Archive for September 2009
Inc. Magazine Lemonade Stand Winners
Inc.: Meet the next generation of entrepreneurs! This year’s contest winners proved that they have what it takes to run a successful business, from hours spent peddling lemonade on the beaches of New Hampshire to the elaborate details that went into constructing their lemonade stands. Weekly winner: Wyatt, Karson, Harmony, & Haylea Mraz, Ages 10, [...]
What Kind Of Entrepreneur Are You?
USA TODAY: Brent Bouchez, David Page and Nancy McNally are no strangers to corporate perks. They’ve each worked for top-tier ad agencies in top-tier roles. They’ve had able assistants, private offices, great retirement and health benefits, and the use of professional car services. Now the trio sometimes debate who should run out and buy printer [...]
Galileo, Inventor And Entrepreneur
WHYY.org: This month 400 years ago the astronomer and inventor, Galileo, was presenting his new fangled device, the telescope, to the Venetian court. He had to plead his case on the many ways the telescope could be used and because of the lack of knowledge in astronomy at the time he had a hard time [...]
Seacostonline: A desire to have restaurant fortune cookies taste better prompted York resident Cindy Francis to formulate her own fortune cookie batter, a recipe that ultimately led to the creation of Fantastic Fortunes, LLC. According to Francis, while her “gourmet fortune cookies” are the same shape as typical fortune cookies and possess a “classic crisp [...]
Woman Starts Own Garbage Company
Leslie Eisen was tired of taking her trash out to the street. After calling the local refuse company and finding out that no matter how much she offered, they wouldn’t provide the service, she started her own company to do it.
photo credit: Ana Santos Some of you I’m sure by now have heard of the service Evernote for small businesses. Evernote is a very clever service that allows even the biggest pack rat to store every little note, detail, tweet and photo that they have. However, what many of you don’t know is just how [...]
Lessons Learned From The Economic Downturn
photo credit: » Zitona « [ UK ] Over the past couple of years during our recession we have seen over 83,000 businesses declare bankruptcy as a result of the financial burdens upon everyone. However, the businesses that have made it so far haven’t gone unchanged, they have all made some changes to their company [...]
Make Money Making Electric Cars Noisier
Slashdhot: “A campaign backed by automakers and some lawmakers to make electric or hybrid cars noisier in a bid to increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists has taken a strange, Blade Runner-type twist. Nissan sound engineers have announced that the Leaf electric car set for release next year will emit a ‘beautiful and futuristic’ noise [...]
Standing Out From The Crowd In Your Niche
photo credit: michale Many niches are considered to be very crowded, with tons of competitors going for the same goal. So how in your niche are you suppose to make yourself visible amongst the rest? Copy Blogger suggests finding the “hidden benefit”. What is the hidden benefit you ask? The hidden benefit is different for every [...]
Interesting Creations By 2 Mompreneurs, 1 Dadpreneur Too
If you’ve ever had an idea and you were too afraid to move ahead with it, it’s time to reconsider. For many there is no idea too crazy and in some cases there is even a market for the unusually interesting. If you need some proof, here are some innovative products that were invented by [...]
How Vampires Can Help Your Biz
GetEntrepreneurial.com: There REALLY are vampires roaming about, but they’re HUMAN vampires, sucking the energy, money, health, time and more out of other people. And these vampire stories are actually a combination of cautionary tales (evil vampires we need to kill) and a way to transform and tame our “inner vampire” to something loving and human [...]
High School Inventors Sort Jumbled Cables
The Gazette: Clarksburg High School InvenTeam members gathered during the first week of school to talk about their summer trip to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, their invention and where they are headed with it. They were too excited about the reception their Torch Cord, a USB cable that lights up when touched, got at [...]
5 Things Every Stay-at-Home Entrepreneur Needs
GetEntrepreneurial.com: The home-based startup story has a certain magic to it that often glosses over the particulars: where to set up office equipment (computer, printer, copier,etc.), whether or not you should dedicate a business phone line or switch your VoIP service to include “follow” features so you’re always available, and how many hours you should [...]
Inc. Magazine Lemonade Stand Winners
Inc.: Meet the next generation of entrepreneurs! This year’s contest winners proved that they have what it takes to run a successful business, from hours spent peddling lemonade on the beaches of New Hampshire to the elaborate details that went into constructing their lemonade stands. Weekly winner: Kelsey McAdams, Age 10, Fayette, Alabama Lemonade Stand: [...]
Q&A With SBA Administrator Karen Mills
Denver Business Journal: The Denver Business Journal spoke with Karen Mills, the 23rd administrator U.S. Small Business Administration, prior to her keynote speech at the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Convention. Q: You took over SBA during very tough times. Is there more of a sense of urgency to act? A: Yes. … The sense [...]
Start Small When Changing Your Life
The Los Angeles Times: Just do it” always sounds easy when those hard-core athletes say it to sell sneakers. It’s harder to do in real life, although you’re already “just doing it” by wanting to make some positive changes in your life and taking responsibility for your efforts. I’d suggest that you start small by [...]
