Archive for June 2011
We have seen many one-hit wonder products in our time. For example, the pet rock or the Rubik’s cube are a milestone in invention history. The Wall Street Journal recently looked at another one-hit inventor, Dave Kapell, and his product, Magnetic Poetry. Back in 1993, the Minneapolis native was an aspiring musician who liked to [...]
Health care in this country is going to go one of two ways: Way number one involves government control and long waits for service. The second way looks a lot more like the “good-old-days”: Dr. Susan Rutten Wasson sits on the corner of a bed in the cramped bedroom of Alice Johnson, a 91-year-old Osakis [...]
Small Biz Owners Love Their Work
Business Insider: Some 77 percent of small business owners in the Small Business Happiness Index by Vista Prints are either “very” or “extremely” happy about running a business and working for themselves. (The survey focused on 900 U.S. microbusinesses with one to 10 employees and less than $100,000 in annual revenues–primarily home-based businesses.) Are you [...]
Surviving A Double Dip Recession
So you have survived the recession, but can you survive another wave? Portfolio looks at the possibility that the rise in the economy is short lived, and we may fall back into a second recession before completely recovering from the first. How can you know whether what’s coming is a wave or a dip? Thiruvadanthai [...]
Becoming A Successful Entrepreneur
Every entrepreneur has their own idea of what it takes to become successful. GulfNews has pulled together a short list of traits they believe entrepreneurs need to succeed. What do you think it takes to succeed? 1. Timing is nothing Dubizzle founders, J.C. Butler and Sim Whatley, wish they had had the wisdom to launch [...]
WSJ: Call it lipstick on a pig, but there’s at least one bright spot in the nation’s bleak employment data. While it may take years to replace the millions of jobs lost in the recession, one employer is already on a hiring spree: Mary Kay Cosmetics. The direct-sales giant last week reported signing up more [...]
Video: Everything is a Remix, #3 Ideas
I invented nothing new. I simply assembled the discoveries of other men behind whom were centuries of work. Had I worked fifty or ten or even five years before, I would have failed. So it is with every new thing. Progress happens when all the factors that make for it are ready and then it [...]
Essential Journeys Makes Homemade Soap Art
Many people who choose to use bar soap in their home are familiar with the lump of white or yellow most brands come in. However, one company hopes to help people discover the beauty a real bar of soap can hold. Kimberly Masters is the founder of Essential Journeys Soaps. While most people would call [...]
Dig This, Now Open in Las Vegas
I’ve written about Dig This before, but if you don’t remember, they’re a construction theme park business. They’ve just had some big news. According to the Engineering News Record, they’ve just opened their second location. This one is about five miles west of Las Vegas Boulevard, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The $1-million theme park sits [...]
No one charges you for joining Facebook or Twitter, but just how “free” is that account? According to Forbes, you’re investing in people, technology, your reputation, and time. Before you join every social media service available, here are some things you should consider: There are risks as well as benefits. As with many startup activities, [...]
Inventors Way To Better Poached Eggs
It seems everyone is trying to find a better way to cook eggs. First it was shell-free hard boiled eggs, now Howard Gold is trying to convince people that his invention, Poachet, will help people make better poached eggs, reports CourierMail. The Poachet, which looks like a giant tea bag, holds the egg in the [...]
Business Owners Of America Come Together
If employees can have a union, why not business owners? The Association of Business Owners of America was created to help alleviate growing frustration among business owners. [Jim Wener's] objective is to eventually represent America’s entrepreneurs in much the same manner as labor unions represent their membership. His current staff includes a certified mediator and [...]
Fishing With a Video Camera: FishEyes
Although part of the appeal of fishing is sitting quietly and waiting for the fish to bite, sometimes you just want to know what’s going on under the surface of the lake. The FishEyes Rod & Reel puts a camera right above your bait. The promotional video below explains the product:
Is there a dark side to Amazon’s foray into self publishing? The Globe and Mail describes how spammers are clogging the environment: Thousands of digital books, called ebooks, are being published through Amazon’s self-publishing system each month. Many are not written in the traditional sense. Instead, they are built using something known as Private Label [...]
The Register: The number of top-level internet domains is set to double over the next few years, after ICANN today approved the launch of a program that will let any company apply to run dot-anything. In January next year, essentially any organization will be able to submit an application to ICANN for a virtually any [...]
Starting Small With Mini Sales Space
Angie Robbins always dreamed of starting her own business, but the thought of opening a shop on a server’s income made her nervous. At least, that was until a new mini mall came to town. According to FloridaToday.com, Petite Boutiques will create affordable sales space for people like Angie who want to start a business [...]
When The Community Bank Meets A Young Entrepreneur
The Main Street Bank of Detroit has always tried to help local entrepreneurs. They recently took an extra step in helping entrepreneurs, by tapping a 10 year old President and CEO to provide some of their office supplies, reports Examiner.com. Main Street was looking for a unique marketing message to put on their pencils and [...]
