It’s not who you are. It’s who you know

That’s how the old truism goes, and rarely has a truer truism been spoken, especially in business. Don’t get us wrong. Hard work, inspiration, dedication, passion and all that are vital. But making the right connections can make the difference between success and Success! And it’s as true for small business people as it is for major corporate execs.

Yahoo! Ultimate Connection Contest
If you could have a power lunch with anyone in business you wanted, who would you put on the guest list? Someone famous, like, I don’t know, Merv Griffin? Perhaps you’d prefer a table full of up-and-coming entrepreneurs like yourself with whom you could talk shop and swap tips. Maybe you’d like both.

Well, win the Yahoo! Ultimate Connection Contest and that’s what you’ll get, and a lot more. Additionally, Ivanka Trump, Trump Organization development leader and daughter of Donald Trump, will participate in the contest and help select the finalists.
 
The prize package includes:

• An “Ultimate Connection” power lunch in New York City with the up-and-coming entrepreneur winners and top-ranking marketing stars 
• A $25,000 budget from Yahoo! Search Marketing to use toward a keyword ad campaign
• Mentoring from a legendary marketing expert throughout the year
• Access to a Yahoo! Search Marketing expert throughout the year
• A website makeover, courtesy of Yahoo! Small Business and Web site development firm FastPivot.

Pencils Down
To win, submit a 500-word essay focusing on what your business needs to be successful, and how winning the “Ultimate Connection” contest can help you achieve that success.

The deadline to submit essay entries is May 30, 2007. Yahoo! will select five finalists from the entries. Members of the Yahoo! community will be invited to vote for their favorites beginning on June 11, and contest winners will be announced in July.

For more information and to submit your entry, go to the Ultimate Connection Contest web site.

—The Team