Archive for January 2009
Reuters: Indonesian photographer Ilham Anas won’t be at U.S. President Barack Obama’s inauguration. Instead he’ll be starring as an Obama look-alike on Indonesian TV. Anas, 34, who from some angles bears a resemblance to the new U.S. president, shot to fame in Jakarta after Obama, 47, won the election in November, and is now earning [...]
Planning a Start-Up? Help and Advise Abound
The Wall Street Journal: Laid off in the recession and thinking of starting a business? Or just tired of working for someone else? It’s hard to start a business alone. Aspiring entrepreneurs must tackle an onslaught of questions like what and where to sell, how to effectively market their product or service, how to structure [...]
The Would-Be Entrepreneur’s Handbook
Money Magazine: The last day of a recession is the best day to start a business, the saying goes. So tackle the 10 steps in this guide now – and be ready to ride the rebound when it comes. Step 1: Interview yourself for the job Step 2: Have a cushion Step 3: Leverage your [...]
Photo Jewelry Makes Bragging Fashionable
Although her business hasn’t been around long, lovecharmz is already making an impact. Sandra Birnie officially launched her business late last year when she noticed the gap in the jewelry market for photo treasures. Like many amazing mom-owned businesses, it was inspired by her son. What started with a simple photo charm for her bracelet [...]
Mom Creates Quilts Out Of Clothing
Tennessean.com: When Anne Elizabeth McIntosh entered her son’s room one Saturday morning, she found the place covered in old T-shirts. Of the 43 shirts, only eight still fit, but mom and son spent the next two hours telling stories about all the others that didn’t. The two realized there were a lot of memories attached [...]
Mass. Mom Creates Low Sugar Juice For Kids
cbs11tv.com: When Gloucester mom Karen Barth would go down the grocery aisles looking for a healthy drink for her children, most of the time, she’d come up empty. Her only resort, buy the sugar filled juice and water it down. “As a mother I was very tired fighting with my kids over what to drink.” [...]
Selling Ads on Tests and Quizzes
photo credit: billaday Poway Unified School District in Southern California chose to trim the budget for materials instead of cutting staff. Unfortunately, this required teachers to use their own money, beg parents for funds or give fewer tests. Not one to slack on pop quizzes, Calculus teacher Tom Farber has figured out a way around [...]
Inc.: The nation is still buzzing about the heroic actions of US Airways pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger III, who guided Flight 1549 and its 154 passengers and crew members to a safe landing in New York’s Hudson River. Turns out, on top of being a pilot and a newly-minted hero, Sullenberger is also an entrepreneur. [...]
Teen Wins Young Inventor Challenge
Daily Herald: Paying attention in history class actually pays off. South Elgin High School senior Joe Basile recently won the Chicago Young Inventor’s Challenge for his “King of Kingdoms” game, a board game where Henry VIII, Alexander the Great, King Arthur and others battle over power and territories. In addition to receiving prizes for his [...]
photo credit: jurvetson It might be a little late to get to Washington DC for the inauguration tomorrow, but you can still cash in on Obama-mania in your hometown as Chuck Huckaby explains: Because Obama’s image is in the public domain, you can print it as much as you want on T-shirts, mugs, or… as [...]
Wholesalers Set Up Shop Online
The Wall Street Journal: When sales at his wholesale business started to wane, Eli Mechlovitz decided to take a direct approach. Mr. Mechlovitz and his family had been selling glass and tiles wholesale in the New York area for more than 20 years. But as the real-estate bubble began to burst, the company’s retail clients [...]
Entrepreneur.com: One of the reasons so many people don’t become entrepreneurs is because they’re afraid of failing. They’re afraid of making mistakes. They’re afraid of losing money. But if people can’t overcome these psychological fears, they’d be better off keeping their day jobs. Robert Kiyosaki, author of the Rich Dad series of books, says there [...]