Baby Supply Rentals Are Success For Canadian Mompreneur
PR.com: Calgary Mompreneur Stacey Corbett started her business in 2006 when her twins were just 2 years old. After 3 years of working hard on building a business and a family, she is ready to help other moms discover the benefits of working from home. One Tiny Suitcase, a Baby Equipment Rental Company with locations [...]
Beaverton Valley Times: In two years, the “mompreneurs” and current finalists for Oregon Entrepreneur of the Year, have catapulted their Beaverton-based Little Busy Bodies business into a powerhouse. Their personally developed line of soothing saline “Boogie Wipes,” designed to combat pesky dried nasal mucus, are now in more than 30,000 stores. These wipes have helped [...]
The Aquabag Can Hold Its Own In The World Of Water And Wallets
Cathi was pregnant and thirsty. Stuck toting her water bottle and other essentials around everywhere she went, the proverbial light bulb went off in her head. It took a lot of planning and work but after four years the Aquabag was born. This multipurpose bag is insulated enough to help keep a drink cold, compact [...]
Telegraph.Co.UK: Seeking Adult Drunk Clown For 30th Birthday Party “We need an Adult Drunk Clown who is good at getting drunk and stupid. No need to do any clown tricks, just hang out and drink a shit load. We will be hopping around to different bars and want a clown to tag a long and [...]
Niche Classifieds For Sneakerheads
Springwise: Dozens of online and print sources are devoted to the subculture of special sneakers. Equal parts community and classifieds site, SneakerListing is a new destination for enthusiasts to buy and sell limited edition footwear. Anyone can sign up for the free service by providing a valid email address, their shoe size and favourite brand. [...]
Self-Employed Are The Happiest
The New York Times: Business owners are the happiest workers in America, according to Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index poll data collected from January to August. Transportation and manufacturing workers have the lowest overall well-being. Some other observations: • The three occupations with the highest levels of well-being are those with the highest household income. • Self-employed [...]
What To Avoid During A Demonstration
photo credit: lumaxart Don’t make a demo in the hope that your customer will eventually see something of interest. Inexperienced salespeople often inflict these demos on their customers as a replacement for doing their homework. When putting on any sort of demonstration for viewers, it is very important that you not only make it packed [...]
Fortune Small Business: Two bills introduced on Capitol Hill aim to revise the tax code and get more money flowing into small business coffers. A bill from Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, would raise the deductible percentage of business meals from 50% to 80%. This could be a boon for America’s restaurants, 70% of which are [...]
Book Machine Prints Books in 4 Minutes for $3
Wired: Google Book Search, in partnership with On Demand Books, is letting readers turn those digital copies back into paper copies, individually printed by bookstores around the world. Or at least by those booksellers that have ordered its $100,000 Espresso Book Machine, which cranks out a 300 page gray-scale book with a color cover in [...]
photo credit: celine nadeau I recently came across a saying on Inc.com that made a lot of sense to me, it was, “if you can’t fit your idea on the back of a business card, then you don’t have a clear idea”. When you think about it, it does make a lot of sense. If [...]
Biz Poll: Accidental Entrepreneurs
Accidental Entrepreneurs The number of unemployed people age 45 and older has ballooned to 2.3 million. White-collar workers represent 46% of all people who were without work for 27 weeks or more in 2002, reports Challenger, Gray & Christmas, the outplacement firm. Many will never again find work at existing companies. Out of such dreary [...]
Mom Wins Quarter Mil To Help Keep Biz Afloat
11Alive.com: Lori Lite’s children’s books spring from a place of stress. “I didn’t plan on this, it happened in an instant, actually,” Lori said. Lori’s five-year-old son was hyper-active and stressed out. It took Lori and her husband more than two hours to get him to go to sleep every night. The Marietta mother of [...]
Workout Regime Is Perfect Fit For Moms
OCRegister.com: Before Tracey Mallett wrote “Super Fit Mama,” she felt like a super fat mama. The normally 115-pound fitness guru gained 55 pounds during her first pregnancy. She even delayed releasing a workout DVD because she didn’t feel good about herself. It took a year to lose the weight. To help other new moms avoid [...]
Start-Up Businesses To Consider
photo credit: Matt loves kicks One of the most promising startup opportunities is business process outsourcing. Examples of business process outsourcing companies include call centers, answering services and payroll services. These types of businesses take on responsibilities for other prospering businesses. This means that you can capitalize on the earnings and success of others while [...]
Funding Future Business Growth
photo credit: Soon. Reinvested profits are perfect. The best source of “venture capital” for an existing business is money your company is already generating. Many entrepreneurs miss growth opportunities by spending profits in unproductive ways. Others take the opposite extreme, pumping every penny into the business while taking nothing for themselves. Both can backfire. Many [...]
“EmeryCat” Invention Does Double Duty
USA TODAY: Necessity is the mother of invention. We’ve all heard that old saw. Maybe half believed it, maybe not. Evidence of its truth is at hand: in the form of Michael Diep. The cat-loving business consultant couldn’t face taking his brother’s two cats to the vet every couple of weeks for pedicures in order [...]
photo credit: purplelime Seems like blogs have kind of made it into the main and don’t get talked about as hot social media plays, but in my mind, a web hub of education based information, easily created and housed on a blog, is the ultimate social media foundation element and probably the key to success [...]
