If you’ve been going to the Venture Club of Indiana’s Innovation Showcase for the past few years, you will have noticed that there was a change in the process this year. One of the major changes we saw was the addition of a pre-screening to the selection process. Because of this, companies who made it through were able to pitch for five minutes rather than one.

Last month we discussed questions to consider regarding character and philosophy before entering into a joint venture or merger. After you have a foundational understanding of what is important to your future business partner philosophically, it’s time to begin asking how your products and services will integrate.

There are many important considerations when entering into a joint venture. Some of the first things that should be considered are the character and philosophy of the businesses joining together. Before determining the logistics of the business combinations, it is important to make sure philosophies and motivations for running the business align. Failure to be on the same page regarding these topics can either make or break your venture’s success.

In April, we published a blog post titled “Changes in Overtime Laws are Coming.” Since that time, on May 18^th, 2016, the Department of Labor officially announced the publication of the rule updating overtime regulations. The changes will take place December 1, 2016, giving employers plenty of time to prepare.

In this post, we simply hope to update our previous post with specific information that was not available at the time.

Previously in this blog we showcased Lafayette, Indiana and Indianapolis, Indiana as fast growing hubs for new startup ideas. Another city that may not always come to mind when thinking of a new startup hub, is Lansing, Michigan. Like Lafayette, Lansing hosts a Big Ten school that has recently put a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship, both for its students and the community as a whole.