BizBox: You can’t compete with your big competitor on price, selection, or corporate brand recognition, so don’t try. Instead, focus on the things that make you different from the Walmarts of the world. 1. Specialize. 2. Customize. 3. Reach out to the community. 4. Use your name. 5. Get things no one else can. 6. [...]
Mom Knows Best… About The Baby Business
Mom knows best when it comes to kids and Rachel Brian is showing the world that they also know best in business. Especially if that business caters to the needs of a child. Online, as well as offline, Rachel continues to grow her business, Mod Mama. Her shop is family friendly, something that her online [...]
Super Moms Juggle Seven Kids and a Business With ‘MommyCast’
tubefilter news: For some moms simply dealing with the kids is enough, but for Paige Heninger and Gretchen Vogelzang being a mother isn’t just a full-time job, it’s also a business. The long-time friends launched MommyCast, landing sponsorship deals with Dixie and Pampers to name a few. With over forty HD videos published to date, [...]
Paperly Experiences Growth as Sliding Economy Has Stay-at-Home Moms Re-Entering the Workforce
Market Watch: 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 [...]
Home Office: The Les Nessman Rule
Coolmom.com’s Daphne Brogdon on drawing boundaries:
Be An Entrepreneur: It’s Less Risky
While everyone generally think’s that securing a good paying job with benefits is the ticket in life, Marc Cramer would strongly disagree with this idea. This is no longer the case like it was years and years — there are no guarantees anymore when it comes to your job. photo credit: fdecomite If you’re an [...]
Robyn Crispe’s company, Nomad Needles, makes the Worm Inn, a composting system for people who live in urban areas. Crispe was concerned about her own volume of food waste, which she couldn’t compost outdoors at her condo. After searching online for indoor composting ideas, she came across vermicomposting, also known as worm composting. The Worm [...]
Make $6 Million Sitting On Your Couch
Inc.: By his own admission, Paul Mann used to be a corporate stiff. All that changed — almost by accident, Mann admits — one day back in 2002 when he was looking for someone to watch his dog in a pinch. “I got very few responses back to my query,” he recalls. “And the people [...]
Mom Turns Fitness Into Million Dollar Franchise
Moms Can Make Millions: After her son was born, Lisa Druxman wanted to stay home with her kids, but she still needed a full time income. One day while walking with her baby in his stroller, she had an “ah-ha!” moment when she realized she could start a business teaching classes that helped other moms [...]
Keeping An Inventor’s Notebook
Entrepreneur: You’ll be amazed at the number of people you’ll speak to as you go through the inventing process. Be sure to keep a brief record of all conversations you think are relevant. For example, when you speak with an engineer, graphic artist, prototype developer or patent attorney, write down the date and time of [...]
Decluttering Your Home, In The Form Of A Diet
How cluttered is your home? Is it limited to one room or does the clutter spread to all areas of your house? Those are just a few questions that Lorie Marrero will have you asking yourself. Through her book and website, The Clutter Diet helps people diet in a new way – through their homes. [...]
StartupNation and VerticalResponse Let You Pick Top Mom-Run Businesses
PR Web: StartupNation and VerticalResponse have launched the first annual “Leading Moms in Business” Ranking competition to recognize the achievements of mothers across the country who run outstanding businesses. Contestants interested in making the list can submit their profile at http://www.startupnation.com/leading-moms-2009. The top 200 winners will be selected by popular vote, with results announced in [...]
Earth911.com: In the wide world of eco-consciousness, there’s a lot to remember. Did you throw your reusable shopping bag back in the car? Does your son know to turn the water off when he’s brushing his teeth? Did everyone at the office get your double-sided printing memo? Allison Shaewitz found herself facing similar issues at [...]
Austin Business Journal: An Austin entrepreneur plans to turn a parent’s struggle to keep up with baby gear into a new Web-based business. Jeff Chambers, the founder of two technology companies, has launched Babyslist. The venture is designed to help parents save money with an online marketplace for parents to swap, buy and sell used [...]
