Archive for January 2009
Inventor-Friendly Companies List
Inventors Digest Blog: Inventors Digest has unveiled an upgraded and updated list of inventor-friendly companies. The companies accept product submissions from independent inventors. Please read their submission guidelines prior to submitting and follow them to the letter. Most companies only consider patented or patent pending products. Consider the Inventor-Friendly Company page your one-stop shopping destination [...]
Testing Toys Could Break Small Bizs
SmallBizResource: The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, set to become law Feb. 10, has the right idea at heart: to ensure children’s toys are safe for them to play with. The CPSIA, enacted last year after all of those scary recalls of toys made in China, prohibits kids’ products from being made and sold if [...]
Smart Spacing Hangers Even Out The Hanging Space
Closets that are jammed full of hanging clothes are about to breathe a sigh of relief, with the aid of Smart Spacing Hangers. It was through Lisa Box’s retail clothing experience that lead to her inspiration. Each night the employees would go through the store and evenly space the hangers on each rack, taking up [...]
I’ve recently moved to a very small town outside of Yosemite National Park. The town is so small that we even have our own local telephone company and ISP. Even though I’m still in California, I get the feeling that not everyone in town understands the internet as well as they should. Many of the [...]
Here’s another Obama business opportunity for the idea box: Obama Action Figures. Posable, with facial expressions, interchangeable hands, katanas, 9mm gun, assault rifle, and a lightsaber, among many other complements. It just dawned on me, that with some minor rebranding the doll could be a completely different product that would appeal to a totally different [...]
Mom & Daughter Duo Stir Up Culinary Zing, Creole Style, In Chestnut Hill
Philly.com: IT IS SMALL and unassuming, a cheerful, cozy nook with only nine tables and a tight kitchen. But to mother-daughter owners Angie Brown and Samantha Johnson, their new BYOB on Germantown Avenue in Chestnut Hill is a big place with a whole lot of soul. That’s one one reason why they call their joint [...]
Brentwood Mom Makes Babies' Bums Go Green
Tennessean.com: When Diane Pezo had her son, Brandon, she birthed more than just a baby — she also hatched an environmentally conscious business idea. While the Wilson Pike resident was pregnant with her son, now 17 months old, she and her husband made the decision to use cloth diapers. “I had done my research online, [...]
photo credit: Tim Morgan I need examples of topical niche blogs for an ebook I’m writing. These are blogs that are primarily about one topic and are not personal in nature. Some examples include this blog, Diet Blog, Engadget and Celebrity Baby Blog. If you run one of these blogs and are interested in being [...]
To Share or Not to Share, That is the Question
photo credit: h.koppdelaney It is well known that sometimes we speak before we think, and this is no different in business. The question is, how do we know when we should share an opinion and when not to? If we are honest with ourselves, when we start excessively pontificating and trying to add value, we [...]
Can Your Camcorder Make You Rich?
Telegraph.co.uk: Make-up artist Lauren Luke, or panacea81 as she is known on YouTube, is benefiting from exposure on the site. The 26-year-old from South Tyneside uploads tutorials about how to put on make-up and achieve certain celebrity looks. While describing the money she has made from YouTube as helpful, she adds: “I’ve been taken on [...]
Dad Turns Inventor To Spare Daughters Pain
The Journal News: Being a work-at-home dad offered George Stydahar many perks, from cooking breakfast for his two girls to being there when they got home from school. But brushing their hair in the morning was not one of them. Both Hannah and Emma had long, fine hair, the kind that tangles easily. Every morning [...]
Jane’s E-Learning Pick of the Day: If one of your new year resolutions was to learn a new language, the BBC has produced a fun and interactive course, which is available for free. It draws you into a web of intrigue dealing with real natives and you can’t help but learn Spanish! You’ll find yourself [...]
West Texas Entrepreneur Competition
OAOnline: The West Texas Entrepreneur competition is scheduled to kick off Feb. 1. Jeremy “Mr. Spring” Ray is looking for people 18 and older to comprise six teams of six people each. Ray said the contest was inspired by both the American and British versions of “The Apprentice” as well as a popular contest in [...]
