Business Opportunities Weblog

December 23, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 2 Comments

Entrepreneur:

Q: Where would I begin to start bottling/marketing/selling an amazing salsa?

A: You can start yourself and test the market.

If you can prove you can get sales, the big companies will be interested in your product. You can always go to the “big boys,” but you also have the option of maintaining control and distributing your own private label through local retailers or specialty shops.

Ultimately, it’s up to you, but going the first route needs to show some success before those large manufacturers will take a look at your product.

Photo by Weblog.

In Advice, Food, Sales | 2 Comments

December 22, 2008 by Angela Shupe | 1 Comment

Any parent of a young girl can tell you what it’s like to go through hair clips and ties, all in an attempt to help pull the hair back or dress it up. In most cases, those cheap clips and ties end up lost because they just won’t stay in like they are supposed to. While many products have come and gone, Tristan Benz has created a patent-pending hair clip that will stay in the silkiest of baby, toddler, or even preschooler hair.

When Tristan didn’t enjoy having to put business before her family, she turned that situation around. While letting one business go, she was able to take Maiden America off the back burner and work on it full time. Now she has a business which suits her family needs and offers the “everyday princess” a hair clip which will stay put, while looking beautiful.

What is the inspiration behind your non-slip barrettes? When did you decide to turn it into a business?

I actually folded another company I had, in order to work on Maiden America full time – I used to be on the phone all the time and while the money was good, I had to “shush” my kids, as I dealt with corporate clients. I didn’t want to have to ‘shush’ them anymore and, as I’ve always maintained, I didn’t have children to have other people raise them. I don’t know how moms with full time jobs outside the home handle having to leave their little ones with others while they work. I feel for them. So, this has been my biggest inspiration.

Continue reading Maiden America Offers The Best In Stay-Put Hair Clips For Young Girls

In Interviews, Kids, Women | 1 Comment

December 22, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 6 Comments

Janice-Campbell.com:

I have enjoyed several microbusinesses throughout my life, and I believe they can be great learning experiences for teens. With the economy in its present disturbed state, I believe that a microbusiness can be helpful to any family.

What is a Microbusiness? A microbusiness is a very small business that is created without a large investment of capital. Another way I like to describe it is “doing with your might what your hand finds to do” (from Ecclesiastes 9:10).

If you have extra produce from your garden, sell it. My first microbusiness was selling avocados from our tree. I would fill my little red wagon with avocados, priced according to size, and go around the neighborhood selling them, almost every weekend during avocado season. I averaged close to a $100 a year doing this, until I got too old to be seen in public with a red wagon!

If you have a special skill, such as sewing, playing a musical instrument, writing college admissions essays, or grooming dogs, teach it. You can do this at home, your local parks and recreation department, a community college, or private studio. (Check zoning laws before deciding on a teaching location.)

If you have a working lawnmower, tractor, or snowblower, learn to use it well, and offer your services to neighbors.

If you do small handcrafts, create some to sell. Make sure that the product you want to offer is something that customers will want to buy. Not many people are interested in coffee-can-with-macaroni-glued-on pen holders, but you may find a ready market for beaded bracelets, embroidered baby bibs, or hand-painted greeting cards. Look at Etsy for ideas on the type of handcrafted items are available.

Photo by Marcos Vasconcelos.

In Advice, Self-employed, Success | 6 Comments

December 22, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 5 Comments

Zyrist Blog:

Zyrist launches a range of new services and solutions for both Innovator Companies and Individual Inventors to facilitate buying, selling, licensing of Patents across the globe. Not only can users list their patents for licensing but for a variety of reasons including exploring partnership opportunities, in search of service providers or simply to gain valuable insights through public opinion and peer reviews.

Zyrist also offers its users a range of patent services from patent searches, patent mining and mapping reports to patent illustration/drawings. Zyrist has also created a wide network of Law Firms to assist its members with legal services.

Photo by Zyrist.

In Inventions, Patents, Selling | 5 Comments

December 22, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 5 Comments

KVUE.com:

If you’ve ever had a blonde moment, listen to this. One of the hottest Internet gifts this holiday season is poking fun in the spirit of blondes.

Americans have had a decades-long obsession with dumb blonde jokes. Now blondes are getting the last laugh.

