Archive for the 'Featured' Category
StepNpull: Open Doors Hands Free
Our next interview in the Get on the Shelf series features Mike Sewell and his product, the StepNpull. What product did you submit to Wal-Mart’s Get on the Shelf contest? We submitted StepNpull which is a hands free door opener designed for commercial latch less doors. It gives the user the option of pulling the [...]
Vote For Your Favorite .biz Domain – Hint! Hint!
My.biz is celebrating ten years of the .biz (dot biz) domain name. To make a party out of it, they’re sharing the success stories of dot biz domain owners and letting the public vote on their favorite one. I’m sure you can think of one dot biz domain to vote for. After all, you’re reading [...]
Q&A With Christmas Caroloke Creator
Our next interview with Walmart’s Get on the Shelf contestants is with Kathy, creator of Christmas Caroloke. What product did you submit to Walmart’s Get on the Shelf contest? We submitted Christmas Caroloke, the ultimate Christmas carol sing-along. Our product is comprised of a standard audio CD of musical accompaniment, along with 6 glossy, full [...]
A Lice Removal Business Opportunity
That was fast. Larada Sciences, makers of the LouseBuster™, mentioned in this previous post, also offer LouseBuster as a business opportunity. Larada Sciences is a science-based medical technology company dedicated to the safe elimination of human head lice infestations. Our revolutionary new product, the LouseBuster device, is a breakthrough medical device that provides a safe, [...]
Niche Website? Just Copy the Old Facebook
Do you have an idea for a website like Facebook, but targeting a specific group of people? Maybe members of a professional group, or hobbyists like beekeepers, or cowboy action shooters. Don’t reinvent the wheel, copy Facebook. Not the Facebook of 2012, of course, but the Facebook that started it all, the Facebook of yesteryear. [...]
Looking for Love in a Stack of Books
When I was young, and single, I used to visit bookstores. Not just because I loved to read, but also because I thought it might have been a good place to meet girls. (It wasn’t.) You can tell a lot about a person by the kinds of books they read. What reader hasn’t made a [...]
Super Bowl Sunday: It’s About the Food
Super Bowl Sunday is now the nation’s second-biggest “food holiday,” trailing only Thanksgiving; and according to a press release put out by the National Restaurant Association, more than 48 million Americans will order takeout or delivery food from a restaurant during the game. Wow! The National Restaurant Association estimates that 48 million Americans will order [...]
In this 17-minute documentary, Michael Garnier, proprietor of the Out’n’About Treehouse Resort in Oregon talks about his tree house business. His bed and breakfast contains the largest concentration of tree houses in the world. He didn’t always build tree houses. In fact, as an Oregon-hippy, he started out trying to make money with his organic, [...]
GoPillow: The Baby Pillow That Travels
Next in our series of interviews with the contestants in Walmart’s Get on the Shelf contest we have Tangela Walker-Craft, the inventor of the GoPillow. What product did you submit to Walmart’s Get on the Shelf contest? The GoPillow!- Uses include, but are not limited to: Breast feeding pillow with built-in privacy cover-up Pillow and [...]
Knowem: Check Every Social Networking Site At Once
Are you tired of having to manually check all of your potential domain names against Twitter, Facebook, and all of the other social media websites? Never again. KnowEm is a website that allow you to check for the use of your brand, product, personal name or username instantly on over 590 popular social media websites.
Entrepreneurship: It’s Not About the Cupcakes
This graphic was inspired by this quote from Jeanette Mulvey, managing editor of BusinessNewsDaily: Being an entrepreneur is almost never about the business you’re in. So, you like cupcakes. Great. That doesn’t necessarily mean you should open a bakery – unless you like working early in the morning, managing lots of people and figuring out [...]
NPR: Everyone knows what an Oreo cookie is supposed to be like. It’s round, black and white, and intensely sweet. Has been for 100 years. But sometimes, in order to succeed in the world, even the most iconic product has to adapt. In China, that meant totally reconsidering what gives an Oreo its Oreoness. But, [...]
Sleboggan: Winter Downhill Fun
In my continuing coverage of Walmart’s Get on the Shelf contest, I’ve just had the pleasure of talk to Bill Herrick, President of Mr. Sleboggan. What product did you submit to Walmart’s Get on the Shelf contest? Sleboggan. Where’d the idea come from? During Christmas 2009 my son, daughter-in-law, and one-and-a-half year-old grandson visited us [...]
Walmart’s Get on the Shelf Contestant Update: Lots of Videos!
Walmart’s Get on The Shelf contest is in full swing. The contest, if you don’t remember is a competition that anyone can enter for the chance to get their product sold on Walmart.com and Walmart stores. Any product in any category currently covered by Walmart is eligible ranging from housewares and electronics to toys and [...]
4 Simple Ways To Protect The Reputation Of Your Small Business Online
If you are trying to run a small business, there is no way to avoid the Internet. No matter what kind of business you operate, you will need to have an online presence. Having an online presence does not include just having a website and posting your most recent innovations to Twitter and Facebook. Consumers [...]
How Does FreeConferenceCall.com Make Money?
