So you've thought about attending that Chamber of Commerce event, but you don't feel like you will know anyone there. Maybe you've glanced around LinkedIn, but you feel creepy Linking In with the movers-and-shakers in your industry. Or maybe you are starting a business and "don't have time to make connections". We say stop thinking and start linking! Making business connections is one of the most important parts of entrepreneurship. Read our top 5 tips for making strong business connections and start linking in with others:

1. Start early!
   Some entrepreneurs get so wrapped up their business and generating revenue that they forget how important it is to make daily connections. It is essential to start building up a rolodex of connections as soon as a business or product gets started. It is crucial to keep in mind that sometimes, creating connections is more important than making a buck—after all, those connections could help a business become even more profitable in the future.
    
2. Make notes on the back of the business cards you receive
   Ever look back on some of the business cards that you've received and draw a blank on a few of the names and organizations? We have the perfect tip to help fix that problem: take notes on the back of the business cards. If you meet an investor named Bob who enjoys fishing on the weekends, has invested in your city's up-and-coming online business and was wearing a bright red tie, write this down on the back of his card after you have met with him. These small social cues can help you put the puzzle pieces back together when you're drawing a blank. Take it a step further and write down the event or place where you met the particular contact—this will help position your brain to the time and place that you made a connection.
    
3. Facilitate face-to-face encounters
   One of the best ways to make strong connections is by attending events within your industry and meeting important people face-to-face. It's one thing to connect with someone on LinkedIn, it's another to shake hands, make eye contact and see someone's face when networking. Attend as many industry-related events as you can (especially when you are first starting out). The fact that you are actually participating in community events will also position you as a driven and collaborative business owner.
    
4. Follow-up!
   So you've done a great job networking...but now what? You must follow-up with your connections in order to ensure a positive relationship. Shoot your new contacts a quick email, connect with them on LinkedIn or invite them to an upcoming event that you're either hosting or have heard about. Be sure to thank the connection for their time and try to find a synergy between you and the particular contact.
    
5. Use social media (like LinkedIn!) to create even stronger connections
   If you don't have time to attend all of the important business events in your area, utilizing social media to make connections is your next best bet. Find the movers-and-shakers in your industry by working through various LinkedIn tools. After Linking-In with a person, be sure to follow up and see if the two of you could meet face-to-face to find out how to collaborate in the future. Twitter is another great tool to use when developing connections—sometimes, a 140-character Direct Message can speak volumes!

A new type of entrepreneur is shaking up the small business sector today. They are called mompreneurs and they are taking the small business scene by storm with innovative business ideas. What exactly is a mompreneur, you ask? Entrepreneur.com defines a mompreneur as "a female business owner who is actively balancing the role of mom and the role of entrepreneur."

Mompreneurs have seemingly mastered the juggle of starting their own business while raising a family. Within the past 10 years, these women have been on the rise by creating businesses mostly from their homes while continuing to care for their children. Mompreneurs tend to have the creativity gene and the virtue of patience to make their company thrive while raising kids.

Several of the companies started by mompreneurs are inspired by the children they have. Moms will often see a need when raising the little ones and then try to create a solution to the need.

Ever heard of Baby Einstein? Have you wondered where that concept came from? You guessed it- a mom named Julie Aigner-Clark wanted videos that were more interactive than Barney to show to her little girls. She started recording picture video books in her basement in 1997. Just 4 years later, she sold her company to the Walt Disney Corporation for $20 million. Not bad for a first-time business owner.

Other business ventures started by mompreneurs include Time to Play Baby, Human Body Detectives, Bilingual Fun, Trampoline Inc., and PicPocket Books.

Another well-known product produced by a mompreneur is an organic cloth diaper called Swaddlebees While her newborn slept, Margarita McClure devised and started creating the first hypoallergenic diaper in her house. After making her first sale on eBay, her new business took off. It has been years since her baby has been in diapers, but her business is still flourishing more than ever.

Mompreneurs give the notion of "stay at home moms" a whole new meaning. A good mompreneur will have both personal and professional success. With the flexibility that entrepreneurs have, being a mompreneur may just be the thing for you. Make no mistake, these women work hard and get little sleep but the end result proves that it was well worth it.

Many aspiring entrepreneurs question if they even need to seek a college degree. If someone knows that they want to start their own business, what's the point of going to college? A college degree gives the entrepreneur a sense of credibility, especially to potential investors. Not to mention, a degree will give the entrepreneur a general grasp of all major business subjects that they will need to know.

Recently, several dependable resources such as The Princeton Review have named the top schools for entrepreneurship seeking degrees. The following list is comprised of diverse colleges from near and far. Some are small, some are large, some are private while some are public, but they all have one thing in common- they all possess an exceedingly strong entrepreneurship program.

