Archive for October 2011
BornRich: Saying a final goodbye to your loved ones is always the toughest, as your head and heart pour them out to the person deceased. Hence, it is befitting that we make the last journey as memorable as possible. If U.S. based Holy Smoke is to be believed, it can be done perfectly well with [...]
Dean Kamen’s Inflatable Wind Turbine
TechCrunch: Most wind turbines have a recognizable shape, but a new design from Segway inventor Dean Kamenn is less obvious in its functionality: This turbine has a vertical axis and rotors made of plastic fabric meant to be easily moved by the wind. Archetypal wind turbines require a good amount of steel and concrete to [...]
Jonas Pfeil: We present a throwable panoramic camera that solves these problems. The camera is thrown into the air and captures an image at the highest point of flight – when it is hardly moving. The camera takes full spherical panoramas, requires no preparation and images are taken instantaneously. It can capture scenes with many [...]
The Sun News: Graves, inventor of the Double Duty: Divot Repair Putter, is now producing long putters with the unique and useful clubhead that doubles as a tool to fix ball marks on greens. He expects them to be available by early November. The long-shafted putters with shaft lengths from 48 to 53 inches have [...]
Life as an entrepreneur can be hectic and risky, but what is it like for the family? The Globe and Mail takes a look at the experience Dave Cole has had while his wife has worked to build up her business. But at home, he’s been centre stage, facing one challenge after another. For starters, [...]
Obstacles Women In Business Face and Conquer
The rise of women in business has been steady the last couple years, and Fox Business has pinpointed a few areas that many women get caught up on as they make their way up the entrepreneurial ladder. Not having a plan. Wesman said one of the top issues she experiences with women entrepreneurs is that [...]
Seat Sack Keeps Kids Organized
The back to school season may have ended, but it’s never too late to pick up some extra necessities for your kid to use. Once you’ve tried the Seat Sack, you’ll understand why it should be a part of every back to school plan. Their unique design allows kids to hang important papers, books, and [...]
NY Times: He is one of New York’s busiest casting directors, yet very few know of his work. … Mr. Weston, 45, was not casting for an Off Broadway production, and his roster of extras would not need Actors’ Equity cards. For some 15 years, Mr. Weston has been providing the New York Police Department [...]
Bedbugs are a difficult pest to get rid of, but Elizabeth Knote believes she has the key to their end with her bedbug baker. “People may have them for several months and not know it. They start in the box springs, and then they’ll go to the mattress,” Knote said. “Typically, 90 percent of them [...]
Richard Shapiro would often see people traveling with their child’s wagon, and having trouble fitting it into their vehicle. That is when a light bulb went off in his head, and he redesigned the wagon for easier transport. How he has licensed his design to Radio Flyer. For the past 10 years, Shapiro, a personal [...]
Tracy Reinhardt liked to relax with some of her homemade alcoholic concoctions. However, the night she decided to relax with some “adult” chocolate milk was the night the inspiration for a new business was born. From the start, Reinhardt and Halbur’s drink was a hit–before it was ever officially bottled. Through some of Reinhardt’s connections, [...]
Mentoring Young Women In Business
WSJ: A new program to boost the number of women in corporate boardrooms is tapping 100 executives from top businesses in New York to mentor young women. Partnership for New York City chief executive officer Kathryn Wylde, who will take part in the announcement, said that though there are many women in business, they don’t [...]
It may not be a boat or submarine, but “Noah” might save person or small family if encountered with an earthquake and tsunami mix. After the March 11 disaster, which devastated a wide swathe of Japan’s northeastern coast and left 20,000 dead or presumed dead, Tanaka decided to create a personal flotation device that could [...]
IG PAK: Better Way To Tote Your iPad
At least, the inventor, Bob Hart, thinks so. He currently has his invention, the IG PAK, listed on Kickstarter, in hopes of raising enough money to launch the next trend in iPad accessories. Hart, a civil engineer and former commercial contractor, is hoping to raise $100,000 to help launch his “IG Pak (for “Instant Gratification”), [...]
Launching A Business That Docks Boats
Like many people during the recent recession, Larry Moody found himself laid off an looking for work. Thankfully, he had plenty of experience in plastics and that allowed him to start a new business making a boat docking system. Though he had worries similar to most unemployed people, such as how to pay for his [...]
Why should wheelchairs stay boring when the people using them have so much personality? That is exactly what Bill Lasher when he created his first sporty wheelchair. In the six years since that first garage tinkering, Lasher has built Lasher Sport, crafting custom wheelchairs and handcycles that can roll on sandy beaches, ski on snowy [...]
Solving the World’s Problems for Profit
NY Times: “A billion customers in the world,” Dr. Paul Polak told a crowd of inventors recently, “are waiting for a $2 pair of eyeglasses, a $10 solar lantern and a $100 house.” The world’s cleverest designers, said Dr. Polak, a former psychiatrist who now runs an organization helping poor farmers become entrepreneurs, cater to [...]