Natalia Wolfrom, a Russian immigrant armed with platinum hair and an MBA, is cashing in on the stereotype with a dumb blonde keyboard.

Natalia Wolfrom, a Russian immigrant armed with platinum hair and an MBA, is cashing in on the stereotype with a dumb blonde keyboard.

“We’re really not trying to hurt anybody or hurt anybody’s feelings,” Wolfrom said. “As you can see, I am a blonde and I am not offended.”

But others might be, with keys like “SOS” — sale on shoes — and “HABM” — having a blonde moment.

Some state the obvious — the escape key says “no.” Those F1, F2, F3 keys are gone.

“How many people actually use them? That’s why they’re useless,” Wolfrom said.

At a time when the Big 3 automakers are asking for bailouts, this entrepreneur is laughing all the way to the bank. In the middle of a recession, apparently it’s the blonde who knows how to turn a profit.

Photo by Daily News.

In Humor, Invention, Niche | 5 Comments

December 22, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 2 Comments

CNNMoney.com:

Entrepreneur and venture capitalist Karen Mills has been chosen by President-elect Obama to head the Small Business Administration.

Mills is currently president of MMP Group in Brunswick, Maine. She, with two other partners, founded Solera Capital, a New York-based venture capital firm. Her appointment will be subject to confirmation by the Senate.

At a press conference introducing Mills and several other members of his economic team, Obama emphasized that to get the economy back on track, it is essential to strengthen the nation’s Main Street backbone, its small businesses.

House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydia M. Velázquez, D-N.Y., was quick to praise the nomination.

“President-elect Obama’s decision to name an SBA administrator so early in the transition is a good sign for small businesses,” she said. “This appointment shows that his economic team recognizes the key role that small firms play in job creation and the need to take quick steps to revitalize the agency’s role in spurring growth.”

Velázquez emphasized that Mills has her work cut out for her. “Through budgets cuts and mismanagement during the last eight years, the SBA has become nothing more than a shell of the agency it used to be,” she said, adding that it is essential for the new SBA leader to reverse this course.

Photo by CNN.

In Government, Regulation, Small Biz | 2 Comments

December 22, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 2 Comments

Entrepreneur:

Q: How does a small business owner set aside enough money to actually make a profit?

A: The key is having a budget and ensuring that your pricing model enables you to cover your direct and indirect costs, loan repayments as well as distributions to the owner.

Cash is King…work with vendors on extending payment options as well as have processes in place to get payment from clients in a more prompt manner (deposits, shorter time span upon completion of product/service).

Then the key is cutting expenses and owner distributions so that you can start to build a cash reserve.

Photo by Weblog.

In Advice, Profit, Small Biz | 2 Comments

December 19, 2008 by Angela Shupe | 3 Comments

Comedy is its own special medicine. It is amazing what one laugh can do. If one laugh can work miracles, I can only imagine how healthy the people who read and contribute to ZUG are.

There is a lot more to comedy than many of us know. We might enjoy laughing but what makes us laugh? ZUG recognizes what people enjoy, because it is the community contributing. Just make sure to leave your assumptions at the door. They are not your traditional “joke” site.

John Hargrave is the founder of ZUG as well as the individual quoted below who would “like to lose about ten pounds, and develop finely-sculpted abs.” :)

What inspired you to create ZUG?

In 1995, as the Web was just being born, I was working at a large publishing company that was struggling to figure out what this “Web” thing was all about. The ideas I heard from management were just terrible. I saw nothing but growth and excitement in the new medium, and they were trying to make the Web like a print magazine. So I started my own comedy site, thinking, “I’ll show them how to publish great content online.” Dissatisfaction with the way your current employer is doing things can be a powerful motivator for entrepreneurs!

How has ZUG changed since its launch 13 years ago?

In 1995, none of us understood in 1995 the role that user-generated content could play in building a successful site. We were early on this trend, launching our comedy community back in 1998, which has since become the growth engine of the site. We truly have some of the funniest people on the Web contributing content—and that content serves to attract more funny users, which is the “engine” that powers our growth.

What hasn’t changed is our commitment to creating great comedy content. Google’s mantra is “Don’t be evil”; ZUG’s mantra is “Don’t suck.” We want to write content that’s funny, addictive, and gets passed along. We want to stay away from content that sucks.

