Entrepreneurs Are Born in College

December 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Most entrepreneurs come of age during their years in college. Sure, they had a successful lemonade stand at age 5 and the most efficient paper route in the county by age 14, but the new ideas and inspiration needed to become a successful self-enterprising genius come from colleges and universities.

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Are you one of those trail blazers who is destined for greatness? There are a few things you need to become familiar with and comfortable doing. Learn how to master these basic business skills and you’ll be well on your way to becoming your own boss, and probably the boss of many other workers, as well.

Technology

College is the best time to familiarize yourself with the latest technology, and to get a firm grasp on where the future of technology is headed. Even if your interests lie outside of technical fields, computers and software are the driving force of any type of business today. Learn about the latest gadgets, apps and software packages. Know why these are successful, and how you could improve them. Most of all, know what tools are the best for your type of work and become an expert in using them.

Travel

Web cams, conference calls and emails are great day-to-day business tools, but if you are really going somewhere with your ideas, there are times that getting things done requires meeting investors and potential clients face to face. This means being familiar with how to travel both nationally and abroad. According to statistics, college students are already doing a lot of travel. Take a look at this interesting graph.

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Learn your geography. Familiarize yourself with national and world economies. Understand why the automotive industry is drawn to the South, why the Midwest is the center of biofuel technologies, why a lumberjack’s life insurance costs more in the Pacific Northwest and why businesses in the U.S. are opening production factories in India.

Business Basics

The best idea in the world is no substitute for basic business practices. You may not want to tear yourself away from building your dreams to focus on mundane tasks like writing a business plan, incorporating and establishing solid accounting records, but no business enjoys success without these things. Take at least a few business and accounting classes so that you are building your business on a solid foundation.

The college years are a unique time in life when you are on your own, but not yet burdened with mortgage payments, the responsibilities of raising a family and worrying about retirement plans. Use this time to gain an understanding of how the world of business works. Then use this knowledge to build a business that is rooted sound principles, yet aspires to be everything you dream of as an entrepreneur.

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Creating Your Own Digital Radio Station

March 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The Internet is a growing business and it even made people interested in radio launch their own digital radio station. With the creation of being able live stream, anyone can pretty much create their own digital radio station from the comfort of their own home on their own computer. Before deciding on which live streaming program will work for you, browse through your option and find the one that fits the needs of your programming.

Once you’ve gone through your options, pick the one you’re going to stream your digital radio station on. Majority of these hosting services do have a fee you’ll need to pay every month. Some also have tiers that could potentially affect the options available to your digital radio station. These options could include the amount of simultaneous listeners you’re allowed to have and your data storage. These are important decisions that could affect your decision on which service provider to go with.

Next, download and install the software you’ve chosen. Some might not require downloading since they’re a web-based platform.

Get your music collection together and organize your files. To keep your station going 24/7, you’re going to need a good size music collection. Make sure you convert all of the music you own to MP3 files for your software. You should be fine when it comes to copyrighted music as long as you purchased your music legally. Then categorize all your music by genre. Then take your music set list and load it so that your digital radio station will play it.

Lastly, it’s time to launch your digital radio station. Make sure there’s enough music so you won’t have to worry about dead air from happening.

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Broadcasting Your Own Radio Show

February 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Many people dream about having their own show on the radio. I’m sure many of you have heard a few times that you’ve got a great radio voice. People are looking for different ways to get creative and public radio is definitely one of those ways. Below are tips that will help you broadcast your own radio show and develop a great radio audience.

Before getting an audience you’ll need to figure out who you want your audience to be and what type of radio show you’re looking to start.  There really isn’t any need to have another top 20 radio station, but if you can narrow it a little further, you’ll do great.

You can also figure out your show by getting more specific with the demographics. For example, you can think about gender, age, education and geographic location. If you’re living in say Southern Calif. than try and target those who enjoy fishing, swimming or surfing. It’s a tight niche and there probably aren’t a lot of radio stations like that out there.

Content development is important. It helps you decide what to add to your show. For example, think about the show above, adding some weather and surf conditions with beach traffic and some music and you’ve got the potential of a really great show. Once you’ve got your specific niche, finding segments for your show won’t be too difficult. The hardest part is actually finding your core audience.

You’ve got your audience, now who do you want as advertisers? Choose advertisers that relate to your core audience. For example, find retailers who sell fishing, surfing and boating equipment.

Create and build a website for your radio show. Use a .com domain for your radio show. Be sure to add a request page, list of topics and songs playing. You want the site so you can promote your radio show and interact with your listeners. The tricky part is creating a domain name that’s not taken.

If you’re show doesn’t make, try bringing your radio show to the Internet. There are a ton of opportunities for online radio shows. Don’t get discouraged the first time around.