Tips for Techies: How to be Self-Employed
With a down economy and a job market that is becoming increasingly specialized, more and more people are striking out and going into business for themselves. However, the transition from working at a traditional job to working on your own can be a difficult one. While there is a great deal that’s appealing about working [...]
16 Year Old Vows To Reduce Waste
Hayley Hoverter is only 16, but she has recently won a competition by creating a solution to a worldwide problem: paper waste. Her idea is to make soluble sugar packets to distribute to coffee and shops, such as Starbucks and Pete’s, throughout the world. For every box purchased of her innovated products, Hayley’s company, Sweet [...]
Entrepreneur Finds Her Place In Clothes
The Gadsden Times: Anna Heard opened the stylish clothing store in 1995 to offer dressy church wear. “Sunday hats and suits you couldn’t find locally,” Heard explained. Dressing up always has been a passion for Heard. “I used to save my money and catch the bus downtown to put clothes on layaway at specialty shops [...]
NBA Lockout Effect On Business
Sports fans may feel slighted by the lockout currently occurring in the NBA, but businesses that base their income on the NBA and the teams are really feeling the heat, too. “It can be devastating for a small business to lose its peak market, which for me is the first two to three weeks of [...]
Putting Students Where They’re Needed Most
According to The New York Times, big corporations step in to recruit some of the top businesses students when they graduate. How can we expect small business to keep up? A serial entrepreneur, Andrew Yang, thinks he has the answer. Venture for America, a nonprofit he founded this summer, recruits college seniors to spend two [...]
SKM Artworks: Gorgeous Jewelry With A Handmade Touch
Handmade is a popular trend, as seen through the success of places like Artfire and Etsy. People can appreciate that handmade touch, and they want it with a professional quality. That is exactly what makes SKM artworks jewelry so special. Susan Miller prides herself on making quality jewelry with that special touch that only handmade [...]
Small Mistake Led To The Pacemaker
Wilson Greatbatch may have died late last month, but the man will not be forgotten. No one will ever forget many of the inventions he created, with the most popular being the pacemaker. His crucial insight came in 1956 when he was an assistant professor in electrical engineering at Buffalo University. While building a heart [...]
The Coral Coast Men’s Shed, Michael Garret, was inspired to create a device for easy one-handed pool when his club received a pool table. He couldn’t help but think about how much fun it would be, and wanted to make sure people with disabilities, like those with the use of only one arm, could enjoy [...]
Building A More Effective Water Meter
UK inventor, Gerry Evans, says that the water meters available today are inaccurate. So, he has invented a better meter that he believes will help people save money. Mr Evans said while new meters may work perfectly when they are tested on water which does not contain particulates, when they are used on water which [...]
2012 Business Excellence Awards The Best Entrepreneurs
The time has come and the 2012 Business Excellence Awards is now open for entries to nominate the next Entrepreneur of the Year. Recognized as the premier awards competition for small businesses in the world, the Business Excellence Awards serve as an appropriate conclusion to the 2-day Business Excellence Forum, and honors those business owners [...]
Techcrunch: If you’ve ever dreamed of getting a super-realistic replica of your face for whatever reason, here’s your chance: a Japanese company called REAL-f [JP] is creating so-called 3DPFs (“3 Dimension Photo Forms”), copies of human faces “in 3D”. The startup offers two versions, a mask type replica and the so-called mannequin type, a replica [...]
Little Green Money Machine with Apprentice Kit
This looks fun: If you can play business, you can learn business! Kids will have fun earning money in their neighborhoods and communities while starting their very first business with this unique mobile business stand. The Little Green Money Machine is the old neighborhood lemonade stand and much, much more! The Apprentice Kit includes a [...]
Viva Cundliffe’s carbon catcher may be the next step in green technology, if she has her way with it. Her catcher uses the carbon released by smokestacks and turns it into a product that can be burned again for energy. The “carbon catcher” promoted by Viva Cundliffe promises huge savings to companies that emit carbon [...]
It is often argued that there is no need to reinvent the wheel, but does that apply to wind turbines? Willard Cooper doesn’t think so. Two of his patents are for a renewable energy generating system for electrical power that includes a storage station superior to batteries. Cooper’s third patented design — granted in 2009 [...]
Amit Gupta is an entrepreneur in San Francisco. He has successfully launched photojojo, but now he faces another dilemma. He has acute leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant. Fellow entrepreneurs heard of his dilemma, and the word has spread like wildfire thanks to social media. Gupta’s journey to find a donor hasn’t happened alone. [...]
Calculating Profit For Your Small Biz
MomsCharlotte.com: If you’ve been using a pen and paper system, start by giving yourself a pat on the back for a good start. You deserve credit for thinking about the issue and consistently maintaining records. It sounds like you are ready to take it to the next level, and yes, there are some better ways. [...]
NCCI Offers Debt Collections With Respect
When bills go unpaid, it can cause problems for the company. When these bills continue to go unpaid, sometimes it is important to call in another company that can help you recover some of the debt. That is where a company like National Creditors Connection, Inc. can help. They help companies reconnect with the people [...]
