Business Opportunities Weblog

April 23, 2009 by Rich Whittle | 1 Comment

CNNMoney:

For an elite Division I-bound high-school athlete, navigating the maze of college recruitment means choosing among the crowd of coaches lined up outside the door.

But fewer than 10% of the estimated 1.5 million young athletes seeking a spot on a college sports team find themselves in that enviable position. The rest maneuver through a chaotic and competitive process with relatively little guidance.

That’s where CaptainU comes in. Leveraging the connectivity of the Web, CaptainU demystifies the sports recruiting process for student athletes, coaches, and parents. The site features detailed information about programs around the country and tools to help students advertise their skills. Students get help finding the right program, while coaches get access to a pool of suitable prospects without crisscrossing the country.

CaptainU uses a subscription business model. Coaches receive full access for free, while athletes can build a free basic profile or upgrade to a $399-per-year premium membership for access to a suite of recruiting tools. CaptainU also plans to pick up revenue through advertising and consulting services.

“The whole philosophy is that you have to actively market yourself,” says Avi Stopper, the site’s founder and president. Stopper was the former captain of Wesleyan’s soccer team and an assistant men’s soccer coach at University of Chicago, where he earned an MBA in 2006. “It’s consistent from sport to sport. Kids have no idea how to approach the recruiting process.”

*NBT=Next Big Thing

Photo by CaptainU.

In Sports, Startup, Students | 1 Comment

April 23, 2009 by Rich Whittle | 1 Comment

The New York Times:

After Duncan Birmingham, a comedy screenwriter in Los Angeles, got one too many holiday cards featuring miserable-looking pets wearing fake reindeer antlers, he realized the photos were great material for a blog.

Birmingham started Pets Who Want to Kill Themselves in early January, uploaded the first entry and asked readers to contribute. Within days, visitors were supplying him with snapshots of bulldogs in bunny costumes and cats wearing wigs.

The blogosphere noticed — and so did the publishing world. Within a week, he was contacted by editors and literary agents.

By the second month, he said, he had sold a book based on the photos to Three Rivers Press, an imprint at Crown Publishing Group, for “enough money to buy a Lincoln Town Car” — with change left over.

Not bad for an unpublished novelist who is allergic to animals and admits that he is “terrible with computers.”

But the latest frenzy is over books that take the lazy, Tom Sawyer approach to authorship. The creators come up with a goofy or witty idea, put it up on a simple platform like Twitter and Tumblr, and wait for contributors to provide all of the content. The authors put their energy into publicizing the sites and compiling the best material.

Agents and publishing houses can’t get seem to get enough of these quickie humor books, which sell for $10 to $15 in gift shops and hip clothing stores like Urban Outfitters as well as traditional bookstores.

At least eight books created from user-generated content are due out this year, including “Love, Mom,” a just-published collection of embarrassing or funny electronic exchanges between mothers and their children.

Photo by Pets Who Want to Kill Themselves.

In Blogging, Books, Creativity | 1 Comment

April 23, 2009 by Rich Whittle | 1 Comment

Fortune Small Business:

It’s always standardized test prep season at CEO Karan Goel’s company.

The proven prep method has caught on quickly, and not just amongst parents and students: high schools across the country are signing up.

PrepMe doesn’t just focus on the exam; it focuses on the academic achievements of the students.

This way, the skills the students learn from their ACT or SAT prep work can be translated into better overall English, reading and math skills.

Maine was the first state to get with the program, three years ago, and high schools in Illinois, Kentucky and Indiana have since signed up.

“We now give teachers feedback about how students are performing.

Last year, the clients came to us and said that they liked what we were doing so much with the junior classes that they wanted us to expand that for the younger students,” says Goel.

“So we designed the PrepMe Essentials program for students not ready for the ACT or SAT but who need to get caught up to other students or just build skills at an earlier age.”

PrepMe will continue to focus on the high school market for the time being, but Goel thinks launching new programs for graduate-level tests is in the company’s future.

Photo by PrepMe.com.

In Education, Startup, Students | 1 Comment

April 23, 2009 by Rich Whittle | 1 Comment

TheState.com:

The next time your child makes her own movie on the Kerpoof Web site, keep in mind you’re looking at the brainchild of two University of South Carolina graduates.

Brent Milne, his wife, Krista Marks, and their two partners met while working for the software company Xilinx in Boulder, Colo.