1. University of Houston: The Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship has been a leading program in the U.S. for the past several years. Over 1,800 students are engrossed in the entrepreneurship major or minor at this Texas school every semester. Continuous outside classroom experiences and opportunities are presented to the University of Houston entrepreneurship students, expanding their networks and connections. An average of 65% of students enrolled in this program have started a business in college or shortly after graduation.
2. Baylor University: With a goal to assist local entrepreneurial efforts as well as national ventures, the John F. Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship has been thriving for decades. Baylor University was one of the first universities to implement an entrepreneurship program and it has proven to be a leader for the rest of the country. Extensive entrepreneurship programs are offered such as International Entrepreneurship Study Abroad, The Innovation Evaluation Program and Institute for Family Business.
3. Brigham Young University: Ranking first in the country for the number of startups, licenses and patent application per research dollar spent, Brigham Young is a surprising powerhouse in the entrepreneurial field. This small Mormon school produces promising entrepreneurs while retaining a low tuition cost and several mentoring opportunities for the students.
4. Babson College: Having the mindset and commitment to encourage innovation, this small east coast school has exceedingly done so, time and time again. Babson has been ranked as a top college, business school and a first class entrepreneurship program numerous times. The study of entrepreneurship is "a way of life" at Babson College.
5. University of Southern California: A valuable asset to the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies is the diverse and well-seasoned professors that encourage students to go above and beyond. With the ability to give students respectable exposure and resources, the entrepreneurship students are in good hands at USC.
6. University of Dayton: Allowing students to learn both from valuable classroom time and thriving business owners, the University of Dayton exposes entrepreneurial students. The University of Dayton gives undergraduates the opportunity to start micro-businesses while still participating in school. Several networking options are available to entrepreneurship majors such as luncheons with reputable business owners, internships and mentorships.
7. Syracuse University: Syracuse University offers a diverse, yet critical set of entrepreneurial classes to students in addition to community business exposure. Those majoring in entrepreneurship learn every step of starting a business from creating a business plan to marketing invention designs to participating in pitch competitions.
8. University of Notre Dame: Established a little over a decade ago, the Gigot Center for Entrepreneurial Studies has become a leader in developing young entrepreneurs. The goal of this school is to develop individuals aspiring to create for-profit ventures as well as help rebuild struggling businesses. The faculty is extremely credible, 90% being entrepreneurs themselves.
9. Washington University in St. Louis: Trying to ignite a spark between the St. Louis entrepreneurial community and the students of this accredited school, Washington University's main focus is on collaboration. The Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurship offers several free programs through out the year to promote networking for both the community and the students. Washington University of St. Louis also offers many clubs for students to get involved in for all sorts of entrepreneurial pursuits.
10. DePaul University: The entrepreneurship program at DePaul University attempts to give students real world experience so they can be "proficient in self-employment skills" and "live the dream." The Coleman Entrepreneurship Program gives a competitive advantage to students by keeping close connections with alumni and the faculty with an entrepreneurial spirit. Centered in Chicago, undergrads majoring in entrepreneurship have eminent resources near them at all times.

These schools are the cream of the crop when it comes to entrepreneurship. With this being said, a successful entrepreneur does not necessarily have to attend one off this list, but the extra networking, knowledge and exposure can't hurt!

What does an entrepreneur endure while starting a business? Entrepreneurs progress and advance through many different steps and stages when aspiring to open a new venture. Every entrepreneur is different, as are each of their new businesses. Therefore, everything moves at a slightly different pace. Some companies will take years before the official launch, while others, like technology companies, will take a matter of weeks. With this being said, there are stages that every entrepreneur will undergo.

It all starts with an idea. Anybody can have an idea. An entrepreneur is someone who does something about it. Oftentimes, entrepreneurs gain inspiration from something that they are passionate about. Other times, ideas seem to materialize when the entrepreneur is not necessarily looking for one. The foundation of a business is started by an idea, no matter how it is attained. At this stage, the entrepreneur is ecstatic and cannot wait to get their idea into motion. The next steps show the evolution of the entrepreneur as they form their business.

After brainstorming an idea, an entrepreneur next must evaluate the idea. Is there really a market for this idea? Is this idea worthy and viable? Will this business work? An entrepreneur must identify the opportunity that comes with this innovative thought. He or she must also recognize the future goal and life plan of this business idea. It is helpful to also decide the business model the entrepreneur wants to build on.

Next, the entrepreneur should develop a business plan. The entrepreneur must define what product and/or service they want to offer and how they are going to do so. From simple steps like determining a name for the new business to deciding the location of the company, the entrepreneur should map it all out. Although a complete 80-page business plan is not always necessary, written direction is essential. This can seem tedious and unnecessary to the entrepreneur, but it will be helpful in the long run.

With an idea and plan in mind, an entrepreneur must find resources to pioneer the business. And the most important resource to find is money. No matter the size of the business, an entrepreneur is going to need capital to start it. Personal savings, family, friends, angel investors, the SBA and venture capitalists are all some options for funding depending on the type of venture and the amount needed. This can be a stressful time for the entrepreneur for many reasons. Capital can be hard to find and paying it back can be even harder. The entrepreneur also must obtain assets such as building, land, machinery and equipment for whatever the business may be.

