Author Archives: Rich Whittle
Boy Scouts Add New Merit Badge For Invention
The Boy Scouts of America do good, we all know that. And now they do invention. According to Fast Company, the 100-year-old organization has teamed up with MIT’s Lemelson program, founded by the father of modern invention in America, Jerome H. Lemelson, to provide a new merit badge: that of invention. Aside from defining what [...]
CPAs Help Entrepreneurs Succeed
According to Suite101, the services of Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) often extend beyond helping clients file their tax returns. They are often found behind the front lines helping start-up business owners realize their dreams no matter what they may be. Borrowing on his own experience in opening his office in the mid 1990s, Adonu “Don” [...]
One Cool Inventor, One Cool Innovator
IndyStar.com reports that Andrew Shelton was just 21 years old, a junior at Wabash College, when he had an idea for a new product: a backpack cooler that keeps drinks cold and easy to carry. He got the idea after lugging an oversized cooler to the Indianapolis 500 with a friend, with drinks spilling everywhere. [...]
How Much Should You Pay Yourself?
Jay Goltz at The New York Times has his answer to this question. Actually, there is a simple answer. I think business owners should pay themselves whatever is left — whatever is left, that is, after everyone and everything else has been paid and after money for growth and paying down debt has been factored [...]
Has the novelty of poking, status updates and photo tagging worn off for teens and their notoriously short attention spans? Mashable reports that a survey conducted by online gaming site Roiworld found that teenagers are showing signs of “Facebook Fatigue.” Teens still spend an impressive 80 percent of their internet time on social networking sites, [...]
Small Bizs Added 18,000 New Jobs
Marketwatch reports that small business employment grew by 0.09 percent in June, equating to a 1.10 percent annual growth rate, according to the latest Intuit Inc.Small Business Employment Index. This translates to approximately 18,000 new jobs in June and a revised estimate of 330,000 total new jobs since October 2009. The monthly report is based [...]
How They Did It….The Old Spice Commercial
Last Thursday, we showed you an incredible TV commercial about Old Spice deoderant. Isaiah Mustafa, the actor in the commercial, appeared on the G4 TV program and spilled some of the secrets behind the commercial.
Sam’s Club Offers Small Biz Loans
USA TODAY is reporting that Sam’s Club said it will offer small business loans of up to $25,000 to its small business members. The division of Wal-Mart, based in Bentonville, Ark., is testing a program with Superior Financial Group, one of 13 federally licensed non-bank lenders, and will offer $5,000 to $25,000 loans to members [...]
According to The Unoffical Aple Weblog, artists are taking to the iPad like ducks to water. The device seems to be a natural tool for many artists to use, and the public is now starting to see the fruits of the relationship in the form of some startling and beautiful digital art. Kyle Lambert is [...]
According to the New York Daily News, Beck Johnson had a business plan, his startup funding a dream of opening an ice cream stand, but first he needed a variance from the Sunapee zoning board to open in a residential zone. He admits being a bit “freaked out” before his presentation, but ultimately got the [...]
Two Guys And Their Bacon Explosion
The Kansas City Star reports that It’s not hard to come up with theories on how the Bacon Explosion got its name, but here’s the real story, straight from the pig’s snout: It was December 2008, and Jason Day had something to show his barbecue contest teammate Aaron Chronister. Day, having thrown back some holiday [...]
Invention Allows You To Insert Batteries Any Way You Like
If you have used a digital camera or any gadget that requires batteries, occasionally you insert the batteries the wrong way preventing the device from working till you switch them around. GadgetVenue reports that Microsoft has invented a new technology called InstaLoad that allows a device to be powered regardless of which way you put [...]
Officials Promote Niche Tourism
2 According to The Billings Gazette, some state officials are convinced that there are riches in the niches for many overlooked Wyoming tourist spots if promoters can attract “rut nuts” and “culture vultures.” Cultural tourism is niche tourism, but they will come if they have something that is promoted for them to come and see,” [...]
Florida Tests Inventors’ Sand-Cleaning Ideas
The Associated Press reports that Florida officials are seeking inventors to save the state’s pristine beaches from the Gulf of Mexico spill. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection organized a demonstration by 10 U.S. and Canadian inventors to find the best methods to clean tar off an oil-fouled section of Pensacola Beach. Eight others were [...]
We will buy many products in our lifetime. Many times packaging, marketing and advertising will make a difference in which brand we choose to purchase. However, even before a product is manufactured, wrapped up and shipped out, it has to have a name. The moment the product is given a name, a crucial marketing decision [...]
Andrea Parrish and Peter Geyer — aka the “Wedding Can Couple” — say they’ve reached their goal of recycling 400,000 aluminum cans to pay for their July 31 nuptials. Parrish told Green House that she figured recycling cans would be an eco-friendly way to fund their $3,800 DIY wedding. She set up a website and [...]
