Just as future warriors go to basic training, entrepreneurs should, too. At least that’s the belief of the organizers for next week’s “bootcamp.”

Up-and-coming tech entrepreneurs from across the Southeast will be traveling to Charlotte on Tuesday, Feb. 26, for the 2nd annual Bootcamp for Tech Entrepreneurs. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., these recruits in the tech wars will receive basic training in such areas as developing a company structure, building an entrepreneurial community, finding financing, and planning an exit strategy, as well as hear firsthand accounts from veteran entrepreneurs.

Firstround.org, a two-year-old organization of local tech entrepreneurs seeking to raise the intellectual capital of the Charlotte region, presents the event, being held at Swing 1000, 1000 Central Avenue.

“The dot com crash happened because a lot of first time entrepreneurs got a lot of funding, but didn’t know what to do with it,” says Jim Roberts, Firstorund.org founder who is spearheading the boot camp. “They also got a lot of bad advice, and now we’re all paying the price. This event will help young entrepreneurs and early-stage companies.”

Practical information from speakers

The keynote speaker is Kaleil Tuzman, who is featured in the documentary film, “Startup.com.” Now heading a turnaround company, Recognition Group and a venture capital fund, Tuzman will speak on `Lessons of Early Entrepreneurship,’ which is also the title of his soon-to-be-published first book. He’s a Harvard University grad and a former Goldman Sachs employee.

Roberts says boot camp attendees will be able to learn a lot and pick up a number of pointers from Tuzman. “He’s not a dot com drop-out now selling his misery in speeches,” he adds.

Other speakers include: Monica Doss, president of the Center for Entrepreneurial Development in Research Triangle Park; Larry Street of Morris Manning of Atlanta; Kevin Pinnell, vice president of Alliances and Strategic Investments, Bank of America; Tom Hoops, senior vice president of eVentures, Wachovia; Tom Fedell and Robert Kear, YOUcentric; and Mike McGuire of Andersen.

For more information

Last year’s boot camp attracted about 125 attendees, Roberts says, and registrations for this year’s event have already been received from Atlanta, Raleigh, Columbia and Greensboro.

Admission to the daylong program is $100.