Business Opportunities Weblog

August 26, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 2 Comments

Deseret News:

Rebecca Davidson didn’t set out to be an inventor or an entrepreneur. She just wanted to stop throwing away dried-out markers every two weeks.

So she designed the Cap Trapper — her answer for missing marker lids, children putting caps in their mouths and dried-out pens that are good for nothing else but the garbage. The flexible, soft device holds markers of any size by their caps, so children or adults only have access to the marker and the lid never gets lost.

“This idea has been building for a while, out of a frustration,” the Orem mother of three said, holding her silicon solution that looks like a row of mini pink fingers. “I taught ninth grade, and even ninth-graders like markers more than crayons.”

The idea was born one night after Davidson’s father-in-law came over and was bemoaning the fact that the dry-erase markers he had purchased days ago were already missing their caps.

“This bugs everyone,” Davidson said, remembering her reaction. “I gotta do something.”

Eight months later, Davidson now has her own company, Savvy May Creations, and a product she hopes will take the marker world by storm — hopefully by back-to-school season 2009.

Photo by Stuart Johnson.

In Creativity, Invention, Kids | 2 Comments

August 26, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 2 Comments

Great Falls Tribune:

Candy Maxwell manufactures and markets Candy’s Colorland products from her Cascade home. The products are made of lightweight plastic, which can be colored on and then erased.

The products are manufactured using laser-cutters and silk-screen machines.

All of the playhouses are different, but they also can be hooked together.

“Kids can add on to it and keep adding on,” Maxwell said. “They can build it as big as they want.” They can build a castle, cottage, lemonade stand or puppet stage.

“It’s their imagination,” she said. “There is no end.”

The castle playhouse looks like a two-story castle and offers mazes on all sides. She also has other playhouse styles and even designed a work station where children can read or do homework. Playhouses come with simple furniture, valances with curtain rods, flower boxes, shelves, closets and hangers — “Whatever they want.”

Best of all, her playhouses are designed to be colored on multiple times.

“Crayons, markers, watercolors—it just wipes right off,” she said. “They can color it a thousand times over again.”

For those who want to design the art on their own playhouses, Maxwell sells blank, pre-cut walls. “It’s a big open canvas for those who want to leave a legacy of art for their children,” she said.

Photo by Lynn Adams.

In Fun, Invention, Kids | 2 Comments

August 26, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 2 Comments

The Plain Dealer:

Shannon Davis was at home with two small children when a nagging thought just wouldn’t go away: There has to be a better way for stay-at-home moms to leverage their skills and still be around for their children.

Davis never wanted to be an entrepreneur. She just wanted to do something that she enjoyed with flexible hours, ideally a job that could draw on her master’s degree in instructional technology and distance education. Instead, she found administrative jobs that didn’t interest her or corporate jobs that weren’t flexible.

“I couldn’t find what I was looking for, so I just created it,” she said. “I wanted to be able to look for jobs that fit my schedule. I had many conversations with friends and other amazing women who faced the same challenge.”

In less than a year, the job board, BeyondMotherhood.com, has about 2,000 mothers and 450 employers signed up nationwide, ranging from Tiffany & Co. and the Container Store to small start-up companies and a handful of large employers. The company was supposed to feature just Northeast Ohio businesses like the Cleveland Clinic, a title sponsor, but word spread fast online.

Davis said she spends a lot of time e-mailing women nationwide, seeking their patience in listing jobs in other parts of the country. “My goal is to have something for everyone.”

Photo by Chris Stephens.

In Telecommuting, Women, Work at Home | 2 Comments

August 26, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 4 Comments

NewsBlaze:

In today’s society, many husbands and wives are also married to their careers, which can make it difficult to maintain a healthy and happy marriage. Other married couples, like Luke and Maisie Knowles, combine work life and home life as husband-and-wife entrepreneurs.

The co-founders of FreeShipping.org, a one-stop destination for consumers to find online retailers that offer free shipping deals, the Knowles have what they call an added challenge and benefit that most husband-and-wife entrepreneurs don’t share. They work from a home office - side by side - just a few feet away from each other. And they have an infant daughter, Isabelle.

