Roll Your Own TV Network?
Here’s an interesting idea out of India: ATV. Basically it’s a business opportunity TV network that is run on late night Indian television as an infomercial.
Their advertising and sponsorship PDF is here.
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Mail That Caters To Kids With A Side Of Education
Sher-Lee’s kids were intrigued by the idea of receiving mail but, unfortunately, they almost never received any. Inspired by their interest, Sherri-Lee formulated a business that would deliver postcards to those kids who loved to receive mail.
35 Minute Video: How To Make Facebook Make You Money
Facebook Fan Pages are changing marketing for the better. Watch this video and find out how.
Weird Invention: Treadmobile
Weird Invention: Treadmobile
When you imagine walking on a treadmill, you don’t envision yourself your traveling anywhere, right? The inventors of the Speedfit Treadmobile obviously don’t think inside your box, because they’ve invented a treadmill that travels! See the video below.
10 Ways to Promote Your Online Business
photo credit: Jesse757
If you have a home-based internet business you need to get the word out and attract people to your site. There are several ways to do this. Just remember to have a budget and stick to it. Make a plan and do something every day to promoteyour business. It is a competitive world out there so try to be unique and original.
Your advertising needs to pop out at people to get their attention. If they’ve seen it a hundred times, they’re not going to pay attention to yours. Make your potential customers want to see what you have to offer and want to keep coming back for more. It can be challenging and hard work, but in the end it will all be worth it when your businesses a success.
Here are some of the things you can do to advertise your home based internet business. Promotion, both online and off, can bring customers to your business:
Make a unique and exciting web page. If you are working online, this will be the heart and soul of your business. Make it as interesting as possible. You want potential customers to want to stay and read all the information you have to offer and buy your products.
Write original articles and submit them to article directories. Use your website in your resource box and people will visit your website if the article intrigues them enough.
Green Irene Joins Direct Selling Association
Green Irene a popular eco-friendly network marketing company we’ve written about in the past, has been approved as an official member of the Direct Selling Association. Green Irene, a national eco-consulting company, completed a one-year rigorous approval process culminating with the approval of its membership by DSA’s Board of Directors. DSA is a highly regarded national trade association of leading firms that manufacture and distribute goods and services sold directly to consumers.
Green Irene offers Green Home Makeovers, Green Office Makeovers, GO GREEN Workshops and green home and office products through local Green Irene Eco-Consultants. Through these services, Eco-Consultants assist families and co-workers implement proven green solutions in their homes and small businesses. Eco-Consultants also start them on the path to a healthier, safer and more sustainable lifestyle while saving money by reducing the use of energy, water and other resources.
Full release after the jump.
Continue reading Green Irene Joins Direct Selling Association
5 Tips For Entrepreneurial Students
1) Save for your dream. It’s coming
I started my company on the small inheritance my late mother had left me when she passed away 20 years ago. This was the savings I would nuture and grow and one day, when the time was right, finally put towards my dream – whatever that was going to be.2) Be nice. To everyone.
When I first started my company last summer, I went to everyone who would lend their ear and advice. Some of those people I had not seen in years. One, my old colleague, Bernie Milan, from my days at New York Times Digital, gave me stellar advice and contacts to help move my idea forward.3) Be ready to help anyone at any time.
I have talked about karma a lot in this blog. As an entrepreneur, I cannot tell you how much karma has helped with the success of SavvyAuntie.com.4) You’re not entitled to feel entitled.
You’ve got to earn your respect. Listen before your talk. Really. Listen. Listen good and hard. There is a lot to learn out there.5) Read.
Read something that will teach you about how best to succeed in your field of choice, every day. Find blogs that guide you. Buy books that teach you. Read the news. Read. Read. Read.Photo by shlomaster.
Home Biz: Bicycle Repair
In many parts of the country, this business tends to be seasonal, but you can find ways around that.
Rent a storage unit and offer to store people’s bicycles over the winter after you do a tune-up and any needed repairs on them.
If you want to cater to the Lance Armstrong wannabes, you can have business all year round. These road race riders are training through snow, sleet and dark of night.
Some of them work on their own bicycles, but many of them don’t, so you can get their business all year.