There’s No Biz Like A Home Biz
Vernon Morning Star: When Sue Recksiedler looks past her husband’s shop — brown aluminum with custom wood windows — and down MacDonald Road to count the other home-based businesses in her neighbourhood, it takes her a minute. There’s the welder, the antique dealer, the couple who manufactures equipment for bridges and the veterinarian. “The whole [...]
Niche Restaurant: Hospital Food
I love to eat in hospital cafeterias, but I’ve never seen a restaurant like the hospital themed one in Riga, Latvia called Hospitalis serves food in syringes, flasks and on operating-room dishes. The doctor-owned restaurant is served by waitresses in nurse outfits. via Fun Fever.
photo credit: Elsie esq. Since the dawn of the industrial age, businesses have gotten larger because only the largest companies could afford the large investments required to build mass production facilities. If this economic downturn teaches us anything, let it be that a large infrastructure with high fixed costs are liabilities. New technologies had reduced [...]
One Mom’s Business Expands As The Economy Shifts
Does the entrepreneurial spirit ever die? In Jennifer Carden’s case, no. She is a good example of that spirit when it continues to grow over time. As situations change, she has blended. Jennifer balances her life as a chef, an author, and active blogger at The Toddler Cafe but late last year she decided to [...]
Bend Mom Develops Green Baby Wipes
bendbulletin.com: When Bend resident Linda Naerheim became a new mom two years ago, she was unhappy to see all the chemicals added to baby products, notably baby wipes. With that in mind, and as a response to a growing trend in parents looking for environmentally friendly baby products, she developed natural baby wipes called Elements [...]
Stay-At-Home Mom Risks It All For Her Family
YourHub.com: Antsy Pants Kids is the creation of a stay at home Mom. Tina Wolff, a Denver native, and her husband spoke many times about her getting a job to ease some of the strain that comes along with being a “one paycheck” family. Their son was the hurdle in this discussion. Daycare was not [...]
Seven Tax Tips for Businesses and Self-Employed Individuals
The following guest post is by Bernard B. Kamoroff, C.P.A. and is excerpted from the 2009 Edition of Mr. Kamoroff’s book 422 Tax Deductions for Businesses and Self Employed Individuals. Tax Filing Season is here, and there are still several things you can do to reduce your taxes for 2008. Here are seven tax tips [...]
I’m Featured on BusinessWeek.com
Today, I’m the featured user on Business Week’s Business Exchange site. The site allows users to aggregate business content and connect with other business focused users. Check it out, and add me to your network. Screenshots are here and here.
Random Hilarity: The Top 5 Laziest Inventions
How Hard Times Can Drive Innovation
The Wall Street Journal: Sure, the economy’s bad. But it’s a good time to innovate, according to Clayton M. Christensen, a Harvard Business School professor who focuses on innovation. Prof. Christensen, tell us a little bit about what you think the effects of the financial crisis and economic downturn will be on the environment for [...]
Entrepreneur’s Story Shows How To Build A Biz
USA Today: In 2002 Robb McMahan’s wife Lisa, an enthusiastic cook, prepared one of her signature Thanksgiving Day dinners. Like many kitchen floors, the McMahans’ floor was beautiful to look at but uncomfortable to stand on for any length of time. By the time dinner was ready, Lisa’s legs and lower back hurt so much [...]
Show Your Customers You Appreciate Their Biz
ConversationAgent: Caring for your customers can be a serious competitive advantage. But you cannot claim you put your customers first until you actually do that. The money quote does not get that way without you doing a bit of “show me the money” work. Here are 3 things you can do today: 1. Provide exceptionally [...]
Time For Small Biz To Find Opportunities
Portland Business Journal: In this new year, family owned companies are gearing up to seize new opportunities and face new challenges. Here are the ones I think will offer the most promise and the greatest risks for family businesses this year. Opportunity No. 1: Professionalize your business structure and operations. Opportunity No. 2: Make crucial [...]