Concocting the ideal recipe to combine a thriving business and a successful marriage is not easy, Luke and Maisie agree, especially when you work together at home, but it can be done with understanding.

“As a married couple, when you move from conventional office jobs to working together in your own business, you go from not having much time together to being around each other most of the day everyday,” Luke said. “It can be a challenge to define life as husband and wife, and life as business partners, because it’s hard to separate the two. Still, we would rather work together in our own business than go our separate ways in the morning working for someone else.”

Read more.

Photo by NewsBlaze.

In Family, Partners, Small Biz | 4 Comments

August 26, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 3 Comments

Rhonda Abrams At Gannett News Service:

I once saw a handwritten note over a jar for tips: “If you fear change, leave it here.”

To some extent, we all fear change. Yet, to survive in business (as in all of life) we have to learn how to change — and be willing and able to change when necessary.

Think of change as a series of steps, including:

Your attitude. You can’t make a change if you don’t believe you can succeed. In this stage, you start saying to yourself, “This is going to happen; I can make this work. I can succeed.” Begin to reframe what you’ve seen as permanent obstacles into challenges that can be dealt with.

Your goals. Consider what you want to achieve. Are your goals specific? Most importantly, are they realistic, especially in the time frame you’d like? Do you just need to make some changes in your current business that might be able to happen in a matter of months? If you have to totally re-establish your business, let’s face it, that might take a year or more.

Your plan. Think through the steps necessary to achieve your goals and decide on an action plan. By thinking through a plan, you’re able to convert your somewhat hazy desires into specific objectives, connected to specific, realistic actions you can take.

Commitment. You make a definite commitment to your goals and a clear decision to act on your plan. It’s helpful to begin to visualize yourself actually making these changes and achieving your desired results.

Action. You have to act now on the goals and plan you’ve committed to. This won’t be easy. It might take a commitment of funds — it certainly will take a commitment of your time and focus.

Change doesn’t happen overnight, and you may not achieve all the goals you set. But remember, things won’t change if you don’t change.

Photo by Luis Montemayor.

In Advice, Productivity, Strategy | 3 Comments

August 25, 2008 by Nicholas | 2 Comments

MassLive:

Sonya G. MacPhail likes live music, lives in Belchertown and was frustrated at having to drive 30 minutes or more to hear bands play at a club. So she is opening the Black Moon, a music lounge at 37 State St., and planning on live music seven nights a week.

“I decided I would open my own place in town and be able to listen to what I want, when I want,” MacPhail said.

Running a music lounge is a new venture for MacPhail, who has worked in sales, real estate, restaurants and bars. She also worked in a wine store in California.

“I have done just about everything, I think,” she said.

Until now she has not run a lounge with music seven nights a week, but the newness doesn’t phase her. MacPhail said she has several bands lined up for the first few months and is looking to book more. The initial schedule for the lounge will be open microphone nights on Mondays, jazz on Tuesdays, and blues, folk and other aspects of Americana music on Wednesdays.

image via jamesmaclennan

In Entrepreneurs | 2 Comments

August 25, 2008 by Nicholas | 1 Comment

CNN Money:

How much would you pay for a nap? For entrepreneur Nicholas Ronco, that’s a million-dollar question, with the fate of his 18-month-old business hanging on the answer.

Yelo is tucked away in a nondescript storefront on West 57th Street, a busy industrial stretch of Manhattan’s midtown. But step inside, and you can leave urban noise and pressures behind as you settle into a soundproof YeloCab, a cozy cabin engineered for maximum tranquility. Yelo’s business is selling naps - and right now, that business is booming.

Yelo opened in doors in February 2007. Since then, more than 4,000 nappers have stopped in, a clientele ranging from corporate executives to groups of twentysomething “disco nappers” that swing by on Saturday afternoons to rev up for a night on the town. Corporate clients such as Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, Hearst Corporation and BMI bring in steady, repeat business.

