tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64127514100439093892024-03-13T12:05:03.467-07:00Winning StartupsBusiness Ideas that have WorkedMy Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.comBlogger254125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-61746573108535813992010-04-12T18:05:00.000-07:002010-04-12T18:21:04.740-07:00Rent a Drug Sniffing Dog by the hour<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6rFuJsH_dNo/S8PG8hlFWbI/AAAAAAAAAr8/hwaNZmNVO1U/s1600/dargo210.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6rFuJsH_dNo/S8PG8hlFWbI/AAAAAAAAAr8/hwaNZmNVO1U/s320/dargo210.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459425916411533746" /></a><br /><br />I know I haven't written anything for awhile, haven't been inspired. I was just reading azcentral.com and came across <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/community/ahwatukee/articles/2010/04/12/20100412drug-dog-for-rent.html#comments">this story </a>I just can't pass up. There is a lady in Ahwatukee, Arizona who is renting out her drug sniffing dog by the hour to parents who suspect their kids are on drugs. The dog, named Dargo, could be yours for only $150/hour.<br /><br />The owner, Amy Halm, says, "So many parents monitor their kids with drug tests, but Dargo provides a quicker, less-invasive option to testing. If he can assist in an intervention or deter one person, especially a young child from using drugs, it's worth it."<br /><br />When Dargo sniffs out drugs, he doesn't scratch or dig, rather, he sits. Amy then posts a sticky note in the drug infested area and gives parents a list of counselors for their kid to see. <br /><br />According to azcentral.com, "Dargo had a job at a police station in Indiana where he served as part of a drug detection team. Halm adopted the 6-year-old police academy canine at the K9 Global Training Academy in San Antonio three years ago after spotting him online during a pet search. The Malinois breed is a type of Belgian shepherd that is said to have high intelligence, stamina, and a keen sense of smell."<br /><br />Amy's company website is <a href="http://www.desertdrugdog.com">www.desertdrugdog.com</a>. Both she and her dog are certified by Zauberberg K-9 Academy in McNeal Arizona.<br /><br />What I would like to know is what Dargo did to get fired from the Indiana police force??My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-16237880826232809752010-03-08T13:50:00.000-08:002010-03-10T18:30:41.142-08:00Filling a Niche for Moms<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6rFuJsH_dNo/S5V0NKqOFYI/AAAAAAAAAr0/MO05IhbLh74/s1600-h/boys+and+girls.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 293px; height: 195px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6rFuJsH_dNo/S5V0NKqOFYI/AAAAAAAAAr0/MO05IhbLh74/s320/boys+and+girls.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446387093923042690" /></a><br />I have a 2.5 and 4.5 year old pair of girls who keep me busy. Unfortunately, there are projects or activities I need to tend to that their attendance to part time pre school does not give me the necessary time to complete, i.e. compiling paperwork<br />to prepare for taxes, attending a woman's meeting, or getting a couple hours off to attend a luncheon or quiet dinner. <br /><br />What's the answer? Okay, I know, a loving live in granny who can't get enough time with her grand kids or a live in nanny.<br /><br />The truth is, my coverage needs aren't that constant or lengthy. Luckily, a business has come to my neighborhood for families just like ours. I'm so excited about this place!<br /><br />It's called <a href="http://mauiplaycare.com/">Maui Play Care</a>. They sit in a convienent strip mall and provide drop in day care for 1-4 hours per day. Husband has a flat tire or have to get to a doctor appointment, MPC is there to the rescue. They provide a safe, clean, kid friendly facility and staff with a bounce house, great young enthusiastic CPR trained, fun loving care givers and lots of specials like face painting for those interested. My child's name and allergy information and my contact information are placed on a small name/information tag for my kids at each visit. They even cheerfully accepted my child who is just a couple of weeks into potty training. <br /><br />They do limit their care to 4 hours, not wishing to duplicate full time child care<br />facilities. They have convenient hours, 7 days a week. It's a classic case of a business filling a need in our community and I plan to continue to support them.My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-84644211811391799902009-03-24T13:24:00.000-07:002009-03-24T13:36:02.087-07:00Interior Designer Starts Amazing Wall Art Decal Business<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6rFuJsH_dNo/SclD2kaYzrI/AAAAAAAAArs/8FYQdpqzeBk/s1600-h/walltat.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5316855439853932210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 121px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6rFuJsH_dNo/SclD2kaYzrI/AAAAAAAAArs/8FYQdpqzeBk/s400/walltat.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div>When we moved in to our house, our builder gave us a gift of two interior designers for a few days to help us get the place set up. I remember our builder telling us these ladies were so good, they are like "little mice" - they would unpack our stuff, set us all up and we wouldnt even know they were there. These ladies gave me a price quotation on how much it would be to have a custom mural on my kid's nursery room wall - couple thousand dollars. Hence, I decided to "do it myself". </div><br /><div></div><div>The mural I started over 4 years ago was of Winnie-the-Pooh and Tigger. The room itself has 14 foot ceilings so at the time my nine month old pregnant body was climbing high ladders, praying I wouldn't fall. I fully completed the artwork on one wall, then got ambitious and started a second wall. I went into labor before finishing it. I joke by the time my kids are both in college I will complete the project. </div><br /><div></div><div>Number 72 on my list of a hundred plus business ideas is to sell wall mural decals so that people who want a cool picture on their wall don't have to pay a thousand bucks and a thousand hours to have it done. Turns out I don't have to start this business because there's already a great company already doing it!</div><br /><div>The company is called <a href="http://www.walltat.com/">WallTat</a> (get it - short for wall tatoos?). I checked out their website and they have some pretty cool funky designs. The owner's name is Jordan Guide. Jordan even took a few minutes to answer some of my questions. Additionally, they are offering a 10% discount, in the spirit of Spring, until the end of March. Use the code: SPRING10 at checkout.</div><div></div><br /><div>1. How long did it take you to get your company up and running?<br /><br />From the time I decided it was something that I want to pursue WALLTAT full time, it took about 2 months to get the necessary paperwork filed and another 2 months of research and development for the online store.<br /><br />2. What was your inspiration to start the company?<br /><br />As an interior designer, I am constantly looking for new and innovative products and materials. I have always been interested in creating wall art that challenges the boundaries of the interior space and not limited by the frame. I visualize elements growing out of the baseboards, flowing up a wall onto a ceiling, or spilling around from one corner into the next. WALLTAT is the brand that came out of these creations.<br /><br />3. How long did it take you to break even and be profitable?<br /><br />It took about 8 months<br /><br />4. What was the most difficult part of starting the business?<br />Finding vendor partners that value your business was most frustrating in the beginning. When you are a small company, you are not priority to most vendors. This is why it is important to find vendors that compatible in size and value your business.<br /><br />5. What is your background?<br /><br />I am an interior designer, specializing in residential and commercial design. You can see some of my work at <a href="http://www.jordanguidedesign.com/" target="_blank">http://www.jordanguidedesign.com/</a>.<br /><br />6. What are your company goals?