AWE Unites Entrepreneurs From All Over The Web
What does it take to be a successful Web Entrepreneur? The advice may vary from person to person but the International Association of Web Entrepreneurs is dedicated to helping you find the answer. Sheri McConnell, the founder for a series of associations including the AWE, has used her experienced eye to spot out areas of [...]
Argus Press Spectator: Why would more than a dozen working and stay-at-home moms run 13.1 miles in a Chicago winter? Because they can – and they really want to. And they’re helping a cause to boot. The group is calling it “The Deep Freeze,” a half-marathon being run through Elmhurst at 6:30 a.m. Saturday. It [...]
Mom & Entrepreneur Lives To Compete
TBO.com: Competition has always been in Dawna Stone’s blood. She thrived on it as a 6-year-old entering her first aquatic meets; as an elite college-level swimmer; as an Ironman endurance athlete. And the contests didn’t have to be athletic. Her competitive spirit showed up in professional venues as well: on Wall Street, where she put [...]
Don’t Wait For The “Perfect Opportunity”
YoungEntrepreneur.com: He’s one of the Top 25 Businessmen Who Broke The Rules And Won, he made a $4.5 million salary last year and he’s the #14 Top Celebrity Entrepreneur. Michael Dell was giving a lecture on the ABCs of entrepreneurship to a business class at his psuedo-alma mater, the University of Texas. Dell: “One of [...]
Calgary Herald: Tory Weber was the driving force behind Thermablade, a skate blade that heats up to create perfect skating conditions. He awaits approval from the National Hockey League. But that’s just one of Weber’s brainchildren. His signature already adorns dozens of patents. And he’s got another 100 projects–yes, 100–on the drawing board. One wintry [...]
Killer Startups: One of the questions on everybody’s lips right now is how to monetize online videos in a way that is not detrimental to the quality of the video itself, and which actually spices the interest of the viewer. There is not an easy way to solve this dilemma. The team behind TadCast believes [...]
Direct Selling Grows As Economy Slides
MSNBC: Due to today’s challenging economy, stay-at-home moms — many of whom are highly educated, experienced and motivated — are jumping back into the workforce, but they are choosing their new-found careers very selectively. Paperly, a Chicago-based direct sales business focused on the stationery industry, provides opportunities for stay-at-home moms who do not wish to [...]
Mobile Payments Getting Popular On Social Networks
TechCrunch: Users are increasingly choosing dead simple SMS mobile payments for micro-transactions on social network applications and gaming sites (it fills the void while they wait for more direct options), but super-high transaction fees are limiting growth. The problem is that legacy transactions – specifically scams that give users a “free” ring tone with the [...]
How Female-Friendly Is Your Car Dealership?
Not to discount the car purchases made by men, if there is a lady in the home then there is a good chance she has a say in what they buy. In many cases, women are the ones going out to buy the family car. Anne Fleming could tell you that. Through Anne’s own positive [...]
New Program Helps Women Business Owners Achieve The "New American Dream"
PR Web: If you’re a Woman Business Owner (WBO) today, chances are you’re facing three major roadblocks on the way to achieving the American Dream — not enough time, not enough money, and not enough support. But basically, it’s doing what you’re passionate about. Or being in control of your time and finances, providing a [...]
Bellalulubaby Giveaway at The Insider
The Insider: The Bellalulubaby Company creates products for simply chic tots and their fashion forward moms. Bellalulubaby was created by mompreneur Paula Seguin who felt compelled to develop this luxurious line of products that were inspired by her own little girls. The growing line of baby and infant goods offered by Bellalulubaby includes quality handmade [...]
Tampa Tribune: Competition has always been in Dawna Stone’s blood. She thrived on it as a 6-year-old entering her first aquatic meets; as an elite college-level swimmer; as an Ironman endurance athlete. And the contests didn’t have to be athletic. Her competitive spirit showed up in professional venues as well: on Wall Street, where she [...]
