Archive for January 2010
In his Extraordinary Conversations newsletter, consultant Patrick O’Neill says that assisting others to be great involves: Situation awareness: You need to be alert to what is happening around you so that you can make real-time decisions about the best opportunities to achieve collective goals. Recognize strengths and weaknesses: You need to understand the strengths and [...]
How The Egg McMuffin Revolutionized Breakfast
Herb Peterson changed breakfast forever and revolutionized the quick-service industry in America with the invention of the ubiquitous Egg McMuffin breakfast sandwich. His son, David Peterson, with the help of Los Angeles Times columnist Ann Marsh, has written a book chronicling his father’s life and legacy, QSRWeb reports. The Good Egg: Herb Peterson, the Egg [...]
Biz Psych: Foot In The Door Phenomenon
Business Pundit says that business is all about people. That being the case, perhaps we should stop reading management books for advice and start looking at social psychology. Smart marketers and executives have been using the findings of this growing field for decades to close sales, hold effective meetings and get their way in negotiations. [...]
Shark Tank Episode 14: A Recap
Episode 14 of the Shark Tank featured for different entrepreneurs, each competing for the Sharks’ money. Brenden Sherratt has recapped it for us.
Dieters Have New Place To Eat: Fast-Food Joints
USA TODAY reports that the usual January diet drill has an unusual proponent in 2010: the fast-food industry. Many of the nation’s largest fast-food chains — better-known for their often fatty, high-calorie foods — are loudly touting diet and low-calorie offerings. Familiar brands from Taco Bell to Starbucks to Dunkin’ Donuts are rolling out new [...]
Not Your Mother’s Tupperware Party
There are Tupperware parties and Mary Kay parties. Men may be legally allowed to attend such parties but they never do, because Tupperware is plastic bowls and Mary Kay is lipstick. But now, thanks to a new Minnesota company, there are sales parties for guys, with barbecue gear as the merchandise, reports The San Francisco [...]
Unique Products to Amuse and Inspire. Talking Dinner Plate. Slow down..already. Water Bottle Hangers. For the eco-friendly fashionistas. Desk Zamboni Vacuum. For those afternoon snack crumbs. Twitter Tights. Can you say….stalker? Photos by gizmodo/redferret.
Elizabeth Bernstein over at The New York Times has an interesting look at another use for the Internet. Along with helping people reconnect with old flames, childhood friends and even long-lost relatives, the Internet is giving rise to a newer phenomenon: the decades-late apology. The Web allows us to converse by email, a form of [...]
Inventor Creates Coke-Powered Mobile Phone
A Chinese woman claims she has invented a method for powering mobile phones with cans of soft drink Coca-Cola. Daizi Zheng told Sky News her method relies on powering devices with Coca-Cola used to charge “green” batteries which are more environmentally friendly than lithium alternatives. The concept is using bio battery … to create a [...]
The following is by Brenden Sherratt of In The Shark Tank. This weeks episode of Shark Tank will feature 4 very different businesses. Jill Quillin will pitch her business LipStix remix which is the at-home system which allows you to recolor, repair, and recover your lipstick by melting it down and creating a whole new [...]
eBay’s Wild West Could Return With Free Listings
Free listings on eBay — up to 100 a month for sellers who start auctions at 99 cents — could change the online selling world as we know it: back to the way it used to be. (The company will still take a “final value fee,” 9% of the selling price or $50, whichever is [...]
Small Biz Owners Lobby To Cut Credit Card Fees
Small merchants have long chafed at the fees they must pay banks every time a customer swipes a debit or credit card. But now, with business slowing and every dollar important to their bottom line, some merchants are pushing for changes, reports The New York Times. The merchants are lobbying for legislation that would compel [...]
Company Seeks Gardening Products
Ball Horticultural Company is a leader in all facets of floriculture. It breeds and distributes plants to growers, retailers, landscapers and nurseries who supply its products to gardeners throughout the world. For this challenge, Ball Horticultural Company is looking for new environmentally friendly products that make gardening easier, save time and ultimately help the gardener [...]
Wifi Tweaking Business Opportunity
Great idea, from billionaire Mark Cuban, for today’s smart young kids: And finally, if i was just out of school and fluent in all things Wi Fi , networking and wireless, I would immediately go door to door offering to fine tune your home’s wireless network. With new HDTVs coming out with Wi FI, the [...]
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Burlington Free Press: Winooski native Kirsten Pringle, 34, has taken her passion for antiquing and made it a full-time job. She is married to Bruce Pringle and they have two daughters, Chanda, 11, and Cassidy, 6. Why have you started Onion River Antiques? I have always loved antiques and shop for them all of the [...]
Niche Biz: Atlanta Insurance Live
Insurance may not be the most exciting field, but opportunities abound for businesses owners willing to break away from the traditional corporate model and add their own spin, according to a story at Inc.com. That’s exactly what Chris Jordan did last March when he left his corporate insurance sales job and founded Atlanta Insurance Live, [...]
How The Wiggles Became An Empire
Throw two former preschool teachers, a rock band keyboardist and a singer together and you get the world’s most famous pop band for the toddler set: The Wiggles. CNNMoney reports that now in their 18th year, the Australian band has become a global powerhouse in children’s entertainment, earning $45 million annually from live concert tours, [...]