<br /><br />I would love to get WALLTAT on the shelves of retailers and increase the distribution channels.<br /><br />7. What advice do you have to others starting their own business?<br /><br />For internet based companies, having a great product to sell is not enough. It is as important to have a website that is Search Engine Optimized (SEO). This will increase your website visibility and lead to more traffic and sales.</div></div>My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-25291306788040934872009-03-17T05:24:00.001-07:002009-03-17T05:56:05.559-07:00A Solution to the Health Care Problem<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6rFuJsH_dNo/Sb-dVSTS5YI/AAAAAAAAArc/XKkD07N_3Tg/s1600-h/doctor.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314139074336056706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6rFuJsH_dNo/Sb-dVSTS5YI/AAAAAAAAArc/XKkD07N_3Tg/s200/doctor.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><br /><div>I was thumbing through stations the other night and on the show Huckabee, host Mike Huckabee interviewed a man named <a href="http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20090304/FREE/903049985">Dr. Muney</a>. Muney is a doctor in New York who has a unique way of charging his patients - it doesn't involve accepting insurances like Blue Cross, Aetna, Cigna, etc. Instead, he charges all patients a flat fee of $79/month, regardless of what or how many services he provides in a given month. </div><div></div><br /><div>Why hasn't anyone come up with this concept before? </div><div></div><br /><div>Dr. Muney's customers are happy as they don't have to buy health care insurance, the fee is reasonable, and they are getting the basic care they want, and the doctor is happy because he can count on a set fee every month, and doesn't have to deal with insurance companies or the intricate billing procedures insurance companies require. In today's economy as millions of people are layed off and can't afford insurance premiums, this concept is absolutely genius, in my opinion. Cut out the middle man!!!</div><br /><div></div><div>Let's do the math on how much a doctor can profit from this idea - if the average doctor has roughly 5,000 patients on record and charges $79/month, they will make approximately $400,000/month. One could offer a lot of services for that price!!! Let's do the math on how much each patient or business will save per month per person: the national average cost for health insurance in <a href="http://ehbs.kff.org/?page=charts&id=1&sn=6&p=1">2008 was $392/month</a>, that's a savings of $313/month!!!</div><div></div><br /><div>Now, one of the big problems I see with this particular plan is this doctor only takes care of services that can be covered in his office, so if you need surgery or after hours care you are out of luck. However, can you imagine how successful this concept could be if groups of doctors (obstetricians, otolaryngologists, radiologists, cardiologists, etc) teamed up and offered a full line of services to their patients for a set fee every month? </div><br /><div></div><div>Additionally, this monthly flat fee concept would work very well for dentists. </div><div></div><br /><div>Finally, a Private fix to a Public problem, requiring no public funding, slashing costs for patients, making healthcare affordable to ALL and a very lucrative idea for physicians. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Unfortunately, the state of New York is not happy at all with this doctor's concept. They consider his idea a form of insurance, requiring him to charge all his patients additional fees as they obtain services. Dr. Muney wants to just charge $79/month, but the state of New York is requiring him to charge an additional copay as patients receive services from him. Dr. Muney is fighting this in the courts and pioneering the movement toward affordable healthcare. As soon as the kinks are ironed out, I predict this plan is going to change America and reform healthcare.</div></div>My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-42456948912861717012009-02-26T04:15:00.000-08:002009-02-26T06:09:27.665-08:00Dow 5000<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6rFuJsH_dNo/SaaIknh9udI/AAAAAAAAArM/35Yr2Qs0fB0/s1600-h/dow5000.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307079373570816466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 218px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_6rFuJsH_dNo/SaaIknh9udI/AAAAAAAAArM/35Yr2Qs0fB0/s320/dow5000.jpg" border="0" /></a> I know I haven't written in a while. A) I haven't been inspired by any business stories recently, and B) I didn't want anyone to miss the Gary Kaltbaum link Christmas present I gave everyone.<br /><br />If you were fortunate to have read this earlier post, you will recall I had a dream in October 2008 about the Dow going to 5000. Yes, people thought I was crazy, hallucinating, nutso. I admit it seemed that way at the time. Well, all you naysayers can kiss my big white a**.<br /><br />Yesterday the King of Bear Markets, the guy who has been right throughout this entire stock market crash, Gary Kaltbaum, ranted that if all this Obama spending continues, the market is going to 5000! In the radiocast from 2/25/09, Kaltbaum likens Obama's policies to former President Carter's. And we all know how well the economy fared during Carter's tenure. I voted for Obama after Ron Paul was not in the running to win and didn't want to "waste" my vote. I thought I was ready for "change" but I guess I wasn't as prepared for it as I thought. Guess there's a time and a place for everything and I don't agree that now is the time to invoke some of the current "changes", i.e., I am a fiscally conservative person and believe in responsible spending. <br /><br />Don't miss Kaltbaum's podcast from 2/25/09, it's worth the time to listen. Check it out:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.businesstalkradio.net/weekday_host/Archives/gk.shtml">http://www.businesstalkradio.net/weekday_host/Archives/gk.shtml</a>My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-42525961661535075092008-11-20T00:01:00.000-08:002009-03-02T11:16:24.684-08:00My Christmas Gift to You, albeit a little early, but hopefully not too lateIf you are invested in the stock market, there is a really great guy I've been listening to, named Gary Kaltbaum. He's a financial planner with a radio talk show and is also a guest on Fox Business news. He's been right all along with the stock market - got out into cash when the market was at 14000, now of course it's gone into the 7000's. Here's the link to his brilliant podcast.<br /><br />http://www.businesstalkradio.net/weekday_host/Archives/gk.shtml<br /><br />The night of October 5 my daughter got up for the first time in months in the middle of the night. I happened to be in the middle of a dream. In my dream, houses were burning (people couldn't sell them so they were setting them on fire) and God warned me the stock market was going to go to 5000. It was the most real dream I had ever had in my life and freaked me out. I told my husband about it in the morning and he thought I was nuts when I told him we need to cash out of all our holdings.<br /><br />"This is your investing strategy? Sell in a down market because you had a dream last night?" my hubby said. "I am learning so much about you I wish I had known before. But I'm not going to get divorced over this so do what you want."<br /><br />That Monday, I got us out of quite a bit of stuff, though I wish I had gotten us out of everything now, mainly because I have no stomach for it. When I get emotional about things I can't eat. By the end of that week my pants were falling off. I was nervous as hell making the phone calls to all the mutual fund brokers on a down day. One of the fund people told me not to cash out that Monday, to wait till there was an up day, but I went ahead with the order. Now that I think about it, I should sue him for offering me unsolicited advice. I think it's against the law.