Graduating TechStars-style

Weekend Reads can hardly contain its excitement at the arrival of the TechStars model to Australia. But how have other graduates of the fabled start-up accelerator fared?

New York has just had its first TechStars “class”. Here are the winners and losers from the program.

Technically, Dropbox is still a start-up. But it certainly doesn’t feel like one – everyone seems to be using it and its $7.2 million funding injection was administered three years ago. This is how it has managed to raise a further whopping $250 million.

Talking of definitions, what makes a small business? If you’re Forbes, it’s a company with under $1 billion in revenue. With that lofty bar set in place, here are the top 100 small businesses in the world.

Getting to be a “small” $500 million turnover business is tough, but a good way to get there is to run a tight ship financially. Here’s how you go about it.

Entrepreneurs are meant to “eat their own dog food”. Doesn’t mean you should be nudging an Alsatian aside during dinner, but it does mean you should use your own product or service.

Google execs have come under fire for, apparently, not using the Google+ network. Why? Well, maybe co-founder Sergey Brin not being a ‘social’ person is a clue.

Social media is something that the “occupy” protesters haven’t been shy in embracing. Here’s why many small businesses have joined in the uprisings.

How well do you know your supplier? A cautionary tale should make you ponder this question.

More importantly, are you actually happy? If not, here are 10 tips to get you smiling again. Alas, eating ice cream is frowned upon.