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Creating A Streaming Radio Station

February 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

There are multiple ways you can create your own radio station that you can stream off the Internet. Take advantage of websites that allow you to create your own radio station and stream it off their server. You do have the option to be completely independent and have control of your station by setting up your own server all together.

Many people who start their own online radio station often found that using two computers is the best option because you can use one for audio production and stream using the other. Using a computer for production is only needed if you’re planning on running your radio station 24 hours a day. If you’re thinking about just doing a daily show that’s three to four hours than you’ll only need one computer.

The computer you use for production won’t need an Internet connection. All that’s really needed is audio software for recording production. Something like Garage Band is the most popular option, but it does cost quite a bit of money.

Create your library of music for your radio station. Once you’ve got the format for your station going, make a list of audio that’s going be the theme for your station. Create commercials, announcements, promos and anything else you’re going to use to promote your station.

Create your playlist on iTunes. This will be the cheapest and easiest way to mange your music and keep it organized. Being unorganized will make this a little harder for you and can create some problems. There’s MegaSeg DJ software that many DJs and radio stations will use for their music.  You’ll have the option to set up a list of music and they will play each one after the other. This way if you’re not around or busy, you’ll be able to avoid any dead air.

Stream your music to he Internet. Make sure you have everything needed to stream your music. You don’t want any problems the day you launch your radio station.

Promote. Promote. Promote. Use social networking websites to promote the launch date of your radio station.

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How To Start An Online Radio Station

January 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment

You hear more and more about internet radio.  It is a growing industry that many want to get their hands into.  There are different ways to start your own online radio station, but for the purpose of space, we will stick with the easiest.  You have some websites that pay the royalties for you and then some that just allow you to play music that you own the rights to.  What you decide to choose comes down to your preference.  Right now we are going to look at two websites that offer online radio stations to anyone.

Live365.com is a website that basically works as a transmitter for you.  Their packages start at 5.95 a month and go up to 100 dollars a month.  Live365 also offers a Pro package that you can customize.  The Pro package allows you to broadcast live or pre-recorded material.  You control the advertising.  The price per month for this is dependent on your customization and therefore you should contact Live365 for exact pricing on the Pro package.  In order for you to play popular music that we all hear on the radio, you have to pay royalties to the singers and record companies.  All royalties are included in your price.  You can not only play music but you can put your own voice out there as a broadcaster.  You can also earn revenue with this website.

Ubroadcast.com allows anyone to broadcast television and radio to any audience all over the internet.  Your broadcasts can be embedded to be shared on Facebook, MySpace, or virtually any web site.  For just a basic broadcast all you need is a microphone, camera and the internet.  It can be as simple or as complex as you want it, but give that free trial a shot first.  The cost for this ranges, but ubroadcast.com does have a free account.  This website pays no royalties; it will only broadcast music you own the rights to.

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Broadcasting for Life

January 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Getting yourself and your thoughts out there is not limited to updating your FaceBook status twice a day and writing a blog post or two. In the digital age, virtually anything is possible. And, things are not only possible, but easier than ever to set up and take part in on a daily basis.

Take the traditional form of broadcasting, for example. Traditionally tied to radio, television, or cable, broadcasting has come to encompass one more aspect in recent decades: the webcast. Now, anyone with a few ideas and some hard disk space to record on can create programs revolving around the two aspects that have always driven broadcasting: enlightenment and entertainment.

With a bit of determination and effort befitting a new business venture, anyone can pursue this new style of broadcast career. People like to have independent opinions in the digital age, and nowhere is this more evident than in the rash of new podcasts that have popped up on topics ranging from sex advice to stock picking. All that is really required, besides an internet connection, a computer, a microphone, and a few original ideas, is persistence to follow through on your ideas to such an extent that you build a large body of work.

From there, the income related step is straightforward. Simply reach out to any business that presently offers services related to the ideas which guide your broadcasts. Advertisers love to engage in focused, targeted selling tactics, and the new broadcast methods play right to their strengths. Just as pursuing online degrees is a new route for people the globe over, it makes sense to follow all of your dreams. So fire up a computer, roll up your sleeves, and get studying for your degree, while at the same time creating an unrivaled body of independent broadcasting work. Even if your broadcasting business doesn’t take off, employers in the field will be very interested!

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Radio Stations for All Personalities

October 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Aside from various types of radio stations that serve the community, there are also various types of personalities that listen to and enjoy the radio. One reason why radio stations try to provide a variety of music and topics to listen to is to attract and retain the interest of the audiences that they serve. Distinct choices and preferences from the radio listening community helps the radio station decide on their playlist and interview list, based on popularity and demand.

If something proves to be popular in one genre, radio listeners eagerly listen to the selection on their favorite radio stations. They are also known to heavily request the topic or music, making it more in demand and encouraging the radio station to find and play similar music or interviews that are similar to the popular ones in demand. The popularity of music or interviews is also how radio stations are able to secure profitable advertising spots.