<br /><br />Within a couple weeks the market started to go up again and I felt like an idiot. However, I still believe in my dream and God warning me the market is going to the 5000's. I know it sounds incredibly hokey and like I'm a crazy woman. I haven't had a dream like this before. Even if my "dream" is wrong, the best lesson I've learned from this is sometimes we just have to go with our hunches. However, I think my dream is about as scientific as some of the other bozos on CNBC, the respected financial gurus who predicted the S and P going to 1400 this year. And people actually listen to them even though they have been wrong countless times.<br /><br />Until I have another dream like this, I think I'm just going to continue to listen to Gary Kaltbaum and invest as he does.My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-87805744202032943522008-11-19T14:51:00.001-08:002008-11-19T15:10:32.823-08:00Bring Back the Blue Light SpecialsI was watching an ad for K-Mart the other day. I haven't been in that store in probably fifteen years at least. I used to go in all the time as a kid, and I remember very distinctly the Blue Light Special. For those of you too young to remember, Blue Light Specials occurred at surprise moments when a store worker would light up a mobile police light and offer a discount in a specific department of the store. At the height of Kmart's popularity, the phrase "attention Kmart shoppers" became a favorite phrase in pop culture.<br /><br />Whatever happened to the blue light special? Times changed and Kmart changed their focus on their other acquired businesses like Waldenbooks, The Sports Authority, etc. I saw an article recently that said K-Mart tried to bring it back in 2001 with a $25 million ad campaign, which failed.<br /><br />Call me crazy but I'm proposing K-Mart try to bring it back again but don't spend money advertising it. Just try it in a few select stores and see whether it takes off again. Times are tight. The economy is tanking. People need the comfort of their blue light specials again.<br /><br />And K-Mart doesn't have to be the only store to offer Blue Light Specials, either - Target and Walmart can jump on the bandwagon too - they can call theirs red light specials and yellow light specials.<br /><br />What do you guys think?My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-3283492737323263502008-11-18T17:42:00.000-08:002008-11-18T17:47:03.489-08:00Cup O'Karma Gives Me Hope once again in BusinessHaven't been inspired lately by a business so I haven't written. I'm sure there are many awesome businesses to write about I just haven't read about many lately. I've been too caught up watching CNBC and all the doom and gloom and corruption on Wall Street. However, today I saw an article about a company called Cup O'Karma that's given me hope again in business. It's a coffee shop that hires abused women to give them a fresh start. Here's the article from the East Valley Tribune:<br /><h3>Cup O' Karma fuels fresh start for abused women in recovery</h3> <h4><a href="mailto:e-mail%20address">Brittany Gonzales</a>, For the Tribune</h4> <div id="storytext" class="mb"> <p>Cup O' Karma is doing more than selling coffee at the shop that opened in June. It is also offering a new start for the women who run it. The people working the counters and whipping up organic cups of coffee are residents and volunteers with a local nonprofit agency that helps women escape domestic violence and sexual abuse.</p> <p>Cup O' Karma was founded in part by MonaLou Callery with the intention of offering women who are in recovery an opportunity to regain and relearn job skills.</p> <p>At any given time there are up to four women working at Cup O' Karma who are participating in the job training program. The women work 20 hours a week for three months in the shop, which is near Dobson Road and Southern Avenue across from Mesa Community College.</p> <p>"It has been a really good thing," said Helen Sawyer, a worker at Cup O' Karma. "All I am getting from them is love."</p> <p>All of the proceeds that are generated go toward assisting women and families who have been victims of domestic violence or sexual abuse. Cup O' Karma was created by the National Advocacy and Training Network, which uses income from the shop to help support its programs.</p> <p>The main project is Support, Education, Empowerment, and Directions (SEEDS). SEEDS provides shelter and substance abuse treatment for its residents.</p> <p>Cup O' Karma is expected to generate about $35,000 per year for the program, according to brochures from the organization.</p> <p>Luis Prado recently donated his coffee shop, formerly known as Into the Bean, to the national advocacy network. In June, they changed the name to Cup O' Karma: Community Café for a Cause, and opened its doors.</p> <p>Kathy Hess, the daytime manager at Cup O' Karma, called Prado an "angel" for his donation.</p> <p>"He could have sold it to anyone, but he was willing to donate it for a dollar," Hess said.</p> <p>Hess said that the women who stay longer in the shelters and work hard are the ones who end up staying away from their old behaviors of substance abuse and abusive relationships.</p> <p>"We give each other the strength to change what is needed to be changed," Hess said.</p> <p>Hess said Cup O' Karma has had a positive impact on the women by being "a steppingstone to build self-esteem."</p> <p>"People keep coming back because of the cause, and it really is a great cup of coffee," said Hess.</p> </div>My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-69735172468253130792008-10-24T09:54:00.000-07:002008-10-24T11:51:56.102-07:00Quote of the Day<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6rFuJsH_dNo/SQIZND0UjXI/AAAAAAAAAfM/iMkSnNDyLq4/s1600-h/ron+paul.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260795026875911538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 130px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 89px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6rFuJsH_dNo/SQIZND0UjXI/AAAAAAAAAfM/iMkSnNDyLq4/s320/ron+paul.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>"We should be regulating the Federal Reserve system is what we really ought to be regulating."<br /><br />-Ron Paul, regarding Alan Greenspan saying yesterday that the only place where he might have made a mistake is he didn't advocate more regulations.</div>My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-84848135049484452632008-10-21T13:08:00.000-07:002008-10-21T13:08:00.383-07:00Working Horse Ranch offers Fun for Kids and AdultsI'm always hunting for things to do with my kids. Yesterday I called my three year old's boyfriend's mom and asked whether she wanted to get together for a playdate. We talked about going to a park, but wanted to find something with a bit more stimulation. I went through my Active Moms calendar to see if there was anything interesting going on. Nope. Then I remembered driving last week and seeing a Pumpkin Festival sign on the street for a place called MacDonald's Ranch. Previously I had just thought <a href="http://www.macdonaldsranch.com">MacDonald's Ranch</a> was for renting a horse for an hour to ride, or for corporate cookouts in the desert.<br /><br />Apparently the Ranch was leased to a company for the last twelve years, and the corporate cookouts and horse rides were what they specialized in. However, now the Ranch is off the lease and the original family owners are back in charge. They want to make the Ranch a place for kids and families to go. For the fall, they are offering a Pumpkin Festival with hay rack rides to pick up pumpkins, a petting zoo, pony rides for the kids, a hay maze, tractors, as well as picnic tables, etc for $6. It's not a made up place either - it's a real working horse ranch. They have 58 horses and one of the owners I spoke with seemed to know all their names. My daughters and I spent two hours there and I had to tear them away from the place. So what if it's 95 degrees outside. The Ranch is made up of hundreds of acres (1300, to be exact), and being in the middle of it you would never believe you are in a major metropolitan area, as it feels like you've been transported to another world. <br /><br />From their website, a history of the ranch:<br />"<span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">From the beginning of a horse and cattle ranch in the late 1950’s, the Richardson Family is still working the land. Initially the spread consisted of 36,000 acres in the desert that is now North Scottsdale. In the spring of 1970 on Easter Sunday Old Mac Donald’s Farm opened to the public. The Richardson Family realized a dream of an operation that allows the public the hands on approach to the ranch experience. A place where kids from the city could watch a cow being milked, see live ranch animals and be in a natural surrounding as you ride in the sonoran desert. This became Mac Donald’s Ranch and is in operation today. </span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;" align="left"> <span style="font-family:Georgia;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;">Years passed, the Valley grew and with the exception of MacDonald’s Ranch’s 1300 acres, the land surrounding became a few shopping centers and housing development. In 1994 Old MacDonald’s Farm was updated to MacDonald’s Ranch and our services changed to offer an atmosphere where you can relax and take a step back in time to an overview in ranch live. In our third decade of operation MacDonald’s Ranch is one of Scottsdale’s oldest and experienced horseback riding stables making it the premier Western adventure in the Valley of the sun."