Archive for August 2009
Welcome Service Business: A Great Business Idea that Works
photo credit: mcclouds The following is a guest post from Bizymoms. If you love to meet new people and enjoy playing the host in your community, the Welcome Service business makes an idyllic choice of business for you. The basic task involved in this business is to welcome new residents and other people like newly [...]
Do you have a clean background with NO felonies? Is your business or non-profit easily accessible to consumers? Do you have 3 square feet of unused space that is currently sitting idle? Do you have high speed internet access at your place of business? Are you willing to be trained by phone to operate electronic [...]
Mistakes That Effect Your Freelance Success
photo credit: aussiegall Are you a freelancer who seems to hit a wall every avenue that you turn down? Does it seem like no matter what you do during your day something always goes wrong and you just don’t have the success that you think you should? Maybe your making one or more of [...]
80% Of People Use Twitter For Biz
Penn-Olson: According to a new research from Kamaron Research Institute, about 80% of the people use Twitter for business purposes. More than 8 in 10 listed “business” as the reason why they tweet. This holds true for younger twitter-ers as well. Nearly half of those aged 25 and under gave “business” as the primary reason [...]
photo credit: barto We all communicate with several people everyday, all day long, on a regular basis. But how do we know if we’re communicating in a proper and understandable way? There are 3 main types of communication, stated on Sales Management 2.0, to which all communication falls into one of those 3 categories. [...]
BBC: The internet has revolutionized the speed at which people communicate. Now the Swiss postal service is hoping to do the same for regular snail mail. The company offers a service called Swiss Post Box to customers wanting to receive their physical letters over the internet. More from the Swiss Post Box website: We first [...]
Reading Business Books Is Your Future
photo credit: Dawn Endico If you’re thinking about starting your own business, then you really should be thinking about what business books you need to be checking out of the library or buying on amazon.com. Famous business men such as Donald Trump and Warren Buffet have both said that reading business books are key to [...]
TechFlash: Looks like nothing is safe from becoming an advertisement these days. A newly surfaced Microsoft patent application proposes to create ads out of human interactive proofs, also known as CAPTCHAs, those lines of fuzzy or distorted text or images used by websites to confirm that submissions are coming from real human beings, not automated [...]
Communication Powers Your Performance
photo credit: Torley I came across an article located on Open Forum that talks about how your communication skills give power to your performance. Depending on how you communicate with your staff, team, boss and more, will depend on the performance outcome. Have you ever had a business situation where someone is describing something like [...]
IBM Patent Means Your TV Remote Will Twitter Too
Fast Company: It’s only a matter of time before someone releases a dedicated gadget for Tweeting. And now an IBM patent has surfaced implying that soon your TV remote control will do your microblogging for you. The network-enabled smart remote control would send out a digital message to initiate a blog post whenever you choose [...]
photo credit: Gunnar Wrobel It makes sense to buy a franchise with proven methods, marketing, and product rather than start your own from scratch right? But when getting ready to sign that contract, how do you know that the contract is completely truthful? Below are some franchise contract time bombs to look out for. [...]
Your Idea Sucks, Now Go Do It Anyway
A Smart Bear: My idea isn’t good enough yet” explained a friend who is thinking of starting his own company. He was waiting for the idea to be completely fleshed our before taking the leap. Here’s a newsflash: Your idea probably sucks, and it doesn’t matter because your business will probably turn out to be [...]
Manage Your Attention Rather Than Your Time
photo credit: fdecomite We are always on the look out for ways to better manage our time. The problem with that is we don’t realize that time is fixed for everyone, you can not “make” more time, you can not get back lost time. “The myth of time management never dies. Many people enroll in [...]
Americans Watched a Record-Setting 21.4 Billion Web Videos
Fast Company: Ah, summertime. There’s no better time of year to shutter oneself indoors and watch videos on the Web–at least that’s what the latest numbers released by comScore would suggest. In July, 158 million U.S. Internet users watched a record-setting 21.4 billion online videos, a full 88% more than they watched during the same [...]
From The Corner Office To Flex-Mom
Women are quickly becoming aware of what working from their own home (whether it is for an employer or by starting a home business) can do for them. A great example of what flex time can do for a mom, and the company that employes her, is shown in this article from the Huffington Post. [...]
Eco-Friendly Wall Art With A Green Message For Kids
Of all the trends to take advantage of, the earth-friendly one is probably the best one to consider. It is good for the earth and, thanks to this trend, the options to choose from are becoming much more plentiful. This includes the art in your kids’ bedroom. Greenie2Steps is bringing a whole new theme and [...]
Unique products to inspire and amuse. Winkers. Buttock-eyes appear to wink at anybody following the wearer. ‘Excuse me, your jeans are staring at me.’ Electronic Bongo Drum T-Shirt. Touch sensitive drum T-shirt with built-in speaker. Babalu! Bacon Soap. ‘No thanks, Mom, I had breakfast in the shower.’ Node Power Outlet. Power outlet allows you to [...]
