Archive for March 2011
Finding New Life As A Virtual PA
For Mandy Sagar, losing her job was not the end of the world. If anything, it was the beginning. After eight years of working as a personal assistant, the economy ultimately took away the position he had at My Travel. She had loved her job and knew that was something she wanted to continue with. [...]
Score Launches New Site: e-Business Now
SCORE, a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small business start, grow and succeed, today announced the launch of e-Business Now, a new website providing small business leaders with “how to” knowledge to successfully use technology-enabled applications. The website provides free on-demand workshops “how-to” guides, connections to technology mentors and more—a full range of tools for [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: March 22
1621 – The Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony sign a peace treaty with Massasoit of the Wampanoags. 1630 – The Massachusetts Bay Colony outlaws the possession of cards, dice, and gaming tables. 1765 – The British Parliament passes the Stamp Act that introduces a tax to be levied directly on its American colonies. 1894 – The [...]
Inspiring Women: Toll House Cookies
Before Julia Child or the Pillsbury Dough Boy, there was a women who made one heck of a cookie, Ruth Wakefield. It was 1930, and Ruth worked as dietitian and nutrition lecturer. Ruth and her husband bought an old toll house, and turned it into lodge (also known as a bed and breakfast). According to [...]
Should you or shouldn’t you? That is the question that crosses every inventors mind when they are ready to do something with their special idea. John D. Smith went through that process, just to have his patent rejected. That hasn’t stopped him, though. Besides bringing his product to market anyway, he went on to write [...]
Building Your Business Muscles
It is often said that some entrepreneurs are born, while others are made. No matter which category you may fall under, it helps to have as much information as possible when getting started. BizGym agrees. Much like a traditional gym where you would be required to exercise, their website forces you to flex your entrepreneurial [...]
Likes More Profitable Than Tweets
More people may be tweeting, but according to CNN it is being “liked” on Facebook that brings in the most money. [Eventbrite] announced Wednesday that an average tweet about an event drove 80 cents in ticket sales during the past six months, whereas an average Facebook Like drove $1.34. The study, which used in-house social [...]
Discovering The Entrepreneur Within Your Child
Not every adult is made to be an entrepreneur, and the same can be said about our children. So how do you know if your child will be the next Bill Gates or Richard Branson? The Bulletin has asked Asher Epstein, managing director of the University of Maryland’s Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship at the Robert [...]
Mom Finds Balance In Classic Car Parts
I often mention moms that start businesses centered around family. Nicola Wyland is not one. It was her love of classic cars combined with a need for work-life balance that inspired her, reports Manchester Evening News. Nicola, 29, who previously worked as a commercial buyer in the health sector, launched World of Parts in Rochdale [...]
It is okay to play with toys if you’re 11 years old, but that does not mean you’re old enough to promote your own toy inventions. That is the problem Greyson MacLean had to face this year when he tried to take his toy product, BrickStix, to the 2011 Toy Fair in New York City, [...]
Once a week or so I’m going to profile the very special people who read this site. If you’d like to participate, shoot me an email. My name is Linda M. Brown. I am 49 years old-today :) and I live in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I am a Public Insurance Adjuster. Not many people know [...]
Just looking at the stacks of gift cards for sale at many stores will tell you that there is a card for everything. This includes Facebook. According to The Vancouver Sun, this is the beginning of a new style of ecommerce. These are the early days of the virtual goods economy (you’re probably already taking [...]
Kids Tippi Toe Their Way Into Fun
There may be shows on TV that try to inspire kids to get more active, but sometimes that is not enough. That is why Sarah Nuse and her sister created a unique business called Tippi Toes to help pick up the slack. Her business helps get younger kids, between 4 to 6 years of age, [...]
The Fish Sticks That Inspired A Business
Patricia Beckman is the CEO and founder of Cybertary. Before that, though, she was a busy working mom. While putting together a quick meal for her kids a few years back, inspiration struck, reports Fox Business. She suddenly realized she no longer wanted the long hours and traveling. Patricia was ready for something different. “Everyone [...]
The point of a dress shirt is to look nice. So, what can you do if the collar won’t do what you want? For Jonathan Boos, that may involve creating a solution. His product, Power Stays, is a magnetic collar stay that forces it to do what you want. According to Herald-Tribune.com, the world will [...]
Book: Bourbon for Breakfast: Living Outside the Statist Quo
If you enjoyed my previous post, Washington Makes You Dirtier, you’ll love a book from Jeffrey Tucker called Bourbon for Breakfast: Living Outside the Statist Quo. The book is about how the government makes everything it touches worse. Its pervasive interventions in every sector affect the functioning of society in so many ways that we [...]
It might not have been the most stylish, but for decades the top-loading laundry machine was the most affordable and dependable. Now it’s ruined—and Americans have politics to thank. In 1996, top-loaders were pretty much the only type of washer around, and they were uniformly high quality. When Consumer Reports tested 18 models, 13 were [...]