The Wall Street Journal: Fishing in the stream of consciousness, researchers now can detect our intentions and predict our choices before we are aware of them ourselves. The brain, they have found, appears to make up its mind 10 seconds before we become conscious of a decision — an eternity at the speed of thought. [...]
A Simpler Way To Make A Doctor’s Appointment
Springwise: Aiming to make healthcare simpler, ZocDoc lets users make appointments with the Big Apple’s dentists and doctors instantly and online, 24/7. Users simply search for the type of appointment they need—the site currently offers primary care, dermatology, ophthalmology, ENT, orthopedics, OB/GYN and dentistry—and they get a list of immediately bookable appointments in their area. [...]
The Hot New Car Is Your Old Car
The Wall Street Journal: For decades, Ashley Fletcher ditched his cars after they reached 50,000 miles. Now he plans to keep his 2004 Lexus RX 330 for two or three more years — or until it reaches 70,000 miles. If all goes well, he might shoot for 100,000 miles. Like many drivers, Fletcher scaled back [...]
Attracted To Idea Of Being The Boss
Boston.com: When Brooktrout Technology handed engineering manager Eric Stutman a pink slip in November 2006 during its second wave of layoffs, the Needham man was almost relieved. “The first round of layoffs was a real blow to morale,” said Stutman, who had worked at the faxing company for a decade. “People were starting to wonder: [...]
Cardboard Lemonade Stand for the Unimaginative
Did you have a lemonade stand when you were a kid? I did, and it was usually just a folding table I’d drag out of the garage and set up on the sidewalk in front of my house on hot summer days. I’d decorate it with crudely drawn advertisements on scraps of cardboard. Many complain [...]
Business Owner Finds Refreshment In The Coffee Biz
When the recession seems to be knocking some businesses down, MyCupCoffee.com continues to grow. Through a combination of customer service and bulk pricing, they have successfully grown their customer base in the 4 years since the launch of their website. Jim Cotton, the owner of MyCupCoffee.com and Midwest Refreshment, spoke with us about his business, [...]
WAHM Articles Writing Workshop Helps Mompreneurs Learn "Write" Way To Build Internet Presence
bignews.biz: WAHM Articles, a website with nearly 3,000 work-at-home-mom articles written by over 600 authors, recently launched a writing community to give members the necessary tools to write for the Web and gain visibility for their businesses. Writing and publishing online articles, press releases, blogs and e-books are popular ways for mom website owners to [...]
Missing Mittens Turn Mom Into Ski Entrepreneur
azcentral.com: Skis? Check. Boots? Check. Goggles? Check. Gloves? Arrrgh, back to the parking lot. Julie Hall, an Ahwatukee Foothills Army veteran, skier and mom, was fed up with dropped mittens, missing goggles and the effort it took to lug her family’s skis from the car trunk to the slopes. The frustration turned Hall into an [...]
Dean Kamen Reveals ‘Toughest Question’
CNN: Segway scooter inventor Dean Kamen freely admits it: He often suffers sleepless nights wrestling over whether to quit a project that’s not panning out. “You end up lying there saying, ‘I’m not stopping. It would be an act of shallow cowardice. Or you decide to quit and you say, ‘This is one of those [...]
ars technica: Things are not looking good for Amazon and other online retailers who have been avoiding collecting sales taxes from customers, and for customers who have avoided paying them. A fairly new New York state tax law—dubbed the “Amazon Tax”—has been given the green light as a judge dismissed two lawsuits alleging that the [...]
Self Improvement Rollout Shelves
Although the home improvement industry has felt the effects of a slumping economy, some improvements are necessary and help keep this industry in business. One thing that people tend to enjoy are inexpensive ways to make their day-to-day life easier. Shelf Improvement Rollout Shelves offer a way for those in the home improvement industry a [...]
Although they are admittedly a Direct Sales business opportunity, Green Irene is not another Avon or Tupperware business. Known as Eco-Consultants, these men and women offer their services to people that are interested in conserving energy within their home. The $99 Green Home Makeover is their main product. It is a consultation which takes 60-90 [...]