What I Learned About Biz Selling Lemonade With My Daughter
SmallBizTechnology: For some months my daughter has been wanting to sell lemonade from a lemonade stand. Maybe it’s a “rite of passage” for kids. Maybe she wants to earn money. Maybe she likes business. Maybe it’s a bit of everything. We were in the hot sun for 3 hours and made about $20. Not bad. [...]
Inc.: On Wednesday, we asked, “Can you run your business from your iPhone?” 38 percent of respondents said YES, 26 percent said NO and 35 percent said SOMETIMES. While the economy limps along, Chris Cunningham’s heating and air conditioning business in suburban Indianapolis is enjoying unprecedented success. Business at Service Plus Heating and Air Conditioning [...]
Mom Slips Into Non-Slip Biz Idea
Herald Community: Corrie Wilder, 37, of Bellmore, and Yelena Mogelefsky, 31, of Merrick, became fast friends when they shared a commute on the Long Island Rail Road. Now, six years after they met, the pair no longer ride the train together, but more than ever, their lives are headed in the same direction. A simple [...]
Mom's Business Celebrates 7 Years Online
PR-Canada.net: Dana Williams, owner of Dana’s Gift Basket Express, is celebrating 7 years online. The online retailer of baby gifts provides unique baby shower gift and supplies, and is best known for its beautiful diaper cakes and baby gift baskets. “We’ve come a long way in 7 years”, notes Williams, a work-at-home mom in Dallas, [...]
Digital City: Next time you walk into your favorite neighborhood bar, you may not be able to order a cosmopolitan or a rum and Coke. That’s because in the highly competitive restaurant industry, some bars are adopting a new tactic to separate themselves from the pack. It’s all about establishing a niche – and it [...]
Wrist Bands Maintain Hand Warmth Using Body Heat
If you have or have ever heard of Raynaud’s Syndrome, then you know that it is a condition which causes your hands to be cold and that it can be painful. There is also no cure. The only options that someone with this syndrome has is either surgery or the use of bulky warming devices. [...]
Making Money Without Copyright
Chad Perrin: There are innumerable ways to make money without copyright — and, in many cases, people are already doing so and may not even realize it. For instance, for the most part signed bands use record sales solely to pay off debt incurred as part of their record deals for purposes of getting initial [...]
Business Week: Opening manhole covers, which weigh up to 400 lbs., is difficult at best and dangerous at worst. Dave Roberts, 51, who spent 25 years lifting them while working for waste-water authorities in Minnesota’s Twin Cities, decided to find a better way. A perpetual tinkerer, Roberts designed a machine to remove the heavy cast-iron [...]
Invention Keeps Bar Patrons Happy
Duluth News Tribune: Your beer will remain cold until the last sip at Aces on First in Duluth because of a unique innovation added to the bar. Aces on First became the first bar in Minnesota to install stainless steel coasters known as Chilldiscs that keep a 4-inch surface in front of every barstool at [...]
Generate High Quality Leads Your Sales People Will Love
photo credit: myuibe Ask most executives and marketers what sales people need to sell in this economy and they will say, “more leads.” So their marketing and lead generation focuses on getting MORE leads to their sales team. The problem with simply creating more leads for your sales team is that they may not necessarily [...]
Watermelon Juice: The New Fuel?
Discovery News: A staple of backyard barbecues and summer time snacks, watermelon is also a promising new source of renewable energy. According to a new study, leftover watermelons from farms’ harvests could be converted into up to 9.4 million liters (2.5 million gallons) of clean, renewable ethanol fuel every year destined for your car, truck, [...]
photo credit: batega We all know how prominent business debt is becoming in this economy. Granted we are seeing some relief here and there, but no where near enough yet. Below are two awesome ways your business can cut it’s debt and stay above water! Be realistic on staffing. Although the last thing most business [...]
YouTube Shares Ad Money With More VideoMakers
Reuters: YouTube, the world’s most popular video sharing site, said it will start sharing advertising cash with users who upload the most popular clips of everything from skateboarding dogs to dancing babies. The video site, which is owned by Web search giant Google Inc, said it will extend its YouTube partnership program to allow individuals [...]
photo credit: brunkfordbraun Many people today are contemplating the idea of becoming their own boss and starting up their own business. This can be a wonderful idea for them, that is if they truly have what it takes to be their own boss and own their own business. Here are some of the most common [...]
Using Kickstarter To Fund Small Biz
The New York Times: Kickstarter, a Web site that helps connect aspiring artists with patrons who finance their projects and often receive some tangible memento in return. But it’s not just artists who are using the platform. Some small businesses and entrepreneurs see it as a way to raise money to supplement and support their [...]
Great Entrepreneur Tools For Internet Businesses
photo credit: geishaboy500 Anyone who owns their own business on the Internet knows what a hectic challenge it can be at times. We all know that the more help and tools we have to keep our business running smoothly the better. So I have put together a little list below containing some great tools for [...]
