A Creative Way to Boost Your Executive Brand

A Creative Way to Boost Your Executive BrandThe online world has plenty to offer the executive job seeker. Unfortunately, many executives either arent yet on board or dont completely understand the benefits of boosting their brand over the Internet.One great way to get started is by guest blogging with Web sites in your field. Havent considered this as an option yet? Here are some reasons to get started on this venture right awayYou Can Widen Your AudienceIf you have your own industry blog, guest blogging for another Web site in the same industry gives you the opportunity to draw a different audience to your Web site. In most cases, the Web site will give its guest blogger a byline and allow them a short paragraph describing their expertise in the field, credentials, etc.They will also let the blogger list the Web site where their blog can be found. Who wouldnt want to take advantage of this free advertising?It Gives You ExposureEven if you dont have your own blog, writing a guest ar ticle for another blog gets people asking about you, which is great for building your brand. Again, be sure to take advantage of the byline opportunity and include professional details in the about the writer paragraph that follows.Also, dont be shy about including a link to your Web site, LinkedIn page, or other professional profile so that employers and recruiters can find you.You Can List It on Your ResumeThe fact that someone thought enough about you as an expert to have you write a blog means a lot. So definitely dont forget to mention on your resume that youve been a guest blogger. Employers will seek you out to see what youve written, giving great insight into what you know and how you can contribute to a position.Its Great for NetworkingPeople in your industry are likely to run across your blog post at some point and may want to network with you. Again, theres nothing like free exposure, so take advantage of it if you canThe Internet offers a world of opportunities that exec utives didnt have 20 years ago. If you are ready to make your mark in your industry and boost your brand, jump on the guest blogging bandwagon to see the difference it could make in your career.For additional tips and advice on cover letters, follow GreatResume or visit our blog.

Finding International graduate school programs

Finding International graduate school programs Share Share via TwitterShare via FacebookShare via Google PlusShare via LinkedInShare via E-mail Pursuing a graduate degree abroad is a great way to learn about another culture and ort while expanding your personal, professional and academic experience. Dive into these resources to learn more about studying abroad.Degrees Overseasklasseuate programs in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.The British CouncilOffers resources for students interested in earning a graduate degree in the UK.GradSchools.comProvides a complete listing of international graduate programs.InternationalGraduate.netFeatures a comprehensive list of graduate schools around the world.Masters Portal EUA comprehensive listing of masters programs in the European Union.Study Across the PondExplore undergraduate, postgraduate and study abroad opportunities in the UK.How to gain credit.World Education Serviceswill assist you in converting your international education, from high school to graduate school, to the U.S. system once you return. Check out thedegree preview toolto find out what your potential degree would be worth in the U.S., as well as country-specific Ministries of Educations if you need to do more research. World Education Services does not provide assistance in choosing a program or ensuring the credentials will translate upon return.CategoriesConsidering Grad SchoolGlobal Careers

Professional Development Anywhere, Anytime 5 Sales Podcasts for Your Morning Commute

Professional Development Anywhere, Anytime 5 schlussverkauf Podcasts for Your Morning Commute Chances are you currently spend your morning commute listening to music on the train or staring off into the distance while trying to avoid uncomfortable eye contact with your fellow commuters. Ormaybe you drive to work, in which case you probably spend a lot of timeangrily honking at that car in front of you who just merged acrosstwo lanes without a blinker.Whatever the case, its likely that youre underutilizing your morning commute, as so many people often do. Youcould, in fact, be taking advantage of your commute tofurther your knowledge and sharpen your skills without disrupting your daily routine. Whether youre sitting in besucherzahlen or traveling across the country for business, podcasts allow you to get some professional development in when youre on the go.There are a lot of podcasts out there, b utMBAUNC, the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business Schools online MBA program, has decided to help you find the ones that are worth your precious time by compiling a list of five sales podcasts you should listen to on your morning commute.Every industry relies on sales, and sharpening your skills is sure to give you an advantage at work.1. The Advanced Selling PodcastMotivation and fulfillment are key for building an effective sales team. In this podcast, Bill Caskey, a sales development leader and the creator of the Sales Leadership Academy, and Bryan Neale, a veteran trainer and speaker, provide advice on how to improve your sales funnel, discuss the difference between business development and sales, and do much, much mora. There are currently more than 300 episodes, all of which are under 15 minutes long.2. The Sales Playbook PodcastPaul Castain, the former director of corporate solutions sales for Dale Carnegie, has been named one of the best sales gurus out there. He uses traditional sal es methods, social media tools, and personal branding to give sales tips that offer advice on presentation skills, negotiation, winning back lost business, and competing with higher-priced products and services.3. The Sales EvangelistDonald Kelly, or The Sales Evangelist, uses his podcast to help others feel just as passionately about sales as he does. His love for marketing, sales, and business is abundantly clear, and his passion is contagious. Among the best episodes to listen to are How to Use Email to Sell, How to Use LinkedIn to Sell, and Social Selling Practices.4. The FunnelAlignment Group uses itspodcast The Funnel to offer sales recruiting and sales leadership advice to small and midsize businesses. Cofounders John Shea and Lindsay Kelley often discuss popular topics regardingsocial media, like LinkedIn and blogging, with one episode called The Hype Surrounding Social Selling.5. Sales Tip a DayWant to turn prospects into clients? Chris Hamilton of Sales Tip a Day (STAD) Co nsulting wants to help. His top podcast episodes include Why Dont People Ask for Referrals, How to Stop Cold Calling and Use Webinars for Sales Leads, Using Content Marketing to Replace Cold Calling and Why Cold Calls Dont Work.Not In Sales? No ProblemYou can still use your morning commute to boost your career. All you need to do is find podcasts that are relevant to your field and we guarantee theyre out there.So, stop wasting your commutes on daydreams and road rage. Start listening to podcasts instead. That way, no matter how busy you are, youll always have time to learn something new.

