Update: This contest is now closed, and the winner is mattgibstein. Thank you for entering, and please keep an eye out for future Gear Diary contests and giveaways! 
As we mentioned at the beginning of the month, RingCentral has chosen Gear Diary and 24 other blogs to host their Ultimate Small Business Start-up Package Giveaway. Each of these 25 sites will give away one (1) account for 12 months’ free service of RingCentral Mobile ($300 value) to the winner of each of our individual contests. From those 25 winners, five grand prize winners will also be selected for the Ultimate Small Business Start-up Package (additional $862 value, for a total value of $1162).
Just to clarify again, the five grand prize winners will be randomly selected from the pool of 25 original winners (one at each site), so if you make it that far — your odds are really good to win big!
There are five different elements to each of the Grand Prize giveaways; each Grand Prize will be worth ~$1200. Here’s the breakdown:
Element 1: Virtual Phone System (1 year free service from RingCentral)
When someone calls your business, having professional-grade communications is a must – there’s simply no two ways about it. RingCentral is providing all winners with a full RingCentral Mobile account for use 12 months. The rich menu of business-class features comprising RingCentral Mobile is unmatched in the industry and provides advanced functions unavailable in even the most expensive PBXs.
RingCentral’s virtual phone system for mobile professionals delivers all the power of a “big company” phone system but with no hardware to buy and nothing to maintain. It’s an ideal telecommunications solution for mobile professionals, home offices and small businesses.
Below are some of the key features of RingCentral Mobile. For a full feature list, visit this link.
| Toll Free Numbers | Choose a toll free number that’s right for you: regular toll free (866, 877, etc.) , or a true 1-800 or vanity number (e.g., 866-CALWINE). |
| Local Numbers | You can live and work in one city and get a local number in another. Choose the area codes(s) that makes sense for your business. Find out how you can save on inbound voice calls. |
| Voicemail | You get professional greetings, multiple delivery options and alerts. Pick up voicemail via email or in your online account and play over your PC speakers — or pick up by phone. Calls to local numbers to leave or listen to voicemail are FREE. |
| Internet Fax | Send and receive faxes by email and online in a snap — even from Microsoft Office and your phone. You’ll also get free fax software to electronically sign and edit faxes. |
Full information on RingCentral Mobile, click here.
Value: $300
Element 2: Company Incorporation Service (plus $100 toward state filing fees)
Establishing your company with the right legal documents is paramount to getting off on the right foot. This package will get you pointed in the right direction legally.
It includes:
- Preliminary corporation name clearance
- Filing of Articles of Incorporation
- Custom corporate bylaws
- Action by Written Consent of Incorporator
- Resolutions of the first meeting of the Board of Directors (includes banking resolutions)
For more details and full listing of what’s included, click here.
Value: $399 ($239 + $100 toward state filing fees)
Element 3: Logo Design
Every successful company needs a great mark that will differentiate it from the competition. With the Gold Package from Logoworks, you’ll receive between six to eight original concepts created by three of their experienced designers. Once you select the concept you want to explore, you will receive unlimited revisions to try new fonts or different color combinations.
You get:
- 3 Designers
- 6 Logo Concepts
- Unlimited Revisions
- Multiple File Formats
For more details, click here.
Value: $399
Element 4: 1,000 Premium Business Cards
Once you have a logo, you’ll need to make sure you can get it in people’s hands with all your contact information so you can get down to business. Make a great first impression with custom premium business cards from Vistaprint – show off your business with full-color printing on your choice of card stock including recycled paper options.
For more details, click here.
Value: $40
Element 5: Web Hosting with free Domain (1 year free service)
Almost nothing is as important these days as being able to be found, and that’s where an effective website is vital. As part of the prize package, you’ll receive a package of 12 months of web hosting that includes a bunch of great features from BlueHost. Some of them are:
- Unlimited Disk Storage
- Host UNLIMITED Domains
- Free Drag and Drop Site Builder
- Free Domain Name
- Domain Privacy
- Support International Domain Names
- POP3/POP3 Secure Email Support
- IMAP/Secure IMAP Email Support
- 3 Different Web Based Email Solutions
- Unlimited Forwarding Email Accounts
- Unlimited Gigs of Site Transfer
For more details, click here.
Value: $84
Total value of entire package: $1,162
Site Name: Start Date – Announcement Date (sites crossed out have already completed their contests; all others are currently running or are about to start!)
- TechVirtuoso (information technology): April 6-10
- The Digital Lifestyle (windows, media, lifestyle): April 7-April 11
- Clintonfitch (mobile reviews): April 8-12
- Geek News Central (technical information): April 9-13
- TCT Podcast (cool tech): April 10-14
- Mobile PC World (mobile pc information): April 11-15
- Mobile Gadgeteer (mobile gadgets): April 12-16
- Mobility Site (windows mobile, pocket pc, smartphones): April 13-17
- GottaBeMobile (tablet pc, mobile pc, multi-touch): April 14-18
- Neowin (technology news): April 15-19
- HackCollege (student lifehacking): April 16-20
- OSNN (windows, linux, macintosh news): April 17-21
- The LazyAdmin (lazy admin): April 18-22
- Slashdot Review (tech news): April 19-23
- GearDiary (mobile technology, gear): April 20-24
- Mobile Jaw (mobility, mobile): April 21-25
- Mobilityminded (windows mobile, iphone, android, netbooks): April 22-26
- Chip Chick (tech, gadgets): April 23-27
- Daddy Forever (geek dad blog): April 24-28
- Absolutely Windows (microsoft windows, businesses): April 25-29
- GeeksRoom (software, hardware, gadgets): April 26-30
- BostonPocketPC (mobile, technology, news): April 27 – May 1
- Jake Ludington’s MediaBlab (gadgets, movies, music, podcasting): April 28 – May 2
- PlanetAMD64 (64-bit drivers, applications, utilities): April 29 – May 3
- The Gadgeteer (mobile technology, gear): April 30 – May 4
Are you ready? Here’s how to enter Gear Diary’s portion and possibly win your own “Ultimate Small Business Starter Package” …
To enter, post a comment naming these three things: 1) your favorite blog, 2) your favorite blogger, and 3) a paragraph about why #1 is your favorite blog and #2 is your favorite blogger.
Note: This is not a fishing expedition for compliments; we are genuinely interested in hearing about the sites you like and the bloggers you admire, so please — do not feel that extra weight will be given to posts listing Gear Diary — not that we don’t love to read them! Look at this as an opportunity to tell others about a site that you truly enjoy, and a writer who you enjoy reading. By the way, your favorite writer does not need to be on your favorite site! So if you list Blog A as your favorite, but your favorite writer is on Blog B, please go ahead and list the writer’s site as well.
Got it?
Our contest will run through Midnight April 24, and we will announce the winner of our portion of the contest on April 25. Remember that the winner of the 12 months’ free service of RingCentral Mobile ($300 value) that our contest is determining will also be entered as one in 25 to win one of five Ultimate Small Business Start-up Packages (additional $862 value, for a total value of $1162).
This contest is open to anyone, anywhere in the world; the winner of Gear Diary’s portion of the contest will be chosen randomly.
Good Luck!! 
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