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\"Drawing from her years of experience in marketing, project planning and communications, as well as, her real-life experience in crowdfunding Patty Lennon provides an easy-to-follow guide to launching a crowdfunding project\"--Back cover.

A significant body of research has examined how new organizations gain legitimacy and how gaining it affects their subsequent access to resources. Less attention has been given to the problem of how new organizations attract collective attention. Although related to legitimation, the problem of attracting attention is distinct, as attention and evaluation are distinct cognitive processes. In this study, we examine the allocation of collective attention to new organizations in a system of relationships, within which new organizations seek to attract attention through their sensegiving activities; the information properties of their sensegiving activities affect the level of attention they receive from different types of media; and media attention, in turn, increases their perceived value potential in the eyes of venture capital investors (VCs). We examine these relationships in a sample of 398 information-technology start-ups that have obtained different levels of venture capital funding. Our results show that new organizations that engage in more intense and diverse sensegiving activities attract higher levels of industry media attention and that these effects are enhanced by the human capital of their founders and leaders. Diverse sensegiving activities are also associated with higher levels of attention from the general media, but only the attention of specialized industry media is positively associated with the level of VC funding obtained. These findings extend current research on information intermediation and institutional legitimation by demonstrating that media attention early in the life of new organizations affects how they are valued by a well-informed expert audience, such as VCs. They also contribute to entrepreneurship research on the effects of new organizations’ strategies on their ability to secure resources and to research on VC funding decisions.

\"[In this] how-to guide, ... Kickstarter campaign manager Derek Miller takes his ... experience and delivers everything you need to know about being a modern entrepreneur in today's global marketplace\"--Amazon.com.

PurposeAlthough the role of returnees is critical to firm innovation, the literature offers inconsistent findings regarding returnees' effect on firms' innovation performance. To reconcile this issue, the authors argue that taking the types of innovation into account – i.e. technical innovation and commercial innovation – is necessary. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine how firms led by returnees affect the relationship between research and development (R&D) input and above two types of innovation output, as well as the contingent role of political connections (PCs) and venture capital funding (VC funding).Design/methodology/approachThis study empirically tested the hypotheses using a dataset of 54,617 firm-year observations for 18,475 Chinese firms in Zhongguancun Science Park (ZSP) from 2009 to 2014.FindingsThe results show that the positive effect of R&D input on technical innovation performance (TIP) is reinforced when firms are led by returnees, while the positive effect of R&D input on commercial innovation performance (CIP) is weakened when firms are led by returnees compared with those firms led by the local counterparts. The findings further show that returnee firms' positive effect on the relationship between R&D input and technical innovation performance is more salient for firms with more PCs but weakened for those with more VC funding.Originality/valueThis study enriches the research on returnee firms' advantages and disadvantages in transforming R&D input into innovation performance, and the findings highlight that firms led by returnees can increase R&D efficiency of technical innovation, but reduce R&D efficiency of commercial innovation. Moreover, this study offers a contingent view of political and economic stakeholders' roles in returnee firms' innovation, by revealing PCs help returnee firms to enhance R&D efficiency in technological innovation, while venture capital can hamper such R&D efficiency.

Il manque à l’Ontario, à l’heure actuelle, 70 000 places en soins de longue durée (SLD), soit 38 000 pour vider les listes d’attentes et 32 000 de plus pour compenser les installations qui doivent être remplacées, pour un cout total de plus de 20 milliards de dollars. Cette étude porte sur les sources et les exigences du financement des maisons de soins de longue durée en Ontario, ainsi que sur les structures de propriété dans ce secteur. Des entrevues semi-structurées permettent de comprendre les moyens dont disposent les propriétaires de maisons de SLD, leurs difficultés et leur volonté d’entreprendre les projets de construction nécessaires. Les propriétaires qui ont répondu au sondage ont nommé les difficultés suivantes : le manque d’accès au capital de financement, le rendement insuffisant du capital privé, les différences dans le financement selon le modèle de propriété, les différences de couts selon la région, ainsi qu’une règlementation contraignante. Des options concernant les politiques sont proposées pour surmonter ces obstacles et stimuler la construction et la relance des maisons de SLD. Ontario has an immediate need for 70,000 long-term-care (LTC) beds-38,000 to address current waitlists and a further 32,000 in need of replacement, which together will cost more than $20 billion. This study examines funding sources and requirements and ownership structures in the LTC homes sector in Ontario. Semi-structured interviews were used to understand the ability, challenges, and willingness of LTC home owners to undertake the needed construction. Respondents identified poor access to capital funding, inadequate returns on private capital, differences in funding by ownership model, differing costs by region, and regulatory obstacles. Policy options are identified to overcome constraints and spur construction and redevelopment of LTC homes.

This study examines the impact of the Educational Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (E-SPLOST) on state capital outlay in Georgia, USA, focusing on intergovernmental fiscal relations. Although previous studies have addressed the local effects of E-SPLOST, this study explores its impact on state capital grants. Using a 25-year longitudinal dataset (1993-2017) and a two-way fixed effects model, this study found that E-SPLOST initially increases state capital grants, but then leads to a long-term reduction in grants, in accordance with fiscal substitution theory. This shift underscores concerns about reliance on sales taxes and increasing educational inequities. The study emphasizes the role of the state in ensuring educational equity and provides implications for policymakers seeking to balance local fiscal autonomy with equitable educational opportunities.