They came up with a simple way for children to make Internet movies using cartoon characters, music and words and turned it into a popular site that’s even been used in classrooms.

“We were always the last people there on Friday. At some point, we decided we should put our excessive work habits into a startup.

We all were interested in Internet technology. We were just looking at the market, and we thought there was an opportunity to do something for kids,” Milne said.

“We went the first year without salaries. We all had savings. Later on, we also received two grants from the National Science Foundation. They have grants for education, and we realized Kerpoof was being widely used in schools to teach basic programming to kids,” Milne added.

Earlier this year, they sold Kerpoof to Disney for an undisclosed amount. Now, the team works for Disney, maintaining Kerpoof and applying its technology to other Disney Web sites.

Photo by Kerpoof.

In Ideas, Kids, Startup | 1 Comment

April 23, 2009 by Rich Whittle | 1 Comment

arstechnica:

Men go online more often, stay on for longer, and respond to ads more positively than women do, according to a new report from eMarketer.

The firm looked at the Internet habits of men versus women, partially because men are (technically) in the minority online and also because gender “is a distinguishing factor of Internet use, informing online behavior and attitudes.”

There are 95.9 million men online in 2009, according to eMarketer’s estimation.

When compared against the 103.2 million women, that puts men at 48.2 percent of the overall Internet population (those who access the Internet at least once a month from any location).

The firm says that the US Internet population will grow steadily, but by 2013, men will only make up 47.9 percent of the group.

Men are supposedly not as bothered by “websites cluttered with ads” as women are, either. eMarketer claims that 56 percent of women in a study of 4,095 Internet users had negative reactions towards advertisers on sites that contain advertisements, compared with 48.3 percent of men.

“Still, any negative reaction should be avoided—it is not what advertisers are paying for,” cautions the report.

Photo by scataudo .

In Advertising, Internet | 1 Comment

April 22, 2009 by Rich Whittle | 1 Comment

Joan writes:

How much money (do I need) to start a small retail business? What are the pros and cons I should be looking out for?

You could start a retail business for as little as $10 or as much as $1.5 million for a national fast food franchise.

Other questions to consider are do you want to sell on the Internet or brick and mortar?

Your first step should be to ask. “Is retail the right opportunity for me?”

Weighing several factors will help you answer that question. Personality, motivations, your strengths and weaknesses, money, and experience should be at the top of your checklist.

Many people successfully make the transition from being an employee to an employer, but many do not. Do you have what it takes to be in business for yourself?

Answer the following questions honestly. Talk to your spouse, best friend or prospective partner about your answers as a reality check.

1. Are you good at multitasking? In your own business, you have to be willing and able to do everything yourself. When you work for someone else, you are usually responsible for just one thing and have limited control. You are supported by others with expertise or experience in different roles and functions. In retail, every day can be a stretch, as you encounter customers, employees, vendors and landlords. You can’t say, “That’s not my job.” It’s all yours.

2. What is your risk tolerance? In a startup retail business, you worry about being in the right place at the right time with the right goods and services for the right people at the right price. Do you adjust quickly to unplanned events or prefer more predictable, organized projects? Do you see risk as a threat or an opportunity?

3. Do you count on a paycheck? New business owners can rarely count on a regular paycheck. Startups frequently require more capital than planned. Something’s bound to go wrong or change even though everything is penciled out in your plan. If you break out in a cold sweat if you aren’t paid on the same day every month, you may want to rethink going out on your own. Most of the money you make will go right back into inventory and other costs of doing business.

4. Are you a self-starter and comfortable being alone? Or do you draw your energy from being around others and count on colleagues for support and advice? In your own business, you must lead, knowing what to do and when to do it, and be fully accountable for everything that happens. The buck stops with you. Sometimes that’s a lonely place.

Still interested in starting a retail business?

You’ll need more information than we can possibly include in this post. I suggest you get the following books at Amazon or your local library.

Start Your Own Successful Retail Business
by Jan Kingaard

Start and Run a Retail Business
by James E. Dion

Retail Business Kit for Dummies
by Rick Segel

Photo by bookrack.org.

In Reader Mailbag | 1 Comment

April 22, 2009 by Rich Whittle | 2 Comments

Tampa Tribune:

Even when they’re off, many of your home office electronics are adding to the total of your power bill.

Conserve energy and save money this Earth Day by switching off electronics and using less energy.