Earthquake Disrupts Supply Chains!
Wow! It is almost difficult to believe that supply chains are so short that an earthquake in Japan would stop production of a car in the United States 10 days later. General Motors Co. says it suspended production at its Shreveport, La., plant for the week of March 21 because of a parts shortage stemming [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: March 18
1766 – American Revolution: The British Parliament repeals the Stamp Act. 1850 – American Express is founded by Henry Wells and William Fargo. 1874 – Hawaii signs a treaty with the United States granting exclusive trading rights. 1893 – Former Governor General Lord Stanley pledges to donate a silver challenge cup, later named after him, [...]
Upcoming Social Media And Tech Events
Mashable has gathered together a list of 100+ events that are happening in the area of social media and technology. Below are three events that you might want to consider adding to your own list. Mom 2.0 Summit April 14-16, 2011, New Orleans, LA: Whether you’re a mom entrepreneur, blogger, a brand trying to connect [...]
So, you have trained the right people, you’ve listened to them, but when is it time to let them go? That is a question that was recently posed to Richard Branson. According to Reuters, you just need to do it when the time is right. One important moment took place when we set up Virgin [...]
The SBA has recently proposed revisions that would make a few adjustments to the definition for small business. This change would adjust the revenue-based size definition that a business needs to meet if they want to fall under this category, reports Times Record News. As part of its ongoing comprehensive review of all size standards, [...]
According to Business Insider, only 3 out of every 100 companies that try to get cash from angel investors succeed. The success rate with venture capitalists is even lower. Disappointed yet? The truth is, you do not always need an investor to get going. Below are a few tips that will help you get off [...]
In Ahmadabad, India people sweep the streets for gold. Literally! The town, in western India, is home to more than 5,000 gold and silver shops and factories. As the estimated 40,000 workers come and go from these businesses, microscopic gold flecks and powder fall from their clothing and hair into the street. Enterprising sweepers called [...]
Mom Goes From Hobby To Manufacturing Company
Tobi Kosanke never expected to turn her little side hobby into a big business. After all, she had a steady career. However, as the mom of a special needs child, she required flexibility. When she was given a new boss, the flexibility that was once there disappeared. “I telecommuted in order to care of an [...]
People Pay Farmers to Let Their Dogs Herd Sheep
Does your lazy, overweight house dog dog tire of sleeping at the end of your bed and waiting patiently for you to arrive home each night really yearn to be a sheep dog? Probably. And, since people will pay for almost anything related to their pets, companies have sprung up to let your house dog [...]
UK Creating Incentives To Draw Inventors, Entrepreneurs
Do you have a measly £5 million that you can put in a British? If so, you will earn the right to stay in the country indefinitely after only three years if you do. According to The Telegraph, £10 million will guarantee you that right in only two. The normal wait for migrants is five [...]
Are You Failing As An Internet Entrepreneur?
Here’s a 3-step checklist to figure out if you’re failing as an internet entrepreneur: 1. Is the site live yet? Yes: you’re likely failing, but at least you’ve got a chance of getting some feedback from real, live users, which may, if you’re smart and perceptive, decrease your chance of failure a little bit. No: [...]
Video: Wine Authentication Business Opportunities
Today on the Forbes Video Network comes the interesting video: “What? This Wine’s A Fake?” The video details some of the interesting technological efforts to stop wine counterfeiting. Photo by zsoltika.
Is a robot butler in your future? Fast Company thinks so. PAL Robotics has been working on its REEM-x lineup of wheeled humanoid robots for some time. Now it’s just revealed its newest edition, simply called REEM, which is its first commercial offering. He’s a genuine robot butler. The latest prototype REEM is about five [...]
SlotGuard: Stop Junk Mail Before It Hits Your Mailbox
If you are like many people in the US, you are probably sick of seeing junk mail stacked up inside your mailbox. For many people, it just means taking an extra trip the the garbage can to throw it all away. However, a unique service has popped up to help you stop the junk before [...]
Inventor Is Repairing The Road To Success
Parkite Rich Giles just wanted to help homeowner associations save money on road repair. Instead, he created a machine that does what he had hoped for and much more. Known as the HeatWurx, his machine not only lowers the cost but it is also eco-friendly and durable, reports Park Record. Essentially what Giles invented was [...]
Is This The Cheapest House in the USA?
A bottle of soda or a house? In a 2008 eBay battle-of-the-highest-bidder, 30-year-old Joanne Smith beat out eight other bids with her generous offer of $1.75. Back taxes were about $850 and she was responsible for yard cleanup costs. She told the local newspaper she hoped to sell it for a profit. Maybe we’ll see [...]
Ostrich Eggs: A Really Bad Investment
The Wall Street Journal has up an article with a great story about some really bad investment ideas out there. Here’s a funny one: Several years ago, a client of Stewart McLauchlan said he had an “opportunity to purchase some ostrich eggs at below the current market,” Mr. McLauchlan says. Red flags went up for [...]
