We are excited to announce the selection of our newest Sprout, myJibe!

MyJibe is web-based personal finance software built for individuals as well as financial planners, financial advisors, banks and credit unions.

Founders Mike Langellier and Brandon Dewitt have substantial backgrounds in financial services and software from their experience at Experian (formerly Baker Hill), where they managed client relationships and software development.

“Millions of people subscribe to envelope-style budgeting, but the software is lacking. Because there’s no good existing software, financial planners and advisors have an incredibly hard time running their businesses, as much of their clients’ financial documentation is in word documents, paper forms, and excel spreadsheets. As an advisor why can’t I pick up the phone and call my client so we can view their financial plan together in real time? Why can’t I be alerted now if my client goes off track from his savings goals rather than finding out 6 months down the road? We’re solving these problems with myJibe.” – Mike Langellier

“For many, managing finances effectively means–or should mean–not only software like myJibe; it should also involve sound financial advice. As a result, we are looking for the best financial professionals and inviting them to partner with us in this mission. That way we can confidently refer users when they need help and together we can create a win-win-win scenario for everyone involved.” -Brandon Dewitt

Mike and Brandon are on a mission. They have launched SaveIndiana.us to bring together financial professionals and Hoosiers looking for better personal finance software and credible financial advice. If you know a good financial planner, financial advisor, bank or credit union, or are interested in the mission, go to SaveIndiana.us and follow @SaveIndiana on Twitter.

While you’re at it, follow @myJibe and head over to myJibe.com to sign up for e-mail updates about the myJibe “secret sauce” as the product nears launch.

If you’d like to be the next Sprout, please be sure to apply by August 8th.
Click here to apply!

We’re pleased to announce that SproutBox is joining Startup Weekend as a national sponsor. Startup Weekend is a set of two-day events for software developers and entrepreneurs in cities around the world, and SproutBox will be its first national venture capital sponsor.  This partnership will provide additional support to create successful, sustainable startups and to close a crucial gap in the funding ecosystem for early stage software companies.

Clint Nelson, Director of Startup Weekend said, “The major benefits are taking teams further and supporting more teams than we can do ourselves. It’s a meeting of the minds and a gathering of passionate people that are willing to work together. For us, SproutBox clearly wants to be part of that ecosystem and that’s awesome.”

We’re going to be speaking at many of the Startup Weekend events, and one Startup Weekend team per quarter will be guaranteed a spot to present for the SproutBox selection committee for consideration as a SproutBox portfolio company, or “sprout.”

Also, all Startup Weekend teams will receive a fully-featured, six month CheddarGetter recurring billing account free of charge.  Additionally, participants will receive six months of Squad Edit, the premier web-based, real-time, collaborative code editor to help them through their development processes.

We’re really excited about this partnership- it’s going to mean great things for the software community.

As a writer who is fairly new to the startup world, I had a lot of catching up to do. Gateways, coding and platforms were things I never thought I would write about. Don’t get me wrong, but not every aspiring journalist expects to get her start in technology.

Now I can honestly say I really enjoy my experience writing for startups. I may not be a guru, but I can hold my own. That being said, after a month of self-education, and a little help from your websites, I have a request for entrepreneurs who do their own writing; before you post it, ask your mom if she understands it.

The words on your website are just as important as the coding used to create it. And if every other word is jargon only you understand, that’s going to be a problem. You can’t acquire customers if they can’t make it past the homepage. If your target audience only includes tech-savvy entrepreneurs with advanced knowledge of your product, knock yourself out. Otherwise, you’re going to have to rethink your strategy.

Tips for your web writing

Know your audience

Who is looking at your site? Is it someone who works for Google or is it the small business owner down the street? Are they familiar with services you provide, or will they have to learn about it? These are questions you are going to have to tackle before you write.

Use jargon only where necessary

If it isn’t necessary to use technical terms, don’t. People are often intimidated by what they don’t understand. If you need to, offer a brief description. It will go a long way, I promise.

Use simple sentences

The longer the sentence, the more likely it is that you will confuse your reader. Don’t use 28 words when 5 will do. You should be able to describe what your business or software does in less than 5 sentences.

Be consistent

Once you use certain words and phrases to describe what you do, keep it the same throughout the site. The chances of customers understanding your services are much better.

Q&As are your friend

Think about what questions customers will certainly ask, and provide the answers right away. This is the easiest way to clarify details or provide more advanced information for people who have advanced knowledge.