World’s Largest Shopping Mall is Empty
The Globe and Mail: When the New South China Mall opened to great fanfare in 2006, it immediately became the world’s largest shopping centre by floor space, knocking the West Edmonton Mall into second place. Newsweek magazine believed it to be one of the seven “new wonders of the world,” visitors are reminded in a [...]
South Florida Sun-Sentinel: Giving new meaning to the phrase recycle, repurpose, reuse, a Seminole County plastic surgeon is opening a fat bank Friday so patients who have fat removed during liposuction can store it for future use. Cosmetic surgeons who perform fat-transfer procedures typically transfer the patient’s fat immediately after removing it through liposuction, often [...]
Omaha.com: Having trouble keeping your dog safe from zombies? Worried about the wandering undead messing up your neatly manicured lawn? A regional hardware chain with nine stores in Omaha, Council Bluffs and Lincoln is tackling those challenges — and plenty of other zombie-related concerns — with an advertising campaign that’s catching the attention of local [...]
The Surgeon Who Makes Cigar Box Guitars
When most people think of a surgeon, they do not imagine a man putting together a unique cigar box guitar. However, that is exactly who Kirk Withrow is. A patient with a sinus infection introduced him to the instrument during his residency at the University of Alabama Birmingham about 11 years ago and gave him [...]
The Augusta Chronicle: Mad Scientists features amateur inventors, weekend scientists and eccentric engineers who make outrageous “toys” out of everyday products, according to a news release. During the show, host John Bowler challenges them to improve their original invention within 48 hours. Krug, the owner of Krug Technologies LLC by day, said he’s always out [...]
New people invent new games all of the time, but sometimes one of those games will gain a following. For Pickleball, that would be the boomer generation. Krump said the game is similar to tennis but played on a smaller court. “We play with paddles instead of rackets,” she said. “We play with a wiffle [...]
Most entrepreneurs try to think outside the box. Charles Sidi did the exact opposite when he created his business, BizBox, reports AZCentral.com. [The BizBox is] a mobile, solar building with glass walls, display panels and a wraparound deck that can be set up in about 20 minutes. The steel-frame units can be used as portable [...]
The need for more women in business is spreading internationally. While the US is still fighting to introduce more women into big businesses or start their own, Turkey is trying to motivate its own women to consider entrepreneurship. “A country cannot progress or struggle for democracy without women. Becoming a leader cannot be achieved without [...]
The Sacramento Bee: Handmade in the United States of recycled materials, Elizabeth’s features the season’s must-have footwear: peep-toe booties in faux leather that are long on style but short on environmental impact — they are biodegradable and emit no volatile compounds. Faux suede platform heels are versatile, sexy and made from recycled plastic and soft, [...]
Occupy Wall Street Spreading Across The US
Occupy Wall Street protests started on Wall Street, but it has since spread to business owners on streets all across America. Matt Cheuvront, a 25-year-old entrepreneur based in Nashville, Tenn., was all too familiar with the frustrations the Occupy Wall Street protesters are expressing. After being laid off from an online marketing firm soon after [...]
Since Steve Jobs died, there has been a lot of talk about the amazing people he has joined in inventing history. However, there is one man they missed, and he is also the man Jobs looked up to: Edwin H. Land. As the genius behind Polaroid and instant photography, he’s an important man to remember. [...]
Women Who Blaze Their Own Trails
Forbes: Ree Drummond, known to many as the Pioneer Woman, is a mom with an amazing family on a ranch who decided to start a blog detailing their adventures. She didn’t spend tons of money to set up a website, and she didn’t have a major plan, except to share with others about her everyday [...]
When Waitrose decided to stock Fraser Doherty’s SuperJam in its stores, he became the youngest entrepreneur to make it into a major supermarket chain. However, that is not where his achievements end, reports Sunderland Echo. Fraser was just 14 when, using his gran’s recipes, he developed a healthier jam with 100 per cent fruit and [...]
Bryan Van Noy’s journey started after he lost his job. At first he was frustrated, then he decided to start a business. Van Noy’s startup is fighting office sloth by promoting unorthodox activities such as lunges en route to the restroom and hula-hoops in the halls. It relies on a social media platform that encourages [...]
The Weakening Of Small Business
HeraldNet recently asked some entrepreneurs for their take on small business in the future. Has a weak economy permanently harmed small business? Tell us your thoughts in the comments. Phil Bannan, co-owner of Scuttlebutt Brewery Co. I don’t think the long recession will have much of a negative impact on the next generation of entrepreneurs [...]
An Interview With The Inventor Of Budwrap
Last week we profiled a unique invention that made it possible to store earbuds on a bracelet, allowing people to take their earbuds anywhere without losing them. This week I had the opportunity to ask Mark Williams a few questions about the Budwrap, and his goals for the product. Tell us about the Budwrap. The [...]