The entrepreneur then will use the resources obtained to implement the business plan. There is a lot of work to be done at this point. Marketing the upcoming business is key and social media is the way to go this day and age. Facebook, Twitter and an email account are critical for the soon-to-be business. Whatever the product or service that will be offered from the business must be tested over and over again to make sure there are no flaws. Employees must be hired and trained if necessary.

Once everything is in place, the business is ready to be launched! Although it is the most exciting phase in an entrepreneur's life, this time period will be filled with limited hours of sleep. There will be glitches and the entrepreneur will have to quickly respond effectively. If the entrepreneur is working hard, has planned well, and the market is thriving, their new business is likely to succeed.

In the end, the entrepreneur will have an exit strategy. Defined in the original business plan, the entrepreneur will know when they want to move on to something else. Some choose to make their venture a family business to be passed down for generations, while others want to build it up and sell as fast as they can. At this time, we hope that the entrepreneur is content with their success and the hard work they put into it.

Some companies exist to make profits. Other companies exist to help solve a problem. Sustainable companies exist to do both.

When people hear the term "sustainable", they tend to automatically label it as the trend of "going green" . But "sustainable" can mean an array of different things. A sustainable company can be socially sustainable, profitably sustainable or environmentally sustainable.

The following companies are surprising because they are not necessarily known for being sustainable. Customers have and continue to purchase products and services from these companies because they enjoy what they get from them. They do not support these companies on the lone fact that they are sustainable, but just because they are strong companies to begin with.

The subsequent corporations are a diverse group of companies that have a surprisingly strong sustainability strategies.

1. Nike: Although Nike has some negative history associated with sweatshops in the 1990's, Nike has changed its way of doing things. Known for its innovative and bright athletic apparel and shoes, sustainability does not come to mind to many consumers. But the CEO of Nike, Mark Parker, says, "Sustainability is our generation's defining issue." Nike has recharged its standards by creating several innovative programs and using green technology. Some examples include a program called Considered Design to reduce waste from designers, building tracks with worn-out shoe rubber, creating a basketball shoe made with complete waste and partnering with social companies to give hope to people in third world countries.
2. Patagonia: Famous for their outdoor apparel and gear, Patagonia has based its standards and advocacy on environmentalism. Patagonia utilizes innovative green technology for manufacturing apparel, monitors waste closely and donates a portion of profits to grassroots groups working to make an environmental difference. Additionally, Patagonia prides itself on treating employees with dignity and respect. With the "let my people go surfing" motto, employees are encouraged to take the day off when surf's up.
3. Walmart: Walmart is known for being a national superstore with low prices, but very few recognize that Walmart is one of the most efficient and sustainable stores too. Walmart has found opportunities in making the operating chain more economically friendly. Changing the lighting in the stores, keeping manufacturing in one or two countries to reduce shipping cost and creating standards for companies they work with not only saves money but helps the environment too. Jib Ellison, a consultant who helped Walmart with its strategy commented that "Sustainability represents the biggest business opportunity of the 21st century."
4. Southwest Airlines: Known as one of the most efficient, low-cost airlines in the world, Southwest Airlines strives to do more. Being the front leader in the industry, Southwest Airlines is working on emission reduction in fuel efficiency. The Next Generation Boeing aircrafts are equipped with winglets, saving 2.5% on fuel consumption. Southwest has created a systematic engine wash that recycles the water to be used for the next wash, which also increases engine efficiency and reduces carbon emissions.
5. Herman Miller: Herman Miller furniture designs award-winning furnishings that not only cater to businesses and individuals but also to the environment. With the goal for the company to rely solely on "green energy" by 2020, Herman Miller has set many ambitious goals to help save the environment which is called the "Perfect Vision". By creating programs such as the rePurpose program, Herman Miller donates used furniture to nonprofits around the country. In addition, the company builds furniture with "green" materials in LEED certified buildings.
6. Newman's Own: Founded by actor Paul Newman, Newman's Own produces fine food products such as salad dressing and salsa. Many who purchase these gourmet goods do not quite realize the cause they are serving. After taxes, the profits of Newman's Own are donated to various charities. To this date, over $300 million has been given to charities since 1982.
7. L.L. Bean, Inc.: Conservation and sustainability are the decision determents to this Maine-based shoe and apparel company. The company trucks use biodiesel fuel (made of vegetable oil and animal fat) and ten of L.L. Bean's retail stores are located in LEED certified buildings. Shipping boxes, gift boxes and tissue paper are made from 100% recyclable materials. L.L. Bean also participates in Environmental Charitable Giving, energy conservation, paper and sustainable forest management and many more environmental initiatives.

These seven companies demonstrate the ability to be sustainable while making profits. They do not sell their products because of their mission, but they are able to contend with their mission because of their success. Are you surprised by the sustainability these seven companies encompass?