Give Great Idea Time To Catch On
Journal Gazette: We all know that “necessity is the mother of invention.” Many entrepreneurs and small businesses start with an invention or idea. Protecting that invention or idea with a patent can be important, but it doesn’t guarantee success. So what is the mother of success? Failure. The difference between a great idea that succeeds [...]
Entrepreneurs Have Common Traits
VOA NEWS: Studies show that entrepreneurs share common traits that motivate them to start new businesses. As VOA’s Barry Wood reports, successful entrepreneurs are often motivated by more than financial gain, and many have overcome considerable adversity. For 35 years, British entrepreneur Richard Branson has been building his Virgin brand into a global power house. [...]
VentureBeat: RedBeacon, a startup that helps people find local services like maids or repairmen, won best of show at the TechCrunch50 conference in San Francisco. The startup is in many ways what Craigslist could have become for local services. Formed by a group of ex-Google employees, the company is focusing on five markets at first [...]
Professional Website Designed For Free
SmallBusinessBrief: Michal Wurm over at Digital Arts offers a great opportunity for anyone who needs a website build or re-designed. “I run a web design studio called Digital Arts and as a small business owner I know too well times are tough for many of us. I also believe the best way we can all [...]
Mom Turns 'Clean Obsession' Into A Business
KETV Omaha: An Omaha mom is cashing in on the interest in the H1N1 virus and working to help others keep their homes as germ-free as possible. Christine Behlen said she’s always been into sanitizing her home and has turned that obsession into a business. “I am a sanitizer freak,” she said. “I don’t touch [...]
Treats With A New Orleans Flavor
You don’t have to drive to Louisiana if you want some of their homegrown candies, instead you just need to click over to Chay J’s. Home to the original creole pretzel, Chay’s treats are anything but dull. Channon “Chay” Powell is the driving power behind this tasty business. Originally launched in 2001 after being laid [...]
What To Do With A Million Bucks
Money: Here are the three most important things you need to do. Avoid the big-spender syndrome. A million bucks is a lot of money, but it’s not enough to live large on for very long. Start spending on expensive cars, lavish entertainment, a palatial apartment or home, and you can easily run through your dough [...]
Legal Mistakes Not To Make For A Small Business
photo credit: limaoscarjuliet In business it is very important to make sure that all of the “I’s” are dotted and the “T’s” are crossed, otherwise you could end up making a very costly mistake for your business down the road. Crowdspring has a list of common mistakes that small businesses often make.
Take On Your Stress Encountered From Running A Business
photo credit: bobster855 We all know that running your own business can be a very demanding and stressful adventure at times, especially during a recession with so many “unknowns” around you. So what can someone do to take their stress level down in a healthy manner so that they can go on about their [...]
photo credit: Aidan Jones Now that you have taken all of the necessary steps in achieving your ultimate goal in business and you’re ready to sign off on that big deal you’ve been going after, there are a few last minute things you should think about and remember before signing the final paperwork. Remember a [...]
Get Productive With Your Phone
photo credit: jurvetson So you have entered the wondrous world of technology and you’ve gotten yourself a smart phone for your business. However, all too often business people are surprisingly more concerned with showing off their many different cool pictures and ringtones rather than using this powerful tool for actual business matters. Rather than spending [...]
Questions To Ask Your Franchisee
photo credit: CJ Sorg Do you feel that the franchise you own has the potential to become a fad? Caution; This question may cause the franchisee to start sweating a little, but after he or she recovers from it, the answer should cause you to not sweat. At all. If you’re contemplating buying into a [...]
Compelling Connections With Your Clients
photo credit: ivoryelephantphotography biznik.com: The first step in any good marketing plan is to know your ideal client and their emotionally compelling problem. Whether you are marketing your services as a massage therapist, a web builder, or designer, it’s important to know how to communicate with potential clients in a way that grabs them at [...]
Inventor Wins Prize For Creating Electric Knife
Sun Media: A Winnipeg inventor has won a $10,000 award for creating an electrically-charged replica knife that helps police, border guards and other law enforcement types learn what it feels like to get slashed. Police officer Jeff Quail invented the Shocknife in 2005 to add an element of authenticity to law enforcement training, which he [...]
Is Miss Nebraska An Entrepreneur?
BusinessWeek: When Sue Drakeford became the first African-American to represent Nebraska at the Miss USA Pageant in 2001, she saw a great business opportunity. She would start a production company that would host its own pageants and teach others like her gain the confidence and skills to compete in the real world. The company would [...]
The Internet: This Recession’s Great Escape
WalletPop: According to a new study released by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, people are turning to the Internet to relax and take their minds of the current economic situation. But they’re also going there to find out about what they are trying to escape from! The study surveyed more than 2,000 individuals [...]
The Journal Record: Oklahoma State University is gearing up to put budding entrepreneurs through a mental workout. Organizers of the first OSU Cowboys Bootcamp for Entrepreneurs said it will build an entrepreneurial culture and increase success rates. The OSU boot camp is designed for Oklahomans interested in launching their own ventures and those in the [...]