Best-Kept Tax Secret For Small Bizs
The cash balance pension plan — little-known and even less understood — is growing in popularity, according to a story at CNNMoney. It’s the best-kept secret in retirement planning. Even CPAs don’t know about it,” says Stephen Dobrow, president of Burlingame, Calif.-based Primark Benefits. The plans, which involve mandatory annual contributions, work best for small [...]
Where Are They Now? Frozen Yogurt Shops
Entrepreneur magazine decided to look back at some wacky ideas that went boom and bust in an instant. Are there lessons to be learned? Certainly. Do they help predict if, in the long run, the new ideas will be brilliant or harebrained? Sorry, only time will tell. Frozen yogurt–in or out? In the late ’80s [...]
Home Enhancement Service Focuses On Senior Citizens
UK home renovation firm Ruby Slippers hopes to help senior citizens enjoy their homes for as long as they can, reports trendspotter Springwise. Ruby Slippers specialises in combining good design with practical functionality that can help people enjoy their home throughout their retirement years. At the heart of the service is a concept it calls [...]
Office Pod – A Little Office In Your Backyard
Red Ferret reports that the OfficePOD is small self-contained mini office, designed for installation separate from the house. The pod is 2.1m square, it can be constructed very quickly and is fully securable. It comes with LED lighting, heating/cooling, desk, storage and blinds. Prices start from £14,950. An OfficePOD provides a working environment that is [...]
The Tennessean: You might not expect a 71 year-old widow and her daughter to be at the helm of one of the oldest and most successful body shops in Hendersonville, but that’s all in a day’s work at Rivergate Body Shop. Ruth Gann and daughter Pam Barrett operate the local business, along with Barrett’s husband, [...]
New Bizop Classified Ads This Week
New listing this week on the Business Opportunities Weblog Classifieds. Tyre Retreading Business In Partnership With Leading Tyre Retrading Company Get Paid To Generate Leads Information Consultant – Data Entry Fundraisers Available For Churches, Sports League, Pta, Etc… Tax Time Is Near – We Can Help You Get More Money Back !! Pyxism – The [...]
Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you can’t sell to the world’s biggest customer — Uncle Sam, reports Inc.com. Jim Anderson has digitally mapped over 100 countries from his home office nestled in the hills of Anchorage, Alaska, which he describes as the crossroads of the grizzly and black bear populations. Founded in [...]
Rental Service For Kids’ Video Games
California-based SmartyRents uses the Netflix model to help parents keep their children aged 9 months to 10 years old challenged and entertained, according to trendspotter Springwise. The effort was launched just last week by two former teachers, which is why it also focuses on games with an educational bent. Included in its inventory, for example, [...]
Inventor Nikola Tesla Is Electrifying Hip Techies
Decades after he died penniless, Nikola Tesla is elbowing aside his old adversary Thomas Edison in the pantheon of geek gods, reports The Wall Street Journal. When California engineers wanted to brand their new $100,000 electric sports car, one name stood out: Tesla. When circuit designers at microchip producer Nvidia Corp. in 2007 launched a [...]
Where Are They Now? Dating Franchises
Entrepreneur magazine decided to look back at some wacky ideas that went boom and bust in an instant. Are there lessons to be learned? Certainly. Do they help predict if, in the long run, the new ideas will be brilliant or harebrained? Sorry, only time will tell. Way back in the mid-’90s, dating franchises were [...]
A patent provides an inventor/owner exclusive rights to an invention for a limited period of time. Many people have the misconception that a patent gives the inventor rights to make, use, and sell the invention. Actually, it does not. A patent provides the right to exclude others from making, using, and selling the invention. This [...]
Twitter Reveals First Official Conference
Twitter has announced Chirp, the first official Twitter developer conference will take place at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre in San Francisco, CA, on April 14 and 15. Mashable reports that the conference, which will be keynoted by Twitter’s leadership, including co-founders Biz Stone and Evan Williams, will be a two-day shindig. The first [...]
Mom’s Business Is For The Dogs
Sioux City Journal: With her catering business shut down for the winter, stay-at-home mom Crystal Van De Pol turned to the animal world for a financial boost. A born animal lover who grew up in Allen, Neb., around every kind of animal imaginable, from ferrets to horses, she saw it as a fun way to [...]
I saw this video of a guy with incredible tape measure skills and just had to share it with our readers. But, you might ask, what has this got to do with business opportunities? I got to thinking and quickly came up with 3 biz ops based on this skill: 1. Appear at building trade [...]
AquaNotes: Waterproof Paper Notepad
Do you get your best ideas and inspiration in the shower? Do you lose those great ideas before you can get out and write them down? AquaNotes® is a completely waterproof notepad that allows you to record your great ideas while you’re in the shower. Water simply beads up and rolls-off this waterproof paper. It’s [...]
Food Delivery Biz Found Niche, Then Filled It
When Brian Dade moved to Lafayette from Indianapolis in February, he made a sudden realization. “I thought, man, it’d be nice to get some Red Lobster or Subway delivered,” Dade said. “But all there really was around here was pizza and Chinese.” So Dade, who already owned a company called BKD Productions, decided to start [...]