</span></span></p>Very few people know this, but my dream in life is to have my own pumpkin farm. This place comes pretty close to heaven for me.My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-51796833667557580712008-10-20T07:06:00.000-07:002008-10-20T07:26:26.013-07:00Tiny Houses Offer Green Lifestyle, Simpler LifeI mentioned in an earlier blog post how horrified I was to discover how high my carbon footprint was, and my desire to move into a smaller house as a result. Unfortunately this isn't a good time to sell, especially in Arizona, where I live. However in the future I really do want to downsize. Especially after last night, when I woke up sweating and discovered it was because our air conditioner wasn't working. This is the second time we've had to get a new air conditioner in the last four months. I'm ready to sue. And yes, we do need to have an air conditioner on here in AZ even though it's October - temps topped out at 96 degrees yesterday.<br /><br />I discovered a company that sells the plans for tiny houses, called <a href="http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com">Tumbleweed Houses</a>. For $495 you can get the house plans for a house ranging in size from 65 square feet to 774 square feet. Jay Shafer started the company in 1997, and has been living in his own 89 square foot house since then. Jay decided to live in a house that is smaller than many people's closets when he realized the impact a larger home would have on the environment. Additionally, he didn't want to worry about the hassles of maintaining unused space. I hear you on that, buddy. He claims the smaller home has afforded him a more affordable, slower lifestyle. <br /><br />In addition to the house plans, Jay also conducts workshops on how to build your own tiny house. I have a hard time hanging a picture on the wall, so this wouldn't be for me, but for those who are handy and green, this is a wonderful opportunity to save some money and be green. Jay sells the constructed houses as well as books on how to build your own tiny house. <br /><br />If anyone out there reading this article has been to a workshop on this, or has lived in a tiny house smaller than a hundred square feet, I would love to hear from you, and see how you can make this work.My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-50400023055812563292008-10-14T15:04:00.000-07:002008-10-14T15:06:59.959-07:00Insights from the Financial Guru Jim RogersI’ve been very busy lately watching the stock market and trying to understand the financial crisis. Over the years there has been one man I’ve watched, listened to, and sometimes taken his advice. In light of these tough financial times, I wish I had followed his advice even more. After all, he IS a billionaire investor. Jim Rogers is his name. He and George Soros worked together to create the Quantam funds and now he offers free entertaining advice on television as a guest commentator frequently.<br /><br />In a nutshell, when asked what he would do if he were Ben Bernanke, he’d 1)abolish the Federal Reserve, then 2) he’d resign. He’s extremely against the printing press Bernanke has set up and believes the measures the Fed has taken will cause “an inflation holocaust”. He believes the best answer would have been to let the banks fail, and to quit bailing out the inept “29-year olds on Wall Street driving Masaratis.” However, now that the government has bailed out the banks, Jim Rogers tells investors to buy on the fundamentals and find sound investments, including agricultural commodities, Swiss Francs, and Japanese Yen. Why the currencies? The dollar is basically going to be worthless by the time Bernanke is finished, according to Rogers, and Swiss Francs and Yen are strong currencies during the inflationary times he believes the dollar will face.<br /><br />Here’s a clip from early June 2008, outlining Jim’s unbelievable insights.<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Dx7vWrswpWE&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Dx7vWrswpWE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-16150623633983485932008-10-02T05:54:00.000-07:002008-10-02T06:41:24.014-07:00Exercise Your Right to Vote - Buy Candidate Cookies<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6rFuJsH_dNo/SOTPVa6hdpI/AAAAAAAAAfE/qL6xDt8jLFI/s1600-h/mccain_obama.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252551032329827986" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6rFuJsH_dNo/SOTPVa6hdpI/AAAAAAAAAfE/qL6xDt8jLFI/s200/mccain_obama.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-size:+0;">I feel so priveleged to live in a country where we can elect our leader and have the opportunity to rid itself of ineffective leaders every four years. At the risk of getting too political (Obama/Biden 08), in honor of tonight's VP debate I thought I would highlight a bakery selling candidate cookies.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.maxandbennys.com/">Max and Benny's </a>bakery in Northbrook, Illinois is conducting a presidential poll by keeping track of how many cookies are sold with Obama vs. McCain on the front. These cookies can be purchased online or in their store. You can order Palin cookies, McCain cookies, Biden cookies, Obama cookies, or a sampler box with all of the candidates on the front. What a cute idea and excellent way to expand your product line for the election drama every four years! (Obama/Biden 08) According to the bakery, Obama cookies are far outselling McCain cookies. However, to be fair, this bakery is located in Illinois, Obama's home state.<br /></span><img alt="" src="file:///C:/Users/rita/AppData/Local/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.jpg" /><br /><span style="font-size:+0;">Max and Benny's opened its doors in 1985. The owner, Lester Schlan, discovered there wasn't a deli around which sold corned beef and lox, so he decided to start one. The name he picked for his deli was already taken, so he named the deli instead after his two sons. Lester credits his success to a couple factors: 1) he's passionate about food and 2) the support he receives from his family. According to him, not a lot of women would put up with a husband working seven days a week.<br /><br />Max and Benny's<br /></span><br /><ul><br /><li>Serves 30 Metric Tons of Corned Beef every year</li><br /><li>Uses enough Mustard to cover 8 football fields each year</li><br /><li>Purchases over 300,000 pounds of Flour every year</li><br /><li>Has made enough Chicken Soup to fill 2 Olympic sized swimming pools </li><br /><li>Makes 1 kilometer’s length of Kishke each year</li><br /><li>Makes enough Bagels every year to provide the population of Northbrook (2005 Census) with one dozen bagels per person</li><br /><li>Serves over fourteen thousand pounds of Lox every year (That's enough Salmon to inhabit one of the large tanks at the Shedd Aquarium).</li></ul><br />Click <a href="http://www.maxandbennys.com/video/flv_player/cookie_poll.php">here </a>to check out their candidate cookie video, and stock up on your candidate cookies in preparation for tonight's debate!