Birmingham, MI -- (ReleaseWire) -- 07/07/2006 --StartupNation (www.startupnation.com), the fast-growing online community of entrepreneurs, announced today that its Blog was awarded “Honorable Mention” in MarketingSherpa’s Top 10 Best Blogs & Podcasts of 2006: Readers’ Choice Awards.

More than 100,000 MarketingSherpa readers voted for the highest quality blogs after StartupNation was nominated for the “Best Blog on Small Business Marketing” at www.marketingsherpa.com. Final results indicated that StartupNation made the exclusive list of five that garnered an honorable mention for “unusually high, ‘Excellent’ ratings.” MarketingSherpa is a research firm that provides practical know-how and case studies to 237,000 marketing, advertising and PR professionals each week.

The StartupNation Blog helps small businesses share ideas, get valuable information, market their businesses, and more. Current Blog categories include the following:

• Hitting on the Game of Entrepreneurship
Receive helpful startup notes from StartupNation Chief Community Officer, Joel Welsh.

• Sloan Brothers: StartupNation Head Coaches
Discover where your life plan meets your business plan.

• Home Work: A Virtual Water Cooler for Home-based Business Owners
Get perspectives on home-based business from our stay-at-home radio consultant, Joan Isabella.

• Starting an eBay Business
Find out how to start an eBay business from our eBay experts.

• Campus Corner: A Young Entrepreneur Returns to College
Learn about graduating into entrepreneurship from Jonathan Hudson, a friend who is back in college after starting and selling his business.

“The StartupNation Blog provides a venue for our team to connect with our audience in a personal and immediate way,” states Rich Sloan, StartupNation Co-founder. “We are thrilled to be recognized by the MarketingSherpa audience and to provide valuable content to help entrepreneurs actually turn their ideas into successful businesses.”

StartupNation’s online community provides visitors with access to mentors, potential partners, promotional and networking opportunities, and the ability to communicate and share ideas with other entrepreneurs.

About StartupNation
Founded by life-long entrepreneurs Jeff and Rich Sloan, StartupNation (www.startupnation.com) is a vibrant community which provides free advice and resources for entrepreneurs who want to start and grow a business. Through www.startupnation.com, entrepreneurs access articles, podcasts and seminars, as well as connect with mentors and peers through StartupNation’s online network. Hosts of StartupNation Radio, the Sloan brothers are successful inventors, experienced entrepreneurs and authors of "StartupNation: Open for Business" (Doubleday). They’ve been featured in numerous, international publications and frequently appear on national television.

Media Contact: Melanie Rembrandt, melanie@startupnation.com, 248.540.9660 ext. 333