Entrepreneur Designs Eco-Friendly Yoga Mats
KUSA: 23 year old Amber Kastenschmidt isn’t a talker, she’s a “do-er.” After feeling the need to express her creative side and love for yoga, Amber started the Bolder Yoga Mat Company and began designing yoga mats. The Bolder Yoga Mat Company’s non-toxic yoga mats are printed with bold designs from top to bottom. Each [...]
Entrepreneur Learns To Do Things Her Own Way
York Daily Record: You just never know what will be the breaking point; the moment you’re forced into action. Or, when things get so bad you just can’t take it anymore. For Wanda Lamparter Stover, it happened the first time in 2001. After 24 years in the work force, she found herself unemployed. “You feel [...]
Niche Biz: Managing Loyalty Perks
Springwise: Loyalty programs have been around for years—as evidenced by the mass of cards weighing down many consumers’ wallets—but the difficulty of keeping track of them all can mean that consumers often don’t reap the rewards they’re entitled to. Enter Perkler, an Australian site that just entered beta for the sole purpose of helping consumers [...]
Start Your Own Business For $100 Or Less
ABC News: If you can’t find someone to hire you, consider hiring yourself. Not only can entrepreneurship bring great personal fulfillment, but launching a small business doesn’t have to break the bank. Here’s how Tory Johnson started her own business with virtually no money. “In 1999 I started Women for Hire to put on career [...]
Generate Wealth Because the Government Can’t
photo credit: surface to air President-elect Barack Obama has put forward a $775 billion “American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan” to create 3 to 4 million new jobs. Unfortunately, the government can’t really create jobs. They can only steal money and productive value from the economy. In a capitalistic economy, labor and capital freely flows to [...]
SEO Specialist Is Offering His Services For Free To Small/Medium Sized Businesses
By day George Ajazi is a SEO professional, and by night… he helps small and medium sized businesses become optimized. You could say that this is a talent that would turn into a profitable business venture but George enjoys helping those who need it, without the hefty price tag that most professionals come with. Intrigued [...]
Suburban Newspapers: Their business card should really read “Have Camera, Will Travel”. They both decided that their experience was enough to start their own photography business, Moments Photography. Maahs is a stay-at-home mom and says she has always had a passion for photography. Reed is a probation officer who says she also enjoys taking pictures. [...]
Stay-At-Home Moms Acquire Thick Skin With Parenting Choice
recorderonline.com: Tammy Booth, a Springville stay-at-home mom, has a different story to tell when it comes to why she came in from the office. She stays at home, but home is the office from which she works. Booth is a virtual administrative assistant. “That means, I can do anything an executive assistant can do for [...]
Inc.: Some of today’s hottest companies are virtual: They operate exclusively online, with employees and customers scattered all over the world. Yet to do business, these companies typically are still required by law to maintain a terrestrial office, to hold real-life board meetings, and to keep a paper trail made from dead trees. That may [...]
Backup Balls Trailer Loading Device
SANEPR.com: Whatever the size of the trailer couplers or the ball hitches, one of the main problems faced by many drivers is how to do a perfect alignment of the ball hitch of the vehicle to the trailer coupler. Most available products in the market generally are very cheaply made and use magnets that do [...]
Turn Your Brilliant Product Ideas Into Reality
Killer Startups: Have you always wanted to design your own jewelry or furniture? Well make your dreams a reality with Ponoko.com. It’s a site that gives designers the opportunity to be creative and make products. Designers can make a product and put it up for sale on Ponoko.com. In order to make and design a [...]
Invention Helps Kids With Daily Routines
Examiner.com: Moschel Kadokura is the genius behind a wonderful invention. As a mother four children, a set of triplets and a younger son, life couldn’t be more hectic and trying to get a troop of five year olds ready for school was proving to be a very difficult job. The idea – find a way [...]