Amazon Offers Huge Royalties To Kindle Authors
Thinking about self-publishing a book? Stop thinking and just do it! Amazon has a new business model that may give you half a chance at actually making some money off the deal. Inc.com is reporting that Amazon is now offering 70% of net sales in royalties to authors. No publishers or agents needed to wet [...]
We first told you about them back in March. Silly Bandz are rubber bands, often in neon colors, that are shaped like everyday objects: a guitar, a baseball bat, a princess. Unlike the beige round elastics stashed in your desk drawer, these are meant to be worn on the wrist, and they snap back into [...]
Why Can’t All TV Commercials Be This Entertaining?
Editor’s Note: I don’t know if it sells any Old Spice, but it entertains for 32 seconds and I’d love to see the outtakes.
Turn Wristband Into iPhone 4 Saver
There’s one surefire way to solve the iPhone 4 antenna problem: don’t let your hand or fingers come in contact with its metal band. Easier said than done, right? Unless you’re willing to constantly use the speakerphone, a headset, or a pair of gloves, your only viable option is to keep the iPhone in a [...]
Recycling is expanding from newspapers and bottles to entire houses as foreclosures, tax credits and landfill costs prompt businesses and non-profit organizations to salvage materials from old homes. According to USA TODAY, stores are springing up to sell used lumber, appliances, cabinetry and flooring. Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit that builds and rehabs affordable homes, [...]
According to VentureBeat, most people think of innovation as a “Eureka!” moment – or something that comes from hours upon hours of tinkering. But Josh Makower, CEO of ExploraMed, argues that innovation is a skill that can be taught in this Entrepreneur Thought Leader lecture given at Stanford University. By studying what propels innovation, he [...]
Six Ways For Small-Biz Owners To Save Money
The Wall Street Journal takes a look at six ways to save money without drastically changing your business practices.
1-In-5 Small Biz Owners Don’t Use Any Credit
The Dallas Morning News reports that a survey released by the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy says one in five small businesses nationwide don’t use any form of credit at all.
The Boston Globe reports that this week fishermen are getting $5 a pound for lobsters. Maine retailers double the price; the farther you go from the source, the higher the price. The discrepancy is dramatic enough for Dan Cosby and Amber Heffner to reinvent their livelihood. They just launched Crate to Plate, modeled after Community [...]
According to CNNMoney, software entrepreneur Daniel Putterman knew he’d collected too many files — videos, photos, songs, documents — to keep on his personal computer. But for all his digital savvy, he couldn’t figure out the best place to store his heaps of information.
Small Town Gets Boost From Twilight Craze
Inc.com reports that Annette Root is a full-fledged Twilight entrepreneur, and she’s not the only one. The new tourist culture has gradually inspired a fresh batch of small businesses in and around Forks, Washington. Forks is the place that inspired author Stephenie Meyer used as the setting to her now-epically famous book series, Twilight. From [...]
According to WalletPop, the UPS Store has launched a new product, which it calls “luggage boxes,” marketed as a product to enable customers to get out of paying airline baggage fees by shipping their possessions ahead of time.
Minneapolis Offers Free Internet Access
Govfresh.com reports that Minneapolis now offers citizens free Internet access from 117 “Wireless Minneapolis” hotspots.
Why Are Weddings So Expensive?
The modern American couple starts life with a heavy financial burden: In a big city like Chicago, the average wedding costs between $22,500 and $37,500. Yet in the 1930s, it was cheap, costing around $400. There’s no question that wedding prices are out of control. What went wrong?
Marilyn Monroe’s Chest X-Ray Sells For $45,000
Someone must’ve really liked Marilyn Monroe – either that or chest X-ray – because they’ve shelled out $45,000 for it, reports Neatorama. A 1954 x-ray of the stunning starlet’s chest sold at auction in Las Vegas on Sunday for a sizable $45,000. This was well above the estimated $800 to $1,200 it was expected to [...]
Fans Of “Facebook With Training Wheels”
The San Jose Mercury News checks in with the creator of Togetherville, a website often called “Facebook with training wheels.” Although he declined to discuss figures, the website’s creator says parents are embracing the idea of a social networking site where they have the control. The company, which just secured venture capital funding, says it [...]
Recurve, a six-year-old construction company in the Bay Area, focuses on energy audits and “home performance retrofits”—that is, making houses use less energy, reports Bloomberg Businessweek. The company is also developing software to help other contractors record, track, and report data on energy savings for clients. Founder Matt Golden says Recurve’s employees help about 30 [...]
Can A Ball Help Kids Learn Braille?
Imagine if you could pick up Braille just by playing with a ball. Fast Company reports that a new conceptual toy by recent Pratt grad Danielle Pecora is designed precisely for that. Be-B is a ball that helps kids, blind or not, learn Braille through touch and sound. Looking a bit like a stiff Koosh [...]