And if you keep Saturday shop hours, you can be sure you will have a group of enthusiasts coming by to talk all things cycling.
Photo by mmagallan.
Recession Fuels Frugal Mommy Bloggers
photo credit: Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
Breitbart has an important story about the rise of the Frugal Mommy Bloggers today.
The recession is clearly fueling the popularity of mother-oriented blogs that focus on penny pinching. But it’s difficult to estimate how many there are because many female bloggers who used to limit themselves to such areas as gardening and weddings now include money-saving tips.
They list the top 5 based, in part on Twitter chatter!
This is important to you if you’ve ever wanted to BE a “Frugal Mommy Blogger” because as this AP Story shows: Stores are tapping into the power of Frugal Mommy Bloggers!
What started out as tips to save money are helping some bloggers earn revenue from a variety of sources.
But it also shows that corporations are actively researching the brands’ standing with consumers based on comments on Twitter and forums and other social media.
Investing in Lawsuits
photo credit: ttarasiuk
Now this is an interesting idea. Juridica Capital Management invests in lawsuits.
The investing companies say that because they do not take control of the lawsuit from the company and lawyers waging it, their most important task is identifying cases likely to produce a substantial return. That means, for example, rejecting claims that raise novel legal questions or that will probably end up before a jury, Mr. Fields said.
“Juries are a coin toss,” and that is too much uncertainty, he said. The company also avoids cases where the outcomes are difficult to predict because they could draw political attention or could be reversed on appeal, and cases in which the other side lacks deep pockets.
When considering a case, the investors talk to the company and its lawyers about the facts and about their legal strategy. They also seek analysis from outside specialists, usually experienced lawyers.
Just shows that there’s a way to make money from everything.
Best Lemonade Stand
Inc. magazine is getting ready to start their 4th Annual Best Lemonade Stand in America contest. If you’re between 5 and 12 and live in the United States you can enter your stand starting on June 18th. So find the perfect spot, taste test those recipes, build and paint your stand, and craft your pitch, because this is a great summer for a lemonade stand.
‘Work At Home’ Jobs That Really Work
The hottest Google search right now is “work at home.”
Experts warn many work at home jobs are scams, but some are legit and could work for you in a down economy.
“I love working at home,” said Treena Scism who works from home for VIPDesk.com.
Scism works as a virtual concierge of sorts. She makes dinner reservations and books travel packages for her clients. However, unlike the concierge you might find at a hotel, Scism does her job from the comfort of home.
“The biggest savings for me was childcare, I have four children,” said Jessica LaFlesch who works for Arise Virtual Solutions.
Arise Virtual Solutions serves as a virtual contact center, handling incoming calls and online customer service for such clients as AAA, Home Depot and Carnival Cruise Lines.
“I’m actually ahead,” claims LaFlesch. “When you factor in what I’m not paying for: gas, food, trips to the vending machine, all those things add up. I’ve got more money in my pocket now than I did before.”
Jackie Mygrant works as a scheduling manager for KSS International, coordinating mystery shoppers around the world.
KSS international hires so-called mystery shoppers, people who go in to business like Circle K or Dunkin Donuts and report back to them about everything from the quality of their products to the cleanliness of their stores.
Photo by lightfusio.
GDP Hints Recession Is Moderating
The U.S. economy shrank slightly less in the first quarter than initially estimated, while corporate profits rebounded, according to government data on Friday that pointed to moderation in the recession.
Perceptions that the worst of the 17-month-old downturn was over pushed consumer confidence to its highest in eight months in May, and a report showing business activity in New York City expanded in May for the first time since January 2008 offered a further hint the recession was abating.
Gross domestic product, which measures total goods and services output within U.S. borders, contracted at a 5.7 percent annual rate in the first quarter, the U.S. Commerce Department said, less than the initial 6.1 percent estimate. This followed a 6.3 percent fall in the fourth quarter.
While the drop was still steep, recent data, such as housing and new filings for unemployment benefits, have hinted at an easing in the rate at which the economy was tumbling and many economists expect growth to resume by year-end.
Still, output has declined for three straight quarters for the first time since 1974-1975 in a contraction that is the deepest since at least the 1950s. Already, the recession is the longest since the Great Depression, although much less severe.
