Archive for November 2010
Life Lessons From Richard Branson
Richard Branson clearly knows a thing or two about success. At 20, he started a mail order shop, and opened a recording studio a short while later. Now, the Virgin brand boasts dozens of companies and Branson’s net worth is estimated to be more than 3 billion pounds sterling. Dumblittleman.com has put together some choice [...]
This Lincoln Penny Just Sold for $1,700,000
According to Neatorama, this is a one-of-a-kind penny, resulting from a production error at the U.S. mint in Denver. It was struck in bronze rather than the zinc-coated steel normally used during the WWII era. About 20 such errors are known from the Philadelphia and San Francisco mints, but this is the only one known [...]
Re-Inventing The Harness Racing Cart
An inventor has created what he feels is an improvement on the racing cart that is currently used reports Morning Sentinel. Gaylord Boutilier said he has been leading up to this breakthrough for decades, tinkering in the industry that he views as a lifelong hobby. Now his goal is to turn the invention into a [...]
Facebook Allowed To Trademark The Word ‘Face’
PC Magazine reports that businesses thinking of including “face” in their name might want to reconsider. Facebook this week was granted a notice of allowance to trademark the word “face.” Facebook now has six months to file a statement of use (SOU), which is a sworn statement signed by Facebook attesting to use of the [...]
Shoezooz Helps Kids Put On Their Own Shoes
Kids like to do things themselves, and this includes putting on shoes. Unfortunately, they often do not have the right and left shoe concept down. One mom has created a new product that will help kids put their shoe on the right foot, time after time. Just four years ago the inspiration hit Ellen Lichtman. [...]
Passions Lead Entrepreneur Into Multiple Businesses
For many entrepreneurs, it is the passion they feel about something that helps guide them into starting their business. MotoCorsa and CorsaVino founder, Arun Sharma, has allowed his passions to create a third business reports Motorcyclist. Last year, Sharma decided it was time to add his third passion to the fold: coffee. After an exhaustive [...]
Niche Biz: Funny Employee Awards
Know a person at work that would be perfect for The Heinz Ketchup Award for always making others wait? How about “The Human Vulture Award For Eating Anything Found Lying Around” for the person always stealing your lunch? Small businesses are looking for ways to cut thelr budgets and one of the first thlngs to [...]
Inventor’s Journal: Boon, Inc.
In this edition of Inventors Journal we’re talking to Rebecca Finell, the founder and President of Boon. Inc. Listen Now: Or download: Inventor’s Journal Website: Boon, Inc.
What’s the ROI of a Handshake?
What is the ROI of a handshake? Is it even quantifiable? What value does the conversation and the relationship have? Of course it is. If you’re a small business owner you know that if you provide a good service for a customer they will tell people about what you’ve done for them. This is called [...]
Rumor: Google Buys Groupon For $2.5 Billion
According to news reports, Vatornews reports Google has bought Groupon for $2.5 billion citing a “reliable source” familiar with the situation. The acquisition – which is unconfirmed at this point – follows the rumors about Google being in talks to buy the popular local deals site, after Yahoo had failed to negotiate an acquisition for [...]
How AT&T Killed The Development Of Magnetic Tape
Gizmodo has an interesting story about Bell Labs back in the 1930s. In early 1934, Clarence Hickman, a Bell Labs engineer, had a secret machine, about six feet tall, standing in his office. It was a device without equal in the world, decades ahead of its time. If you called and there was no answer [...]
It’s often said that you should measure twice, and cut once. By double checking yourself, you’re preventing mistakes that will need fixed later. One inventor has decided that takes too long and created a measuring tape that allows people to literally measure and cut only once, reports The Republican. Three years ago, [Oded Peri] got [...]
Cool Calendar: Chrono-Shredder
Susanna Hertrich is the designer behind the “Chrono-Shredder” calendar. ‘The Chrono-Shredder is a device that reminds us of the preciousness of our lifetime. It represents the passing of time by shredding the days of the year – printed on a paper roll – at a slow constant rate. To shred one day takes 24 hours. [...]
What Julie Kelly loves most about her job does not necessarily reflect the work she does. She is able to be at home when her kids leave for school, and she’s there when they get home. However, that time in between it all is filled with a lot of work reports The Gazette. Kelly doesn’t [...]
Maker Savors Demand for Holiday’s Hot Toy
The New York Times is reporting that midway through last year, as analysts tried to predict where the economy was going, toy maker Bill Nichols decided he had the answer. He bet that the economy would still be so shaky this holiday season that a bargain-priced plastic toy would take off. With the help of [...]
Between ebooks and ipads, these are the devices that people are asking for this holiday season. Jerry Hagan hopes that people will also consider his product to be a necessary future accessory reports Coloradoan.com. Hagan designed two separate products: the Xero-g and the cradler. The Xero-g, named after zero gravity, is a 5-foot metal stand [...]
Offer Workers Healthcare, or Pay $2,000?
