Archive for February 2009
photo credit: fsse8info Every year businesses spend millions of dollars on copying documents and filing and even specific employees to do the filing of the documents. In 2009, rather then spending all that time and money on your business documents, why not switch over to digital archiving? It’s really not as complex as it sounds. [...]
Wired: For an all-natural brain boost, skip the pills and hit the colors. In the latest and most authoritative study on color’s cognitive effects, test subjects given attention-demanding tasks did best when primed with the color red. Asked to be creative, they responded best to blue. “Color enhances performance,” said study co-author Juliet Zhu, a [...]
Biz Fun: Why Didn’t I Think Of That
Shower Mic Sponge You already sing in the shower, now you can do it in style. Food Face Plates Playing with your food has never been more fun. Bubble Calendar Do you pop the bubble at the beginning of the day or at the end? Photos by perpetualkid.com/worldwidefred.com/yournextgift.com.
BusinessWeek: Vontoo started out as a voice-messaging tool, blasting targeted lists of people with prerecorded pitches from the likes of Greg Oden, the No. 1 pick in the National Basketball Assn.’s 2007 draft, who “called” Portland Trailblazer season ticket holders to re-up for another year. But as times have grown tougher, the 25-employee company has [...]
10 Tips for Starting a Home Business in a Recession
photo credit: bgilliard The following is a guest post by Troy Shanks. Starting a business today, with the way the economy is, can be scary for anyone. Don’t let it keep you from making your dream of owning a business a reality. It can be done with careful planning and consideration before jumping into owning [...]
This sounds interesting: Business Fantasy Camp is a brand new web series that gives you the chance to gain expert business advice from some of the world’s most prolific celebrities and business leaders. Tell Sprint your business challenge and you could be off to learn from a famous restaurateur, a Broadway theater producer, or a [...]
Lessons Learned From Hard Times Past
The New York Times: Invariably, once the recession is over, hundreds of people are going to come forth and offer “lessons learned from the recent hard times.” That’s fine. But we all can use that advice now. Here is what some entrepreneurs said they learned during the last economic downturn. 1. Keep Plugging 2. Help [...]
Inventor Takes On The Fishing Lure, And Improves it
Emmett Stacy has always been innovative. When something needed done, he’d almost always find a way to do it. That’s because he is an inventor. He has successfully created the SureCatch lure line, the SureCatch combo rod, and the tri-way fish attractor. In the 3 years since he first started selling his fishing gear, Emmett [...]
Women entrepreneurs across the country are taking charge of their businesses and their families’ livelihoods by joining the Make Mine a Million $ Business RACE (M3 RACE) launched by Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence, the leading national not-for-profit provider of business resources and community support for women entrepreneurs. Sam’s Club today reiterated its [...]
The Washington Times: Every Monday, Sara Polon chops mountains of vegetables and wrestles with 50-pound bags of lentils and other fresh local ingredients and turns them into hot soups. By midweek, she delivers her product to dozens of homes and offices around the District. On a cold winter’s day, there is nothing like a container [...]
Harvard Business: 1. Test early and often, with multiple versions of your invention. In Rock’s case, long before he begins a world tour, he experiments with new material by doing 40+ 45-minute shows in a tiny club near his house. This helps him eliminate many duds, and refine the best lines. 2. Establish a process [...]
photo credit: Mzelle Biscotte When you send email, do you use boring subject lines? The success or failure of your email marketing campaign can often be determined by two little words – subject line. Most of the time, people decide to open or trash the email solely based on what the subject line says or [...]
James Dyson Award: Inventors Wanted
Perilous city cycling. Communicating with the deaf. Filtering contaminated water. These are a few of the issues students have tackled in the U.S. “Eye for Why,” student design competition run by the James Dyson Foundation. Beginning in 2009, “Eye for Why,” along with 20 other regional student design competitions will be rolled into a larger [...]
