(Editor’s note: Jay Bigelow, entrepreneurship director at CED, shares his weekly adventures and insights on Triangle startups in this story as part the news partnership between WRAL TechWire and ExitEvent.)

DURHAM, N.C. – One of the biggest challenges any new or emerging venture faces is getting noticed — whether it is by potential customers, investors, partners or employees. Often, the challenge is compounded because the venture lacks funding to pay for a lot of exposure.

Sound familiar?

New tech ventures need to take advantage of pitch openings, competitions and showcases to help raise their profiles and gain critical exposure. Learning to pitch your company and doing it well is one of the most important skills a founder/CEO must develop if his/her company is to succeed.

For example, The Startup Factory (by the way, TSF’s deadline for the next cohort is today) requires founders to stand up in front of fellow entrepreneurs and pitch every week for 12 weeks before they allow pitches to outside investors.

The full story can be read online at ExitEvent.