Heard at the Miami Herald Small Business Forum:
Valerie Holstein started her company, CableOrganizer.com, with $30 for the domain name when she was in her last month of pregnancy.
Birame Sock of Third Solutions launched, ran and later sold her previous company, Musicphone, from her bed -- she didn't even have a desk. To be an entrepreneur, she says, "you have to be a little crazy."
Vince Virga of SkillStorm found his inspiration from his entrepreneurial father and grandfather. Inspired by watching his grandfather's cabinet making, so strong and durable, he couldn't wait to begin building his own great company -- to last.
David Clarke, who launched BGT Partners in 1996, achieved success, in part, by elephant hunting -- going after contracts at the big companies. "You start with a small contract, work your ass off and you get more. They all talk to each other."
Brandon Dorsey of Backlog Capital says wants to see customer surveys and other data to find out how companies respond to feedback and problems.
Some of their advice: Do your own due diligence on your investors (Sock). Business is conducted very differently in every country. I learned that the hard way (Holstein). "You have to have passion-- and have fun with it" (Clarke). Relationships matter (Virga).
(Photo of web-based panel, from left, Dorsey, Virga, Business Editor and moderator Jane Wooldridge, Clarke, Sock, Holstein, courtesy of BGT Partners)