BusinessWeek: While pulling an all-nighter studying for his MBA at Babson College, Jason Kensey (an avowed non-coffee drinker) went to purchase his usual jolt—a highly caffeinated, high-sugar soda—only to find the vending machine broken. Kensey got something else: an idea for a business making bite-size candies packed with caffeine. Until 2000, Kensey back-burnered the idea [...]
In The Hosting Business World, Aplus.net Continually Works To Stay On Top
When you’re ready to build your online presence, it’s important to find the right place to host your website. Reliability, as well as security, is very important in running a successful business website. Aplus.net boasts those benefits, and more. Originally known as Abacus America, Aplus.net has grown substantially since the business was launched in 1992. [...]
What We Can Learn From America’s Top Dog
Stump, a floppy-eared, droopy-eyed Sussex spaniel was named The Westminster Kennel Club’s Best in Show – the oldest champ ever. What can we learn from Stump? 1. Retirement is for cats. 2. Old Age is not a reason to stop competing. Stump is 10 years old, that’s 70 in dog years. 3. Just because it’s [...]
Small Firms Resort to Freebies and Special Deals
The Wall Street Journal: Faced with a deepening recession and evaporating sales, an increasing number of small businesses are resorting to a high-risk strategy: costly giveaways and promotions to lure the reluctant consumer. If the strategies work, these companies could have a powerful weapon in their struggle to weather the economic storm. But if they [...]
photo credit: Paul Keleher Tax time seems to creep up on us faster and faster each year. Before we know it we have one week left to file, we can’t find half the information we know we need and we haven’t even figured out how or where were going to have our taxes done. If [...]
photo credit: TheAlieness GiselaGiardino²³ Mark Cuban, the billionaire entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, is offering what he calls Open Source Funding. He’s asking entrepreneurs to explain their ideas openly and completely in the comment section of his blog. If he likes the commenter and the idea, he’ll buy in. I love it. This [...]
Is More Relief Ahead for Small Biz?
The New York Times: With the economy in terrible shape, owners of small businesses could use a break. The tax code offers many to choose from, including some recent additions, and others may be on the way. Businesses received a batch of concessions late last year, when several measures that expired in 2007 were extended [...]
Suzzanne Can Thank Grandma For Her Path In Business
MontgomeryAdvertiser.com: Suzzanne Hall’s 15-year career in hair styling was born of a grandmother’s love for her grandchildren. Hall’s grandmother, Sue Nell, noticed how her granddaughter enjoyed fixing hair. So after she died, her husband, George Austin Blitch, asked Hall if she would like to pursue a career as a hairstylist. Hall embraced the opportunity. “He [...]
Survey Results: Is Education Worth It?
Last week I asked if you thought that college was a good investment for the small business entrepreneur. The results show pretty strongly that you think that a college education is waste of money for those young people who want to go into business for themselves. Thanks for participating. If you’d like to explain why [...]
StartupNation Launches Video Elevator Pitch Contest
StartupNation has launched the 2009 “Elevator Pitch” contest with sponsors Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division and GoToMeeting from Citrix Online. The contest will recognize the next great business ideas and entrepreneurs worthy of funding. The winning entrepreneurs will receive a pre-arranged one-hour presentation to top tier investors and give them a competitive [...]
Laid-Off Workers Get Entrepreneurial For Valentine’s Day
The Seattle Times: In case you missed Iamsaintnick.com, the fun Christmas gift referral service started by two laid-off Seattle techies – they’re back with a Valentine’s version launching today. Iamsaintvalentino.com does the same sort of thing: Visitors enter the phone number of their special someone, who then gets an automated call from Saint Valentino. When [...]
Get On NBC’s ‘Today Show’ For FREE
AdAge: Most marketers looking to get their messages out by using NBC’s popular morning-news program, “Today,” figure they’ll need to spend tens of thousands of dollars for a 30-second spot. And yet Taylor Larouche and her pals were able to snag much more time than that — for free. Larouche, a 20-year-old Penn State student, [...]