Customize this Outstanding Payroll Resume 2 Sample

Customize this Outstanding Payroll Resume 2 SampleCustomize this Outstanding Payroll Resume 2 SampleSample Senior Payroll Specialist ResumeCreate Resume OBJECTIVE To establish a payroll or related position with any company and further improve its posture.QUALIFICATIONS SUMMARYYears of practical experience in planning, organizing, coordinating and supervising disbursingoperations in the military (20) and civilian sector (10). Proficient in the use of the following payroll softwares ADP EV3 (US and Canadian ver 5.0 ), Whitney, Golden Gate, Solomon (DOS version), Millennium and SAP. Total quality management of Leave and Earnings Statements for 3,000 employees while supervising six payroll clerks on board an aircraft carrier. Independently controlled every pay function involving the disbursement of public monies, processing payroll for 400 employees, examining and liquidating travel vouchers (approx 75 to 100 monthly) logged, compiled and submitted monthly financial returns on board a s mall vessel for four years. Responsible for the conversion of Solomon software to ADP while maintaining over 500 accounts for five processing plants, two processing vessels and the corporate office of Norquest in Seattle. Meticulously documented payroll procedures in every company for technical training and reference guides. Last employment was as a Senior Payroll Specialist with Wireless Advocates handhabung over 700 exempt and non-exempt accounts for kiosk managers and sales reps.PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCEWireless Advocates, LLCSeattle, WA Senior Payroll Specialist December 2005 September 2007Charged with no less than 700 accounts across more than 30 states INCONUS for exempt and non-exempt employees. Responsible for all garnishments arriving from federal, state and private entities, verification of employments, W-4s, manual check processing, auditing of HR documents for new hires, vacation and/or sick requests, training and development including technical writing of payroll procedu res for the department. Verify and input payroll summary timesheets arriving VIA e-mail using Excel, input hours including vacation, make changes in rates of pay for hourly, salary. Process all W-4 while auditing employees name, address and SSN, print manual checks and audit checks from junior Payroll Clerks examine them for accuracy and maintain payroll voucher files on a semi-monthly basis. Provide daily customer service (24 hour service or less) through phone calls, e-mails and faxes, correct benefit deductions including reimbursements. Train payroll personnel and document payroll procedures for future references and changes that may be incurred.Performed contract work for VOLT.Captaris Inc. Payroll Administrator 480 / Accounts Payable Intl Accounts May 2005 August 2005Puget Sound Energy Payroll Analyst 1200 February 2005 April 2005John L Scott Real Estate Payroll Administrator 500 November 2004 December 2004ADP National Account Services/ProBusiness Division May 2003 June 200 4Bothell, WA Payroll Specialist IITasked with writing the interface procedures for CAPGEMINI Ernst and Young with 5,000 employees prior to relieving another Payroll Specialist in less than two months. Organized and simplified daily tasks for CGEY interface section while working with anotherPayroll Specialist in expediting payroll batches to ADP headquarters in Pleasanton, CA. Laterally moved from CGEY to Sun Microsystems to assist in payroll conversion from WhitneySoftware to ADP Enterprise Handled 2,000 accounts (A-D) for Sun Microsystems while processing vouchers, visas for foreigners and stocking departmental supplies.Performed contract work for Robert Half AccountempsAdvance Interactive Systems Payroll Specialist October 2002 December 2002SNC Lavalin (formerly NEPCO) Payroll / Garnishment Specialist February 2002 September 2002T-Mobile (formerly VoiceStream Wireless) Payroll Specialist August 2001 January 2002Trendwest Resorts International Payroll Specialist May 2001 July 2 001Norquest Seafoods Inc.Seattle, WA Payroll Administrator November 2000 March 2001Directly responsible for all payroll functions within the department including but not limited to the manual processing of more than 500 checks using the Solomon software on a semi-monthly basis. In charge of answering all garnishment issues, 401K deferrals, monthly check registers and management reports. Verify payroll summary timesheets arriving from plants and vessels, input hours including vacation, make changes in rates of pay for hourly, salary and daily depending on ships location. Process all applications for direct deposit, print checks and check stubs, payroll check preview lists, calculated payroll audit lists, batch control reports, examine them for accuracy and maintain payroll files on a semi-monthly