But truly turning off the power isn’t as easy as flipping a switch. Many household electronics, known as “vampire appliances,” use standby power when turned off. The average home has 20 or so of these vampire appliances.

A Cornell University study found the average household will spend $200 a year for standby power.

Photo by Tampa Tribune.

In Advice, Eco-friendly, Energy Costs | 2 Comments

April 22, 2009 by Angela Shupe | 0 Comments

WebWire:

Women’s intuition is powerful but often overlooked. Pair it with business savvy, an eye for detail and a little humor and you have FSM, a magazine for all the mompreneurs out there juggling a business and family life.

More than 90 percent of the Moms who have acted on at least one tip in FSM magazine have experienced 15 percent growth in revenue or more, according to surveys. That’s not something many businesses can say in the current economy.

“It’s not a pretty magazine, but it’s powerful. It gives understandable advice to Moms who are juggling a business and personal life. It helps cut the clutter and restore sanity” says Yvette Syversen, publisher of Female Solopreneur Monthly.

FSM highlights profit producing ideas and tips so solo-business owners can fine-tune their operations and grow their income. The magazine reads like an easy conversation over coffee, suggesting step-by-step actions that can be easily taken.

“It’s not easy to run a business if there are missing links. FSM shows a lot of short cuts and tools that can help take the pain out of running your own show. FSM is designed to give ideas on eliminating wasted time and grunge work while increasing profits” says Syversen.

Screenshot from EZ Business Growth

In Mompreneur, PR, Resources | 0 Comments

April 22, 2009 by Rich Whittle | 2 Comments

CNNMoney:

Nine million elderly Americans experience chronic falls, often leading to hip fractures and, occasionally, to death. Treatment currently only occurs after a fall, as there is no widely available way to diagnose poor balance in the elderly.

IShoe plans to manufacture free-standing and mobile devices that detect balance deterioration, allowing those at risk to receive treatment to correct balance problems before a life-threatening fall.

The team’s product will be an affordable bathroom scale that calculates weight and body mass index and allows users to track balance changes over time. After that, iShoe plans to expand into shoes and insoles.

“We hold three patents, have won the Lunar Ventures Business Plan Competition and are in the finals of two others, and have a working prototype,” says COO Amit Garg. “IShoe has been endorsed by the American Association of Retired People (AARP) and called one of the top 20 ‘Biotech Breakthroughs that will Change Medicine’ by Popular Mechanics.”

*NBT=Next Big Thing

Photo by Associated Press.

In Boomers, Health, Invention | 2 Comments

April 22, 2009 by Rich Whittle | 3 Comments

The Washington Post:

Two young inventors, with the help of hands-on testing at a retirement community, have created a device that they say might change the way older Americans get news and entertainment.

Using modified MP3 players, computers and large touch-screen monitors in high-contrast colors for people with impaired vision, Charles De Vilmorin and Herve Roussel have created a digital kiosk that serves as a sort of iPod for older people.

At the kiosk near the cafeteria in Vinson Hall, residents can download big-band music, spoken books, audio news taken from print media such as the Economist, cooking lessons with Julia Child and on-air dramas such as “Dragnet” that played in an era when “wireless” referred generally to AM radio.

Users don’t have to log in, remember passwords or strain to read and type on a tiny screen, De Vilmorin said. Instead, they receive a small MP3 player that can be plugged into the kiosk, allowing them to choose material from a menu on a large touch-screen.

Photo by The Washington Post.

In Internet, Seniors, Technology | 3 Comments

April 22, 2009 by Rich Whittle | 1 Comment

Fortune Small Business:

Sweetriot produces chocolate treats for the health conscious and fair-trade fanatics – “rioters,” as CEO Sarah Endline calls them.

You may have seen the bite-sized tasties in Whole Foods, where Endline has seen 100% sales growth each year since 2005.

Lately, the brightly colored tins designed by local artists have started popping up in other outlets as well. “In the last six months we saw more and newer opportunities unfolding. We’re ready for this growth,”

Endline says of her product’s recent debut in Lifetime Fitness and Vitamin Shop stores, as well as in Nordstrom’s cafes and at smoothie chain Robeks. Sales have literally gone through the roof: Sweetriot is now an in-flight snack on Virgin America airlines.

The company launched a new product for its chocoholic rioters in January: a portion-controlled dark chocolate bar called the UnBar.

Photo by Sweetriot.