The dilemma is that most user-generated content—let’s face it—does indeed suck. Five minutes on YouTube will make you painfully aware of this. So you still need good editors who can separate the signal from the noise, tighten it up, and feature the best stuff on the homepage. I call it “Web 3.0.” It’s the user-generated content of Web 2.0, with a strong editorial filter on top.

Continue reading If Comedy Is King, Then ZUG Is The Kingdom

In Community, Entertainment, Internet, Interviews | 3 Comments

December 19, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 7 Comments

Venture Beat:

Everyone loves talking about Twitter’s business model — because there isn’t one yet, and they’ll keep talking about it until there is one.

But it’s becoming more clear that while a business model is of course important, Twitter is perhaps the perfect example of a company that can afford to take its time in finding the one that is perfect for it.

That’s because other businesses are building so much on top of the micro-messaging service and using it for their own services.

Less altruistically, some businesses have discovered that Twitter is an effective way of communicating with consumers.

Dell says Twitter has produced $1 million in revenue over the past year and a half through sale alerts. People who sign up to follow Dell on Twitter receive messages when discounted products are available the company’s Home Outlet Store. They can click over to purchase the product or forward the information to others.

Photo by Twitter.

In Save, Strategy | 7 Comments

December 19, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 1 Comment

Fast Company:

You’ve heard about cloud computing, but Nick Carr helps you understand it in a way you haven’t before.

Using the shift to the electric grid at the turn of the last century as an analogy, Carr lays out a surprising future of utility computing and its ramifications for business and society.

Photo by W. W. Norton.

In Books | 1 Comment

December 19, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 2 Comments

Inventor’s Digest:

Had a good conversation with serial inventor and Edison Nation regular Roger Brown this morning. I interviewed him for a cover piece we’re doing on kitchen innovations in March. He’s got four new products licensed for later in ’09.

He also mentioned that a Canadian firm asked him if he had any camping products, a new line for him. What was interesting was the fact this company saw his postings on Edison Nation and quietly sought him out.

“Companies are there looking for new products, but you won’t necessarily know they’re there,” he said.

As for kitchen gadgets, Roger noted that many companies are looking for well-designed, low-cost, space-saving items … things that don’t require batteries or electricity. This is an ideal genre for independent inventors.

Another takeaway from my morning conversation with Roger: Despite the down economy (and today’s job-loss figures should give you shivers), now is a great time to be inventing.

Photo by Edison Nation.

In Creativity, Inventors, Profiles | 2 Comments

December 19, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 2 Comments

Rhonda Abrams - Gannett News Service:

For years, I’ve advised readers to make the most of this time of year, and get out there and market. Yes, “marketing” took the form of parties, gifts, and cards — but that’s still marketing — a way to build and enhance a relationship with customers and referral sources.

But this year — have you noticed? — money is tight and the economy is uncertain. It’s a scary time to host lavish holiday parties or send out expensive gift baskets. Does that mean you’re going to go in a corner and pull the covers over your head?

Here’s how to do holiday marketing on the cheap this year:

Holiday cards: The least expensive, easiest thing to do is to send out holiday cards — to your clients, customers, patients, referral sources, key suppliers. A holiday card is an easy way to keep your name in front of people at little cost. Shop for inexpensive boxes of holiday cards at discount retailers — even dollar stores or retailers like Big Lots. Then sign and address the cards yourself. Unexpected benefit: Hand-signed cards seem more personal.

Gifts for employees: The holidays are also a great time to say “thank you” to the people you depend on every day to make your company succeed. Everyone does want cash, and if you can still give cash, do so. But if you feel uncomfortable giving a relatively small amount, give a gift of a “splurge” they’re less likely to afford themselves in this economy — such as a gift certificate for a restaurant, massage, manicure/pedicure, tickets to a sporting event.

Holiday party: Parties build staff rapport and improve morale. Lots of alternatives here: lunch for staff only at a moderately priced restaurant, a party or open house at the office instead of at a hotel. Even a potluck dinner at your home. Unexpected benefit: You may find your party has a warm, family feel, actually reinforcing staff rapport more than at a fancy restaurant.

Photo by gravityx9.