Couple Find Niche Market For Dairy Products
TimesDaily.com: Some agriculture officials are calling the Shoals’ newest dairy farm the wave of the future but its owners call it a throwback to an earlier day when dairies were small family operations. Eric Cornelius and his wife, PJ, opened Honest to Goodness dairy and milk processing plant earlier this month, touting the milk as [...]
Creating A Smoking Personal Brand
photo credit: neilbetter When creating your own personal brand it is vitally important to make that brand stand out, catch the attention of your audience immediately and cause them to be so interested in the product or services your selling that they almost can’t resist the urge to buy them. So how does one [...]
photo credit: kekremsi In business we try everything within our means to stay above water, keep the money coming in, and keep our doors open but sometimes there are unforeseeable circumstances that become greater than our means to make it through. I ran across an article posted on AOL Small Business that I found to [...]
Mom's Eco-Friendly Lifestyle Shines In Her Biz
examiner.com: In August of 2008 Jenny opened a retail space in the heart of Richmond’s fan district. Fleur fabrics offered sewing classes from the basics on up to altering your own clothes. It quickly became the mecca for Richmond’s sewing crowd and students. It was at this time that Ninny’s Nappies was born. Jenny started [...]
Big Idea Earns Mom Big Paycheck
abc15.com: It’s a trend a lot of mothers are cashing in on. They’re quitting their 9-to-5 jobs, staying home with the kids and starting their own companies. Amy Maschue’s big idea is now earning this Phoenix mom a big paycheck. Maschue’s busy life consists of being a wife, a mother of four children and running [...]
Detroit’s Jobless Economy: Startups Take Root
CNNMoney.com: In Detroit, a city with rampant unemployment, big crowds in the middle of the day may mean someone is giving out freebies. But on a recent workday, over 450 people packed an auditorium downtown. They weren’t looking for a hand out, sympathy or even a job application. They were looking to start their own [...]
Tips from 50 Small Business Bloggers
Glen Stansberry asked 50 of the top small business bloggers to share their best tips for small business owners. Their response was incredible. While some shared nuggets of wisdom, others gave us actionable tips you can use right away. I was lucky enough to be asked and shared: “An idea by itself is almost worthless. [...]
Employer-Employee Lessons Learned
photo credit: Svadilfari I recently read an article by Tim Berry that I found to be very interesting. It talks about lessons learned over the years by employer to employee relations. When employers are working with employees, it is no surprise that there will always be some bumping of the heads and even some bad [...]
Tap The $100 Billion Potential Of Hyperlocal News?
Fast Company: Outside the local train station, the Maplewood Civic Association maintains a bulletin board plastered with news of jazz festivals and yoga classes for this small, affluent New Jersey town. One day last winter, an unassuming new flyer appeared, nestled between ones hawking a fish tank and a drum set, titled, “Introducing the Local.” [...]
We’ve finally done it and added a fan page for the Business Opportunities Weblog on Facebook. If you’re a fan, we’d love to have you there with us!
Get The Most Out Of Social Media Marketing
photo credit: Travis Isaacs It is no secret that social media marketing is becoming more of a prevalent aspect to businesses today. With so many people practically living on a computer of some sort it makes sense to target these markets as much as possible to gain more traffic, clients, and profits. Below are some [...]
AppScout: You’ve had your laser printer, external hard drive or keyboard for a few months and all of a sudden, it’s behaving strangely. The issue you’re having might be addressed in the troubleshooting section of the product’s manual, and you want to to take a look before diving into whatever information a Web search may [...]
Don’t Kill Your Readers With Clutter
photo credit: jluster Many websites that I’ve visited have so much stuff on them, such as long drawn out information, ads over lapping each other, glitter, stories and so on, that I find it easier to just move on to a much cleaner and easier to read site rather than spend hours sifting through [...]
Greeting Cards Designed For Sharing Burned CDs
Springwise: Digital greetings are all very well, but it seems there’s something about the tangible paper card that just can’t be replaced. We’ve written about talking gift tags and greeting cards with online attachments, and now there’s Burney Cards, combining an artist-designed, fold-out paper card with a burnable CD tucked inside. Created by Dutch firm [...]
5 Time Management Mistakes Business Owners Make
As a work at home parent, no one knows better than us what can happen if we don’t manage our time properly. The Denver Women’s Business Examiner recently posted her list of 10 time management mistakes that happen to ring true for all mompreneurs, whether or not you’re in Denver. Below are 5 of those [...]
Mistakes Commonly Made In Measuring Social Media ROI
photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography The reason why you first embarked on this journey is because you think it will benefit your business and bring you returns. The biggest mistake you can make in social media marketing is failure to measure these returns. We have seen how to measure social media ROI but what [...]
Inventor Hopes Product Creates Jobs
WMBFNews: “People constantly complained about the hospital gown,” said Harley Richards, who came up with what he calls the EZ-Gown, a robe he patented which doesn’t have ties, instead uses plastic snaps that close the gown for privacy. The idea was born out of frustration from patients and people who like him have worked in [...]
