Archive for January 2011
Today in Entrepreneurial History: January 31
1849 – Corn Laws are abolished in the United Kingdom (following legislation in 1846). 1930 – 3M begins marketing Scotch Tape. 1958 – Explorer program: Explorer 1 – The first successful launch of an American satellite into orbit. 1990 – The first McDonald’s in the Soviet Union opens in Moscow. via Wikipedia.
Small Business Optimism Fading Down Under
During the last few months we have seen an increase in small business optimism around the world. However, according to The Sydney Morning Herald, that optimism has dropped for business owners in Australia. Its survey found that optimism among privately-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) dropped to just 38 per cent, down from 79 per [...]
Using Collateral To Secure A Biz Loan
Lets face it, business owners need money to grow. If you have exhausted all other options, it might be time to go after a bank loan. However, you will need to have your information in order. Inc. has recently shared a list of tips for people that intend to use collateral to obtain a business [...]
Mom Makes Framed Baby Carriers Cool Again
Whether you have one child or five, sometimes there are simply not enough hand to do everything that needs to get done. For that reason, some parents choose to use a baby carrier. The style that carriers use has changed over the years, but the frame style carrier is making a comeback. Sarah Spoor has [...]
Pushing The Boundaries With Lost Technology
Lightening was blasting everywhere in Richard Hull’s lab. Of course, you might also consider this his home. He is one of many home inventors. On this day Richard managed to fry two home computers, a washing machine, and set his television on fire. He had built a 15,000-watt Tesla coil reports The Epoch Times. Like [...]
If vending machine rentals worked for Redbox, why not for local libraries? A library in Polk County, Florida is experimenting with library book rental vending machines. One machine contains DVDs while the other has best selling books in it. CF News 13 has more. Photo by CF News 13.
This has to be a joke: It’s a hotel – but with a major difference. Instead of booking in guests in human form, Cornwall’s newest hotel only takes chickens. The aptly-named Chicken Hotel recently opened for business at Boskenwyn, Helston. The venture was set up to give chicken owners a place to check-in their birds [...]
Worried about the injuries that occur with the traditional v-shaped handle while water skiing, Shawn Simmon has teamed up with Mike Murphy, sports legend and inventor, to create a unique t-shaped handle that will do less harm. According to The Friday Flyer, kids and adults have suffered injuries ranging from broken bones to death because [...]
Unique Marketing: Eating Dog Food
What would you do to promote your business? Would you eat your product? Hanna Mandelbaum and Alison Wiener are the co-founders of Evermore Pet foods, and they have pledged to eat their own dog food for one month to help market the product reports Poughkeepsie Journal. Starting March 1, the two will subsist on “human-grade [...]
What if your business card could do more than simply tell your customer the name of your business and your contact information? The goal of Inspire Card is to help you to do that. Their card is a unique marketing tool. It not only works as a business card, telling your customer about you, but [...]
The Transition From Employee To Entrepreneur
So you’ve decided to leave the work force and go out on your own. This is a transition that can be difficult, especially if we’ve never tried to take the self-employed route before now. However, that does not mean it is impossible. FeedFront recently took a look at some of the difficulties that comes with [...]
According to Fox News in Chicago, this is a disappointing story about a man named Keith Taylor. After all, he had done everything right. Keith had invented a unique turning signal back in the 80s. He patented that device, sought out a supplier, got paid, and got out. When the supplier went defunct, Keith lost [...]
Meagan Kurtz wanted a job that would be more flexible. She had just given birth to her third child and she knew that she wanted to be there for them. The industry she was already working in, advertising and marketing, just was not flexible enough to meet her needs. According to the Annandale Patch, she [...]
What do you do on Saturday night if you’re away at college and under 21? Visiting a local club is probably not an option. Jack Donnelly was faced with that problem. He wasn’t yet 21, so he couldn’t visit the local hotspots when Friday or Saturday night rolled around. Unfortunately, there weren’t any alternatives near [...]
Dictionary.com defines success in five different ways, the most obvious probably being, “the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.” However, the dictionary version of success might be very different from your own. Before you can be a success, you must decide what that word means to you. Tri-Parish Times recently took a look [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: January 28
1820 – A Russian expedition led by Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev discovers the Antarctic continent approaching the Antarctic coast. 1855 – The first locomotive runs from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean on the Panama Railway. 1878 – Yale Daily News becomes the first daily college newspaper in the United [...]