Many small businesses are still scrambling to grasp what federal healthcare reform will mean for them. Some are still in denial, hoping the healthcare bill can still be given a “mandate-ectomy,” or that their industry will be exempted. What will happen in 2014, when key provisions of the reform bill take effect and more businesses [...]
Holiday Spending To Be ‘Highest On Record’
CNet is reporting that according to ComScore, consumers spent $9.01 billion during the first three weeks of November, representing a 13 percent gain over the $7.95 billion spent during the same period last year. For the months of November and December combined, ComScore is forecasting $32.4 billion in online spending. Last year, consumers spent $29.1 [...]
Listen Now: Or download: Weekend Wrap-up November 27, 2010
A reminder that Saturday, November 27th is Small Business Saturday, a day for all of us to support the small businesses that we care about. A day to celebrate the small businesses that boost our local economies and preserve our neighborhood character. Commit to shop locally and small with big bucks on November 27th. And [...]
Somebody at sometime thought these items were a good idea. Combo Light Switch/Hook. Now lazy people can hang up their clothes and turn off the light in one step. Sandal/with bottle opener. Never know when you’re gonna need to crack open a cold one. Cat Pencil Sharpener. I didn’t even know cats could write. Portable [...]
What do we need to turn this economy around? Small Business Trends recently took a look at a solution that would help everyone. With Americans becoming increasingly concerned about the economy and the government stepping in with short-term solutions designed to stimulate the economy, the answer is clear: We must support and encourage entrepreneurship and [...]
Entrepreneurs looking for start-up funding from friends and family may have a tough time doing it these days, according to a new study out of Pepperdine University. According to The Wall Street Journal, just 35 percent of entrepreneurs polled said they had “informal investors” funding their businesses, down from 56 percent last spring. The most [...]
New Ad Network Targets Parents
There is a new ad network brewing. This one is created by three mompreneurs, and it will target parents just like them Considered the first-ever ‘Made by Mom’ Canadian Vertical Advertising Network, they aim to attract parent bloggers and publishers. “The power of mom (and dad) bloggers to influence buying decisions is undisputed, but often [...]
6 Tips To Entering Biz Contests To Win
Improve your odds of walking away with prizes and publicity to help grow your company. According to Inc.com, even if you lose, just applying to a competition can help boost business. Here’s some tips to beating out the competition. 1. Follow the Instructions With thousands of competitors, the first round of elimination may come down [...]
Author Inspires Kids To Invent
When we are children, we’re taught to reach for the stars. Any idea is possible if we want it to be. As we get older, some of us lose that piece of creativity that we once had. Some of us write books that will inspire children. Craig Kunce has stroked his own creative fire and [...]
Comeback: Plastic Shoemaker Back From Dead
When you think Crocs, you think ugly, comfy plastic clogs. But since its stock (and cool factor) tanked back in 2008, the company has been trying to reinvent itself as a bona fide footwear manufacturer, not just a one-hit-wonder. Fast Company says take a look at the company’s just-released third-quarter earnings report, and you’ll see [...]
If you have little kids you might want to add this to your holiday shopping list. The Gyro Bowl, dishwasher safe, with 100 percent kid-proof, virtually indestructible construction, the Gyro Bowl is perfect for wagging around by small children, but it’s also great as a serving bowl at parties and as a spill-proof container for [...]
Okay, so Oprah gave away 275 brand new Volkswagen cars, but my holiday gift suggestions are cooler. The Hog Wild Robo Vacuum never gets tired of cleaning up your messes. Simply push the top button to activate surprisingly powerful suction and slide over dry crumbs, pencil shavings and other debris. Kids will want to clean [...]
The History Of The Green Bean Casserole
Thanksgiving is here and there is one food that is guaranteed to make an appearance on many dinner tables today: the green bean casserole. But, how did it become the holiday favorite that it is today? Tampa Bay Online has taken a look at the creator of this casserole, and how it got its start. [...]
Thanksgiving Day, a function which originated in New England two or three centuries ago when those people recognized that they really had something to be thankful for — annually, not oftener — if they had succeeded in exterminating their neighbors, the Indians, during the previous twelve months instead of getting exterminated by their neighbors the [...]
For people interested in going to the bar in a town in Ohio, one young entrepreneur is helping them get home reports WDTN2. Cody Bratton, 21, started Divine Parking Services, Corp., a valet company, about a year ago. Soon after he launched another service, designated drivers for those who don’t want to leave their cars [...]
JamHub Allows Bands To Jam Without Interruption
When was the last time you listened to two bands trying to practice in the same room? Chances are that it was loud, confusing, and a big mess. One inventor is hoping to change that. Steve Skillings is the inventor of the JamHub, a special device that allows bands to practice without disturbing anyone else [...]