States Ease Food Safety Rules For Homemade Goods
The Associated Press reports that federal and state laws require that most food sold to the public be made in licensed facilities open to government inspectors. But as more people become interested in buying local food, a few states have created exemptions for amateur chefs who sell homemade goods at farmers markets and on small [...]
According to The Morning Sentinel, it’s easy to learn, fun, and extremely popular, say those who play pickleball. Say what? Yes, pickleball. You might call it a cross between badminton, pingpong and tennis. It’s played with a net, paddles and a ball with holes in it, similar to a Wiffle ball. The game, while developed [...]
Inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil sat in his office late last week, confidently spinning scenarios with timelines that stretched to 2020, 2030, and beyond, according to The Boston Globe. But the near-future was also on his mind: WorldFuture 2010, the annual conference organized by the World Future Society, scheduled for July 8-10 at the Westin [...]
Microfinance Goes Where Banks Fear To Tread
Gentle Parking has grown quickly since William Ortiz-Cartagena started the San Francisco company two years ago. He now employs 25 people and says he turns a decent profit running six parking lots, including two he manages for the city. When he decided to bid on a contract to run another city-owned lot, though, two banks [...]
The Early Bird Really Does Get The Worm
People whose performance peaks in the morning are better positioned for career success, because they’re more proactive than people who are at their best in the evening. According to Harvard Business Review, biologist Christoph Randler surveyed 367 university students, asking what time of day they were most energetic and how willing and able they were [...]
Founder and president Sarah Beatty bills Green Depot as the country’s largest green building supplier, with 10 showrooms and 20 warehouses across the Northeast. She says the fast-growing business isn’t expanding merely for the sake of growth, but to make sustainable building products accessible and affordable so they can be easily adopted in standard construction. [...]
Work At Home Scams Popping Up On Twitter
With thousands of people out of a job right now work at home schemes are popping up all over the internet, Vegas’ 13 Action News reports. The latest one involves Twitter. Scammers are using the pitch that you can make money by sending emails or posting links on Twitter or by placing ads on Google [...]
Should You Pay To Trademark Your Product Or Service?
According to a story at VentureBeat, filing for a federal trademark can be an expensive endeavor, costing thousands of dollars. So unless you have the resources, it might be best to try more cost effective ways of protecting your brand. The good news is you don’t necessarily have to do anything to have a protectable [...]
Get Others To Promote Your Biz
Dead Apple Tours organizes tours to the sites where famous New Yorker’s have died or where New York City deaths have taken place. Smallbiztechnology.com spoke with Drew Raphael, founder of Dead Apple Tours about his company’s growth and online marketing. Photo by Dead Apple Tours.
According to the New York Daily News, this baseball cap is totally kosher. A Manhattan man has invented what he calls the “yamulkap,” a yarmulke with a brim like a baseball cap so religious men can get some shade. Seth Mosler, 59, who is Jewish but not strictly observant, was walking through Central Park two [...]
Niche Biz: Emergency Pet Transport
Cheryl Brady, owner of Vet Care Express, said she founded the Bradenton business in November because there was a big need for emergency transportation for sick and injured animals, reports Bradenton.com. After helping a friend who had run over a dog, Brady began to wonder what she would have done if the animal had survived [...]
Todd Smith, Jess Lin, and Greg Wong, partners at a design firm in New York, started Hello Rewind in February to help victims of sex trafficking in New York. Bloomberg Businessweek reports that the company makes custom sleeves for laptops out of old t-shirts, but its underlying mission is to help sex trafficking victims prepare [...]
Young Food Entrepreneurs Make Their Future By Hand
Young, college-educated, Internet-savvy, unemployed and hoping to find a place in the food world outside the traditional route, Fabiana Lee, is typical of the city’s dozens of new food entrepreneurs. The New York Times reports that as the next generation of cooks comes of age, it seems that many might bypass restaurant kitchens altogether. Instead, [...]
Stop Using The “Bad Thing” Label
Whenever something happens that is not in line with our desires, we get disappointed. We stick the label “bad thing” on it. And when we do, we experience it as such. In truth, we do not know whether something unexpected is “good” or “bad,” and we may never know, writes Success magazine. When Greyston Bakery [...]
Another Blow To Small Biz Credit
With revenues at his six-employee construction business on track to jump 10 percent this year, to $2 million, Gary Desilets thought he’d be able to get credit pretty easily. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, as it turns out, securing financing is harder than he expected because his trade creditors—suppliers that let companies buy now and pay [...]
The editors at Esquire mined Google Patents for the strangest culinary creations going back to 1935, then looked into whether they’re being produced today. You know, just in case you want a hamburger bun shaped like a bear. Combined Hot Dog and Pretzel, Robert M. Kempher, 1990 Still in production? Yes. Auntie Anne’s makes Pretzel [...]