In Food, Health, Startup | 1 Comment

April 22, 2009 by Dane Carlson | 1 Comment

photo credit: Etwood

Loyd Schutte has described an interesting idea on the Resource Action Program’s Green Living blog:

We’ve all seen the vending machines in supermarkets that allow you to refill big 3-5 gallon bottles of water and some even refill the smaller 1-5 liter size, but how about a vending machine that not only sells filled, reusable water bottles like a soda vending machine, but refills the ones you’ve already bought with fresh, pure, great tasting water?

The bottles could be of a solid, reusable plastic like Nalgene that have an attached screw on lid. They could be custom branded for the institution (school) in which the machine is placed with a portion of the proceeds returned as a “fund raiser”. Of course the bottles need to be small like a pint or quart size for the backpack and desk.

Interesting idea. The only real problem I see is that you’re competing against something that’s free. Now, in our parent’s generation that would be an insurmountable obstacle, but today people are already used to paying for water and as some people become more and more afraid of their tap water supply, it might work.

http://www.resourceactionprograms.org/blog/index.php/2009/04/21/a-better-bottle-of-water/trackback/

In Eco-friendly, Ideas | 1 Comment

April 22, 2009 by Rich Whittle | 3 Comments

suite101.com:

Despite those cheering pictures of Bo, the Obamas’ new puppy, there’s nothing soft and cuddly about the pet industry.

It is worth billions annually, a fact not lost on countless entrepreneurs who have started pet-related companies.

In some cases, all that’s needed is a stove, a sewing machine or a willingness to walk or scoop pooh.

While most of the big money goes to pet food manufacturers, pet insurers like Pet Plan and, unfortunately, puppy mills, pet entrepreneurs – ‘petpreneurs’ – are getting into the act and doing well.

These fall into three main categories. The first encompasses breeders and businesspeople selling books and seminars on starting pet-related businesses.

The second caters to the desires of the animals, mostly with food and toys, and the third, to their owners who want someone else to do walking duty, pick up pooh, groom, train, mind, paint portraits of, make horoscopes for, and dress their furry friends.

Photo by arkanimals.

In Pets, Small Biz, Startup | 3 Comments

April 22, 2009 by Rich Whittle | 1 Comment

The Wall Street Journal:

Next year, the organization that oversees the Internet will start selling rights to an unlimited number of new top-level domains — the suffixes like .com that appear at the end of Web-site names.

Domains likely to appear include those that take their names from popular subjects, types of businesses and geographic locations, such as .books, .flowers and .nyc.

The good news for small businesses is that if a company currently has a .com address that is cumbersome or hard to remember, like joesflowersnyc.com, it may soon get a shot at a new address that’s identical to the name of the company, or one that is just easier to find on the Web — say, joes.flowers or joesflowers.nyc.

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN, plans to sell the new domains for prices starting at $100,000, which is likely to start bidding wars for the most popularly sought domains — and to limit the bidding to parties with deep pockets.

But those purchasers will then turn around and sell the rights to subaddresses within their new domains — addresses ending with, say, .books or .flowers — for far less; in most cases, around $50 a year, experts say.

Industry insiders and observers agree that .com is still the Boardwalk and Park Place of the Internet. Because it’s the best-known top-level domain, even proponents of the new suffixes say that in a perfect world, a small business should sign up for a .com Web site with its name. The problem is, so many .com addresses are already taken — about 80 million of them.

Continue Reading: “Naming Rights”

Photo by various.

In Branding, Internet | 1 Comment

April 22, 2009 by Dane Carlson | 1 Comment

photo credit: zenera

The following guest post is by Alisa Johnson.

Recession and business are not the best of bedfellows, but there’s a certain kind of business that does do well no matter how bad the economy is in general. And that’s a niche business, one that offers exclusive services and products to a targeted range of customers. Take for instance the hotel and hospitality industry – when people have no money to spend, they don’t take vacations or pleasure trips. As a result, the occupancy levels are low and business starts to suffer. But not all hotels are affected by this situations – the ones that cater to the high end customers still do pretty well as do the ones that are frequented by those who don’t have much money to spare.