Photo by greyman.
2009 Redesign
The first stage, of our 2009 redesign is now live. If you’re reading this in a feed reader, click on over and check out the new look and features. If you find anything that doesn’t quite work, or look right, please leave a comment on this post.
Thanks!
Make Your Copy Bulletproof
photo credit: uberzombie
Whether you are writing a simple article, a cornerstone blog post, or a landing page designed to breathe life into your budding dreams, there might be nothing more important than the care you give to crafting your argument.
CopyBlogger recently posted a very interesting article regarding how to make sure your copy is truly bulletproof and enabling you to sell more. Now it is important to remember that it is just impossible to sell to EVERYONE, it doesn’t happen even for the best business person. But if there is even a slight chance that your prospect is interested in buying, then make sure you turn that into a definite.
Have someone close to you who is a skeptic of everything read your copy first, if you can sell them, then you are sure to sell your prospects. Try having someone who is a touchy feely type of person read your copy. Customers often like to feel touched and even moved by something they read.
We all know someone in our lives who is weary of everything and often times does not buy into much of anything. This is a great person to have read your copy, because once again if you can get past their weariness and get them to buy into what they read, then there is definite hope for your prospects.
What can you add to making your copy bulletproof?
Know How Your Bank Thinks
photo credit: gutter
If your getting ready to start your own business, or even if you already have an established business but need a loan for various reasons, it is necessary to understand how your bank thinks when going to borrow money. This way if you understand how they think, you will be well prepared for various questions and scenarios.
The New York Times recently posted an article related to the thinking patterns of banks and what you need to know going in there. When smaller banks are concerned, they while being somewhat affected by the recession are still looking at it as business as usual for them. They are still thriving off of small business loans in their community.
A Lot of your larger banks that are handling large loans in the millions are very cautious these days, they tend to make the borrower jump through many hoops to make sure their loan is needed and will be paid back. Which is actually a good thing them being so choosy, because if they weren’t then we would find ourselves in the same predicament next year.
Bankers say that small-business owners looking for a loan should start by knowing which business measures — debt-to-equity ratio, for example, or net margins — lenders focus on when evaluating loan applications in their industry.
What The Recession Should Have Taught You
photo credit: optimal tweezers
During this recession we have all seen many changes in business including some closing, cutting of staff, higher prices in some, shorter hours of operation and more. With all of this change going on and hard times, there are many lessons that should have been learned as suggested on Open Forum.
Start really focusing on customer service. Yes this should have been a priority all along, but more now than ever it should be at the very top of your list. Customers have come accustomed now to shopping everywhere to find the best service and prices for their time and money, so make sure you are at the top of their list.
Rather than lowering your prices, try to think of ways that you can repackage or reevaluate your product so that you can add more value to the brand and product for your customers.
Keep long-term objectives. Those growth projections, innovations and market opportunities you identified last year are still valuable drivers for the long-term health and direction of your business – don’t abandon them.
What have you learned throughout this recession?
Niche Biz: Evalusafe
As the frailty of growing older begins to set in, many people insist on staying put in their homes rather than moving into senior-living facilities.
But private residences often aren’t structurally equipped to allow maximum mobility and ease of living for the elderly.
With that in mind, business partners John O’Callaghan and Ronald Turnier saw a need and an opportunity, especially given the country’s changing demographics — or, as O’Callaghan said, “the tsunami wave of aging upon our shores.”
“The goal for almost everyone (working) in this arena of aging is to have the individual live independently, safe in their own home,” he said.
When O’Callaghan and Turnier founded Evalusafe LLC in the fall of 2007, they expected a sizable portion of business to come from a consulting service to assess homes, suggest specific modifications and provide cost estimates for the work.
People aren’t always eager to have someone come into their home and tell them what changes they need to make, O’Callaghan acknowledged, and the assessments haven’t become the revenue generator the partners expected.
Instead, the bulk of the company’s income is derived from the sale and installation of equipment.
Photo by Business First.
Smarter IT Projects
photo credit: kwerfeldein
Like air travel, IT projects deliver too little, too late, for too much. (Share your views about working with IT by participating in this survey.) Smart “IT travelers” know how to increase the likelihood of getting to their destination, on time and on budget, provided that they keep a few principles in mind.