Don’t pick up your fishing pole yet. Just because you reach that golden number that signals retirement does not mean you should stop working. A recent story from USA Today reflects on the benefits that can be enjoyed by starting a business during those later years. The future is always bright for entrepreneurs. People who [...]
Real Estate Photography Specialists
Have you ever wondered who took the photos that you see of beautiful homes up for sale? It is said that a photo can speak a thousand words, and it has never been more true than when we look at a home listing. A bad photo will do nothing for the sale. However, a beautiful [...]
Mompreneur Awarded For Portable Potty Innovation
When your child needs to go, they really need to go. The need is never more urgent than when they’re in the process of potty training. At the beach or in the car, Amanda Jenner soon noticed a need for a portable potty that wouldn’t take up much room or leak when used. Not willing [...]
Choosing An Incubator For Your Startup
It was 1956, and Joseph Mancuso had a plan. He purchased a large, abandoned manufacturing building and decided to try something different. What he created became the first business incubator. Tenants received office space, and they had other professionals to bounce ideas off of. The place offered a unique atmosphere that helped promote startup and [...]
Tools For The Entrepreneurs Virtual Toolbox
When it comes to running a business, we don’t always have time to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes we need great apps to help us make the best of the time we do have. Forbes recently shared a list of tools that they found to be helpful. Do you have your own short list? Bill.com – [...]
AprioriControl Puts The User In Virtual Control
Could you imagine opening an app on your iPhone to check on your home, turn off a light, or even play with your pet? At first it may not seem realistic, but the opportunity to do so is not far off. AprioriControl is a company that specializes in robotics control via the Internet. Their unique [...]
Milton Levine may have died earlier this month at 97 years old, but he has left behind a legacy that will continue on for a long time. That legacy is the toy ant farm. If you had asked Mr. Levine whether he invented the ant farm, he would have said no. It is a pastime [...]
The Joy Of Being Top Mompreneur
Catharine Crerar-Rhodes couldn’t be happier. After all, she is a 2010 Top Mompreneur finalist by MOMpreneur Magazine. She is one of just 50 mom business owners located in Canada receiving this honor. According to StoneyCreetNews.com, Catharine is a mom of four and the owner of PEM Events, an event booking and design company. They handle [...]
For many small businesses that may be thinking of selling, the last few years have probably been filled with cost cutting, rearranging, and simply trying to be patient while waiting for the market to pick back up. Maybe they waited too long for the market to pick up, and they just cannot afford to keep [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: January 27
1785 – The University of Georgia is founded, the first public university in the United States. 1888 – The National Geographic Society is founded in Washington, D.C.. 1984 – Pop singer Michael Jackson suffers second degree burns to his scalp during the filming of a Pepsi commercial in the Shrine Auditorium. 2006 – Western Union [...]
Just preparing for tax season can feel a little daunting. The process can be complex and downright confusing. According to Westfair Online, the IRS just wants to help small businesses understand what they need to do. One of the chief improvements is a special website, www.irs.gov/smallbiz. This is a great place to give yourself a [...]
Using Groupon To Help Your Business
If you’re afraid to use Groupon to promote your business because of some rumors you’ve heard, it’s time to open your mind to some new ideas. Inc. has brought together some small business owners that want to help you understand how it can help, not hurt, your business, and help dispel the stigma that seems [...]
The talk of health care is in the air, and it is not about to go away. Thankfully, there are businesses stepping up to fill a need for affordable, convenient, high quality care. One of these businesses is Doctors Express. A doctors office might follow a strict schedule, but most of our needs do not. [...]
Could you imagine how much money you would make if every salesman that came to your door had to pay $.10 before they could get your attention? Here’s an old take on a unique approach that might even scare off the unwanted visitors of today. Via Dvorak Uncensored
Changing The Way We Scroll On The Go
Grant Odgers is convinced that people on-the-go need his invention. His device, of course, is a mini laptop mouse that can hold a charge for weeks. When it is not in use, the mouse snaps onto the USB dock that is plugged into the laptop, which is also how it manages to recharge. According to [...]
Google’s App Inventor Aids In… Marriage Proposals?
While some people are trying to find unique ways to promote their business using Google’s App Inventor, which is currently available by invitation only, one man decided this was the perfect opportunity to propose to his girlfriend. Disguising the proposal as a contest for tickets to the opening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, [...]
Computer Mom Punishes Electronic Issues
If you were to ask Julie Marto, she’d tell you that computer viruses are a lot like teenagers. Leaving a teen at home for a day or overnight might not cause much damage. Over a week or so, though, viruses and teens can make a big mess. Julie has always had an interest in computers, [...]
