Archive for July 2009
Delivering Letters To Your Inbox
The New York Times: The Swiss postal service has started redirecting some mail from the letter box to the in-box. A program introduced by the Swiss Post in June allows subscribers to receive scans of their unopened envelopes by e-mail message and then decide which ones they want opened and scanned in their entirety, to [...]
In The Last Year, Have You Bartered For Products Or Services For Your Biz? Yes No View Results Photo by freeelpaso.
Bee-Tee Business Booms During Rough Economy
WSPA: An Upstate mom says people stop her in airports and on the streets to ask her where she got her daughter’s t-shirt. It turns out she designed it to teach character to her two-year-old daughter Lena. Melissa Patton is the mom behind Bee-Tees. She designs t-shirts, hats, and bags with simple, inspirational thoughts: “Bee [...]
Mompreneur Brings New Meaning To Purse With The Aquabag
PR-Inside: Having two toddlers can inspire many things, but for Cathi Reyes, they are the inspiration to develop products that simplify life! Our first product, the Aquabag, is a water bottle/baby bottle bag that functions as a purse. It is an insulated bottle bag that has a built in wallet and two side pouches. The [...]
Website Simplifies Travel Planning With Insider Tips
Suzanne has always loved to travel. During those travels she would keep notes on the best places to eat, sleep, and visit, creating the ultimate travel guide. After some urging by some friends and family, that ultimate guide is now available online at Suzanne’s Files. With the help of a few ‘insiders’, Suzanne is able [...]
Mental Floss: Just because a celebrity endorses it doesn’t make it great. Hulk Hogan’s Thunder Mixer Hulk Hogan has claimed that the George Foreman Grill was originally offered to him, but he didn’t respond in time. The manufacturer then called George Foreman, who chose to endorse the grill instead of a blender, which became the [...]
Important Points About Start-Up Plans
photo credit: Jasmic When writing a start up plan many people are very nervous about what to put in their plan, what not to put in their plan, in what order they should list aspects of their plan and so on. Below are some helpful tips on important points to consider when writing your start-up [...]
What Your 401K Plan Should Have
photo credit: Mr. T in DC Everyone is always excited when they obtain a 401k plan that often times they don’t review their plan to even see what it offers and what it doesn’t offer. This is important stuff here, you can’t just file it away under the good category without taking a look at [...]
photo credit: Gibsonclaire Today we all have a higher fear of failure, it’s only natural with the way things are going in business today. But we all also know how crippling fear can be, if you let it take complete hold of you, you’ll never accomplish anything ever again. In business you need to know [...]
YouTube: Where Customers Get The Last Word
smallbiztrends: Professional musician Dave Carroll spent months trying to get compensation from United Airlines to fix his $3,500 Taylor guitar after it was damaged by baggage handlers at O’Hare Airport. After getting the final “no” from United, he composed a 4-minute video called “United Breaks Guitars.” He posted the video on YouTube. As of this [...]
Making People Passionate About Their Work
photo credit: Manuel Van De Weijer In today’s economy we are seeing a decrease in customers spending, profits, financing, houses being sold and much more. Another big thing that were seeing a decrease in is employees passion for their work. In a time where money is scarce and people are horrified of loosing their job [...]
Selling Quirky Products To Retailers
Inc.: Laura Silverthorn is the founder of Mother Ink, they make temporary tattoos for expectant mothers. Silverthorn says that online sales are great, but retailers aren’t buying. How can she get stores to step out of their comfort zones? As a tattoo impresario, you of all people should recognize the importance of surface appeal. Product [...]
photo credit: huangjiahui Going into a new business deal one of the things people stress the most about is obtaining the financing that they will need, especially in today’s economy with such strict provisions on financing. Here are some really good helpful tips on how to impress the investor and increase your chances of [...]
CNET News: If I were a popular Hollywood celebrity, chances are the paparazzi would be staking out my house and jotting down notes on what I had for lunch. Alas for commoners like me, Adam Harvey’s invention won’t do much. Harvey, a New York University graduate, conceived a fashion bag that can help scandal-stricken stars [...]
photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography Despite the very grim looking economy, there are still many start-up opportunities that are doing well during this grim time in our economy. Below are a few of these start-up examples recently located on Entrepreneur.com. Entrepreneurs providing landscaping services can start small and dream big, with start-up costs as low [...]
Biz Poll Results: Google And Free
The New York Times: On Monday, we started a poll asking readers if they thought offering free software and services cheapened Google’s brand name. Of those responding, 16 percent said YES and 84 percent said NO. Is Google undercutting the value of its own brand by giving away everything free? That’s an interesting implication raised [...]
Kidzsack Receives Dr. Toy's "Best Play & Learn" Vacation Award For 2009
PR Web: KidzsackTM, an innovator of creative, eco-friendly toys, announced today that it has received the coveted Dr. Toy’s Best Play and Learn Vacation Award Winning Products for Summer 2009. Dr. Toy’s Best Play and Learn Vacation Products Awards were developed by noted child development authority, Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D. (a.k.a. Dr. Toy), as a service [...]