<br /><br />(Obama/Biden 08)<br /><span style="font-size:+0;"><br /></span></div>My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-61873399734675828902008-10-01T00:01:00.000-07:002008-10-01T12:44:08.762-07:00Find out How to List your Biz with the Canadian Stock ExchangeI received this press release the other day and hope it's not too late to let everyone know about the conference to be held today Oct. 1 here in Phoenix at the Arizona Biltmore regarding the benefits of listing your company on the Canadian stock exchange, which is especially timely given the current US market downturn. Not only do they aim to work with small to medium enterprises underserved by US markets, they claim to offer a more stable economy.<br /><br />The schedule and information is found below. Hope someone out there can make it and let me know how it went.<br /><br />On Wednesday, October 1, 2008, TMX Group (TSX:X) will hold an information session in Phoenix, Arizona addressing the benefits of listing on Toronto Stock Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange. This session will the fourth of seven scheduled to take place across the US as part of the company’s 2008 business development campaign to increase US awareness and listings.<br /><br />Toronto Stock Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange are world leading markets for micro to mid-cap public companies, and are the most favored foreign listing destinations for US companies, with 140 US listings. Moreover, we are the world’s leading markets for the mining sector with over 55% of global public mining companies currently listed on our equity exchanges.<br /><br />The reach of Toronto Stock Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange extends internationally, providing access to capital for more than 3,900 companies. $2.2 trillion USD in issuer market capitalization and leading-edge trading technology make TMX Group’s exchanges a dynamic source of North American capital.<br /><br />At the event, remarks by Tom Kloet, CEO of TMX Group, and Kevan Cowan, President of TSX Markets, will be followed by presentations from Lorne Abony, CEO of Fluid Music, and Andy Larson, CFO of MicroPlanet Technology Corporation, who will touch on their companies’ experiences as US-based entities listed on a Toronto Stock Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange respectively.<br /><br />Event: Information Session Keynote Luncheon, Going Public Workshop and Networking Reception<br />Date and Time: Wednesday, October 1, 2008<br />Keynote Luncheon 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM<br />Going Public Workshop 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM<br />Networking Reception 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM<br />Location: Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa<br /> 2400 East Missouri Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85016<br /><br />Speakers: Tom Kloet, Chief Executive Officer, TMX Group<br /> Kevan Cowan, President, TMX Markets and Group Equity Head<br /> Lorne Abony, Chief Executive Officer, Fluid Music<br /> Andy Larson, Chief Financial Officer, MicroPlanet<br /><br />Press: RSVPs may be directed to <a __removedlink__319014703__href="mailto:jaclyn@southardinc.com">jaclyn@southardinc.com</a><br />Contacts: Esther Koo<br />Southard Communications <br /> 212.777.2220 <br /> <a __removedlink__319014703__href="mailto:esther@southardinc.com">esther@southardinc.com</a><br /><br />TSX Group Inc. (TSX-X) operates Canada's two national stock exchanges, Toronto Stock Exchange serving the senior equity market and TSX Venture Exchange serving the public venture equity market, Natural Gas Exchange (NGX), a leading North American exchange for the trading and clearing of natural gas and electricity contracts and Shorcan Brokers Limited, the country's first fixed income interdealer broker. TSX are the initials attached to the core equity operations of TSX Group (<a target="_blank" __removedlink__89533920__href="http://www.tsx.com">www.tsx.com</a>): Toronto Stock Exchange, TSX Venture Exchange, TSX Markets, TSX Datalinx, and TSX Technologies. TSX Group is headquartered in Toronto and maintains offices in Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver.My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-63361466598869303132008-09-29T07:18:00.000-07:002008-09-29T10:17:53.822-07:00This Winning Startup was actually a Loser<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6rFuJsH_dNo/SODpV1WDh9I/AAAAAAAAAe8/hG_sb177D5Y/s1600-h/stink+bomb2444345_blog.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251453726820108242" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6rFuJsH_dNo/SODpV1WDh9I/AAAAAAAAAe8/hG_sb177D5Y/s200/stink+bomb2444345_blog.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>It's with huge regret I have to inform my readers that one of the companies I recently <a href="http://www.winningstartups.com/2008/08/time-spent-on-food-network-leads-to.html">featured </a>has already bit the bullet. I just wrote about Sweet Georgine's Bakeshop in Benson, Nebraska a month ago too. Sorry, guess this one wasn't a winning startup after all. The official stink bomb award goes to Sweet Georgine's. </div><br /><div></div><div></div><div>This is just a sad reminder that half of all businesses fail within the first five years of opening. However, Sweet Georgine's just opened in late April of this year (2008). She received lots of great reviews as well. The <a href="http://sweetgeorgines.com/">website </a>says they shortened their hours for the summer, but this <a href="http://www.omahacityweekly.com/article/2008/09/17/boys-blue">article </a>says they officially closed their doors. Okay, first there was the failure of Bear Stearns, then Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, then AIG, and now Sweet Georgine's. What's next?</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>The website <a href="http://www.1000ventures.com/">1000ventures.com</a> lists the top 12 reasons businesses fail:</div><br /><div>"1. Inadequate planning of the business.</div><br /><div>2. Inadequate planning of the business.</div><br /><div>3. Inadequate planning of the business.</div><br /><div>4. Insufficient initial capital for start-up period and development stages due to inadequate planning </div><br /><div>5. Mistaken estimate of market demand for product or service</div><br /><div>6. Lack of management ability</div><br /><div>7. Failure to select and use appropriate outside professional advisors </div><br /><div>8. Inability to market products or services effectively.</div><br /><div>9. Over dependence on a single individual or on a predicted specific event </div><br /><div>10. Failure to understand capital requirements of a growing business </div><br /><div>11. Poor timing of expenditures due to poor planning </div><br /><div>12. Expedient rather than reasoned decision-making"</div><br /><div></div>My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-73458842409757857012008-09-26T05:58:00.000-07:002008-09-26T05:58:01.274-07:00Unleashingideas.org is the place to be for Global Entrepreneurship Week<p>One of my blog readers submitted a press release for Global Entrepreneurship week November 17-23, which I would like to pass on to anyone interested in participating.</p><p> </p><p><strong>75 Countries will Participate in First-ever Global Celebration of Entrepreneurship</strong> </p><p>Global Entrepreneurship Week, co-founded by the Kauffman Foundation and Make Your Mark Campaign, draws worldwide support </p><p><br />WASHINGTON (Sept. 16, 2008) — Global Entrepreneurship Week representatives today announced that 75 countries have pledged their support and participation in the Week. This inaugural event, co-founded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation in the United States and the United Kingdom’s Make Your Mark campaign, is expected to involve tens of millions of young people around the world. </p><p>The global event, Nov. 17-23, 2008, will encourage participants to pursue entrepreneurial thinking and opportunities through activities supported by entrepreneurs, government officials, non-profit leaders and educators.