BusinessWeek: After piling away savings while working at dot-coms in the 1990s, Catherine Drogin, 39, and her husband, Peter, 40, decided it was time to make the switch from employees to entrepreneurs. They also chose a market about as far from the glamour of the Net as they could get: tongue depressors. The Drogins saw [...]
More Turning Into ‘Internet Entrepreneur’s’ To Make A Buck
WJHG.com: With unemployment skyrocketing, more and more people are looking for extra income…or just looking to get by. Does working from home on the internet hold the answer? Money Reporter Stacy Johnson talked to one internet entrepreneur to see how it’s done. “I like to blog about anything that can help people. I’m really taboo…I [...]
Older Workers Starting New Careers Buying Franchises
Seattle PI: Kathy McAvoy-Rogalski keeps her year-old business operating on a short leash, and that’s a good thing. Operating a Fetch Pet Care franchise with her husband, James, out of their home has proven to be a rewarding second career for the early retiree. “It’s the one job where I can honestly say your clients [...]
Casino Baby Brings A Bit Of Vegas Fun To Baby Clothes
They might not be able to gamble but they can wear it. Clothing, that is. Casino Baby offers parents a chance to dress up their babies in fun designs that can only be inspired by a day in the casino. Through their unique sense of style, Theresa and Tanya have successfully jumpstarted a new kind [...]
When Recession Equals Opportunity
MSNBC: It’s a sad fact that pretty much everybody knows people who have lost their jobs in this recession. But sometimes, hard times can turn into opportunity. An article in USA Today states that a recession is a great time to start a business. Did you know that Trader Joe’s, Disney and Hewlett-Packard started during [...]
Female Business Owners Are Turning To The 'Princess' Network To Gain Support
Deseret News: In the background, you can hear a little voice shouting for attention: “Mom, turn on my music!” “Can you hold on a second?” asks Kelly King Anderson. There’s a pause in conversation as she sets down the phone and asks her daughter to be patient while she finishes talking to a reporter. Seconds [...]
The Wall Street Journal: Now Procter & Gamble wants to wash your car. The giant manufacturer of household staples including Pampers diapers, Crest toothpaste and Gillette razors is forging a new business model: franchising car washes. To jump-start plans for a nationwide chain of Mr. Clean Car Wash franchises, P&G in December acquired the franchise [...]
All You Need Is Love … To Run Your Biz
Rhonda Abrams At USA TODAY: All you need is love, love; love is all you need. The Beatles weren’t business consultants when they sang that, of course, and you certainly need more than just love to run a small business. But this Valentine’s Day, let’s look at 10 ways that love helps your business succeed: [...]
BusinessWeek: Want to drown your economic worries? HowstheBar.com, a new social-network site that lets members rate bars in real time to find the most hopping places, may help. Some 600 members in Illinois are already clicking on where to go—and where not to—says Randy Rantz, founder of the venture. After working as a real estate [...]
Biz Resource: Printable Checklist
Download Squad: Add Printable Checklist to your list of single-use web applications with incredibly straightforward names. In fact, go ahead and use Printable Checklist to make the list. It’s almost ridiculously simple to use: add, delete, and rename are the only options. Sometimes bare bones is best, though. Loading up Printable Checklist in a browser [...]
Trendhunter: Speed bumps are becoming an increasingly attractive option to advertise products and services by catching the customer at a moment when he has to slow down his speed and pay attention. The latest is a McDonald’s outdoor campaign by DDB New Zealand that promotes the new McDonald’s Shaker Fries (the ones that come in [...]
TechProse Helps Connect Businesses With Qualified Consultants
After many years at a job, many people are finding themselves suddenly unemployed. On top of that, finding a new job is becoming increasingly hard. If they’re trained in a specific area and have a a lot of experience to back them up, this might be the right time to turn unemployment into a small [...]