Since the enforcement of Law 98/2016 on public procurement in Romania, the inclusion of price adjustment clauses in construction contracts has become a standard practice. This paper, which presents a comprehensive analysis of the financial implications of eight adjustment formulas applied to public construction projects executed over three durations (12, 24, and 36 months) between 2018 and 2024, is a significant contribution to the field. A comparative analysis using objective indices published by Romania’s National Institute of Statistics reveals the impact of inflation and cost variations on adjusted contract values. Three scenarios, each starting in different years (2018, 2020, and 2022), are explored to determine the sensitivity of the formulas to market fluctuations. Results show that by applying the eight adjustment formulas, only two formulas tend toward annual inflation. The indices used by the construction branch are not correlated with yearly inflation, and when no advance payments are granted, they offer a reliable basis for economic equilibrium in public contracting. The study guides the selection of appropriate adjustment models to manage financial risk in a volatile construction market, providing valuable insights for academics, researchers, and professionals in civil engineering and public procurement.

The rise in interest rates globally in 2022–23 led to improved scheme funding for many defined-benefit pension schemes. Many schemes in the UK now find themselves closer to, or at, a fully funded position on a low-risk basis (annuity buyout or self-sufficiency). Finishing the journey while managing the risk of losses on that journey is highly desirable, but may be difficult to achieve in practice. However many schemes are not yet sufficiently funded to buy out liabilities in full with an insurer. Others may not wish to, and many who can afford to do so are not yet able to for investment reasons (such as holding illiquid assets) or operational reasons (such as the time needed to resolve member data issues). For schemes that instead look to adopt self-sufficient ongoing management with low dependency on the sponsoring employer, this may be difficult to maintain in practice. In short, there remains a risk that benefits will not be secured in full, which with hindsight could have been avoided. The addition of capital to pension scheme assets has long been deployed to enhance the security of member benefits e.g., capital from insurers in the case of a buyout or capital from sponsors in the form of contingent assets. More recently, providers have developed a diverse set of arrangements that draw on external capital to aid trustees and corporates to meet scheme funding ambitions. Capital Backed Funding Arrangements (“CBFA”) are in this context an additional tool in the trustee toolkit for delivering funding strategies. This paper focusses on the UK-defined benefit market but the dynamics are applicable to other jurisdictions, with CBFAs being developed for wider markets (e.g., Ireland). In this paper we: survey the current scheme funding landscape and consider the need in this environment for arrangements to support scheme funding journeys to deliver benefits in full summarise the key features of arrangements in the market that may support these objectives set out considerations for trustees and sponsoring companies when assessing these arrangements. The aim of this paper is educational – to increase awareness of the key issues and potential solutions. Professional advice will always be required prior to any transaction. We welcome feedback from readers on further material that would be beneficial to support consideration of these arrangements.

Enhancing the role of private sector partners in education can lead to significant improvements in education service delivery. However, the realization of such benefits depends in great part on the design of the partnership between the public and private sectors, on the overall regulatory framework of the country, and on the governmental capacity to oversee and enforce its contracts with the private sector. Under the right terms, private sector participation in education can increase efficiency, choice, and access to education services, particularly for students who tend to fail in traditional education settings. Private-for-profit schools across the world are already serving a vast range of usersâ€\"from elite families to children in poor communities. Through balanced public-private partnerships (PPPs) in education, governments can leverage the specialized skills offered by private organizations as well as overcome operating restrictions such as salary scales and work rules that limit public sector responses. 'The Role and Impact of Public-Private Partnerships in Education' presents a conceptualization of the issues related to PPPs in education, a detailed review of rigorous evaluations, and guidleines on how to create successful PPPs. The book shows how this approach can facilitate service delivery, lead to additional financing, expand equitable access, and improve learning outcomes. The book also discusses the best way to set up these arrangements in practice. This information will be of particular interest to policymakers, teachers, researchers, and development practitioners.

There are few mechanisms that bring the academic and business worlds together in a way that would maximize the success of health technology (health tech) start-ups by increasing researchers' knowledge about how to operate in the business world. Existing solutions (eg, technology transfer offices and dual degree MD/MBA programs) are often unavailable to researchers from outside the institution or to those who have already completed their primary education, such as practicing physicians. This paper explores current solutions and offers a partial solution: include venture capital (VC) panels in medical conferences. These VC panels educate academics on 2 important and interconnected issues: how to \"pitch\" their ideas in the business world and what to consider when creating a company. In these sessions, academia-based start-up companies present their ideas before a VC panel composed of professional investors and receive feedback on their idea, business plan, and presentation techniques. Recent panel recommendations from Medicine 2.0 conferences fell into 7 categories: (1) the product, service, or idea you are developing into a company, (2) determine market forces and identify the target audience, (3) describe your competitive advantage, (4) the business plan, (5) current and future resources and capabilities, (6) legal aspects, and (7) general advice on the art of pitching. The academic and business literature validates many of these recommendations suggesting that VC panels may be a viable and cost-effective introduction to business and entrepreneurial education for physicians and other health care professionals. Panels benefit not only the presenting companies, but also the physicians, psychologists, and other health care professionals attending the session. Incorporating VC panels into academic conferences might also illuminate the need for incorporating relevant business training within academia.