Mompreneur Opens New Handbag Shop
Community Newspaper Group: A Cedar Falls mom is carving out her niche in Waverly. On June 1, Carmin Stickfort opened Purses Galore at 102 E. Bremer Ave., offering bags in trendy new styles and replicas of celebrities’ designer carryalls. The store is a brick-and-mortar incarnation of her first business venture, Hot Purses, a series of [...]
eBay: Five Free Listings a Month
Do you sell on eBay? Starting on June 16, 2009, Auction-style eBay listings submitted through the standard Sell Your Item or Simple listing form will be eligible for new pricing which includes: 5 FREE Insertion Fees every 30 days, regardless of start price of the item* The $0.00 Insertion Fee listings will have a Final [...]
Do you like fish? Did you tend the family aquarium when you were a child? Stace Bleich did, and now he’s turned his love of fish into a successful business called Aquariums by Design Inc. He designs and installs aquariums. His company also services, maintains and moves them. When he started the business on a [...]
This sounds fun. The Bow Range is an outdoor archery park located in Medford, Oregon. Here’s a video profile from a local television news station. More from The Bow Range’s website: The fun and exciting sport of 3D Archery is a form of Target Archery. 3D Archery can be participated by anyone at any skill [...]
One niche that continues to flourish is the pet industry. Everyday new business with names like “Puppy Palace” and “Doggie Dewz” popup. According the American Pet Products Association, we spent over $43 billion on our pets in 2008. Americans spent $10 billion on supplies and over-the-counter medicine. They also also spent $11.1 million on veterinary [...]
Behind Coors’ Color-Changing Beer Cans
Fortune Small Business: As an undergraduate at Cornell University, Lyle Small annoyed his housemates by spending days on end painting their Ping-Pong table in rainbow shades of ink. He brewed chemicals to create inks that changed hue when exposed to light and heat. “I got obsessed,” says Small, now 41. “I thought all printing inks [...]
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Are you looking for a green business that you can do on the weekends and that will also help you to lose weight? Do you have a bike? If so, I Pedal Ads might be just what you’ve been seeking. I Pedal Ads is a large, eye catching 4′ x 4′ mobile billboard that can [...]
Inventor Sells Better Way To Bag
TheSunNews.com: The daughter of the man who helped invent the plastic bag commonly used in grocery stores is now marketing a product she hopes will replace her father’s invention. Kristen Brown, a Pawleys Island resident who runs her own environmental consulting firm, is already selling sets of reusable plastic bags at a local Piggly Wiggly [...]
Former Chrysler Dealer to Sell Indian Trucks
One former Chrysler dealer is turning to India to fill his empty car lot: For August Russo, owner of the Lochmoor Automotive Group in Detroit, losing his Chrysler franchise pushed him to focus solely on a new franchise he’s been working on for six months. Russo has one of three local franchises to sell Mahindra [...]
photo credit: divemasterking2000 How much does it cost to start a skydiving school? Not too much, actually: Last month Matthew Fitch [a] former Navy communications officer opened No Limits Skydiving, a parachuting school. After eight years his event-jumping business had hit a plateau of about 30 appearances per year, which generated $100,000 in annual revenues. [...]
MakeUseOf.com: Ever subscribed to a podcast where the presenter talked really slow? There are countless of podcasts on the web that would be considerably better if they were presented faster. Same applies to the audio books narrated by a really slow reader. And that’s exactly where PodShifter can help. It can easily make podcasts up [...]
photo credit: pasotraspaso There’s a 98% chance your idea will have gone nowhere, and you will still be working at your job and struggling to make ends meet. What’s the difference, then, between the 98% who fail and the 2% who succeed? One answer is that successful entrepreneurs avoid the traps that stop everyone else [...]
Great Kid Invention: CircleSoap
Examiner.com: The best ideas are often ones that come out of a need. One such invention is CircleSoaps. They were invented by a 7 year old who wanted to make it easier to hold onto his soap. Q: How did you come up with the idea of CircleSoap? Carter: I was playing with some soap [...]
Remember The Customers You Never Had
photo credit: cheetah100 We have all been there before, your browsing a store just to browse with no intention on buying anything, but then suddenly you see a product with great advertising that you just can’t walk away from. On your way to the counter to pay for this product you finally realize you can’t [...]
Mom Entrepreneurs Conceive, Give Birth To Fascinating Bizs
WRAL Local Tech Wire: Who would have ever thought that making a plaster cast of an expectant mother’s belly could be turned into a work of art, let alone a business? Leave it to a female entrepreneur to conceive the idea. Tisha DeShields of Atlanta is one of 200 working mothers who have built successful [...]