The Man Who Makes Money Off Earthquakes
When the ground begins to shake, George Dickson gets the call. It was from Japan this week. As the CEO of Seismic Warning Systems, he is in a unique position. Whenever a big quake hits, his company is thrust into the spotlight, reports The Christian Science Monitor. The QuakeGuard system on which SWS was founded [...]
Entrepreneur.com has up an interesting profile of an ice cream entrepreneur who loves to experiment with unique flavors: While most ice cream entrepreneurs concern themselves with perfecting basic vanilla and chocolate, Jeni Britton Bauer started her career experimenting with flavors like bacon, salmon and curry. Her first concoction was a combination of chocolate ice cream [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: March 16
1621 – Samoset, a Mohegan, visited the settlers of Plymouth Colony and greets them, “Welcome, Englishmen! My name is Samoset.” 1802 – The Army Corps of Engineers was established to found and operate the United States Military Academy at West Point. 1926 – History of Rocketry: Robert Goddard launched the first liquid-fueled rocket, at Auburn, [...]
Yesterday I mentioned Janie McQueen,a woman who had trouble selling baby apparel made by her mom. As soon as she found a sales rep, her business became a success. But how do you find a sales rep? The Wall Street Journal takes a look at how people like Janie find reps, and what they look [...]
Watch Out For The 12 Foot Tall Spiderbot
It is so sci-fi sounding that people could swear it was an evil plot in a comic book. However, Jaimie Mantzel is really trying to build a giant spider that he can drive. He claims that the robot would be able to help him carry logs up to his lair. According to The Escapist, his [...]
Inventables.com: Innovator’s Hardware Store
Are you an inventor, artist or a tinkerer? Maybe you should check out Inventables.com. They sell materials that designers, artists, and inventors use to develop new products and push the boundaries of what’s possible. Some of their interesting products: Mineral Wool: This mineral wool is made from basalt rock and slag. It resists temperatures up [...]
The iPad 2 isn’t officially for sale in Hong Kong yet, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t buy them — if you’re willing to pay a 100% markup. M.I.C Gadget has more: Amazingly, a retailer, Mr. Lo, who is the ‘master’ of the gray market in Hong Kong, who distributed hundreds to thousands of [...]
Want To Start A Business? Go To Chile.
That is the premise behind a program launched by the Chilean government, reports Deseret News. Their goal is to bring smart, innovative entrepreneurs to their country by offering a little incentive: $40,000. “By bringing people in from outside of Chile, they’re introducing that culture of entrepreneurship and innovation to Santiago and bolstering the existing entrepreneur [...]
Last week I reviewed the book One Simple Idea by Stephen Key. I loved the book and think that many of Business Opportunities Weblog readers will love it too. If you missed the post last week, or just want more information, here’s Stephen Key in a video describing who he is, what he does and [...]
All Janie McQueen wanted was to find a few stores that were willing to stock the baby items that were hand sewn by her mother. Even shops that knew her quite well turned her down. Not to be deterred, she turned toward the Internet. She created a website and posted the items on Etsy. Unfortunately, [...]
Interview: Black Dawg Franchise Group
When you’re in the market for a franchise, it is nice to know the company you commit to will grow with you. That is what makes the series of franchises available from the Black Dawg Franchise Group so successful. As a potential franchisee, you can choose to take on just one opportunity, like their Black [...]
Have you ever wanted to make your own app? APC Mag discusses the upside to Google’s new App Inventor for Android. Millions of years of human evolution had come to this: a picture of a cat that meows and vibrates the phone when you touch the screen. It was a small victory – and one [...]
Rising Gas Prices Hitting All Businesses
Have you looked at the price of gas lately? If you’ve gone to fill up your car recently, you’ve probably discovered that the price is one the rise. According to The Washington Post, Jeb Lopez started a business ferrying auto parts from suppliers to dealers six months ago. Because of the price of gas, he’s [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: March 15
1493 – Christopher Columbus returns to Spain after his first trip to the Americas. 1776 – South Carolina becomes the first American colony to declare its independence from England and set up its own government. 1866 – Johan Vaaler born, Norwegian inventor of the paperclip 1887 – Marjorie Merriweather Post born, American entrepreneur and founder [...]
Brother has launched the “See the Bigger Picture” contest and is awarding one lucky small business owner a $10,000 business grant (and a chance to win other prizes like iPads and other Brother products). Small business owners can enter the contest at www.shareyourbigpicture.com now through March 29. Participants will be asked to explain in at [...]
Web Startups Have The Upper Hand
If you’re a web startup, venture capital has not been easier to find. Just ask Aaron Levie. According to The Wall Street Journal, his web business, Box.net, not only succeeded at finding funding, but he had to turn some investors away. Isn’t that a problem we all wish we had? Mr. Levie’s experience underlines one [...]
