What is the "New Pittsburgh"?

We have written before about how Pittsburgh has transformed into a city known for its steel to a city that is known for its technology, innovation and the smart entrepreneur-minded residents that are driving the change. In a recent Pittsburgh Magazine article, writer Dennis B. Roddy, asked Pittsburghers how they envision the "New Pittsburgh". Here are some of the quotes and highlights from the article that we found most intriguing:

“I think we’re coming out of a bubble. I think we looked at that as normal, the safety net that corporations brought to society,” says Mark Musolino, 43, a New York transplant who started a few of his own ventures after earning a Ph.D. in bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh in 2006. He created Revv as a low-rent, no-lease parking space for startups. Musolino says the old Pittsburgh continues to transform as its model of lifetime job, fixed benefits and aversion to risk is displaced by younger entrepreneurs who fall in love with Pittsburgh’s scale, neighborhoods and established sense of community that embraces newcomers.

The New Pittsburgh, with its startups run by techies who see failure as an option so long as they learn something, is taking shape in ways that show how technology can shift cultures. 

The business “ecosystem” is a common trope within The New Pittsburgh. It is partly an acknowledgment that economic development is best grown organically while nourished by a society that doesn’t stigmatize failure, invites a certain level of contrarian outlook and places social and community connections near the top of the wish list for newcomers and even boomerangs.

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Offices Available at Riverside Center for Innovation

Our building, located on the North Shore of Pittsburgh, now has office suites available! In the mid 19th century, Riverside Center for Innovation (RCI) was known as the May Stern warehouse. Now it is the renovated location and business incubator for several local companies. If you are interested in leasing an office suite, contact Juan Garrett at jg@riversidecenterforinnovation.com. For more information about available spaces and amenities read below.

Free parking and Fiber Internet connections are included with rent. Other services offered are telephone/receptionist services, photocopier (B&W and color), conference rooms, faxing, word processing, postage, an exercise facility, IT services, notary public, business counseling, MBE and WBE certifications, and entrepreneurial business counseling.

RCI is located along the Allegheny River on Pittsburgh's North Shore (700 River Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212). It is directly across from the David Lawrence Convention Center, just a minute's drive from downtown Pittsburgh.

RCI is in Pittsburgh's Technology Zone and the Pittsburgh Central KIZ. The Technology Zone has been designated by the City of Pittsburgh's Urban Redevelopment Authority to promote job growth and gives businesses the advantage of business expansion opportunities and investments.

More details at RCI 

MLK Events in Pittsburgh

Martin Luther King Day is on Monday, January 19th. If you have the day off on Monday, there are some Pittsburgh events that are commemorating Martin Luther King. Even if you are working, here are a few events to remember his honor.

Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Awards
Coro Center for CIVIC Leadership
33 Terminal Way, Suite 429-A
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
(412) 258-2674
www.coropittsburgh.org 

Date: Jan. 23, 2015 

On January 23, join other Pittsburghers at the Coro Center for CIVIC Leadership for the eighth annual Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Awards. Celebrate all that Martin Luther King, Jr. stood for at this special event honoring his values, leadership and service. Nominated individuals and organizations will also be honored based on their contributions to the community and helping to further a more inclusive social equality. General admission tickets to the event are $50 and available to purchase through January 23. 

31st Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration
St. Paul’s Baptist Church
6701 Penn Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
(412) 361-5549
www.eecm.org 

Date: Jan. 18, 2015 

Come together with members of the East End Cooperative Ministry Council of Congregations and the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary for its annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, scheduled for January 18 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Now in its 31st year, this event will commemorate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. through special keynote speakers, including Cecile M. Springer, President of Springer Associates. Be inspired by the devotion to community, social justice, leadership and economic ethics of Ms. Springer who embodies much of what Martin Luther King, Jr. represented. Admission is free; however, canned good donations are requested to benefit the East End Cooperative Ministry’s food pantry.

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Starting a Business: Free 12-Week Training Course

If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and dreams of starting your own business someday, then get started with this free 12-week training course. A number of local organizations are working together to provide inspiring entrepreneurs with the skills and support they need to build their business. The training will start with a pre-orientation workshop on January 20, 2015 at Healthy Village Institute for Learning Community Center in McKeesport.

For more information, view the flyer below or reach out to the contact persons listed below.

New Year's Resolutions for Business Owners

It's that time of year again━time to write those New Year's resolutions. Although the thought of creating resolutions at the beginning of each year may seem a bit cliche, it can be beneficial for your business savvy. As 2015 begins, we can reflect on what we've learned in the past year and use that knowledge to establish where we want our business to go in the future, and more importantly, how we can get it there.

This year, create a set of realistic goals for your business and for yourself. For your New Year's business resolutions, here are a few ideas from USA Today:

Focus on recurring revenue. You may be thrilled to find any source of income, but some types of customers contribute more significantly to your long-term financial well-being. Focus foremost on customers who have the need and capacity to buy from you repeatedly rather than one-off purchasers.

Get more help. Your business may not growing sufficiently because you are trying to do too much yourself. It's difficult to find good employees and contractors, but a great worker can truly help you grow your company significantly. Examine your operation for routine tasks that take too much of your time, and look for areas of business growth you need outside expertise to achieve.

Check your financial statements regularly. In the crush of work — or from the fear of finding out bad news — many entrepreneurs hesitate to look too deeply and regularly into their financial reports: profit and loss, cash flow, aging accounts receivable and payable. Every week, perhaps on Monday or Friday, spend at least 30 minutes reviewing your financials.

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