Even radio advertising is a subject that attracts certain personalities and preferences from the listening community. Based on the advertised product or service, the ad itself can gain a lot of momentum and exposure if it is something that piques the interest of the listening audience. Good and effectively place advertising will help the station in placing ads in places where it will be more profitable.

For instance, radio stations that are popular for pop culture genre attract many young people to their stations. Radio management can capitalize on this by offering ads, interviews and discussions that appeal to the younger set.

For the educational community or those interested in the arts or science, the public radio stations are well-known for attracting those who want information and resources on those topics. What fits well with these types of personalities are industry interviews or news spotlights on engaging topics.

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The Evolution of Radio Styles

October 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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Radios have come a long way since they first became quite popular in the 50s. There were once these awkward, large radios that were so big that they had to sit on top of tables or desks just to be in a practical place. Their knobs were unusually large and often had antennas that were tall, long and clunky to maneuver at best.

Today’s new radios are almost essentially undetectable, with touch-sensitive pads for on and off controls, antenna-less receptio and some of them almost small enough that can fit into the palm of a person’s hands.

As for the method in which the radio has evolved, decades of the technology have seen the radio go from tubes, antennas and tapes for recording to discs, CD’s and Internet radio technology that has changed it dramatically.

Radio delivery methods is a large cause for the spike in sales for the hardware product and also for the technology that exists in on-demand and subscription radion services. Now consumers can subscribe to their favorite genre of radio music for their listening pleasure. They don’t have to wait for their favorite songs to come on, nor do they have to call in and make a request for a song (if they don’t want to), but their subscription-based service will tell the radio station what the customer’s preferences are and have those choices delivered to them via satellite or other means.

Although many people may think that the way of the radio is going to go away, it is by far the contrary to that belief. Radio and the industry interest and sales has increased dramatically which will undoubtedly cause the industry to spike even faster. Newer products are being developed, newer technologies are being discovered and more resources are being made available that will continue to create an enthusiasm for the radio for a long time to come.

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The Radio of the People

June 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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Believe it or not, there are several different types of radio stations that are by the people and for the people. This is not the “natural aristocracy” nonsense that the founding fathers thought up, either. These are actually publicly funded, or funded through their membership, instead of having constant advertisements bombarding their listeners. And they actually have people doing things that are not just about glorifying the modern feudal system, too. In 1967, the first public radio station came to life with the creation and slight allocation of federal funding for NPR. While there is a need for the donations of the listening public, this is actually useful, since it keeps the programming truthful and relevant to the people who are actually going to be using it.

Public radio can be affiliated with colleges and universities (most especially state schools and other public programs), and can switch up their format from news and talk to music, and vice versa. The face that public radio needs donation from its listeners keeps it from getting too cocky. So long as the station knows that the people who listen to it have all of the power, things go a whole lot more smoothly. But public radio is not the only way there is. There is also community radio and tourist radio, for those civic minded, responsible individuals who want to take a “speed of light” interest in how their community functions.

Tourist radio is typically multilingual and repetitive, often on a continuous loop over and over again. While this may not be a huge amount of involvement, it can be some pretty responsible charity work to participate in. Community radio is a lot like public radio, with one small difference about it. In a community radio situation, the partial government funding tends to be of a local nature. It is also true in a community radio situation that generally, volunteers are necessary, in order to operate the station and bring the messages to the viewing public.

While the formats can vary enormously between different stations, these are all the radio of the people.

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Student Radio

June 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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Not everybody knows this, but some students at all levels of their schooling have their own radio stations. While it isn’t all that glamorous, it can be a very good hobby or part time job, for the students who want to get comfortable with public speaking and get some actual radio experience. There are more than just college students doing the whole radio thing. In a decent number of cases, there are high school students (and even some elementary and middle school students) doing radio stations. While there is typically a music format at any level where students are involved, it is also a common practice for the students to report on the local events at the school. These events include the news in the area and any of the various school functions that are coming up in the near future.

Student radio stations can be at any level of school, even down to the elementary level. Those must be some pretty motivated kids, to be willing to do all of that work. In most cases, the students actually have a sort of extra curricular club or organization that handles things related to their radio station. They obviously need to get approval from the FCC, and have the permission of the school to use the necessary equipment, space and whatnot. So when the shows start coming on, with the kids acting like crew and radio personalities, it must be very interesting for the kids who had to go through some efforts to get the ball rolling. At that stage of the game, those kids have got to feel like a million bucks, for having gone all the way through that kind of an ordeal.

Now, at the college level, things are a little different. College stations tend to be listed on digital and online radio directories, so that they can be heard all over the world. What a trip! And they have a lot more editorial and musical freedom, since they are legal adults and can play all kinds of different independent styles of music without much interference from faculty.

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