According to a story at OPENForum.com, stories of Zappos, the online shoe retailer, and how they pioneered a new way of doing customer service, using social media, and selling products online are now all over the business and trade media. Whether or not you think that the Zappos model may work for your business, there [...]
Major League Baseball has inked a multi-year deal with Scotts to license the baseball grass seed. This could be an interesting opportunity for those of you in the gardening biz. Sports Illustrated has more: Beginning in late March, fans will be able to purchase near identical copies of the Kentucky Bluegrass and perennial ryegrass seed [...]
Where Are They Now? Dinner Services
Entrepreneur magazine decided to look back at some wacky ideas that went boom and bust in an instant. Are there lessons to be learned? Certainly. Do they help predict if, in the long run, the new ideas will be brilliant or harebrained? Sorry, only time will tell. Another fad that soon fizzled? Meal prep kitchen [...]
Bubble wrap is turning 50 this year and it’s as popular as ever, reports The Newark Star Ledger. There are at least 250 Facebook groups dedicated to the packing staple cum low-tech stress reliever, a turn of events that would’ve surprised its inventors, who set out to create a textured wallpaper in the late 1950s. [...]
Mom Invented Seeks Products Invented By California Moms
If you’re a mom that lives in California and you’ve invented a product that would not only make your life easier but the lives of all moms, Mom Invented and Anna Linens wants to hear all about it! Anna’s Linens and Mom Invented have launched a new product search for California moms! Anna’s Linens, a [...]
Nick DuPey, 30, and two artist friends, Zach Hobbes and Scott Campbell, wanted to open a screen-printing shop that would operate as a cooperative, where they could help bands design and create their own t-shirts, posters and CD sleeves. The need for startup money though, caused them to rethink their model. They decided to start [...]
Affordable Jewelry For The Fashionista In Your Home
With Valentines just around the corner, now is the perfect time to talk jewelry. Whether you’re hoping to treat yourself to a little something shiny or looking for a gift to give your special someone. If it is jewelry you want, Stella & Dot has what you need. Whether you stop by the website or [...]
Service Turns Kids Into Globe-Trotters
Remember the excitement you felt receiving mail as a child? That’s the inspiration behind San Francisco-based Little Passports, a new educational subscription service that aims to turn 5-to-10-year-olds into world travelers, one country at a time, according to trendspotter Springwise. Little Passports delivers monthly travel packages designed to provide a fun, hands-on way for kids [...]
A young boy is sitting behind a lemonade stand. A man is a tie is standing in front of the stand with his hands in his pockets. Kid: “Hey mister, can I he-” Man: “REALLY. I’m just looking.” The man continues to just stand there. Man: “Dammit, though, ya know? You salesmen… just back off [...]
Meet The Lipstick Entrepreneurs
Budge over, boys. The next decade will be women’s, if a recent forecast is correct. According to The Sun Times “a tenfold increase in the number of female CEOs in FTSE 100 companies!”, “Double the number of female MPs!”, “100% growth in women-owned start-ups!” — these predictions come from the trendspotter Jeremy Baker, of ECSP [...]
Is ‘Golden Age For Inventors’ At Hand?
Some people follow rock stars. Steve Greenberg follows inventors. Greenberg calls himself an “invention groupie.” The author of “Gadget Nation,” he’s written about quirky inventors who have dreamed up everything from a talking toilet paper dispenser to a “Vidstone” grave marker that displays a video tribute of the dearly departed. Now is a great time [...]
Where Are They Now? eBay Stores
Entrepreneur magazine decided to look back at some wacky ideas that went boom and bust in an instant. Are there lessons to be learned? Certainly. Do they help predict if, in the long run, the new ideas will be brilliant or harebrained? Sorry, only time will tell. Remember the eBay store? The place where you’d [...]
This Valentine’s Day will see a romance blossom between two passionate lovers of brevity: the Sweetheart candy maker and Twitter, according to a story in The Tampa Tribune. A select few candy hearts will proclaim, “Tweet Me.” The Twitter-Sweetheart project seemed almost predestined, executives with the candy company say, with Twitter transmitting billions of ever-so-brief [...]
The Web Of Tomorrow: 4 Big Trends To Watch
As we approach the imminent launch of the Apple Tablet and analyze new trends coming out of out of this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, now is good time to reflect on what the web will look like in the next decade — and beyond, so says Ben Parr over at Mashable.com. 1. The Web Will [...]
Daily Dispatch Online: Momtrepreneurs are a new breed of stay-at-home moms who bring income into the household coffers while still having the time to cheer kids on at school sports. As children returned to school this week, three mothers who work from home shared with the Saturday Dispatch why they chose to opt out of [...]
Don’t Talk To Me About Creativity, I’ve Got A Biz To Run
Lewis Evans over at Bloggertone has an interesting take on creativity. When times are hard and money is tight, I hear this often. The belt-tightening process seems to automatically result in ditching the creative. It’s ironic, because when anyone starts a new business, it surely springs from a creative inspiration. So, why is it that [...]