Video: Strengthening Relationships
A new video is up on the YellowBook360 Building Success site. This one is hosted by Anita Campbell of Small Biz Trends. In it, she’s at Oh! Nuts in Brooklyn, New York. Video after the jump.
Skateboard Biz Promotes Skating, Good Behavior
Skateboarding can be considered a lifestyle for some. Scott Magee, the owner of ADM Skateboards, hopes his business will help promote that lifestyle and positive behavior. With any luck, Scott would like to see his skateboard business lead to a neighborhood skate park, after school programs, and possibly a skate camp, states Delmarva Media Group. [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: January 26
1838 – Tennessee enacts the first prohibition law in the United States 1841 – The United Kingdom formally occupies Hong Kong, which China later formally cedes. 1905 – The Cullinan Diamond is found at the Premier Mine near Pretoria in South Africa. 1911 – Glenn H. Curtiss flies the first successful American seaplane. 1920 – [...]
Samuel Adams Helping Fund Small Businesses With Microloans
Small businesses can never find enough places to apply for funding when they need it. A well-known beer manufacturer is doing its part to help. The Boston Beer Company’s Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream Loan Fund will help by dispensing loans for low- to moderate-income businesses in the Boston area. The loan amounts will [...]
Majority Small Biz Support Health Care Reform Repeal
AOL is reporting that a new survey says the majority of small business owners are in support of repealing health care reform. More than half (55 percent) of small-business owners support repeal of health care reform, according to a survey conducted in early January by Discover Small Business Watch. Forty-six percent say health-care reform, as [...]
ECHOage Eco-Friendly Birthday Parties
If you’ve ever wanted to throw your child a party that would give back, ECOage is probably the service for you. The first step to an eco-friendly birthday party is to go paperless. This service helps you do that by offering a variety of unique, fun electronic invitations for you to choose from. Once everyone [...]
Many business owners today are just worried about keeping their business running. Although selling might be the last thing on their mind, it is not something that should go unplanned. Without the proper planning, a business owner is putting him or herself at risk of selling far below what it is actually worth. Rod Barnes [...]
Could you imagine what it would be like to drive across solar panels instead of the asphalt traditionally used for roads? If Scott Brusaw has his way, we will soon find out. Scott is currently working on a type of “smart” road that is solar powered, according to CNN. At $4.4 million per mile, this [...]
Mom’s Boutique Goes From Bump To Baby
Nine is a year old company that caters to the mom-to-be. According to The Province, they provide fashionable maternity wear, nursing gear, diaper bags, lingerie, baby carriers, and more. How did you get started? It took three years to create a solid business plan and work out the many details that come with planning a [...]
The Motorbike That Runs On Salt Water
Here’s a unique vehicle that doesn’t cost much to drive, as long as you keep it near the ocean. According to Dvice, a man in Japan, Masahide Ichikawa, has created a motorbike that only needs salt-water to run. It uses sodium metal to help convert the salt water into the fuel that makes it go. [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: January 25
1881 – Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell form the Oriental Telephone Company. 1915 – Alexander Graham Bell inaugurates U.S. transcontinental telephone service, speaking from New York to Thomas Watson in San Francisco.
In opposition to common sense, the first company to market with a brand new product rarely succeeds like companies that enter the market later, a new report in the Wall Street Journal explains. Pioneering firms commonly die young because consumers aren’t ready to embrace their business models, according to authors Stanislav Dobrev, a professor at [...]
Ever since various states have started legalizing medical marijuana, various products have popped up to meet that need. Canna Cola is one such product, although you won’t find Clay Butler using it himself. He doesn’t drink, and he doesn’t smoke. According to MercuryNews.com, Clay is a clean living guy. Yet, Butler is a partner in [...]
When clothing comes with the label tall, it is usually assumed that big is also necessary. However, that is not the case. Mark Tindall couldn’t understand why companies would sell clothing for tall men that would only fit big men as well. It might have been the right length, but the bagginess of the clothing [...]
Launch.is has complied lists of some of the world’s most notable angel investors (sorted by location), their Twitter handle, Facebook page and links to a sampling of their investments. One of the best ways to develop a relationship with an angel investor is to stalk them on Twitter, their blogs and Facebook. Before contacting an [...]
As anyone with dentures will know, removing them can be a gooey, drool-filled experience. Brian Williams felt there had to be a better way reports Herald-Review.com. The 34-year-old Decatur man is the creator of the 3-in-1 Dental Tool, a blue plastic tool about the same length as a disposable razor, with a scooped end. It’s [...]