Susan Cramm recently did an article containing some tips on smarter IT projects. Make sure that you are prepared for delays. Things rarely go exactly as planned and delays can become expensive if they are not planned for.
Dont overpack, meaning try to focus on the absolute necessary items needed for the project rahter than focusing on the things that you think it would be nice to have or that might come in handy.
Dont stay in one place for too long. If there is a large IT project then try to break it up into several smaller pieces or projects that can be accomplished one at a time. Try putting the smaller pieces into stages that can be delivered one at a time and provide results within a reasonable amount of time.
Kristi G Bags Look Good And Hide Baby Wipes Too
Handbags come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. With all the handbag designs available on the market there has never been anything quite as unique as the Kristi G diaper bag. Yes, you read that right.
The Kristi G bags are made to look like an everyday handbag with the sensability that comes with a diaper bag. They’re made to handle the essentials and a little extra. Besides their style, what really makes them unique is the hidden baby wipe pocket design. With a simple zip and pull moms are able to pull out as many wipes as they need, tuck them back in, then zip it all up again.
What inspired you to create your stylish diaper bags?
A thought came to me one day about pulling out a wipe directly from the bag. After that, I started researching 50,000+ other bags to see what was missing. I wanted to create a bag that mom could use when diaper duty did NOT call. Researching thousands of fabrics and styles was fun, but overwhelming to narrow it down to only a few.
Continue reading Kristi G Bags Look Good And Hide Baby Wipes Too
Are You Being Paid For Your Time
photo credit: bogenfreund
In a world today where companies are downsizing right and left and employees are out looking for more secure and better jobs, we all must ask the question of if we are truly getting paid for our time at work and all the little thing’s we do during our day.
The problem is that there’s no cost difference to the HR department between getting 10 people to take an online course versus getting 10,000 to take it. And in an atmosphere of fear and cutbacks, the trend in the corporate world is to make more of these “cheap,” “global” requests and put ever more burdens on the individual office worker: more policies, more training, more announcements. To the requester, sending that mass email email is easy. The hard part falls to the requestee.
Think back on what you were hired for within your company, and over the years think about all the tasks and projects that have now been added to your duties and think about your salary, has it increased in direct proportion with all that you now do?
Harvard Business recently suggested that that time equals money, and if you are being handed these “cheap email” requests that are in deed taking up your time, then you should definitely be compensated for that.
What are your thoughts on really being paid for your time?
Kid's Clothing "Mompreneur" Lisa Gold Offers Others A Business Of Their Own In LikeWear
After deciding she wanted something a little more intellectually stimulating than coordinating carpools, Lisa Gold got entrepreneurial while her husband was on a business trip.
What started as a keen idea to embellish children’s clothes from her kitchen, has turned into LikeWear a national direct sales company with apparel licensing deals for General Mills and Tootsie Roll’s iconic brands. By creating a turnkey, “business-in-a-box” modeled after her own success, Gold has attracted more than three dozen “Mompreneurs” as independent sales representatives to sell her fun line of LikeWear clothing.
Lisa started her professional career in advertising working on the Pepsi and Visa accounts at the venerable advertising agency, BBDO NY. She also worked as a stockbroker at a leading Manhattan based brokerage scoring over 500 accounts. Just as passionate about her family and community as she was about her former corporate career, Lisa found a way to draw upon these experiences, while sharing this opportunity with other women to be just as successful from home.
“I always knew it was a big idea. Moms innately have all the skills required to sell a fun line of kids clothing: Moms know what their kids like, they’re very familiar with shopping for kids clothes, and they have a huge social network in place thanks to their children’s school and social activities. I knew that if I could provide a unique, quality product, a little guidance and a variety of sales methods, I could give women a flexible and fun way to earn money that works hand-in-hand with their role as a mother,” says Gold.
Logo from LikeWear
Mom Creates ID Tags That Help Reunite Lost Children With Parents At Theme Parks
Jamie Rayko was visiting Orlando, Fla., in 2007 when her 7-year-old daughter became separated from the group during a trip to a theme park.
Her daughter found a park employee to help her, but in the panic of the moment, she couldn’t remember her mother’s cell-phone number. There was no way for the employee to call Rayko to tell her that her daughter was safe.