FeeFighters.com took a look at how companies like FreeConferenceCall.com make money. Surprisingly, it’s not through up-selling to their premium, for-pay, product. It’s via an “outdated” telecommunication regulation from the telecommunications act of 1996, that’s still on the books, which requires small rural telephone companies to charge larger telephone companies a “termination fee” to access their [...]
Inventions That Changed The Way We Live
Ever wonder what the world have been like if we never had electricity, modern medicine, or the computer? Here are some inventions that helped make our world the way it is today, as shared by SFGate. Antibiotics Alexander Fleming discovered the active substance that he termed “penicillin” while working on the influenza virus. Fleming made [...]
Five Profitable Businesses You’ve Never Thought Of
The following is a guest post from Vit. How are you going about making money? What if you could make money with some of your craziest ideas? Here are five of my favorite off-the-wall businesses: Game Truck – In 2006, Scott Novis, fed up with the experience had at his son’s 4th birthday party in [...]
Where to Find a Business Partner
You have a great idea for a business. You’ve tested it, sold a couple and now want to move onto the next level. Maybe you need some funding for manufacturing or marketing. Perhaps, a technical expert to help you cut costs, or maybe you’re even father along and want to find someone who can run [...]
Device ‘Lends A Hand’ To People In Need
Known as “the hand that makes a difference,” EvenPar Enterprises is a company that was launched by Michael Duncan to help people with a variety of disabilities do some of the things they couldn’t do before. Whether they need to hold a rake, wash a car, or play golf, the Lend-A-Hand can help them do [...]
You will lose some customers. You will lose some friends and family. You will lose the faith of investors. Your idea will become worthless. You will fail some of your employees. You will fail at keeping stress levels low. You won’t make the sale. You’ll be misunderstood. You won’t raise the money you think you [...]
Infographic: Does Unemployment Spark Entrepreneurship?
Infographic provided by Phoenix Training.
Will Someone Please Invent a Hoverboard?
Do you remember the movie Back to the Future 2? In the film, Marty McFly and Doc Brown travel to year 2015, where they encounter all manner of futuristic devices, including flying cars, self adjusting sneakers and hoverboards. There are still three years left before we catch up with the “future”, and unlike self adjusting [...]
Here’s an inspiring story from the National Post that is no longer available online: According to scrapbooking business maven Sue DiFranco, there are big bucks to be made assembling scrapbooks for busy, stupid rich people. Well, she doesn’t exactly put it that way, but on her Fun Facts Publishing Web site she explains that you [...]
5 Things Every Small Biz Owner Should Know About Online Marketing
The following is a guest post by Kari DePhillips. Believe it or not, there’s no secret to online marketing. At least, not any more than there’s a “secret” to algebra. Once the fundamentals are learned, the rest is a total cakewalk…only more fun and profitable. The trick is getting started, which can be intimidating if [...]
What is it About Yogurt and Cupcakes?
The following is a guest post from the Blog Content Guild. If you live in the U.S., you’ve probably noticed that cupcake shops and frozen yogurt shops have been doing increasingly well in the past few years. Both types of shops have been popping up all over the country, and they always seem to be [...]
As 2011 comes to a close, here’s a look back at some of our most popular posts of the year: How I Accidentally Became a Professional Blogger in 2001 Book: Killing Giants: 10 Strategies to Topple the Goliath in Your Industry Amish Raw Milk Smugglers So You Want To Start A Business? Infographic: What Are [...]
Five Star Holiday Decor Offers Entrepreneurs A Five Star Opportunity
While you’re busy taking down all of your holiday decorations this year, just imagine how nice it would be to have someone who would do that job for you. If you enjoy the work, imagine receiving money for taking down decorations around your neighborhood. That is the basic idea behind Five Star Holiday Decor. As [...]
CNN Money: America’s love affair with the irreverent, tacky and politically incorrect is making millions for at least one business. Carson Home Accents, a 41-year-old, family-owned company based in Freeport, Pa., struck gold recently when it started manufacturing and selling RedNek Wine Glasses. The company, a wholesaler of gift and home decor items, started making [...]
Adjustable Swimming Pools: Hidden Water Pools
Hidden Water Pools look like traditional pools until the owner presses a button on the attached control panel. Within seconds, hydraulic lifts, powered by the pool’s own water, slowly raise the floor of the pool up. As the pool floor rises, the water flows to the edges where it then drains beneath the pool floor. [...]
WaveMaster Making Waves In Dock Industry
In October, we featured an article about the WaveMaster boat docking system. His docks are truly a green product, and they are made in the USA. He is an inspiration to many entrepreneurs who hope to follow the same path. We recently got in contact with the founder of WaveMaster, Larry Moody, and asked him [...]
Toy Drive: The Story Of Christmas Toys
Ever wonder what really happens to the Christmas toys that do not sell? Bargain hunters may use that time as an excuse to discount shop after the holidays, but one author, Kay Conageski, wrote a book instead. Kay’s story tells a fun tale about Christmas toys. It also teaches kids about giving to those in [...]