basis. Provide daily customer service through phone calls, e-mails and faxes while tasked with converting the payroll from Solomon (DOS) to ADP (Windows) by laying out the framework for whi ch the system is designed and built.Glacier bayrumbaum Park Concessions, Inc.Seattle, WA Payroll Administrator July 1999 Oct 2000In charge of 50 to 300 payroll records for Glacier Bay Lodge employees in Alaska, seasonal vessel employees for five tour vessels and Seattle corporate employees on a bi-weekly basis. Responsible for the hiring and rehiring process of employees and their termination. Update 401K deferrals, garnishments of pay, journal entries and GL reporting by using the Management Report generated by ADP Maintained a bi-weekly payroll using ADP and Reportsmith Reportwriter Input timesheets for hourly and daily employees, other earnings and deductions, expense reimbursements, tax adjustments, uniform allowances, awards and incentives. Generated monthly reports using the Reportsmith for 401K, Shareholders report, New Hires report and other monthly journal entries. Customized the entire payroll system to a point where each report and function, whether it be bi-weekly, mont hly or quarterly is submitted on a timely basis that is accurate, brief and concise in every respect.VVS/SaversBellevue, WA Payroll Specialist February 1997 May 1999Responsible for maintaining a bi-weekly payroll for 1,300 Canadian hourly employees in 41 stores throughout British Columbia and Ontario. Verify, calculate and manually input hours on timesheets after reviewing sick, vacation, bonuses, awards and other entitlements. Compile, generate and transmit payroll data to Canada ADP then receive, distribute and file transaction proof reports, registers and records of employment. Process manual checks, update files, enter new hires/terminations and calculate vacation accruals. Cross-trained with Accounts Payables and General ledger personnel in order to expedite check reports and other files while resolving problem cases and year-end discrepancies to prevent company write offs.COMPUTER SKILLSKnowledgeable and proficient in Excel, Microsoft Outlook and SYSPRO (Accounts Payable soft ware). Possess practical knowledge in Microsoft Word, Concurs and Wells Fargo wiring procedures for paying vendors overseas. Ten key calculator and schriftart an average of 50 WPM.EDUCATIONFundamentals of Payroll Certified May 2004Course graduate in ADP Enterprise and ADP ver. 2.3 and Reportsmith reportwriterCourse graduate in ATMs at sea implementation using NCR and IBMBA Economics, University of the East, Manila, Republic of the PhilippinesCustomize Resume

Two ASME Publications Win EXCEL Awards

Two ASME Publications Win EXCEL Awards Two ASME Publications Win EXCEL Awards Two ASME Publications Win EXCEL AwardsJuly 14, 2107 ASME recently received two EXCEL Awards from Association Media Publishing for our Mechanical Engineering 2017 Integrated Media Planner and for DEMANDASME Global Development Review. The awards were presented at a ceremony held June 26 during the Association Media Publishing Annual Meeting in Arlington, Va.ASME received the Mechanical Engineering 2017 Integrated Media Planner, which was recognized with a Bronze EXCEL Award, in the promotional content/digital media kit category. The planner provides information on advertising and sponsorship opportunities offered by Mechanical Engineering magazine, lead generation programs such as Mechanical Engineering webinars, ASME e-newsletters, and ASME Digital Collection erreichbar classified listings. View the Mechanical Engineering 2017 Integrated Media Planner. Chitra Sethi (left), managing editor of Mechani cal Engineering magazine, and Kara Dress, marketing manager for ASME, accepted the EXCEL Award in the promotional content/digital media kit category for the Mechanical Engineering magazine Integrated Media Planner at the Association Media & Publishing awards ceremony.DEMANDASME Global Development Review, received a Bronze EXCEL Award in the design excellence category for magazines with circulations of 10,000 or fewer readers. The publication is a hybrid between a magazine and journal that features in-depth case studies and articles showcasing strategies and innovative solutions at the intersection of technology and global development. The Association Media Publishing is a membership organization that serves the needs of association publishers, communications professionals, designers, and content generators and the media they create. The EXCEL Awards program recognizes excellence and leadership in nonprofit association media, publishing, marketing and communications. The competition is open to nonprofit organizations and for-profit industry service partners submitting entries on behalf of association clients. For more information, visit associationmediaandpublishing.org.