“It was just an absolute horrifying experience,” said Rayko, a mother of three.
The family was eventually reunited – and that terrible experience spawned a business.
Rayko, who now lives with her family in Celebration, Fla., the Disney-built community in Osceola County, has created a line of lanyards, bracelets and temporary tattoos for children to wear when visiting large, busy venues such as theme parks or sporting events.
What she’s selling, she says, is peace of mind. Priced at about $8, the Spot Me ID comes with a permanent marker, so parents can write a contact phone number on the identification tag in case the child gets separated from the family.
“You really can’t tell a 3-year-old to find a meeting place in Disneyland,” Rayko said. “Everybody has a cell phone. It’s simple. And it works.”
The products are illustrated with a cartoon dog, Spot, drawn in various situations, such as riding a roller coaster, at the beach and playing football.
Rayko said the goal was to create something fun that children would want to wear.
The Spot Me ID recently got a big break when Universal Studios starting stocking it. Rayko said her creations are located right where most parents head first when they arrive at the theme park: guest relations, near the stroller rental.
A spokesman for Universal Studios confirmed the park carries the product, though the company does not comment on its vendor relationships.
Logo from Spot Me ID
Starting A Biz Right Now: Government Services
In the past year, government services has been gaining steam as a top category among the fastest-growing private companies on the Inc. 500 | 5000 list.
From 2007 to 2008, the total revenue for companies in this category nearly doubled, from $678 million to $1.2 billion, and the median four-year growth rate for companies on the 2008 list came in at nearly 1,300 percent.
President Obama’s $787 billion Economic Recovery Act certainly won’t hinder that growth.
According to the administration’s Recovery.gov website, by 2012, two-thirds of the approximately $23 billion allocated to individual states will reflect investments in local infrastructure, creating opportunities for start-ups to bid on projects that involve transportation, broadband technologies, and clean water, among others.
Photo by mla.lib.mi.us.
Branding Misconceptions
photo credit: tommy THE pariah
Do you remember the story of Chicken Little? If one person tells you the sky is falling, you laugh at him. But if you’re told the same story over and over, pretty soon you believe it. This also rings true with branding–just because everyone else is saying or doing something doesn’t mean that it works.
Myth #1: Continuing to offer a great product will create a successful business. While yes the quality of your product is important, your business success is built up of much more than just that. Some failing businesses offer incredible products while extremely successful businesses offer not so incredible products.
Myth #2: Word of mouth advertising and referrals will make you successful. This is one of the biggest reasons why unfunded businesses fail. It is great to build your business with over time, but it shouldn’t be the only thing you base your pending success on.
Myth #3: The costs to brand your new business are outrageous. While sometimes it can get expensive, you still don’t have to spend an arm and a leg to brand your business. Concentrate on marketing to large groups online and build from there.
Visit Entrepreneur.com for the complete list of branding myths.
What do you think of these misconceptions?
Resourceful Ways For Small-Biz Owners To Save
Here are several resourceful and creative ways that small-business owners can save money as they navigate today’s economy.
• Barter: While bartering may sound a little old fashioned, it’s a great way to work out deals between businesses and save cash.
• Save: Take advantage of programs designed to help you save money on everyday business necessities, such as office supplies and computers.
• Evaluate expenses: Take this time to re-evaluate all of the annual service contracts that your business currently has in place.
• Promote: Advertising is a good investment for business dollars, but keep in mind that you don’t always have to spend big bucks to conduct a successful advertising campaign.
• Travel: Eliminating any business travel that isn’t absolutely necessary can save small business owners a great deal of money. In place of traveling to see customers and clients, plan weekly meetings using free Web or phone conferencing applications.
Photo by nosheep.
Home Biz: Computer Training
If you are proficient in both Macintosh and PC, you should offer training in both types of computers.
You could probably make a living helping seniors learn how to use the internet and e-mail to keep in touch with their loved ones, who are now commonly spread around the country.
Err on the side of caution in this business. People do not want to know all the details about what makes a computer work.
If you overload them with information from the beginning by explaining bits, bytes, and megapixels, they will stick to their paper and pencil forever.
Photo by davidlat.
