1. OVERVIEW Though there are many online networking communities, many are not particularly useful. FiredNetwork.com departs from this mindset. It was created first and foremost to be useful and second, to allow its users to form a professional network around that usefulness. 2. SEEKING CHANGE FiredNetwork.com is an all-inclusive resource for “Change Seekers.” You are a Change Seeker if change has been thrust upon you (i.e. you have been fired) or if you choose to make a change (i.e. you want to quit) for whatever reason – poor job security, low pay, an unpleasant boss or coworkers, undesirable job duties, etc. The five primary “Change Categories” include: 1. Employment Opportunities 2. Entrepreneurial Pursuits 3. Company Purchase for Owner Operation 4. Fundraising 5. Post-Graduate Education As a change seeker, the first thing you do is reach out to people in your network. You will share your story and ideas with them about the kind of change you are seeking. They in turn will give you advice, introduce you to people, recommend that you read a particular book and/or direct you to resources that may be of help to you. As such, within each of the five Change Categories there are three sub-sections including: 1. Discussion Boards – Where members can share stories, ask questions and support one another; 2. Books – Where members can find books that will help them, see member ratings and read member comments about those books and recommend, rate or comment on a book themselves; and 3. Resources – Where members can share resources, comment on them and rate their usefulness. 3. THE RESOURCES Employment Opportunities 1. Discuss best practices for finding another job or who is hiring 2. Books on how to get your career back on track or how to find another job 3. Resources on headhunting firms by industry, job search engines, career counseling and resume and cover letter services Entrepreneurial Pursuits 1. Discuss the challenges faced by entrepreneurs and the potential solutions 2. Books on how to start a company including the legal aspects, how to boot-strap it and success stories 3. Resources for business incubation firms organized by state, website development companies, marketing firms, outsourcing services, and more Company Purchase for Owner Operation 1. Discuss how to identify a target for acquisition, conduct due diligence and avoid common mistakes 2. Books on how to buy a company with little cash or how to structure and negotiate a transaction 3. Resources that will help you identify small companies and assets that are available for purchase Fundraising 1. Discuss the tricks of the trade and the difficulties of raising money 2. Books on how to raise capital from friends and family or from institutions 3. Resources on the different investors including Angel Networks and Venture Capital firms that specialize in seed and early stage investments Post Graduate Education (MBA, JD or Executive MBA) 1. Discuss whether or not the degree is right for you and which school would be the best fit 2. Books on study guides or how to get into a top school 3. Resources on test preparation courses, websites with free tests and companies that will help you with your essays and application 4. THE NETWORK FiredNetwork is not limited to Change Seekers. Change Facilitators (those who can facilitate change for Change Seekers) are an integral part of the network as well. For example, FiredNetwork connects Change Seekers -> To -> Change Facilitators Job Seekers Employers and Job Angels Entrepreneurs and Company Buyers Investors and Company Sellers Job Seekers Entrepreneurs so they can partner up There are three primary ways to build your contacts on FiredNetwork: 1. Interact with members in the resource sections of the site where you can connect via your shared interests; 2. Tap into your Extended Network which consists of everyone that is two degrees of separation away from you (so if you have 10 people in your network who each have 10 people in their network, then you will have an Extended Network that is 100 strong); and 3. Search the entire member database by location, by university affiliation (by College, MBA or JD), by profession and by the reason that a member joined FiredNetwork. It is our hope that you will find FiredNetwork to be particularly useful to you as you build your career. And it is also our goal to constantly improve the site so that together we can build the most useful resources and professional networking hub on the web. As such, we would very much appreciate any feedback you may have (see the “Suggestions” link when you are logged in).