You need to do this more in your life (if you want to keep growing)

You need to do this more in yur life (if you want to keep growing)You need to do this more in yur life (if you want to keep growing)Sometimes we find ourselves on autopilot. Life settles into a predictable routine and we roll with it. The alarm goes off, we hit the shower, dress and face the day. Just like we did the day before.Theres notlagehing wrong with routines. In fact, Im a big fan of routines and habits, because thats how we achieve our goals and objectives. But how do we know if the goals and objectives we adopted still stand? The answer?Personal reflectionOur hearts and minds have a funny way of getting our attention. Sometimes, they hit like a brick between the eyes. Other times, they emerge like a subtle but persistent restlessness. Either way, we know when something feels amiss.Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind. - Nathaniel HawthorneA nagging little voiceIve clocked three moments in my life when I questioned everything. It started with a nagging little vo ice, whispering in the recesses of my mind.The first wakeup call welches in my freshman year of college. I was away from home, living in the dorms and completely on my own. There were parties and beer and girls.I played keyboards and sang in a rock musikgruppe. Fun times. I could have easily chased that for a while. But one night, after yet another college party, I found myself alone on a dorm room balcony, staring at the moon.Reflecting.I knew, deep down, that rock bands and parties would not get me where I needed to go. So, I left the rock band and began reading more. I focused intently on my education. As a result, I graduated with distinction, and went on to graduate school.We cannot see our reflection in running water. It is only in still water that we can see. - Zen sayingThe soul will speakThe second time that reflection saved my bacon was when I toyed with leaving police work to draw cartoons professionally.I was a police sergeant working night shift. I was married and had an infant son. I hated shift work and felt my creative talents were underutilized. I had been drawing political cartoons for the local newspapers and loved it.A staff, editorial cartoonist position opened up at a newspaper in Albany, New York. The thought of drawing cartoons every day seemed like a dream job. I got swept up imagining a different life, as a full-time cartoonist.Then one night, I was rocking my infant son to sleep. In the quiet of night, I began reflecting. I had an excellent job with good pay and benefits. I had the support of local family and friends. I enjoyed helping people as a police sergeant.Even if I got the cartoonist job in Albany, I knew in my heart it would be a mistake. Newspapers were struggling. Many staff cartoonists were laid off, as papers opted to purchase cheaper, syndicated cartoons.Fortunately, I didnt get the cartoonist position. It was less a disappointment than a relief. I realized I had financial stability and security in my law enforcement j ob. And I could always moonlight as a cartoonist.Quiet the mind, and the soul will speak. - Ma Jaya Sati BhagavatiMy creative dreamsThe third time reflection changed my life was when I almost talked myself out of becoming a painter.As I rose in the police department, it became politically inconvenient to keep publishing political cartoons. So, I started to embrace landscape painting and took a local workshop. I loved it. Soon, I discovered the artist Scott L. Christensen, and thought about studying with him.The only problem was that I had a fear of flying and lacked confidence as a painter. Scott L. Christensen lived in Idaho, and most of the people who went to study with him were already accomplished painters. I came up with a million reasons not to study with Christensen.Fortunately, my wife had a serious talk with me about dreams. About pursuing the things that mattered in my life. She urged me to face my fear of flying, get on that plane and go study with Christensen.As a resul t of that talk I did some serious reflection. I asked myself what I really wanted. And I knew the answer.I made several trips to Idaho to study with Scott Christensen. As a result, my painting improved considerably, and I realized that it was possible to keep my day job and still chase my creative dreams.I later made other plane trips to Franklin, Tennessee, to study blogging and writing with the author Jeff Goins. These conquests over my fear of flying led to where I am today. Making art, writing, and living a full-time, creative life.I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. - Nelson MandelaThe real texture of our livesIf you want to invite more reflection into your life, you need to push back against the cult of busyness. Modern life is awash in technical advances, but somehow our smartphones and non-stop texting have edged out the stillness.Peoples faces are immer sed in the glow of their devices everywhere. People waiting in line (at Starbucks, the doctors office, the post office, etc.) have their phones out. You feel dumb if you dont pull your phone out, too.When we ask friends and associates how they are, they usually say, Busy. Ive got a lot going on. We view busy as a sign of success or importance. Except its not. Its more a sign that weve lost some balance.Weve forgotten how to connect with others. How to slow down and appreciate the real texture of our lives. Not the digital landscape, but the real one. Most of all, weve forgotten how to reflect more on our lives.Check out this short, moving video about the importance of slowing down.The deeper meaning of your lifeQuiet, personal reflection enables us to take stock of where we are. How we truly feel. When all the noise of life gets shut out, we can hear better the whispers of our soul. Deeper feelings, and even solutions, start to come into focus. Such reflection can correct your cours e. Maybe even invite more happiness and peace.Wherever you are in your life, take the time to slow down and reflect. Take stock of where you are in your life, where youve been and where you want to go.You need to do this more in your life. You need to find quiet places. Turn off your devices. Breathe deeply. And then spend some time reflecting.Let the thoughts roam around a bit, freely, in your mind. If you havent done this in a long time, be patient. You might feel like youre wasting time, but youre not. Just as a vacation from work can recharge your batteries, quiet reflection can recharge your mind and spirit.Embrace personal reflection more in your life. Watch how it slowly heals your weary mind. Feel how it stokes the embers of past dreams, and reveals who you really are, or want to become.Google and social media can wait. The deeper meaning of your life is calling, and personal reflection is the lifeline to help you reconnect.Before you goIm John P. Weiss. I draw cartoons, pai nt landscapes, and write about life. Thanks for readingThis article first appeared on Medium.