As he priced his naps, Ronco studied the cost of everyday commodities, such as a cab ride or lunch. A snooze at Yelo now costs $15 (20 minutes) to $28 (40 minutes). In its first year, the nap shop booked revenue of $400,000; for next year, Ronco projects sales of $1.3 million. Right now, revenue is growing by an average of 23% each month.

Image via CNN

In Entrepreneurs | 1 Comment

August 25, 2008 by Angela Shupe | 2 Comments

If you’ve ever been near someone who plays a sport after the game is over, then you know that smell of dirt and sweat that is all over them. As bad as it smells, the germs hiding within any padding and clothing can be the real problem.

By using a Fresh Gear machine, these important pieces of gear used can be sterilized in a way that makes them wearable as soon as they leave the machine. As you could imagine this is also something that would make a profitable business in the right location.

What is Fresh Gear and what does it do?

Fresh Gear is a powerfully effective dry cleaning machine. It uses natural ozone to destroy bacteria and remove nasty odors in protective sports gear like that worn in hockey, football and lacrosse.What makes the Fresh Gear process unique, is that it delivers high velocity ozone flow directly into the thick padding of the sports equipment, penetrating deeply into the dense fibers, killing bacteria in the most critical area, where the gear contacts the skin!

Does a great job on fire fighter gear and smoke damaged items. Takes as little as 20 minutes and there are no consumables, just 2 cents of electricity!

What are some of the benefits that customers see from using these services to clean their gear?

• Sanitize: Kills harmful bacteria greatly reducing the risk of dangerous staph infections (MRSA), skin rash and respiratory illnesses (asthma, allergies).
• Odor removal: Leaves pleasant scent and reduces regrowth rate of bacteria.
• Convenient: 20 minute process means you can get it done while you wait and wear the gear right after.
• Affordable: Fresh Gear services are priced so that you can afford to clean your gear regularly throughout the season.

Continue reading Business Freshens Up Sports Gear Effectively

In Biz Ops, Interviews, Niche, Sports, Success | 2 Comments

August 25, 2008 by Angela Shupe | 0 Comments

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – Aug. 25, 2008 – Intuit Inc. (Nasdaq: INTU) today announced both iPhone and BlackBerry integration with QuickBooks®Online, the leading Web-based small business accounting software.

Now the more than 130,000 small businesses that subscribe to QuickBooks Online have even more freedom to manage their business anywhere, anytime - with or without a computer. These early version Web-based mobile applications are part of Intuit’s Connected Services strategy to help entrepreneurs connect to their data when and where they need it.

Available on IntuitLabs.com, an early concept release site, these iPhone and BlackBerry applications help QuickBooks Online users get an up-to-date view of their finances by:

• Checking current bank and credit card balances.
• Tracking who owes them money and who they owe.
• Finding vendor and customer contact info with addresses via Google Maps.
• Running balance sheet and profit and loss reports.

“QuickBooks Online is perfect for us as there is no ‘office,’ just volunteer member parents working from various home or work offices,” said Laura Olcott, treasurer for Twin Cities Co-op Preschool in Corte Madera, Calif. “Given the virtual nature of our interactions, iPhone support helps us be more productive. While waiting for an appointment, I was able to check QuickBooks Online using my iPhone to look up parents with open balances and send them an e-mail reminder to pay their bill.”

“A growing number of small businesses are looking to mobile technology to run their business,” said Rick Jensen, senior vice president of Intuit’s Small Business Division. “Our goal with these new mobile services is to give QuickBooks Online users the edge they need to compete and manage their busy lives by keeping tabs on their business even when they are out of the office.”

Continue reading QuickBooks Online Gives You More Mobile Mojo

In News, Software | 0 Comments

August 25, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 2 Comments

InformationWeek:

Steve Wozniak, the legendary designer of the first and second Apple computer, on Thursday advised engineers working on something new to never waiver if they think they’re right.

In an interview at the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, Wozniak told interviewer Moira Gunn, host of Tech Nation on National Public Radio, that too much input from others can make an inventor lose focus.

