’s terrific presentation available at www.uvef.net

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As the new 2010 Chairman of the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum (www.uvef.net ), I’m enthusiastic about the potential for new business startups to turn the economy around. The grit and power of the small business startup executive is infectious and is likely the most valuable stimulus program available to the USA.

Entrepreneurs aspiring for greatness would do well to pay attention to the lessons of the past as they forge the future.  That’s why I wanted to share a recent Forbes story that hits the mark in my view.  Here’s their list of 10 Arrogance Traps of Entrepreneurs:

“Business plans are for dummies”
Think business plans are just for investors? Wrong. Those plans are primarily for you.

“This is so cool!”
Just because you think your new mousetrap is extraordinary doesn’t mean the whole world will agree

“If we build it, they will come.”
…our product is so great that everyone will know about us anyway by word of mouth and through online social networks…

“We have no competitors.”
If you haven’t identified a competitor…you either 1) haven’t looked or 2) there isn’t any market for what you are selling.

“Me, myself and I.”
I recently watched a promising start-up wither and die for lack of funds because the founder refused to step aside as chief executive in favor of a more experienced candidate…

“We’re too nimble for the big guys to keep up.”
Serving a relatively small customer base well can yield a tidy little business,

“We have more features than anyone”
Truth is, marketing a flurry of features often puts off customers who would rather not have to deal with complexity, or the costs to switch to a new product or service. Simple sells.

“We have the first-mover advantage”
Right. Or, what you really mean, but can’t admit, is that you don’t have a patent or any differentiating competitive advantage.

“There’s no need to risk my own money.”
Investing your own capital is, in the eyes of investors, the difference between “involved” and “committed”–and investors like commitment even more than they like sweat equity.

“We’re funded, now we can relax”
The real work starts when the money comes in

(See entire Forbes story)

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Treehugger this week reported that a new solar project in Hawaii transformed into the “Holy Grail” of renewable energy when they integrated waste heat power generation capacity using the ElectraTherm Green Machine (PilmerPR client). Is that too strong of a claim?

ElectraTherm previously announced integration with geothermal technology and industrial waste heat. This is the first solar project they have been involved in and the results look promising.

President Obama has crowned “energy efficiency” as an heir apparent for federal support going forward. ElectraTherm fits the energy efficiency definition very well, taking low temperature heat from any source and turning it into fuel-free, emissions-free electricity.

What do you think?

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Big buzz surrounds the comments of BYU QB Max Hall and the reported bad behavior of University of Utah fans. On the opposite sidelines is alleged mistreatment of Utah coach Whittingham’s daughter by BYU fans. As an alumnus of both schools in question, my thoughts about the infractions in question have covered a lot of yardage defining the problem and suggesting a solution. So, here goes nothin’. Hut! Hut! Hut!

The challenge is not solely the bourgeois behavior of fans or a rude comment by an athlete. After further review from a business communications perspective, the problem is that high profile customers gave these schools a failing grade as a host.

The company (university) challenge is creating a safe environment and a positive buying experience for customers (fans)-both home and visitor. One could easily make a case that sports tourism, whether from city to city or nation to nation, has a huge impact on school, city and state revenue. Some states allocate funds to ensure they get their piece of the tourism pie through sports. In addition to tourism, think about the legal risk for a school for out of control fans. Read more at Utah Business Magazine.

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For those who can’t seem to keep their language clean, their hands to themselves and all other objects in their possession under control, universities are forced to create behavior policies for spectator events. No need to complain about ridiculous rules, because “ridiculous” should be saved for the behavior that requires such policies to be created. It is expected that universities across the country will need to release policies and statements about conduct at sporting events for fans and athletes.

The following sample public policy and statement (Public Relations Professionals can help with this) would apply to all NCAA sports programs whose goal is to insure packed, not boycotted, sports venues:

To our Fans, Visitors and Athletes

We deeply appreciate your attendance at [SCHOOL] athletic events. Your attendance is important to athletes, coaches and our university. Every individual helps create an exciting and unforgettable sporting experience.