In Employees, Holiday, Marketing | 2 Comments

December 19, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 3 Comments

Small Business Trends:

Last month was a very bad month for jobs; the economy lost 533,000 jobs, the worst monthly decline since 1974.

People often talk about the importance of entrepreneurs as job creators in this country. So I got to thinking: how much additional entrepreneurial activity would have been necessary to avoid these job losses? The answer, it turns out, is a lot.

In an average month, new employer businesses create about 38 percent as many new jobs as we lost in November 2008. So, if we could figure out a way to have increased new employer businesses by 2.64 times their average monthly rate during November 2008, we could have offset the month’s job losses.

But, we would probably need additional entrepreneurial activity to do this. A variety of estimates from the Census Bureau and other places indicate that only about one-in-four new businesses is an employer business. So in an average month last year, 212,367 new businesses were created to generate the 201,478 new jobs. That means that to create enough jobs to replace the 533,000 jobs lost in November, we would have needed approximately 561,033 new business starts. That’s a lot of entrepreneurial effort.

But we’re not finished yet. To create this number of start-ups, we need many more people trying to become entrepreneurs. Only about one-in-three people who begin the process of starting a business actually create a business within seven years. So, we would have needed about 1.68 million people to have initiated the start-up process some time before November 2008 to have replaced the jobs lost during the month of November. That’s huge amount of entrepreneurial effort.

Photo by tatlici.

In Entrepreneurs, Jobs, Strategy | 3 Comments

December 18, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 3 Comments

CIO Today:

A little over five years ago, Michael Ball looked at his then-girlfriend’s expensive jeans and decided he could design a much better pair himself.

Not long after, Ball, who had no fashion design experience, did just that, creating an ultra-slim fitting line that caught on with the celebrity set in Los Angeles.

Having stirred interest, he got financial backing, suppliers, and manufacturers together and began selling his high-end jeans for $300 from specialty stores within the city. A cult following soon developed.

Since then, Ball has turned his idea into Rock & Republic, a $300 million brand of men’s and women’s jeans that now includes cosmetics, accessories, shoes, and other clothing lines that are sold in 86 countries.

His long-term goal is to create a far-reaching lifestyle brand that includes boutique hotels and restaurants and a domestic airline. Ball says he is far from done.

According to market researcher NPD Group, denim is an $11 billion industry in the U.S. and has been growing at around a 5 percent to 7 percent clip in recent years.

Premium labels such as Rock & Republic now account for a 7 percent chunk of the total market.

“Consumers will pay $300 for the right pair of jeans,” says Marshal Cohen, NPD’s chief industry analyst. “They see it as an investment.”

Moreover, Cohen says, “certain denim brands have made it their focus to be a game-changer. They make you feel really great and you will pay twice as much for those.

What [Ball] is able to do is get the consumer of many different age segments and deliver on the implied promise that these jeans will make your life better, you will feel better.”

Even in an economic downturn, Cohen calls denim “recession-resistant.” “People are going to make significant changes,” he says. “They don’t have a lot of money in their pockets.

They may not buy three pairs, but they will buy one pair and it has to be about who has the right message.”

Photo by Rock & Republic.

In Branding, Economy, Fashion | 3 Comments

December 18, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 3 Comments

Fast Company:

Our consumerist society is awash in marketing, and no one has thought more critically and intelligently about it than Rob Walker.

Buying In chronicles the shift to what he calls “murketing,” or marketing that’s parading as not-marketing, and tells compelling stories of the 21st Century’s most deft purveyors of it.

This is one of the few “business” books where the ideas that hold the stories together are as captivating as the stories themselves.

Photo by Random House.

In Books | 3 Comments

December 18, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 3 Comments

AnaNova:

A British design company have launched a new product to help children concentrate at school - pre-chewed pencils.

The company, called Concentrate, says the pencils look like they have already been chewed making pupils less likely to put them in their mouths.

And they say this is a cheap but effective way of encouraging youngsters to get their teeth into their lessons instead.

Concentrate specialises in products to help kids at school and identify why they get distracted or are unable to focus in class, claim the chewed end encourages them to get thinking straight away.

Photo by Concentrate.

In Niche, Small Biz, Students | 3 Comments

December 18, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 5 Comments

Live Science:

Working from home has its advantages. No need to shower, shave or even dress; traffic jams are minimized to dodging laundry in the hallway; and then there’s the Judge Judy break at four.