“If you have technical ideas, if you know what you’re good at, and you know what you’re doing is right … you have to shut them out,” Wozniak said of people trying to influence an engineer’s work. Pursuing a vision without compromise, is “the right way of going through life.”

Wozniak touched on many topics during the interview, but in describing how to be successful as an inventor, he said having very little money helps stimulate creativity. As a computer designer, “I would do any trick I could think of to try to save money,” he said. “Not having any money helps.”

Being shy also helped, because it made it easier for him to shut himself in a room and work. “That shyness helps you develop a streak of independence,” he said.

Doing something that has never been done before was a key driver for Wozniak in his engineering days, and that wouldn’t change if he ever decided to leave retirement. “If I was in it today, I’d be looking for something different,” he said. “Something that’s so new and rare that it didn’t exist before and hopefully has some benefit.”

“If you have technical ideas, if you know what you’re good at, and you know what you’re doing is right … you have to shut them out,” Wozniak said of people trying to influence an engineer’s work. Pursuing a vision without compromise, is “the right way of going through life.”

Wozniak acknowledged that he’s still a “gadget person” and remains fascinated with computer technology, but not without wondering about its overall impact on our lives.

“Technology is always supposed to improve our lives,” he said. “I don’t know. Are we happier than we were 100 years ago? Are we happier than we were 1,000 years ago? Do we smile more?”

Photo by CMU.edu.

In Advice, Operations, Technology | 2 Comments

August 25, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 1 Comment

Mercury News:

A husband and wife team with the serendipitous surname of “Sugar” may have found the recipe for successfully combining content, e-commerce and social networking on a site that attracts a most attractive demographic: women ages 18 to 44.

Brian and Lisa Sugar are the founders of San Francisco-based sugarinc.com, an online media company with a network of channels focused on specific topics that draw women.

The enterprise started as a hobby in 2005 with PopSugar, a blog devoted to celebrity news and gossip. The hobby became a business, which then spawned FabSugar for fashionistas, YumSugar for foodies, BellaSugar for beauty addicts, GeekSugar for techies and CasaSugar for home decor devotees.

In three years, the brand built on a sweetly clever name play that has grown to encompass 17 live sites employing about 80 people, most of them content producers who write in a breezy, chatty style that’s become the hallmark of blogging.

As of this week, the company said its various Sugar sites have 8.5 million unique visitors as measured by Quantcast, and more than 60 million page views, according to Google Analytics. Ninety-six percent of the visitors are female and the median age of visitors is 26 years old, Brian said.

TechCrunch, the popular valley blog that profiles and reviews new Internet products and companies, estimates that Sugar has ad sales of $10 million a year.

Photo by Sugar Publishing.

In Blogs, Branding, Internet | 1 Comment

August 25, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 1 Comment

crave:

Those worried about the future of the planet needn’t look much further than 12-year-old Elizabeth Rintels and friends for reassurance that young people aren’t just aware of eco-challenges, they’re putting their minds to solving them.

Rintels, of Keswick, Va., created a smart device designed to measure and monitor water usage in the shower. Youth marketing and media company By Kids For Kids announced that her invention nabbed the grand prize in BKFK’s “Going Green Challenge”, which called on America’s youth to come up with new eco-ideas for a changing world.

The young innovator was driven to create the “Water Watcher” after learning that cutting her shower time by one minute would save approximately 1,000 gallons of water per year. The product can be fastened to any faucet, signaling a red light and sounding a beep every time a half-gallon of water is used.

Photo by BKFK.

In Competition, Eco-friendly, Kids | 1 Comment

August 25, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 1 Comment

Home Biz Notes:

Geekpreneur offers a free Twitter ebook with a difference. If you want to get into using social media for business, this book is a great start.

With huge companies like Zappos and SouthWestern using Twitter as major communication and marketing channels, it gives you an idea of the power of Twitter as a social media tool for business.

This professionally presented and easy to read Twitter ebook gives plenty of great tips. It’s easy to read and offers 48 pages of practical Twitter tips and know how from getting started to advanced strategies of promoting your business online.

Download the pdf file here.