Creating a safe, fun and enjoyable atmosphere for athletic competition has been and continues to be the goal of [            SCHOOL]. Such competition builds school spirit and builds character as athletes strive for excellence on the field or on the court. Welcoming visitors to our campus for these fierce competitions is a vital component of this effort. Treating our guests with respect creates ambassadors for this school and our community that greatly assist in making our university great well into the future.

In keeping with this commitment, any fan attending a [SCHOOL] athletic event, may text [TEXT NUMBER] to report a health emergency or security issue before, during or after the game. Any security concern will be investigated immediately. After assessing the situation according to policies posted at all sporting venues and on [SCHOOL]’s Web site, offending fans may be escorted from the facility.

[SCHOOL] prescribes to a zero tolerance policy for intoxication, extreme verbal abuse, or any physical abuse of another fan. For details regarding this policy, see [WEBSITE].

We encourage you to continuing assisting all the games you can in support of [SCHOOL] athletics. Thank you for providing a competitive atmosphere at [SCHOOL].

Sincerely,

[SCHOOL]

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Yesterday, I heard Louis Pope speak to the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum (UVEF.net) as he received recognition as Social Entrepreneur of the Year. Louis thinks globally, about our back yard in Utah, about our back yard to the world. In his acceptance remarks, he said more than a billion people live in extreme poverty-less than $1/day. However, his comments were not gloom and doom. He spoke of the net reduction of that number over the past several years because of efforts to create jobs.

In PilmerPR’s work in social responsibility (CSR) we tell clients to first “be good, then talk about being good.” Louis and his company are the best examples of this that I know of. He could likely afford to retire to anywhere he chooses. What he chooses to do is lift people by the thousands and to inspire others to do the same. He, Yehu Microfinance, and US Synthetic have truly inspired me. Thank you Louis.

Great story about Louis Pope on KSL TV

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This year, Forbes named Provo the best college town for job growth, U.S. News & World Report called Provo one of the 10 best cities for creative jobs, and the Association of University Technology Managers ranked BYU first in the country in the number of startups, licenses, and patent applications per research dollar spent.

So who’s responsible?

The Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum (UVEF) helped answers that question at the Annual UVEF Awards, Thursday at the Provo Novell Campus. The event honored Utah companies and leaders for innovation, business growth and contributions to the entrepreneurial community.

It was standing-room-only at the ceremony.

Josh James, co-founder of Omniture, was awarded "Entrepreneur of the Year."

Josh James, co-founder of Omniture, was the Keynote Speaker, and also won “Entrepreneur of the Year. Omniture was acquired by Adobe for $1.8 billion in October, making it the largest tech acquisition in state history. James shared humorous stories about his roller-coaster ride to entrepreneurial stardom.

Access Technology was awarded “Utah Valley’s Best Kept Entrepreneurial Secret.” Access Technology technology is a logistics provider for retail and consumer brands, eCommerce and multichannel companies and Direct Selling firms. CEO Chris Boyle accepted the award, and told the crowd he hopes the company will no longer be a secret after this and ranking 307th in the Inc 500 list of fastest growing US companies.

Louis Pope, founder of Yehu Microfinance, was awarded “Social Entrepreneur of the Year.” shared his vision for bringing jobs to Kenya Africa starting here in Utah County. Louis is the mastermind behind Utah County-based US Synthetic (a PilmerPR client). Pope retires from US Synthetic this month, and will move to Kenya where he will focus his energies on the non-profit. You can read and watch more of his story on KSL.

Henry O’Connell, President and CEO of Millenniata, accepted the “Most Innovative Product” award for Milleniata’s M-ARC™ Disc, which can store digital data for 1000 years without a loss of quality.

And Scott Frazier, Co-founder of Utah Angels, received the “Greatest Contribution to Entrepreneurs” award on behalf of Utah Angels. He said he is glad to have invested in some great Utah Valley startups like Omniture.

Said UVEF chair Roger Andrus: “These winners represent the spirit of entrepreneurship, which is to take risks and then help others. They are a critical part of why Utah has one of the lowest unemployment rates in this recession.”

PilmerPR agrees, and congratulates all the winners.

You can read more about the ceremony in Deseret News.

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