“Entrepreneurship is fundamental to the advancement of any society,” said Carl Schramm, president and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation. “Our hope is that Global Entrepreneurship Week will start a ripple effect that will be felt around the world. As young people are inspired to generate new ideas and seek better ways of doing things, they will create improvements in their local economies and, therefore, in the global economy.” </p><p>Organizations, ranging from large non-governmental to small community-based groups, are developing activities. The roster of participating countries and partner organizations continues to grow, including many countries with severe economic challenges, suggesting a worldwide understanding of the value of entrepreneurship. </p><p>“The list of developing nations who have elected to participate in Global Entrepreneurship Week is both astonishing and encouraging,“ said Jonathan Ortmans, president of Global Entrepreneurship Week. “We’re seeing strong determination in unstable economies to improve themselves even while facing daily struggles of poverty, disease, corruption and personal security.” </p><p>The Week is open to all those who are willing to embrace it. The activities planned, whether online or face-to-face, are limited only by the imaginations of the partners and participants. While global in scope, at its heart, Global Entrepreneurship Week is a local initiative that reflects the customs and entrepreneurial culture of each community. </p><p>Global Entrepreneurship Week will feature two signature activities. Unleash It! will be an online community that allows entrepreneurs to post challenges and links them to enterprising problem-solvers. Speednetwork the Globe will offer face-to-face networking sessions around the world that enable young people to sharpen their networking skills and talk with local entrepreneurs and leaders. </p><p>With the goal to inspire young people to embrace innovation, imagination and creativity, Global Entrepreneurship Week will encourage youth to think big, to turn their ideas into reality, and to make their mark. From Nov. 17-23, 2008, millions of young people around the world will join a growing movement to generate new ideas and to seek better ways of doing things. Thousands of activities are being planned in more than 70 countries around the world. </p><p>Global Entrepreneurship Week is: founded by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Make Your Mark campaign; sponsored by NYSE Euronext, IBM and Ernst & Young; and, supported by JA Worldwide, Endeavor, Entrepreneurs’ Organization, DECA, YPO-WPO, National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, Young Americas Business Trust, Lisbon Council, YES - European Confederation of Young Entrepreneurs. To view a complete list of participating countries and organizations or to learn more, visit <a href="http://www.unleashingideas.org/" target="_blank">www.unleashingideas.org</a> </p>My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-36019381852719287632008-09-25T13:41:00.000-07:002008-09-30T12:43:53.153-07:00Website Assists People Looking to Buy New HomesYes, the stock market was down 777 yesterday, but 7 is a lucky number, and if you had bought yesterday and sold today you'd be up over 4%. Likewise, with real estate investing, the best time to get deals is when there is "blood in the streets". And that time is now, as it's a buyer's market and the economy is in the tanker.<br /><br />To help prospective buyers buy and builders sell, there's a website called <a href="http://www.newhomessection.com/">New Homes Section </a>that specializes in selling new homes, and offers builder incentives and specials. Here is an excerpt of the interview I had with the site's founder, Paul Escobedo:<br /><br />1. How did you come up with the idea? <br />My partner came up with the idea while working at his previous job as an account manager for home builders advertising. He saw firsthand how much these home builders were paying for advertising and came up with the idea to advertise their incentives over the internet in a much cheaper way. This way even the small home builders can be on the same advertising platform with national home builders.<br /><br />2. How does the company make money? <br />New Homes Section makes money from selling advertising space to home builders as well as Google ad sense.<br /><br />3. Have you broken even yet on your initial investment? <br />Unfortunately not, we are getting close but are not there yet. With the real estate market the way it is home builders are pretty skeptical about just handing over money to a newer company. We have recently opened in 8 other states and with two more opening in the next couple weeks it shouldn’t be long.<br /><br />4. What's been the biggest challenge to start up? <br />Capital has been our biggest challenge to date as well as home builder and home buyer recognition. Another challenge was that when we started the company we didn’t understand that the internet had its own community. We had to learn quickly about things such as SEO, and what home builders are looking for such as impressions and a click through rate. It seems simple now but at the time it was a rush to get educated on these topics.<br /><br />5. What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs? <br />Always keep pushing! Everyone wants to be rich, not everyone will work hard enough to get there. Additionally, giving back to your community is always good business practice. We have partnered up with a non-profit organization called Lost our Home Pet Foundation <a href="http://www.lostourhome.org/" target="_blank">www.lostourhome.org</a> I am on the committee, we help them with SEO and advertise their website on ours.<br /><br />6. What is your background? <br />College graduates with experience in advertising and sales.My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-41105288677628540412008-09-25T05:16:00.000-07:002008-09-25T05:25:53.987-07:00Whirlpool's Mother of Invention Winners AnnouncedI posted a blog entry to announce the Mother of Invention contest sponsored by Whirlpool a couple months ago, and wanted to do a follow up to let people know who the winners were. Unfortunately it wasn't me. Maybe next year though! HOWEVER, of note is top 30 finalist Jonelle Davis of Chandler, AZ, who I've featured before on my blog for her awesome first day of school fairy product!<br /><br />Here's the press release:<br /><br /><a name="OLE_LINK3"></a><a name="OLE_LINK2"></a><a name="OLE_LINK1">WHIRLPOOL BRAND BUSINESS GRANT RECOGNIZES INNOVATIVE MOMS</a><br />From Temperature-Controlled Medicine Pack to Tools for Parents and Pet Owners, Moms Thought of It<br />And Winners Benefit with Grant, Prizes and Education<br /><br />BENTON HARBOR, Mich. – Sept. 18, 2008 – Passion, dedication and creativity are just some of the qualities that moms and inventors share. The 2008 Whirlpool brand Mother of Invention program is awarding more than $40,000 to five mompreneurs to help jump-start their businesses.<br /><br />Developed four years ago, the Mother of Invention Grant program helps moms bring their innovative ideas to fruition with not only monetary resources but key business lessons. While this program was designed to help moms grow and recognize their potential, executives at Whirlpool have watched the program grow as well. With a commitment to eco-efficiency, the brand added a green category in 2008 to recognize moms who created an environmentally-friendly product/service or used natural/recycled materials to create their invention.<br /><br />“This year, the number of submissions increased by more than 20 percent,” said Audrey Reed-Granger, director of public relations for Whirlpool brand. “We are very proud of the caliber of entries received and noticed an increase in the progress these inventors have achieved, with business models, prototypes and patents.”<br /><br />This year’s grand prize winner is Estelle Keeter, an ordained pastor from Matteson, Ill. who developed MEDPACK, a temperature-controlled case for medicines. MEDPACK’s insulated case contains a cooling mechanism that keeps oral medications, such an insulin and antibiotics, refrigerated for up to 12 hours.<br /><br />“Moms can make a difference,” said Keeter, who will receive a $20,000 business grant to help her execute plans for her invention. “With the MEDPACK, I hope to improve the lives of those who depend on medication everyday.”<br /><br />As a diabetic, Keeter uses insulin to control her diabetes and often had to use bulky lunch packs to keep her medication cold. Keeter, who also is an elementary school teacher, watched as her students would struggle to put their medication in the school cafeteria refrigerator as well as putting her own medication in the teacher’s lounge refrigerator. Often, she wished she was able to have a little more privacy. As a result, Keeter created MEDPACK, which keeps her medication cold from the comfort of her briefcase or purse.