Funding Support

Funding Support Funding Support Funding SupportIf you havent looked into it before, you may be surprised at the number of government agencies that make grants to entrepreneurs, or otherwise collaborate with geschftliches miteinanderes, in projects judged to be in the public interest. Funds are available at both the federal and state levels as youll see below, the emphasis is on innovation and technology. Federal Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E). ARPA-Es mission is to improve energy efficiency across all sectors of the U.S. economy, and to ensure the U.S. maintains leadership in advanced energy technologies. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). DARPAs mission is to maintain the U.S. militarys technological superiority through research by businesses (large and small), universities, nonprofits, government laboratories and other research organizations. Department o f Energy (DOE) Technology Commercialization Portal. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has mora than 200 marketing summaries on its Technology Commercialization Portal to help investors, entrepreneurs and companies that seek cutting-edge energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies available for licensing. The Technology Commercialization Portal is an verbunden tool that identifies opportunities to invest in the work of DOE laboratories and participating research institutions. The tool also helps speed moving laboratory discoveries into the private sector. Federal Laboratory Consortium (FLC) Locator. For industry and other technology seekers, the FLC Locator Network is a point of entry to federal laboratory expertise and technology. Through its network of representatives, the FLC matches potential partners with federal laboratories working in specific areas of interest. Once the FLC identifies contacts, arrangements for technical exchanges are between u sers and the labs. GRANTS.GOV Portal. Grants.gov is a central U.S. government information storehouse that currently holds more than 1,000 grant programs and provides access to about $500 1000000000000 in annual awards. National Institute of Standards and Technology - Technology Innovation Program (TIP). TIP supports and accelerates innovation in the U.S. through high-risk, high-reward research in areas of critical national need. National Innovation Marketplace (NIM). NIM is a service of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), a national network with hundreds of specialists who understand the needs of small and medium-size manufacturers. The partnership has worked with thousands of manufacturers. They helped save $1.44 billion in annual costs and create $10.5 billion in increased or retained sales in their first year of operation. National Science Foundation (NSF). Created by Congress in 1950, the NSF is the on ly federal agency whose mission includes supporting fundamental science and engineering. The agency also supports high-risk, high-payoff ideas, novel collaborations and numerous like projects. Educators, researchers, and small businesses may find funding here. Small geschftsleben Innovation Research Program. This program provides essential seed funding for technology-based small businesses to complete vital but costly product development. Phase I of the program establishes a projects technical merit and potential for commercialization. Phase II awards larger grants for continued product development, contingent on achievements in Phase I. U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBAs mission is to fund, counsel and protect the interests of small businesses. U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDAs rural development initiative primarily supports loans for improving economies and quality of life in rural America. Funding opportunities exist for rural individuals and small businesses. Typically, rural is defined as an area other than city or town with a bevlkerung of 50,000 plus and not located directly adjacent to a city or town of this size. State State governments often step up to help sustain the states business environment. Over the last decade, state economic development strategies have shifted from focusing solely on attracting new businesses into the state to fostering home-grown businesses through innovation and entrepreneurship. A state government will frequently look to collaborate with the states most competitive and innovative assets universities, private and federal research and development laboratories and concentrations of specialized workers. Seed capital funding. Seed capital often resembles early venture capital. The state takes equity or debt positions in high-tech companies to help grow and retain them in the state. Two examples Oklahoma Seed Capital Fund (OSCF), a $7.025 mio venture capital fund, provides seed and startup equity financing to small, technology-based Oklahoma companies. OSCF operates like a conventional venture fund, boosting state economic activity by bridging the early-stage funding gap between personal and traditional sources of venture capital. Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET) makes convertible debt investments in early-stage companies and equity investments in later-stage companies. Any Vermont-based startup, emerging growth firm, or team seeking to relocate or expand into Vermont is eligible for consideration. The company must be a high-tech, high- growth concept with up to $3 million in revenue. Proof-of-concept funding. Proof-of-concept funding helps establish the feasibility of new commercial technologies. In general, selected technologies are r efined at local institutions with an eye toward an ultimate transfer to business settings. The Edison Innovation R&D Fund New Jersey (EIRDFNJ) is one example. In partnership with a New Jersey research university, company or institution, Edison provides funding to in-state technology companies for proof-of-concept R&D needed to commercialize technologies. Awards range from $100,000 to $500,000. Edison Innovation R&D funding promotes collaboration between universities and the private sector, increases the amount and value of intellectual property, provides early-stage financing and commercialization support and helps grow technology businesses in New Jersey. Accelerator funding. The accelerator concept creates supportive environments for young companies. Best results are often achieved with mission-oriented support around similar emerging technologies or market applications. For example, the Eastern Kentucky Un iversity (EKU) Business and Technology Accelerator Program (BTAP) is a university-based economic development enterprise that focuses EKUs energy, skills and intellectual capital on enterprise creation and expansion. Specializing in small business services, entrepreneurship, technology and high-tech ventures, BTAP offers programs and resources to enhance the regional economy through new business formation. Funds of funds. Funds of funds use state funding to invest with private investment firms that in turn provide leveraged capital for private investment in selected areas. A case in point is the Utah Fund of Funds (UFF), a $300 million economic development program that gives Utah entrepreneurs access to alternative or nontraditional capital. The UFF invests in venture capital and private equity funds that commit to investing in qualifying companies and to working with the UFF and the states startup and business communities. E conomic gardening funding. Economic gardening grows existing second-stage businesses. Its an innovative, entrepreneur-centered strategy that helps balance the traditional practice of business recruitment often referred to as economic hunting. GrowFL, for example, provides high-end, high-speed technical business tools to companies that have grown beyond startup. Typically, these companies need information and decision-making resources database research, search engine optimization, geographic information systems, network mapping, social media, strategic analysis, management-team assessment, capital or labor referrals. University seed funding. Some universities advance technologies and spinoff companies through early-stage seed funding. At Indiana University, the Innovate Indiana Fund (IIF) invests in technologies developed at IU and helps bring them to market. The IIF will help translate technologies into innovative c ommercial products, services and treatments, and set up new technology-based companies to further develop them. Venture associations. Local venture and business associations can bring together the financial players needed to grow new businesses. One such association is the Connecticut Venture Group (CVG), which encourages investment in high-growth companies through technology-focused seminars and expositions, updates on financing and market trends and an annual Venture Show. Other state-based resources include AMT State by State Resource Guide for Government Funding, a state-by-state guide to a variety of business assistance programs Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy & Efficiency, a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility and federal incentives and policies that promote renewable energy and energy efficiency State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI), a national nonprofi t organization that leads and strengthens efforts to improve state and regional economies through science, technology and innovation SSTIs State Venture Capital Dashboard, which presents historical data on venture capital investments by state National Association of Seed and Venture Funds (NASVF), an international organization of innovation-capital lenders private, public and non-profit organizations committed to building their local economies by investing in local entrepreneurs. NASVF has more than 650 members and 150 member organizations.