Institute Helps Women Launch Businesses
ocregister: At 24, Orielle Hopkins was a vice president of a finance company making a great salary and investing in real estate. Meeting bills was no problem. By 31, she had filed for bankruptcy and divorced. As a single mom of two, she struggles to make ends meet even though she still made a great [...]
Athletic Wear Inspires Moms With Fitness Being the Foundation
RunnersWeb.com: In the race of life, Lisa Welch’s passion for family and fitness runs together closely, from the unique design in one of her ultra-comfortable garments to the new mom aspiring to achieve a memorable goal. She helps us understand how brightly our light can shine from within and carries it throughout everything she does. [...]
What’s Hot in Product Categories
Inventors Digest: We contacted leading retail chain buyers and conducted extensive research to show you where the hot areas of product innovation are in 2009. Toys and Games This is always a popular category to consider breaking into. Many manufacturers plan to expand their product lines to include more outdoor play items and backyard toys [...]
Tax Deductions Freelancers Can Make
Freelance Switch: There are quite a few deductions available to freelancers that may not seem obvious when you first sit down with all those 1099s and receipts. But as long as you have the right documentation, you can write off plenty of deductions you may never have thought of. 1. Unpaid invoices 2. Niche research [...]
BusinessWeek: In mid-2006, Susan Perry was inspired by her niece, who suffers from macular degeneration. Sitting at a restaurant, Perry grabbed a napkin and sketched an idea for a talking menu that would help blind people place orders. Two years and $600,000 in investments later, her Miami company, Taylannas, produces audible menus that can be [...]
Decide How Your Small Biz Will Be Taxed
Union Leader: Understanding and choosing how a small business is taxed is an important decision for business owners. The stakes are very high as an incorrect choice may prove costly to correct. By making the proper choice, a business owner can minimize taxes paid to Uncle Sam and put more cash in their pockets. A [...]
Companies Born During Downturns
CNNMoney.com: Procter & Gamble Founded during: The Panic of 1837 Candle maker William Procter and soap maker James Gamble joined forces to start a small household-goods business in Cincinnati. IBM Founded during: The Depression, 1873-1896 Three startups – the Tabulating Machine Company, the International Time Recording Company and the Computing Scale Corporation – developed technologies [...]
Zerovoc Offers An Earth-Friendly Water Sealant And Business Opportunity
To ensure the longest life from your driveway to your porch, you’ll want to keep it protected. While sealants are made to do the job, they’re not all created equal. Zerovoc Technology uses an earth-friendly process and materials to create their sealants. Their protective water sealer will protect wood, concrete, and masonry materials. We recently [...]
"Mompreneurs" Earning Extra Money Through Their Hobbies
WIS News 10: During these tough economic times, plenty of people are getting creative to make ends meet. Even some stay-at-home moms are thinking outside of the box to earn some extra money by taking on the title of “Mompreneur.” Lexington mom Tonya Douglass knows all about a budget crunch. “I can’t work a full [...]
When Labels Matter: Business Helps Put Your Mark On Kids’ Stuff
The Saratogian: Michelle Brandriss began searching for labels for her child’s clothing and playthings out of necessity. Launching a new company devoted to the creation of durable vinyl labels made with non-toxic, eco-friendly ink was done out of a desire to stay home with her young son and fill a void in the marketplace. “We [...]
Turn your speakers up! Thanks to Archie McPhee.
Computer Game Meets Climbing Wall
Springwise: Designed for use in public places like museums and shopping malls, DigiWall is a climbing wall with high-end surround-sound whose grips include both lights and sensors that react when they are touched. A variety of games, contests, challenges and creative experiences are possible on the wall as a result, using a combination of visual [...]
Inventor Targets Beer Coasters
South Coast Register: Mike Ware enjoys socializing at hotels and drinking a cold beer – no doubt a joy shared by millions of thirsty patrons around the world. Most beer drinkers would be familiar with disposable cardboard drink coasters. They have been used to soak up spillage and condensation for years. “Unfortunately once the coaster [...]