Life As A Mompreneur, From The View Of One
Practical Ecommerce: I am constantly asked what I do for a living. The answer is complicated and it can be answered in many ways, but I find no one really understands what exactly it is that I do every day. My typical answer is, I’m a Mom but I also own my business and work [...]
SAHM's & The Home-Based Business
Examiner.com: Lisa Burnham and Shannon Windsor offer some guidance to the stay at home mother who is considering starting a home based business. Approximately a year ago, Burnham decided to become a Tupperware® consultant so she could help raise money through fundraisers for her Mothers of Preschoolers group and to help contribute to the family [...]
All Natural Beauty Products That Pamper The Mom-To-Be
Moms-to-be throughout Canada are taking a second look at the skincare products they are using thanks to Kate and Paul, the co-founders of Baby Bump. When Kate got pregnant she not only gained the glow that every mom-to-be seems to have but she also discovered the extra dry skin and acne that can follow. Along [...]
Bankruptcy and Business Idea Loan
photo credit: mescon A reader asked: I have researched a business idea and have got an outlined plan for a totally new business with no competition at all and with a tons of potential. However, to go forward I need full financial backing up to $200,000. I filed for bankruptcy last year. What do you [...]
The Car Seat Lady has made a business out of consumer’s car seat hassles and offers experienced, private car seat installation lessons
The Spectrum: For Zion Adventure Company co-founder Jonathan Zambella, downsizing led to his dream job. In 1995, he was working as a banker in Pennsylvania but lost his job due to downsizing, giving him the “opportunity to be unemployed.” Zambella, an avid rock climber, knew he didn’t want to stay in the financial sector. “I [...]
photo credit: sashafatcat We often talk about steps to take to ensure better progress and success in business, but I also think it is just as important to discuss the steps to avoid that do have the potential to cripple your business. Read on for crippling steps to avoid in your business that were [...]
The Many Uses Of Googles Calendar
photo credit: edans When we think about Google we think about all of the business tools that we can take advantage of, all the things found on Google that will make our business life easier. However, I don’t think enough credit has ever been made to the Google calendar. Below are just a few [...]
Sculptor Starts Business Making Custom Dog Caricatures
Sculpt My Dog is a a company that creates one of a kind custom ceramic dog caricatures using photographs of dogs. The sculptures are commissioned works for people who desire a piece of art which resembles their dog. The caricatures are often life-size! The artist, Susan Hershey, has been making dog sculptures for years as [...]
photo credit: luis perez In business we are always trying to come up with cool new ways to advertise, ways that catch peoples attention and save us money in the process. We all know that one of the best ways to advertise is by word of mouth. It travels fast and very effectively. One way [...]
Rhonda Abrams for USA TODAY: Wouldn’t you like to get some free advertising for your business? And not just any advertising — but advertising that’s in front of people exactly when they’re looking for what you have to offer? Then it’s time for you to check out Google’s Local Business Center. Just about every business [...]
Craigslist Turned Small Ads into Big Business
Guardian News: For journalists, Craig Newmark is the meteor that came hurtling to Earth and destroyed their world. Craigslist, the unassuming site that bears his name, is thought by some to have killed one of the major cash cows of the US newspaper industry – classified advertising. When he started the site in early 1995, [...]
Tracking Social Media Activity
photo credit: jurvetson With all of the information that people post to the Internet very publicly these days, you can paint almost a perfect picture of their lifestyle, their world, likes and dislikes as long as you track their activity and actually put the information into your database. No matter what approach you employ for [...]
Over the past few years, the competitive video gaming world has evolved by leaps and bounds. We’ve seen gamers grace the TV screens, the front-pages of some of the world’s most respected newspapers, & every media form in between. With this increase in the number of gamers, there has been an equally rapid increase in [...]
Inventor Makes, Markets Quirky Gadgets
Observer-Dispatch: Leslie Mann has always thought outside the box — like the time he created a wristwatch with miniature items floating in a bubble concoction enclosed in the dome of the watch. Or, the rude-awakening alarm clock that blurts insults to snoozers. As an inventor, and owner of BCP USA, Mann probably invented the box [...]
photo credit: SashaW In Chris Anderson’s book Free: The Future of a Radical Price, he tells clever companies that have reversed the normal flow of money, making something free or paying for what other companies are charging for. On example is a gym in Denmark that offers a free membership as long as you continue [...]
MakeUseOf.com: ViewLike.us is an online application that lets you quickly test website in different resolutions. You simply need to enter website URL into provided field and click on the “Submit” button. Once the page loads, you can click different resolution tabs to view how the site looks. Currently the app allows to preview te websites [...]
Life Insurance For Your Business?
photo credit: swanksalot Being a business owner you probably have a ton of different insurance policies such as disability, medical, dental, equipment protection and all of your own personal policies such as your homeowners, vehicle coverage and more. None of these policies however actually secure the life of your business. Below are a couple types [...]