Chief Exec Leaves Job For Baby Clothes
Guillaume Gauthereau used to wake up at 3:30 in the morning to check important emails and push himself through a long day that never ended until 10:30 pm. After a while the long days wore him down, and he decided it was time to go into business for himself. So, he created Totsy, reports portfolio.com. [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: June 19
1819 – The U.S. vessel SS Savannah arrives at Liverpool, United Kingdom. She is the first steam-propelled vessel to cross the Atlantic, although most of the journey is made under sail. 1840 – Samuel Morse receives the patent for the telegraph. 1877 – Alexander Graham Bell installs the world’s first commercial telephone service in Hamilton, [...]
There’s Gold in Them Thar Hills
You may not live in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California like me, but with the price of gold as high as it is, have you considered adding “panning for gold” to your business strategy? Have a good Saturday everyone. SF Gate: Gold nuggets are sprouting like weeds on streams in the Sierra Nevada foothills [...]
NY Times: The wheels of justice tend to be slow, but arrests can happen with lightning speed — and what happens next can be crucial. In searches, seizure and interrogation, things can go badly wrong. Enlarge This Image Chris Miles helped found LawyerUp, an Easton, Conn., company that promises to get people in trouble a [...]
Slate: A faded starlet dancing at an oligarch’s birthday bash. A chef preparing a dinner party in a stranger’s kitchen. A best-selling author entertaining a conference hall filled with oil executives. Reputation has always been another form of income, and successful people have long found innumerable creative ways to monetize their time. Now a start-up [...]
Food Trucks Do Weddings and More
WSJ: Street sales aren’t the only source of revenue for the gourmet food trucks that have taken the city by storm in a few years. Some are deriving as much as half of their income from catering and rentals. They cater everything from weddings to bar mitzvahs to movie and television crews filming on the [...]
People love their pets, making the pet industry a million dollar business. That why a business like Playground Pups fits so well in New York City. Gail Nord was determined to launch a business in an industry she was passionate about. Without the help of the government or bank loans, she went out and started [...]
Inventor Makes Low-Cost Prosthetic Hand
Dave Vogt was born without his left hand. From birth, he began wearing a hook in its place. What was a part of life for Dave soon inspired Mark Stark. Mark went to work in his home and put together a prosthetic hand his friend could use for the tasks where a hook would fall [...]
There is a world of tech-savvy mompreneurs hitting the web, and Sharon Gilmartin Nicholas is one of them, reports Metro. A web entrepreneur and writer based in North Carolina, [she] started building her online presence in April 2010 with the purchase of momsindulgence.com and networkingwahm.com. Now, one of her websites draws 200,000 visitors each month [...]
African women are ready to lead in business, but they need some help to succeed, reports Guardian.co.uk. What leapt out from the session was the untapped potential of women entrepreneurs. A study from the bank estimated that the demand for finance from women entrepreneurs amounted to $19bn (£11.6bn). As panellists at the session pointed out, [...]
Avoid Patent Licensing Landmines
Without a good strategy, buying a patent license can go terribly wrong. Inventors Digest has some advice to help you avoid common problems. #1 – Believing a term sheet will protect your interests A term sheet a brief document outlining the terms and conditions of a business agreement. But it’s just the start. A formal, [...]
If you love to make things using hard boiled eggs but hate messing with shells, you will love Betsy Kaufman’s latest invention. Betsy was making breakfast one morning when an idea struck her. What if you could hard boil eggs without their shells? By the time her coffee was done, she had a complete marketing [...]
Medical Supply Line Making Its Mark With Health Care Products
The medical industry is huge. There are plenty of companies making millions off of people with the money to spend, but what about the people who cannot afford the highest prices? Medical Supply Line was founded on the idea that people have a right to obtain affordable heath care equipment and supplies. They help people [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: June 15
1520 – Pope Leo X threatens to excommunicate Martin Luther in papal bull Exsurge Domine. 1667 – The first human blood transfusion is administered by Dr. Jean-Baptiste Denys. 1752 – Benjamin Franklin proves that lightning is electricity (traditional date, the exact date is unknown). 1785 – Jean-François Pilâtre de Rozier, co-pilot of the first-ever manned [...]
Miracle Grow Targets Medical Marijuana
WSJ: Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. has long sold weed killer. Now, it’s hoping to help people grow killer weed. In an unlikely move for the head of a major company, Scotts Chief Executive Jim Hagedorn said he is exploring targeting medical marijuana as well as other niches to help boost sales at his lawn and garden [...]
Inventor Dedicated To Eliminating Human Sewage
It’s not a topic most people enjoy talking about, but Namon Nassef is quite passionate. He has created a waste management system called the “Zero Liquid Discharge” Sewage Elimination System that is used in transportation systems, reports pnj.com. The system eliminates human waste without leaving odor, sludge or particles that harm the environment. Nassef believes [...]
Turn Your Kids Into Entrepreneurs
How do you prepare your kids for entrepreneurship? The simple answer is a lemonade stand. However, there are some more important traits that kids will also need if they want to become entrepreneurs later on. The Wall Street Journal has listed some of those traits you can help your kids work on this summer. Adventurous [...]
