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Basement Businesses: Tree Enterprises
December 29, 2011 by Angela Shupe | News
Success is not easy, but with persistence it is not impossible. That is something Tish Terry has learned since launching her company in her father’s basement 32 years ago. Tree Enterprises has grown slowly, but success for her company is not far.
She realized there was a market for children’s rest mats and sheets and baby bibs. So, she launched a business.
“I’m the janitor. I sweep the floors. I clean. I cut. I go out in the bad weather and bring things in. I deliver. Paperwork. I do it all…I’m not a control freak, but I do know what I want,” Terry said.
That personal touch is woven into the fabric of her business.
“I don’t want anybody to ever call me and say, ‘I don’t like this’ or ‘It’s poor quality…This will keep you honest when you’re the person who answers the phone. When you are the sole contact with your customer. If they have a problem with your product, you are responsible for it,” Terry said.
Tish says being your own boss is actually more stressful than working for someone else.
Owning a small business creates a lot of personal pressure, but Tish says the pride her products bring her is far greater.
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Tags: Babies, Ecommerce, Internet, Success, Women
Redesigning Snow Removal
December 29, 2011 by Angela Shupe | Inventions
Where there is a problem there is often an inventor nearby who is trying to find a solution. With snow falling in many different states, the latest inventor to receive the spotlight is Patrick Burke. He has redesigned the snow shovel based on his own need for comfort.
He said his goal was to eliminate the need to scoop up a shovel of snow, twist at the hips and throw the snow away from the pavement, actions that can cause pain or injury to back muscles.
Burke said there was a lot of trial and error as he tested and rejected a number of designs before he came up with the Shove-It prototype.
He said once he had made and tested the prototype of the current design, he used it for about eight hours moving snow and found he no longer came home with a sore and aching back, so he figured he had something that worked well.
The device he created is a single snow-shovel blade with two handles. The inventor explained that the operator holds the handles at hip level and pushes the shovel down the walk, moving the snow ahead of him because the shovel acts like a snow plow. He said raising the one arm tilts the blade and shoves the show off to either the right or left, depending on which arm is raised.
Photo by Jamie McGibbon
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Tags: Inventors, Weather
Universities Failing Female Inventors
December 29, 2011 by Angela Shupe | News
Bloomburg BusinessWeek:
Male academics are much more likely than their female counterparts to start companies to exploit their inventions, studies show. That’s a problem, because if female academics aren’t building businesses based on their research, they aren’t benefiting from the rewards that high-growth, high-tech companies emerging from universities provide.
Why aren’t women starting university spinoffs at the same rate as men? Researchers have posited several explanations, including the relatively small number of senior female academics in science and engineering, greater exposure of male academics to the business community, less commercially relevant research by female professors, and greater personal and professional responsibilities for women academics.
Why do you think more male than female students are inventing — and succeeding — with their inventions?
Photo by Ralph Daily
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Tags: Education, Inventors, Women
Five Star Holiday Decor Offers Entrepreneurs A Five Star Opportunity
December 28, 2011 by Angela Shupe | Biz Ops, Featured, Interviews
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 their tagline states, they offer a five star holiday decor service without the five star price.
I recently had the opportunity to ask a few questions about the company and their Five Star Holiday Decor franchise opportunity.
Tell us a little about Five Star Holiday Decor.
Five Star Holiday Décor provides premium lighting and Christmas tree delivery services, taking the hassle out of people’s holidays so they can enjoy the aesthetic spirit of the season without having to deal with hanging lights or lugging a tree home.
What inspired it?
Five Star Holiday Décor is part of Five Star Franchising. Five Star Franchising began in 2000 when five lifelong friends franchised their own painting company called Five Star Painting. In 2008, they were inspired to create Five Star holiday Décor to unseasonalize their business and boost their bottom line during a traditionally slow time for painting.
Continue reading Five Star Holiday Decor Offers Entrepreneurs A Five Star Opportunity
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Tags: decorating, Franchising, Holidays, Seasonal