Entrepreneurs’ Guide To Public Resources
Forbes: Recession-racked entrepreneurs need all the help they can get. The good news is that there are myriad affordable resources–facilitating everything from raising money to finding talented help–and many are just a few mouse-clicks away. The key is knowing where to look. 1. Small Business Administration 2. Local Chambers of Commerce 3. Angel Groups 4. [...]
Inspiration Leads To A Business In Jewelry
Not all business requires trial and error to determine if it will work. Elizabeth Rowland used her instinct instead. When she realized her original business idea wasn’t going to work, she moved on to the next best thing, jewelry. Her amazing story begins in Beijing. A small shopping trip turned into business inspiration. With the [...]
Mom Turns To Internet To Sell Artwork
Inquirer.net: A Bacoloña artist has turned to the Internet to sell her art, in the process discovering that she could be a stay-at-home mom and still have a lucrative career. Alpha Trinidad-Shanahan, 45, who recently held a one-woman show in Bacolod City, is now based in Brunei with her husband Philip Shanahan with whom she [...]
Seminar Shows Women How To Start Business At Home
KY3.com: Meredith Taylor is a woman of many hats. She grew up playing the piano and today teaches lessons out of her home. Lately she’s trying her hands at something a little more crafty. Taylor spends hours sewing each one of her creations, stitching on the details by hand. “I would like to sell hats; [...]
Spend Or Save? How To Use Money In 2009
Rhonda Abrams At USA TODAY: How are you going to spend your company’s money in 2009? With such a dismal U.S. economy, we all naturally want to hold on to every dollar we can. On the other hand, a bad economy means real opportunities for those businesses that have the smarts and the courage to [...]
How To Stop Being An Over-Thinker
Lifehack: As a rule, thinking is a good thing and while some people don’t do it enough, some over-think everything. Both genders can fall into either category – today we’re going to chat about the one who does too much. Some people think themselves into stagnation, frustration, exhaustion, anxiety and even illness. They have an [...]
Snow Rakes Help Small Biz Weather Rough Economy
CNN: One small business has found a way to dig itself out of the snowballing recession — snow rakes. Lots of them. Tipke Manufacturing, a metal fabricating company in Spokane, Washington, did not have much to look forward to entering the holidays. The small business of about 25 employees went through a round of layoffs [...]
Can Your Personality Help You Through Tough Economy?
USA TODAY: Does the economic downturn terrify you? Or are you plotting a new strategy for life with less money? Your reaction offers a peek into your psyche, say researchers who study how personality shapes people’s reactions to uncertain times. “People think about themselves and others in terms of typology — you’re this type,” says [...]
Buy A Car, Lose Your Job: No Problem!
photo credit: 小猫王 How would you get skittish consumers scared about losing their jobs to buy a new car? If you’re Hyundai Motor Company, you offer them the option to return the car within the first year without negatively affecting their credit. “So many people have been reluctant to purchase a new vehicle for fear [...]
What Obama’s Proposed Tax Cuts Mean For Small Biz
For Dane’s take on Obama’s plan read Generate Wealth Because the Government Can’t. BusinessWeek: Here’s a welcome report for entrepreneurs this new year: President-elect Barack Obama’s massive stimulus plan is expected to include three key tax breaks for small-business owners. Details are still emerging, but the plan could include a longer window for businesses to [...]
You Don’t Have To Die If You Want To Visit Handbag Heaven
Handbags have been called a woman’s best friend. Large or small, every possible necessity can be found buried in one and toted around when out and about. Where there are women who enjoy a variety of bags, there is money to be made. When visiting Handbag Heaven, the first thing you’ll notice is the price. [...]
John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing recently provided a few suggestions on how business can get their hands on new customer testimonials. He suggests having a testimonial party for your existing high traffic customers that you’ve had for some time. photo credit: kevindooley The party can be as big or as small as you’d like. [...]