Globe and Mail: On a crisp November morning along Victoria’s Inner Harbour, Harold Aune ambles down the dock, cautiously avoiding a slick coating of frost on the wooden planks beneath his feet. Stopping next to a half-dozen gleaming white rowing skiffs, he dials up his company’s website on an iPhone and makes a one-hour reservation. [...]
Megabus: You Can Privatize Public Transportation
When libertarians and bright-eyed liberals talk privatization, one of the things that the liberals always ask is “how can we possibly privative public transportation?” One word: Megabus. Megabus is a city-to-city, express bus service. Their regular price for a round trip ticket between Washington DC and New York City is $8 per person. Compare that [...]
Why You Should Start a Dog Walking Business
The following is a guest post by Jim Masterson, author of How to Start a Dog Walking Business: Dog Walking Jobs For Fun and Profit. Have you ever considered starting your very own dog walking business? If so, you’re not alone, and the timing couldn’t be better for you. That’s because a dog walking business [...]
A Little Inspiration For Inventors Of All Ages
Susan’s journey began long before she began writing, but it was her turn as author that helped inspire women and children to find the inventor within. It was through her books that she found another calling as a public speaker. I recently asked Susan Casey a few questions about who she is, and what inspired [...]
Find Your Ideas Outside Your Own Country
International vacations can be a great way to come up with new business ideas. When you’re outside of your normal environment, and even more so, when outside of your cultural comfort zone, you’ll be exposed to many interesting and innovative ideas and opportunities that with a just a little localization might be just right for [...]
Although it’s nice to know where your ancestors originate, it’s not always fun trying to teach that piece of family history to your child. Instead of sitting down with a complicated list of things you want them to know, next time just buy the My Heritage Book. Deanna Bufo Novak always held a special place [...]
Business Week: World Entomophagy is one of a growing number of insect suppliers that promote bugs as food. For humans. Encouraged by media attention, TV shows like Fear Factor, and growing concerns about the threat of overpopulation to the food supply, Americans—at least a few—are warming to the idea. “In the past three years, interest [...]
Long before its official release date last week, everyone has been trying to get a handle on what the Kindle Fire is when compared to the iPad. Thanks to pre-ordering and one day shipping, I became the proud owner of this device on Tuesday. After spending a week playing on it, I believe I can [...]
Assessing Feedback on Startup Ideas: Avoiding Dangerous but Common Pitfalls
The following is a guest post by Dr. Mark Simon, Ph.D. So, let’s say that you have an idea for a new business that you think is a “real winner!” You personally believe that the product or service behind your startup idea will be desired by enough consumers to earn a consistent profit, and you’re [...]
Slate: One of my favorite parables is about a man who arrives in a village with what he claims is a magic stone. Put the stone into a pot of water over a fire, he says, add a just few ingredients—some vegetables, some old ham bones, a few spices—and soon you will have a delicious, [...]
Vend Natural Provides Quick Snacks Without The Junk
The vending world is filled with junk food and soda. When a company like Vend Natural of Tennessee pops up to offer healthier options, it is a trend people are willing to embrace. The nation is growing in ways that are not good for our health, and Vend Natural is hoping to fight our bad [...]
Get Ready for the Senior (Citizen) Invasion
As the percentage of senior citizens in the world increase, businesses have been quietly getting themselves ready for the trend. For years supermarkets have been going crazy trying to speed up the checkout process to get people out of their stores more quickly. Self-checkouts and express lanes have been installed and then expanded in most [...]
Govliquidation.com: eBay for the Pentagon
The auction site Govliquidation.com has been called “eBay for the Pentagon”. It lets civilians bid for surplus military assets — from tanks and generators to missile guidance systems and buses. The site has also helped a number of small entrepreneurs strike out on their own for next to nothing. Forbes has some of their stories: [...]
LA Times: Meet Silicon Valley’s version of Martha Stewart. Stewart may have invented lifestyle branding, but Brit Morin is determined to give it a digital makeover. Morin, a 25-year-old former employee of Apple and Google, is launching a new lifestyle brand that she describes as a cross between Real Simple and Wired magazines. She says [...]
What It’s Really Like to Run a B&B
A reader wrote: My wife is interested in starting a Bed & Breakfast. She think’s it’ll be all roses, but I’m not sure. Do you have any information about what it’s really like? I do. In fact, in today’s Wall Street Journal, there’s an article that attempts to dissuade potential bed and breakfast owners from [...]
Branding Yourself With Branders.com
Starting a company is just one step in a long list of many things you need to do if you want to succeed. Promoting yourself is another, and that is where Branders.com can help. Branders offers a variety of products for you to choose from. Once you’ve decided on the product you’d like to put [...]
Creative Coffins: Go Out in Style
A UK company called Creative Coffins allows customers to create their own personalized coffins. The coffins are made from 60% recycled paper combined with wood pulp. More from their website: Environmentally sympathetic, our cartonboard coffins are suitable for both burial and cremation. We have a large range of pre-designed coffins that are available through your [...]
Painting With a Twist is a national chain of franchised businesses that offers instructor led painting classes. The twist is that the students can bring their own favorite bottle of wine. All of the painting supplies are provided, including paint, canvas, and brushes. The instructor, usually a local artist, leads students through an evening of [...]