<br /><br />In addition to the grant, Keeter will receive choice of a Whirlpool® Duet® Steam washer and dryer pair or Whirlpool® Cabrio® washer and steam dryer, a Whirlpool® dishwasher and a $3,000 stipend for a new home office. Keeter and four additional winners will have the opportunity to attend a Whirlpool business boot camp at Whirlpool headquarters in Benton Harbor, Mich., since the program was based off Whirlpool Corporation’s innovation process. The bootcamp will include a tour of Whirlpool facilities and product labs, and a roundtable discussion with Whirlpool innovation experts and this year’s guest judges.<br /><br />This year, entrepreneurial moms Julie Aigner-Clark, creator of Baby Einstein and co-founder of The Safe Side, and Lori Pope, creator of BabyPlays.com, served as guest judges for the program. Whirlpool brand also worked with its past grand prize winner of the 2006 Mother of Invention program, Mary Anne Amato, inventor of the Quick Change Crib, to serve as a judge.<br /><br />“In my first year participating with this program, I was truly impressed with the progress and creativity these moms have made with their inventions,” said Pope. "This program serves as a reminder that moms are truly some of the best inventors."<br /><br />Additional awards and winners include:<br /><br />Traditional Category<br /><br />First Prize: $7,000 grant, Whirlpool brand dishwasher and Duet Sport® laundry pair<br />Cameo McGraw-Horton of Bothell, Wash. created improvements to a pet leash which offers flexibility for owners and added safety for animals when walking a pet.<br /><br />Second Prize: $5,000 grant, a Whirlpool brand dishwasher and Duet Sport® laundry pair<br />· Veletta Rouse of Riviera Beach, Fla. created a product to help those with a cleft lip and palate.<br /><br />Green Category<br /><br />First Prize: $7,000 grant, Whirlpool brand refrigerator with water filtration<br />Catherine Kay of Silver Spring, Md. created a product to help with potty training.<br /><br />Second Prize: $5,000 grant and a Whirlpool brand refrigerator with water filtration<br />· Erika Berry of Ada, Mich. created the CleanyBeany. The product will be made of recyclable materials and is a container to fit on a dog’s leash and to hold money, refuse bags and wipes, in addition to a flashlight for safety.<br /><br />Information about the 2008 Whirlpool Brand Mother of Invention Grant Program, this year’s recipients and top 30 finalists is available at <a href="http://www.whirlpool.com/moms" target="_blank">www.whirlpool.com/moms</a>.My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-4108250468778902892008-09-20T05:37:00.000-07:002008-09-20T06:12:56.895-07:00Jungle Jill Uses Background to Entertain Kids at Birthday PartiesMy daughter's birthday is tomorrow - she turns 3! - and I'm planning a small party for her. I had some pink tuille and my friend came by yesterday to help me hang it and decorate to make the house look special. Today the birthday girl and I are going to make some cupcakes for her big day. She's incredibly excited that the day is going to be all about her.<br /><br />I looked all over town for a Little Tikes kitchen to give her as a present. The craze for these kitchens seems to rival what Cabbage Patch kids were when I was a kid. I got on craigslist, called every resale shop in town, Walmart and Target, and couldn't find a kitchen for her. I will keep looking and hopefully find one for Christmas. I ended up getting her a Dora's Magical Castle instead.<br /><br />While my friend and I were decorating yesterday she told me about a kid's party she went to where a lady comes to the house with exotic pets and animals that the kids can interact with. The business is called <a href="http://www.junglejill.com">Jungle Jill</a>. For $200, Jill will come to your party with 8-10 animals and stay for an hour. She will educate the children on what the animals eat, how they are cared for, and allow the kids to pet and feed the animals. A picture of the kids with the animals is also included.<br /><br />Jill has loved animals since she was a kid, and double majored in zoology and biology of conservation. She has been the director of the education department of the Arizona Wildlife Zoo. Jill has appeared on Jay Leno, David Letterman, and has worked with Jack Hanna. You can request any animals you want to see at your party, but her website gives some ideas of pets to include at your party, including chickens, boa constrictors, centipedes, tortoises, ducks and kookaburras. <br /><br />Sounds like a great unique way for Jill to use her background working with animals to entertain kids at birthday parties.My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-81771188595528862492008-09-14T09:53:00.000-07:002008-09-14T09:53:00.237-07:00High Heeled Baby Shoes are Instantly SuccessfulI was watching the news and saw a product called <a href="http://www.heelarious.com/">Heelarious</a>, which is a set of high heeled shoes for your baby. The heels are made of soft material so they collapse when you wear them. The shoes are made for a baby unable to walk – 0-6 month olds – and are meant to be funny.<br /><br />The website is eye candy, very well done, in my personal opinion. The logo is cute and the pictures of the product look fun. <br /><br />The company has been in business a couple months and was started by childhood friends Britta Bacon and Hayden Porter. Hayden loves high heels and Britta doesn’t own a pair of them. When they were going to a kid’s birthday party, Britta remembered being a child, and how Hayden was obsessed with shoes. Britta thought it would have been hilarious to dress a baby in high heeled shoes to a party.<br /><br />Seven years passed, and the friends collaborated their efforts to make Heelarious shoes. Britta designed the logo herself in 2006. She then hired an attorney to create a patent for the product. They hired a local production company to create the first prototype, and 15 or 20 iterations later, they came up with the final product. <br /><br />The company has done an excellent job of getting publicity for their product, which is only two months old and already has been on national news such as ABC, the Today Show, In Touch Weekly, the New York Post, and now of course, my blog winningstartups! Nicole Ritchie’s daughter was photographed in these shoes as well. The shoes are found in specialty stores in almost all states, and online through their website. I found a BBC article saying in the first two weeks they had sold 2,000 pairs of these shoes throughout England, Ireland and Belgium. The company has reps all over the world, distributing these shoes. The shoes retail for about $35, and there are several unique styles to choose from.My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-65473020204408570602008-09-13T06:49:00.001-07:002008-09-13T06:54:30.375-07:00Winner of Mia Bella Contest GiveawayCongratulations to <a href="http://christina-mustardseeds.blogspot.com/">Christina</a>, the winner of the Mia Bella Candle contest giveaway. Winner was selected via random.org. Number 175 was the winner!<br /><br />Random Integer Generator<br />Here are your random numbers:175<br />Timestamp: 2008-09-13 13:42:36 UTC<br /><br /> Special thanks to Carolyn at Mia Bella for supplying the prize.My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-9908964151984026692008-09-12T13:47:00.000-07:002008-09-12T13:50:27.159-07:00Use of Innovative Marketing Techniques Brings SuccessDo they sell Rollerblades anymore? I remember owning a pair when I was a kid. Apparently Rollerblades were designed to help hockey players train during the offseason. Then it sort of became a cultural phenomenon.