The days of consumers stocking up on large quantities of food regularly and buying clothes seasons in advance seem to be long gone, so says The Wall Street Journal. Retailers are altering their manufacturing and merchandising strategies in response, The Wall Street Journal reports today. “Apparel makers and retailers…are changing their production and selling schedules [...]
Just imagine what business would be like if you had all the customers you could ever need. The stress that comes at the end of the month when you have to meet your bills would be gone. You would be left to focus on what you love about your business. MyCentralJersey.com suggested that entrepreneurs stop [...]
All Kids Want For Christmas Is An iPad
Mashable is reporting that according to a recent survey from Nielsen, 31% of U.S. children ages 6 to 12 want an iPad over any other electronic device in the next six months, followed by a computer (29%) and iPod touch (29%). The study, which was conducted in October, includes 17 different kinds of popular electronic [...]
A West Seattle business is helping people enjoy the benefits that come with fresh-baked goodies. Founded by Amanda Nokes, Manderin Cookie Company has people near and far craving a delicious cookie from scratch reports nwsource. Since April 2009, after being laid off from local small-business-support website Biznik, Nokes, an avid baker since childhood, has been [...]
Curling Benefits From New Wave Of Players
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that as curling season gets under way, the handful of entrepreneurs who cater to the quirky Scottish sport in the U.S. say they are seeing a boom in business. The Olympics tend to give birth to new curling fans in America every four years. But the 2010 games appear [...]
Scott Lake and Tobias Lutke needed a shopping cart software that would fit in well with their online snowboard store. However, what they found was complicated and confusing reports The Gazette. Unwilling to try and wedge another less-than-par software into their online store, Mr. Lutke — a programmer — created what they needed. That software [...]
According to Businessweek, 70 musicians and artists bartered their creative services for medical care at an event called the O+ Festival. “It was kind of an amazing thing to sit down with a regular doctor,” he says. “Doctors are humans, it turns out. They enjoy rock music and art.” A group of artists and physicians [...]
Will Congress Repeal The 1099 Expansion?
In his blog at The New York Times, Robb Mandelbaum says when we last checked in on efforts in Congress to roll back the expansion of 1099 reporting that passed as part of the health care overhaul, we found the parties deadlocked. Not on whether the new provision should be eliminated — both agreed that [...]
Oprah’s got nothing on me. The Roku XDS Streaming Player is a little box that allows you to instantly stream tons of entertainment on your TV. Watch over 100,000 movies and TV shows from Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand, Hulu Plus and more. Listen to music on Pandora, or listen to your own iTunes playlists. [...]
How I Raised $24,000 On Kickstarter
According to CNNMoney, on November 1, Andrew Plotkin posted a crazy plan on Kickstarter: he wanted to quit his job and spend his life writing text adventures. That’s 1980-style, old-fashioned text games — you remember Zork and Adventure — a genre which hasn’t been commercially viable for 20 years. He had the notion that a [...]
Small Biz Owners Missing Real Estate Opportunity
In a recent article from The Street, CIT Group argues that business owners are missing out on a prime opportunity to pick up real estate at great prices. According to CIT analysts, cheap commercial real estate is one of “the few upsides” for small-business owners trying to operate in a harsh economic climate. But entrepreneurs [...]
According to PSFK.com, the Social Network‘ movie has provided us with a wide platform (and plenty of ammunition) to argue the notion of whether ideas are ever truly stolen – or whether he/she that executes it, owns it. We stumbled onto an interesting anecdote to the debate on Pek Pongpaet’s blog – Pongpaet is the [...]
Entrepreneur Takes A Chance On Relaxation
It is a relaxing day at the office for Maggie Brown. Of course, it probably helps that she owns the franchise rights to a Hand & Stone spa location reports The Arizona Republic. Three years ago, she left a fast-paced career selling high-tech electronic components and entered the business of stress relief, relaxation and feeling [...]
Software Helps People Learn New Languages
We live in a world where our customers can speak a variety of different languages. To communicate with these people, we need to know their language. One software entrepreneur is on top of it. Paul Patruno is the owner of moreVocabulary, a business that sells a software that helps people learn how to speak and [...]
RedFerret has a story about Maker Factory, a new free online service which connects factories with people who need stuff made. The seekers post their needs (e.g. a waterproof pedometer) and the quantities wanted, and companies can respond to the request. The whole service is very sparsely populated at the moment, but this could be [...]
THAT’S MY BUSINESS! In this episode, Rich Whittle talks with Joanne Lang, founder of About One, about her online family management system. Listen Now: Or download: THAT’S MY BUSINESS! About One is involved in One Million for $1 Million, a groundbreaking opportunity for you to support Operation Shower in their efforts to make life a [...]
Digital Camera Inventor Honored
Steve Sasson has been awarded a 2009 National Medal of Technology and Innovation by President Obama reports The Washington Post. The digital camera has “revolutionized the way images are captured, stored and shared,” said the dress-uniformed marine tasked with reading the honorees’ achievements. It’s about the size of a toaster. It could be used to [...]