The point I’m trying to make is that if you can identify a niche that will always be in demand among a particular segment of people, you’re going to be able to keep going even through a recession. You may not rake in the dollars, but your demand will be steady as will your income. Marketing a niche business takes a little more skill than advertising the general kind, so if you’re looking for niche marketing tips, here’s what you need to do:

Continue reading Niche Marketing Tips For Business Success

In Guest Posts, Marketing | 1 Comment

April 21, 2009 by Jaclyn Wells | 1 Comment

photo credit: mugley

In business, shipping is kind of like cleaning your house. No one wants to deal with it or talk about it, but everyone has to put up with it and do the best they can. Some entrepreneurs find shipping to be quite a challenge as no one vendor or system fit’s anyone completely.

When choosing your shipping system, ask lots of question’s, and not just questions regarding expenses. Ask about morning pick ups, paperwork involved, different services and if they have way’s of tracking your shipment recently talked about on Entrepreneur.com.

Don’t add extra padding to prices to off set shipping charges, this could end up costing you the sale in the end. As a perk/bonus, maybe once in a while choose a few select items that you offer free shipping on. Decide wether or not you will charge for returning or exchanging items.

Overall, it’s wise to remember that shipping is the last transaction you make with customers. A bad final impression means you won’t likely see customers return. A good experience is the equivalent of a warm smile and handshake, the beginning of a good relationship.

How do you handle your shipping system challenges?

In Saving, Shipping, Tracking, Vending | 1 Comment

April 21, 2009 by Jaclyn Wells | 0 Comments

photo credit: liber

Leading any business can prove to be quite a challenge for anyone, but during a recession, it almost seems impossible to some to lead in the right direction without panic striking amongst employees and colleagues. For the new year, there are a couple suggestions below from Harvard Business that may make leadership a little easier for some of you.

Begin by taking a step backwards and reviewing where you and your company have already been, the steps you’ve already taken, the choices you’ve already made. Take a look at how these steps that you’ve already taken have impacted your goal’s and vision in life and business.

Next, define your leadership vision. What is it that you want to accomplish? Where exactly is it that you want to go with your business? What do you want to provide for your employees and customers.

And finally, take the four-way view.

This exercise gives you an understanding of how you are focusing your attention on your four life domains today. It shows how you manage the allocation of your time and energy–the amount of attention you pay to various people and projects in your life–and so helps you assess whether you’re actually doing what you care about doing.

What are you doing to change your leadership in 2009?

In Leadership, Operations, Planning, Strategy | 0 Comments

April 21, 2009 by Dane Carlson | 1 Comment

If it was the 1960s and I started Google, it would work something like this:

1. I’d advertise in the back of Popular Science magazine.
2. Users would send in a self addressed, stamped envelope.
3. I’d send back a postcard, like the one above, on which they’d enter their search query, check the appropriate boxes and then mail back to me.

Boy, times have changed. I doubt that anyone under 30 even knows what a SASE is anymore.

In Humor | 1 Comment

April 21, 2009 by Jaclyn Wells | 2 Comments

photo credit: Whatsername?

It can be very frustrating and nerve wracking when your wanting to take your home based business to the next level, but have so many obstacles standing in your way of accomplishing this. Below are a few examples of how to help you grow your home based business. Please read the complete list of suggestions on Entrepreneur.com.

●Hire someone to help you out. This can be an intern, part-time employee, retiree, or a full time employee.
●Find more way’s to increase the sales to your existing customers.
●Target other market’s that you might not of ever thought about.
●Consider turning your home based business into a franchise or business opportunity for others.

Fortunately, there are some ways to take your home based business to new heights without sacrificing your business’s profitability or losing your peace of mind.

What can you think of to help a home based business grow bigger?

In Advice, Build, Entrepreneurs, Growth | 2 Comments

April 21, 2009 by Angela Shupe | 1 Comment

While more people start trying to live a lifestyle that’s eco-friendly now, some have lived that life for a while. Reena Kazmann is one of them.

Inspired by some products she had spotted at the NY Gift Show, Reena started a business based around eco-friendly products. She brought together a variety of products that fit her specifications and started offering them in one place, Eco-Artware.com. Nearly 10 year later her business is still seeing growth.

What was the inspiration behind Eco-Artware.com?

In Feb. 1999 I visited the NY Gift Show and saw two products made from recycled materials. Loved the designs before I realized they were made from castoffs. I was convinced this would be the future and that more products would be made from leftovers and decided to open a web gift store. I found a few more designers working with recycled and organic materials to have a respectable, if small stock. There were no models or mentors to help develop the store. We planned it and tried it out and opened on Thanksgiving 1999.

How many products are currently listed on your website?