<br /><br />Today there is a product called a <a href="http://www.flowboard.com/">Flowboard</a>, which looks like a skateboard but rides like a surfboard. The owners of the company have a goal of bringing the experience of carving deep powder and ocean waves to the asphalt, making Flowboarding the newest skating sensation. <br />The Flowboard was developed in 1999 by some students in San Francisco, as a means to skate down the steep hillsides. One of Mike Kern’s employees took it to work one day, and he thought it looked interesting, so he checked it out. Mike saw an opportunity. He <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/smallbusiness/la-fi-flowboard8-2008sep08,0,5078705.story">licensed </a>the product for a year before he purchased the company for $400,000 in 2003. <br /><br />Mike has been working to increase sales, setting up buying opportunities at skate retailers, surf and snow shops, as well as stores like Big 5 Sporting Goods. <br /><br />Since Mike took over the company, Flowboard sales have skyrocketed from $1 million in 2002 to $4 million last year, and they have projections to make $15 million next year.<br /><br />How has Mike made this product so profitable? First, he began an aggressive advertising campaign, including a 40 foot bus which travels to action sports trade shows. Second, he sent production overseas and made the price of the boards go from $200 down to $80. Additionally, the company has used television commercials to promote the flowboards, as well as offering internships to college students. Students have featured the flowboards on their MySpace pages, and have uploaded videos to YouTube.<br /><br />I really like this company's marketing campaign and plan to use some of their ideas on my own business in the future.My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-24829578187355829932008-09-09T15:40:00.000-07:002008-09-09T15:56:53.213-07:00Making a Business Franchising Rice PuddingI was feeling a little hungry for dessert after an evening at a local sports bar. My husband was headed to a local ice cream store when I remembered it had closed and had a new tenant. I believed they had some kind of new dessert so we drove over and saw the sign <a href="http://www.miamiricepuddingco.com">Miami Rice Pudding</a>. My hubby insisted, "that can't be all they sell." <br /><br />Of course, he was wrong. <br /><br />There was a clean , small, quiet store except for a very excitable man and his sister serving the pudding. Sometimes you have a choice of 31 flavors but they are on track to have more than this. More than 31 flavors of rice pudding - how can this be, you may ask. You'd be surprised at all the flavors they have, from key lime to coconut to cinnamon bun. They offered up those plastic tasting spoons for anything we wanted to try, so we sampled, and were pleasantly surprised. <br /><br />The rice pudding has a smooth, creamy consistency with small chewy rice pieces to provide an interesting texture. As we asked the man behind the counter for additional information, his sweet Texas crude drawl drew us in. He owned the franchise store and had 3-4 local shops and potential for additional western state opportunities.<br /><br />The company Miami Rice Pudding was started by husband and wife Ken and Linda McEvoy, in Denville, NJ. Ken loves rice pudding and his wife made him some, and kept experimenting. Before long they decided to make a company out of it. Ken's a cop, and Linda's been working on the store since it's inception. The name came about because of Ken's background with crimefighting. The first store was in Livingston Mall in NJ. <br /><br />So it's good, but why bypass the ice cream shop? Pretty simple, we'd just had a full meal and more calories and fat were not something we needed, just a sweet tooth snack. The owner of the franchise we went to had a horticulture degree and presented the rice pudding pluses, mostly lower fat and some protein, all natural ingredients and even gluten-free to boot! You can also do the "mix-ins" as at ice cream shops, including raisins that would have been a great addition to the "Original". Will it be the next big thing?My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-44775827504618653342008-09-05T12:54:00.000-07:002008-09-05T12:54:00.207-07:00Immigrant Creates Top Notch Nail CompanyI majorly splurged last weekend and got pampered with a champagne pedicure. When I arrived to get my toes done, I was asked to pick out a nail color. My normal style is bright pink, but I was in a subdued mood and went with another darker pink shade. I can’t remember the name of the color (possibly Fabulous Fuschia), but I have gotten more compliments on that nail color than anything in my life. Seriously.<br /><br />I do however, remember the brand – it’s called <a href="http://www.opi.com/">OPI</a>. OPI is a family owned company, started by George Schaeffer in 1981. He had migrated to the US as a child from post WW2 Eastern Europe. <br /><br />Schaeffer has a love affair with the fashion industry. He began his successful career in the sportswear business in Manhattan. However, he loved the west coast, so he moved to Los Angeles and started a dental supply company. Through his work with this business, he realized the porcelains used by dentists are similar to those used by nail technicians to make fake nails. He married his passion for the fashion world with the porcelains and came up with a line of nail polish. <br /><br />Today, OPI is the leader in professional nail care products. Schaeffer has spent much time researching trends, colors, sanitation and service. He shares his knowledge by training nail salon professionals how to use his product, as well as safety and cleanliness within the industry. <br /><br />In 1999, OPI shipped over 20 million bottles of nail polish and had over $50 million in sales. I believe it, based on the feedback I’ve received from people on my color choice.My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412751410043909389.post-12248544897250677552008-09-04T10:59:00.000-07:002008-09-04T11:25:56.263-07:00Contest to Win Mia Bella Candle<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6rFuJsH_dNo/SMAjFoRgTaI/AAAAAAAAAe0/oli8tWPvcCU/s1600-h/mia+bella.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242228545876413858" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6rFuJsH_dNo/SMAjFoRgTaI/AAAAAAAAAe0/oli8tWPvcCU/s200/mia+bella.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I’m a member of <a href="http://www.mompack.com/">The Mom Pack</a>, and recently I made a request from anyone in my “Pack” to supply a prize for a contest on my site. Thought it would spice things up a bit. Carolyn DiBlasi from <a href="http://cdiblasi.scent-team.com/">Scent-Sations Inc</a> is offering a wonderful scented candle to the winner of my next contest. To enter the contest, all you need to do is check out her site and make a comment on my site what your favorite Mia Bella product is.<br /></div><br /><div>Scent-Sations is a multi level marketing company that sells candles. The idea was started by Carmen and Lynn Milazzo, who began making candles in their kitchen around ten years ago.<br /></div><br /><div>While doing a “candle fundraiser” for his son's sports team, Bob Scocozzo started talking to the manufacturers of those candles, Carmen and Lynn. They told Bob about a new candle they had been working on for a few years which was made from “alternative” ingredients such as vegetables and other natural, renewable sources. What got Bob's attention was the fact that this new candle burned practically soot free and it smelled better than any candle Bob had ever smelled.<br /></div><br /><div>Scocozzo and his partner Umphred asked the Milazzo's for an exclusive contract to market the candle nationwide and eventually internationally. They named the new candle Mia Bella after Bob's daughter who Bob calls “My good luck charm!”<br /></div><br /><div>The Milazzo's, Scocozzo and Umphred combined forces to form Scent-Sations Inc. in September 2002.<br /></div><br /><div>Carolyn DiBlasi has been a distributor of the candles for five months. She’s a retired beauty and fashion coordinator, and spends about 10-20 hours a week selling the candles. She says the most difficult part of being a distributor is “I have Parkinsons, which embarrasses me. I had to learn that my customers were more interested in the Candles, than me. After that I regained my confidance, & feel great about my business.”<br /><br />To enter the contest for a free scented candle, please check out Carolyn’s <a href="http://cdiblasi.scent-team.com/">site </a>and leave a comment on this post stating what your favorite Scent Sations product is. Contest ends at 11:59 pm MST September 12, 2008.</div>My Visionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07035035496844358069noreply@blogger.com189