Job Hunting? Play A Facebook Game
When most people think about trying to find a job that interests them, they don’t usually look toward computer games for inspiration. However, the Marriott Hotel has a different idea. According to The Washington Post, they have created a Facebook game that allows players to perform different jobs inside the hotel. The first version of [...]
Summer To-Do List For Entrepreneurs
The Washington Post has compiled a list of quotes from fellow entrepreneurs on what you should do this summer. Is any of it on your list? Dive in, head first. “Take the plunge. You’ve been sitting on an idea for a couple years, it’s time to act. Put together a business plan and start getting [...]
Future Of Cars: Volkswagen Aqua
Metro.co.uk: The all-terrain vehicle, which has a top speed of 100kph (62mph) and works like a hovercraft, can move seamlessly between different surfaces. Designer Yuhan Zhang created the Volkswagen Aqua for a competition sponsored by the German car manufacturer. He gave it four fans and airbags to make it hover, a large front window and [...]
People argue that it pays to be green by helping the planet. However, EcoPlum has a different form of payment in mind. Not only does a green lifestyle help the environment, but buying green products from the website also earns you rewards that can be used to generate discounts on future purchases. If you asked [...]
Mom’s Diabetes Shirts Inspired By Daughter
Parenthood inspires moms everyday. It also inspired Julie DeFruscio. When her young daughter was diagnosed with diabetes and needed to carry an insulin pump around, she decided to find a way to make clothes her daughter would love, reports The Wall Street Journal. “It was awful to see such ugly medical-looking items that were our [...]
One Sock: Costco uses their membership fees to cover their fixed costs. They then make their real profit not on the low-margin goods they sell, but in their banking as they receive immediate payment from customers, but pay suppliers at around 270 days. Costco’s a bank!
Charles Barkley Wants to Give Your Biz $25,000
Basketball legend Charles Barkley wants to give cash-hungry entrepreneurs his money. Called “Earn Chuck’s Bucks”, he’s looked for a the best business-plans and says he’ll give the best one $25,000 to help fund that business. Want to Earn Chuck’s Bucks? Here’s all you’ve got to do: Submit your business plan in 3,900 characters or less. [...]
Banking from A Shack With A Cellphone
Wall Street Journal: Mavis Nonkongozelo walks up to the Five Sisters convenience store here, then pulls a mobile phone from her bag and a few rands from her brassiere. She is ready to bank. With a few taps on her cellphone, the 34-year old preschool teacher connects to a nascent mobile-banking network aimed at Africa’s [...]
How many times have you missed a visitor or package because you did not hear the doorbell ring? Laurence Rook’s mom faced the same problem. At only 13 years old, he has designed a unique doorbell that will call you when someone rings it, reports The Tech Herald. When rung by would-be burglars, the Smart [...]
Stronger Than Steel? Flash Bainite
When Gary Cola approached the engineers at Ohio State University, they did not believe him. He has invented a steel 7% stronger than traditional steel, and it only takes 10 seconds to make. According to TG Daily, the process simply should not have worked. But it does. The process takes just ten seconds, while existing [...]
The NY Times has a report on $230,000 guard dogs for moguls and celebrities. For that kind of money, does she fetch your slippers and mix your drinks? Don’t call her a guard dog. Buffy, a black German shepherd, and Deanna Louvier, a trainer, working out at Harrison K-9 Security Services in Aiken, S.C. When [...]
Zoo Sells Elephant Dung as Fertilizer
The Prague Zoo in the Czech Republic is now selling elephant dung to their visitors as an unusual souvenir that can also be used to fertilize garden plants: “I believe that garden owners will appreciate our new item on sale,” zoo director Miroslav Bobek said. Each of the Prague zoo’s three elephants daily consumes about [...]
Ride The Skies With A Hoverbike
People have been dreaming of hover devices since Back to the Future. Australian inventor, Chris Malloy, is helping make the hover dream come true with his new Hoverbike, reports gizmag. His efforts were prompted when his helicopter instructor likened a Robinson R22 light utility helicopter to an airborne motorbike. Disagreeing, Malloy set about building something [...]
Canadian Mompreneurs Are A Growing Force
Running a business while raising a family has quickly become the optimum choice for many mothers. When corporate life would leave limited time for family, mompreneurs are embracing flexibility. Recent statistics show an increase in the number of moms choosing this way of life. Statistics Canada estimates that women account for 80 per cent of [...]
Today in Entrepreneurial History: June 10
1935– Dr. Robert Smithtakes his last drink, and Alcoholics Anonymousis founded in Akron, Ohio, United States, by him and Bill Wilson. 1944– In baseball, 15-year old Joe Nuxhallof the Cincinnati Redsbecomes the youngest player ever in a major-league game. 1947– Saabproduces its first automobile. 1977– Appleships its first Apple IIpersonal computer. 2002– The first direct [...]
Fast Electric Car Refueling Coming
Soon, refueling your electric car may be as simple as draining and refilling a tank full of a Gatorade-like solution of electrolytes. Autoblog has more on the discovery: A group of Massachusetts Institute of Technology students may have come up with the perfect solution to our electric vehicle charging woes. Instead of relying on lithium [...]