Not sure of specifics. Over 150.

Continue reading Eco-Artware Sells Art That Is Earth Friendly

In Eco-friendly, Ecommerce, Interviews | 1 Comment

April 21, 2009 by Angela Shupe | 0 Comments

canada.com:

Four local mompreneurs juggle motherhood and flexible careers to find work-life balance

The phrase work-life balance is bandied about a lot, especially as it relates to women returning to careers after having kids.

Truth is, between long hours at the office, preparing meals for little ones, keeping house and everything else involved in living life, the act of “balancing” becomes akin to running barefoot over a bed of hot coals: tricky.

No wonder more women are checking out of the 9-to-5 grind to start their own business. Working from home makes it easier to wear the mom and manager hats at the same time.

“There’s so many variations on this theme, but we know that, in Canada, three out of five new businesses (in 2007) were started by women,” says Calgarian Kathryn Bechthold, CEO of The Mompreneur, a print and online women’s business magazine.

“I think that’s a result of being mothers, having families, but still wanting a career.”

Photo by nationalrural

In Mompreneur, Networking, News | 0 Comments

April 21, 2009 by Dane Carlson | 0 Comments

In this funny video Seth Godin looks at how many of systems and businesses we interact with in our modern life are broken. Includes some very good advice for small business entrepreneurs.

In Video | 0 Comments

April 21, 2009 by Rich Whittle | 1 Comment

CNNMoney:

Standard X-ray two-dimensional imaging delivers a significant amount of radiation to the patient. Even a single X-ray exposure may contribute to cancer and affect fetal development.

NextRay is developing a relatively inexpensive imaging machine that uses a new type of 2D imaging, Diffraction Enhanced Imaging (DEI), which produces highly detailed images, can image soft tissues, and exposes the patient to less than 1% of the radiation dosage of X-ray machines.

NextRay built a prototype DEI device using an off-the-shelf X-ray tube and detector. Previously, the scientific community was skeptical that DEI images could be produced without the use of a large synchrotron facility, which costs hundreds of millions to billions of dollars to build.

The company plans to acquire funding and a manufacturing partner within the next two years, hold clinical trials in year three, and launch full-scale production and distribution in year four.

*NBT=Next Big Thing

Photo by NextRay.

In Healthcare, Innovation, Startup | 1 Comment

April 21, 2009 by Angela Shupe | 0 Comments

Los Angeles Times:

Old scams never die, they just move to new venues.

The Better Business Bureau put out an alert Thursday that many of the dubious ads that have long popped up in e-mails and on websites are now invading online social networks, such as Facebook.

“Ubiquitous ads for weight loss products, work-at-home opportunities and offers for ‘free’ computers can
cost shoppers more than they bargained for in the long run,” the BBB states.

Last month, the Federal Trade Commission alleged that phony offers for individual grants from the federal
economic stimulus package were cropping up on Facebook. The social network agreed to search them out and kick them off the service.

The ads that the BBB warns about are going strong, however.

They include acai berry weight-loss ads that lead consumers to websites that have fake blog
testimonials and offers that can cost more than $80 a month if not canceled before the trial period ends.
An ad headlined “Learn how I make $67,000 a year being a stay-at-home Mom!” also can lead to hefty payouts.

“In 2008 alone, BBB received more than 3,500 complaints from people who signed up for offers to learn how to work from home but were ultimately disappointed,” the organization said.

Logo from the BBB

In News, Trends | 0 Comments

April 21, 2009 by Rich Whittle | 2 Comments

The Cincinnati Enquirer:

Fred Wenz, a deliveryman for UPS for 23 years, has turned his frustration with drivers on cellphones into a safety business venture.

While on a run a few years ago, he came up with the idea for a device that blocks cell signals around a driver’s seat. It’s modeled on ignition locks that make a convicted drunken driver blow into an alcohol tester before the car will run.

“I witness it every day on the road, and I just thought, ‘There has to be a way that you can prevent this electronically,’ ” says Wenz, 40.

Wenz and longtime friend John Fischer have formed Try Safety First and filed a provisional patent on what they call the owner compliance key late last year.

The device blocks signals to and from cellphones for a 5-foot radius, effectively the space around a driver’s seat. It also can be set to be effective only on a secondary key, such as one a parent gives a teen.

Photo by The Cincinnati Enquirer.

In Automotive, Invention, Safety | 2 Comments