Yet with such fringe benefits come disadvantages and dangers few employers are taking seriously and few employees understand, such as the stress of working daylong in front of a computer in what could be an ergonomically undesirable setting, injuries from household hazards, expectations of being available around the clock, or working alone without colleague interaction and, dare we imagine, without computer tech support.

Traditional workplaces are constructed with federal regulation and best-business practices in mind. Yet while high fuel prices and fist-clenching traffic are forcing more people to work from home, no rules exist on how to properly create a home office.

Photo by uccrow.

In Advice, Safety, Work at Home | 5 Comments

December 18, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 4 Comments

LifeHack:

I’ve heard a lot of great business ideas lately — and more than a few people announcing that now is the right time to go into business for yourself. I think that there’s a lot to be said for becoming an entrepreneur during a down economy — although the risks definitely go up.

There are certain characteristics that can significantly improve the odds of succeeding as an entrepreneur. Without these characteristics, though, it’s hard to do well even with the best of business ideas.

1. Discipline.

2. Calm.

3. Attention to Detail.

4. Risk Tolerance.

5. Balance.

Are there any other characteristics you think are necessary? Share them in the comments and tell us why you think a particular characteristic is crucial to an entrepreneur’s success.

Photo by fishmonk.

In Advice, Entrepreneurs, Success | 4 Comments

December 17, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 1 Comment

The New York Times:

Making videos for YouTube — for three years a pastime for millions of Web surfers — is now a way to make a living.

One year after YouTube, the online video powerhouse, invited members to become “partners” and added advertising to their videos, the most successful users are earning six-figure incomes from the Web site.

For some, like Michael Buckley, the self-taught host of a celebrity chatter show, filming funny videos is now a full-time job.

Buckley quit his day job in September after his online profits had greatly surpassed his salary as an administrative assistant for a music promotion company. His thrice-a-week online show “is silly,” he said, but it has helped him escape his credit-card debt.

All he needed was a $2,000 Canon camera, a $6 piece of fabric for a backdrop and a pair of work lights from Home Depot. Buckley is an example of the Internet’s democratizing effect on publishing.

Sites like YouTube allow anyone with a high-speed connection to find a fan following, simply by posting material and promoting it online.

Granted, building an audience online takes time. “I was spending 40 hours a week on YouTube for over a year before I made a dime,” Buckley said — but, at least in some cases, it is paying off.

YouTube declined to comment on how much money partners earned on average, partly because advertiser demand varies for different kinds of videos.

But a spokesman, Aaron Zamost, said “hundreds of YouTube partners are making thousands of dollars a month.” At least a few are making a full-time living: Buckley said he was earning over $100,000 from YouTube advertisements.

Photo by YouTube.

In Internet, Success, Video | 1 Comment

December 17, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 1 Comment

Fast Company:

This arch, funny meditation on the “forgotten” generation wedged between baby boomers and millennials tells the story of being liberated by being underestimated.

You could do worse than Stephen Colbert, YouTube, and some guy named Barack Obama as proof that GenX may, in fact, be changing the world.

Photo by Viking.

In Books | 1 Comment

December 17, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 2 Comments

The Wall Street Journal:

For some holiday revelers, bringing home the perfect Christmas tree is a cherished tradition, right down to strapping the green behemoth to the family sedan and hauling it through the front door.

But for others, it’s a task better left to the UPS guy.

As tradition-defying as it may seem, buying a fresh-cut tree online for home delivery has become the way to go for a new generation of shoppers. In recent years, a number of companies have entered the trees-by-mail marketplace, from mom-and-pop tree farms to big-box retailers — Home Depot — that partner with tree growers.

It still makes up a small slice of the market: The National Christmas Tree Association, based in Chesterfield, Mo., estimates that 4% of the 28.6 million fresh-cut trees purchased in 2006 were sold online. But that figure represents more than 1.1 million trees.

Mail-order retailers often offer harder-to-find or regional varieties of trees, giving customers a choice beyond the Fraser Firs and Balsams you’ll see on most tree lots. Plus, retailers tout the fact that a tree delivered by mail may actually be livelier and healthier than one that’s been cut as early as October for lot sales.

Photo by kirbyrds.