Photo by Geekpreneur.

In Advice, Ecommerce, Internet | 1 Comment

August 25, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 2 Comments

What do sex, drugs and software have in common?

They are the top three things purchased off spam email.

Often these goods are pirated, counterfeit, or cheap knock-offs that would be difficult to come by through the legitimate market.

More than 150 billion spam messages circulate daily, accounting for more than 85 percent of the total number of emails sent throughout the world. The sheer volume of spam consumes an enormous amount of bandwidth and remains one of the Internet’s biggest security problems.

Poll results and the surprising answer: Friday.

Photo by Hormel Foods.

In Polls | 2 Comments

August 25, 2008 by Angela Shupe | 1 Comment

First there is good food. Then there is good food and great entertainment. Genghis Grill has a stir fry for everyone Whether you’re into beef or chicken, no matter what veggies you want, they can put together the perfect stir fry for you and cook it right in front of you. You’re not just enjoying a good meal, you’re also enjoying a good show on top of it.

The style of cooking used is something that has been based off a legend based in the time of Genghis Khan. According to this legend, the soldiers would heat up their shields using open fires and grill up food on them. Up at the Khan’s Kitchen customers build their stir fry bowl and then it goes to the Grill Master who grills up that stir fry so the customer can sit down and eat it all up

After all that, it’s obvious why a customer would enjoy dining at Genghis Grill but it opens up another possibility for some… a potentially successful franchise opportunity!

Continue reading Genghis Grill

In Biz Ops, Food, Franchising, Profit | 1 Comment

August 22, 2008 by Angela Shupe | 2 Comments

If you’re a mom who has dreamed of owning your own successful business, then you might find the right opportunity within More Organized Mom. Of course drive alone won’t get you through it. Someone with the right knowledge and the will to grow MOM into what it has the potential to become is exactly what this business needs. The real question would be, is that you?

I got an opportunity to talk with Angie Morris, the mom behind MOM, to find out what it is that she’s looking for.

How old is More Organized Mom (MOM) and what are some of the products you sell?

More Organized Mom is four years old. We sell calendars, notepads and checklist to help keep moms organized. Our MOM Calendar—a weekly planning tool that allows you to record everything from appointments, To Do’s and dinner– was in Parents magazine twice in 2005. The editor of Parents, Sally Lee, is quoted as saying “Finally, a planning tool that works for everyone.”

What type of person are you looking for when it comes to someone purchasing your business? Do you have any requirements?

Ideally, we are looking for a mom. But she should also be an entrepreneur who has business expertise. Someone who has sold to women would be a plus. Someone who can recognize a company with a great brand, great products and great potential. Someone who can take this company to the next level. All start-up investments have already been made and the buyer doesn’t have to worry about that, however we did feel we needed more capital to properly market our products and expand our customer base. We are also considering partnerships.

Continue reading More Organized Mom Is For Sale

In Biz Ops, Interviews, Opportunity, Small Biz, Women, Work at Home | 2 Comments

August 22, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 2 Comments

Epidemix:

If not for the musical group, the Beatles, we wouldn’t have CT scans, aka CAT scans, the advanced medical scanning technology that lets your doctor see how badly your bones are broken.

Here’s the backstory: in the 1960s, a middle-aged engineer named Godfrey Hounsfield was working at Electrical & Musical Instrument Ltd., where he began as a radar researcher in 1951.

The company, known as EMI for short, was a typical industrial scientific company at the time, working on military technology and the burgeoning field of electronics. Hounsfield was a skilled but unexceptional scientist, leading a team that built the first all-transistor computer in 1958.

Through its work in radar, the company began working in broadcasting equipment, which complimented its ownership of several recording studios in London. Specifically, at Abbey Road. In the 50s, the company began releasing LPs, and by the end of that decade, thanks to an acquisition of Capitol Records, the company had become a powerhouse in popular music.

Then, in 1962, on the recommendation of EMI recording engineer George Martin, the company signed the Beatles to a recording contract.

That was the bang - over the next decade (and for years thereafter) the company earned millions of dollars from the fab four. So much money, the company almost didn’t know what to do with it.

