We kind of play off each other and feed the hot guy the ball. We take what we have and not force too much. We try to play that philosophy for the rest of game.

He sees investment in education as being directly linked to the future of Oregon's economy.

I don't think it's a good idea being that I work overseas a lot, a lot of things could happen with my information such as like you said identity theft.

True prosperity isn't something you take from the world: it's something you share with the world.

You have to have a product or service that offers customers a unique advantage over the competition. Some people think it has to be price, but only one person can have the lowest price, and the person with the lowest price isn't necessarily the most successful.

The business plan should address: "How will I get customers? How will I market the product or service? Who will I target?" The principles of a business plan are pretty much the same. But after page one to two, everything is unpredictable, because costs or competition will change and you don't know how things will be received by the market. You have to be able to continually adapt. Companies that fail to adapt will die. Others are brilliant at adapting.

Start with the least amount of money possible. Some people say they need a certain amount to start, and I say you need a half of that or a third of that. That gives you the biggest return. If you put all your eggs in one basket, it's harder to adapt when you need to. Unless it's very capital-intensive, you don't need much money.

The biggest complaint from people wanting to start a business is, "I don't have capital." Banks aren't lending but if they were, it would give you a greater opportunity to screw things up. So it will help you be creative and spend less. If you have a proven business plan, share with friends and family.

When I have an idea, I share it with everyone. People say someone will steal my idea, but it's not like I invented something that will replace the toilet. I tell people to get their feedback. Will they buy it, help me improve it, or tell me it's already been done? If someone else is excited, he or she might buy into the business.

It doesn't matter if you have the greatest product in the world if no one will buy it. Have an idea of where your customers will come from and how to get to them. Partner with blogs and magazines that target that audience. If you partner with them, hopefully you won't have to spend money on advertising.