In Delivery, Holiday, Sales | 2 Comments

December 17, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 6 Comments

The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur:

John D. Rockefeller, Greatest Wealth - $318 Billion at age 74, First Job – Book keeper

Warren Buffet, Greatest Wealth - $62 Billion at age 77, First Job – Newspaper delivery boy

Bill Gates, Greatest Wealth - $57 Billion at age 53, First Job – Congressional page

Sergey Brin, Greatest Wealth - $18.7 Billion at age 35, First “Job” – Student

Michael Dell, Greatest Wealth - $17.3 Billion at age 43, First Job – Dishwasher

Photo by Kevin Steele.

In Entrepreneurs, History, Success | 6 Comments

December 17, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 1 Comment

The New York Times:

The owner of a futon store outside San Francisco started running comedy shows. A comic book shop in Florida held art shows. And a lingerie shop in New Mexico is planning a men’s night later this month.

Small businesses are always searching for ways to differentiate themselves. But with fewer people out buying, some of the businesses are doing whatever they think will draw in customers.

“This is a buyer’s strike,” said Eric G. Flamholtz, a professor emeritus of management at the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles. “People are holding back and not spending any money. So you have to give them a reason to come.”

Holding special events also can be far less expensive than regular advertising. And in a slowing economy, advertising and marketing budgets typically get trimmed. A recent National Small Business Association survey of its members found that 49 percent planned to start new advertising or marketing this year, down from 54 percent in 2007.

“They’re trying to market with little or no extra money,” said Molly Brogan, the association’s vice president of public affairs. “People are doing more on the Internet, any free thing they can.”

Photo by tristanbrand.

In Advice, Small Biz, Success | 1 Comment

December 16, 2008 by Angela Shupe | 1 Comment

When most people look for a way to work from home, they eventually end up finding a variety of opportunities that tend to fall within the multi-level marketing (MLM) category. However, some franchises fall under the at-home category. SearchPath International is a franchise that offers the potential to be launched and run in or out of the home. This opportunity has been designed to fit the wants of their franchisee.

We had the opportunity to ask Kate Rawlings, a Field Support – Education & Training specialst with SearchPath International, about the business and the franchise opportunity they offer.

What is SearchPath International?

SearchPath International (SPI) is the fastest growing talent acquisition professional services firm in the US. Talent acquisition is another term for recruiting or executive search. In addition to being a recruiting firm, we are also a franchisor with 130 offices made up of 600 consultants, in 28 countries on 5 continents spanning across hundreds of industries.

Why do you feel your franchise opportunity is so attractive to potential franchisee’s?

SearchPath International is an attractive franchise opportunity for several reasons, low-startup capital required, high upside, and flexible business models. When you look at competing franchises in the talent acquisition space SPI has the lowest franchise fee, $45k. Many of our competitors are $80k and up. Above and beyond the franchise fee an individual needs access to the internet, a database system and a phone. Due to our flexible business model, new franchisees are not required to start offices and hire individuals right out of the gate. Our goal is to discover each owners dream business and help them build that. We have part-time mothers working from home offices, franchise owners with multiple locations and everything in between. It’s your dream, not ours.

Continue reading Run Your Franchise Your Way, With SearchPath International

In Franchising, Interviews, Opportunity, Work at Home | 1 Comment

December 16, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 3 Comments

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer:

Her Lapper dinner trays have appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning America” and the home-shopping network QVC.

Now entrepreneur Ashley Hatcher is taking her invention before yet another national audience.

She and her non-slip dinner trays will appear on NBC’s “Today” show, during a segment hosted by nationally known marketing guru and TV host Donny Deutsch.

Hatcher has been peddling the dinner trays since April 2006. They come in designer and collegiate styles, with silicone-based pads helping to prevent plates and drinking glasses from slipping off of them.

By August, before her first appearance on QVC, Hatcher said she had sold about 70,000 of the plastic trays that sell between $22 and $25 at various retail outlets.

During three QVC stints this summer and fall, about 11,000 more have been sold. Anytime the enthusiastic Hatcher makes an appearance on a national TV program, sales also spike on her Web site.

The slumping economy has not cut into the business, Hatcher said.

Photo by Archer Innovations.

In Food, Invention, Marketing | 3 Comments