EMI gave Hounsfield the freedom to pursue independent research. Hounsfield’s breakthrough was combining his work with computers together with an interest in X-rays. X-rays were still pretty much used to image bodies in two dimensions from a fixed position.

Hounsfield’s idea was to measure in three dimensions, by scanning an object - most dramatically, a human head - from many directions. The result was a cross-sectional, interior image that he called computed tomography, or CT.

Photo by isdproductions.

In History, Music, Revenue | 2 Comments

August 22, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 3 Comments

BusinessWeek:

It was on the course in April, 2004, that Jennifer Glaspie realized she just hated her golf shorts. “They were heinous,” she says. When a friend suggested she start her own line, she responded, “You know, that’s not crazy.”

She quit her consulting job, hired a designer from Chicago’s International Academy of Design & Technology, pulled $50,000 from personal savings, whipped up some samples, and several months later took her Aphira line to high-end pro shops. Glaspie, a graduate of Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, generated $50,000 in sales in 2005. She hopes to hit $1 million next year.

The 33-year-old Bucktown resident spends a mere $50,000 a year on marketing, relying mostly on word of mouth. Still, she says her reorder rate is an astonishing 80%.

At Butterfield Country Club in Oak Brook, bestsellers include the longer Urban Short and polos with waist belts. “Ladies have only had the khaki short and the white polo shirts for so long,” says Marianne Saso, merchandise manager for the club’s pro shop. “They really appreciate this line.”

Photo by BusinessWeek.

In Creativity, Fashion, Sports | 3 Comments

August 22, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 3 Comments

The BIG Idea:

Whether to display confidence, remember who’s the boss or to be gushingly optimistic, here are Jack Dougherty’s Nine keys to make the most out of any opportunity!

1. Become an authority.

2. Display confidence.

3. Never flip-flop.

4. Focus on likeability.

5. Be gushingly optimistic.

6. Remember who is the boss.

7. Conform!

8. Play Nice.

9. Look sharp!

Photo by Jack Dougherty.

In Advice, Opportunity, Strategy | 3 Comments

August 22, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 2 Comments

On Wednesday, we started a poll asking, ‘How long have you been operating your home biz?’

As of 8 PM EDT Thursday, 24 users had participated in the poll with 33% of respondents operating their home biz 1 to 3 years. Next up was 25% operating 4 or more years.

As the Internet makes it easier to start a home business, those numbers will undoubtedly increase in the years to come.

Photo by PicApp.

In Uncategorized | 2 Comments

August 22, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 3 Comments

The New York Times:

Acknowledging that most online shoppers cannot be bothered with auctions, eBay plans Wednesday to announce changes to its fee structure that emphasize fixed prices over bidding. The move is intended to help eBay compete more effectively with Amazon.com and other big online retailers.

The announcement, timed to increase sales during the holiday shopping season, is just one of the changes eBay has made in the last few months aimed at reducing its dependence on its auction business, which is growing more slowly than fixed-price sales. It provides yet more evidence that consumers are losing interest in auctions now that online shopping sites have become more affordable and easier to use.

“Buying online has changed,” said Scot Wingo, chief executive of the market research firm ChannelAdvisor. “Retail sites no longer make customers choose between convenience and price.”

Lower upfront fees will enable sellers to offer a bigger selection, helping eBay better compete with fixed-price retailers, Wingo said. “The current system puts eBay at a disadvantage.”

Photo by eBay.

In Auction, Ebay & Online Auctions, Sales | 3 Comments

August 21, 2008 by Nicholas | 4 Comments

DetNews:

One of the big names in Detroit’s downtown music and entrepreneurial scene, Robert Stanzler, 40, recently introduced a new line of T-shirts and outerwear called Detroit Manufacturing LLC. At least 25 retailers have come on board.

“Detroit Manufacturing is not just a brand, it is a dynamic product with a Detroit-centric philosophy,” said Stanzler, owner and producer. He plans to deploy workers to the Arts, Beats & Eats festival in Pontiac over Labor Day and hires contractors to sell a full line of products at Eastern Market in Detroit every Saturday.

Crowds flock around the booths to buy shirts with high density inks, fine-gauge cotton and foil designs that bear logos such as “Detroit, City of Tomorrow,” “Little Miss Detroit” and other upbeat mottos.

Stanzler sued a former employee to register his own name on the trademark graphic of a man holding a wrench in the “Made in Detroit” logo. The design was part of an inspiration and mission to create a positive image of the Motor City. He is constantly working on new designs.

Today he competes with a variety of retailers and wholesalers. Pure Detroit sells city-themed merchandise at its stores in the Guardian and Fisher buildings and in the Renaissance Center. An upstart T-shirt company, Aptemal Clothing sells its wares at Eastern Market on Saturdays. Kid Rock sells shirts through his Web site, www.madeindetroit.com. Yet, the Stanzler name and design package retain their clout.

Image via MadeInDetroit

In Entrepreneurs, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

August 21, 2008 by Angela Shupe | 3 Comments

In a business which has been monopolized by some of the best known companies available comes Chris of PrintPrintPrint.biz. Aiming to offer the best quality products possible at the lowest prices available, Chris has started something that will not only catch on but bring with it the potential to become one of the top in it’s category.

I got an opportunity to interview Chris about his business and he has shared with us some information about what inspires him as well as some of the things he has learned along the way.

How old is PrintPrintPrint.Biz and what are some of the products you offer?

I started PrintPrintPrint.Biz back in March 2008. We offer full color business cards, postcards, brochures, stationary (both letterhead and envelopes), and magnets. All of our products print in full color.

Which of those products are among the most popular with your customers?

It’s pretty much a tie with business cards and postcards. Once a customer orders business cards from PrintPrintPrint.Biz, they then know the quality and want to order postcards.

How long on average does it take for you to process an order and get it shipped?

All of our business cards and postcards have a guaranteed 2-4 business day printing turnaround but normally print and ship within 3 days. We do have the option for next day printing available as well. Our other items such as: brochures, magnets, letterhead and envelopes have a 5-7 business day turnaround for printing & processing.

Continue reading A Business Works To Lower Your Printing Costs

In Custom, Entrepreneurs, Internet, Interviews, Success | 3 Comments

August 21, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 3 Comments

BusinessWeek:

Playing video games all day can be tiring, at least according to Shawn Smith, who left his job as an editor at Ziff Davis’ Electronic Gaming Monthly to create an alternative world of his own.

In 2002, the visual artist began Shawnimals, a line of quirky plush toys, such as butt-kicking ninjas, bouncy radishes, and talking moustaches.

Smith, 32, hand-made the toys with his wife, Jennifer Brody, in Bucktown until last year, when he outsourced the work to China to keep up with orders.

Now Smith is expanding from toys—available in 200 stores at $6 to $30—to get back into the 2D realm of video games. He’s helping develop a game for Nintendo DL based on Ninjatown, a Shawnimals property. It’s scheduled for release next fall.

Photo by Saverio Truglia.

In Creativity, Niche, Toys | 3 Comments

August 21, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 4 Comments

Portfolio.com:

What’s the airline-industry jargon for unconventional wisdom? Southwest Airlines.

By some estimates, the country’s major carriers have consumed perhaps $100 billion in capital during the past decade, but Southwest Airlines continues to be profitable. It’s been in the black for 33 consecutive years and, last week, for the 127th consecutive quarter, it paid a modest dividend.

Its balance sheet, with about $3 billion in cash on hand and $600 million in available credit, is the envy of an otherwise fuel-price-ravaged industry.

What does Southwest know that no one else does? It keeps things simple and consistent, which drives costs down, maximizes productive assets, and helps manage customer expectations.

• One Plane Fits All

• Point-to-Point Flying

• Simple In-Flight Service

• No Frills, No Fees

• Strong Management

• A Relatively Happy Workforce

• Aggressive Fuel Hedging

Photo by Southwest.

In Advice, Customer Service, Transportation | 4 Comments