Disgusting

Though this is about investing. I believe this person lacks all the ethical qualities warranted for social responsibility (from the text).

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28183375/

Good article on ethical standards amid a weakening economy

http://www.ethicalcorp.com/content.asp?ContentID=6240

my favorite local winery made msnbc

This video clip is about utilizing resources by sharing. These two wineries have the same goal, to sell wine. I know that both are passionate about what they do, so sharing purchasing power and resources makes perfect sense.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/28022910#27841933

lean/six sigma course for free

This is an opencourse site that I frequently visit. I learned of it years ago by a professor who wrote one of my books. Most the courses are worth while, some are by speakers (with no dialog transcript making them useless). However some sites are really useful and this seemed useful for free. Check it out sometime.

http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Engineering-Systems-Division/ESD-60Summer-2004/CourseHome/

Another bootstrap story.. from geology to vodka

This is another bizarre bootstrap story about how a geologist became a vodka distiller by utilizing images of stills from prohibition and obtaining the only distillery license in texas. I learned of this company from a sole ad they published in the paper. There advertisement basically said after 10 years this is the first advertisement we could afford. Basically the gist also indicated, so small our labels are put on by hand and that's why they aren't perfectly straight, you want the vodka not a fancy bottle. I purchased a bottle to give it a try. Its pretty good, I like how he decided what type of vodka to make... suggested by a liquor store attendant.

http://www.titos-vodka.com

The business prior to there first ad has been entirely word of mouth. If you look at the sales numbers (in cases) originally from 1000 cases to 180k is amazing. I feel he is trying to make his own market just like same adams. People are willing to pay more for micro-brew if it really is better. So though there are alot of competitors on the shelf, they aren't his competitors. He is not competing directly with the big distillers. Notice how one is drawn to the story, kinda starbuckish that businesses are entertailing like in the textbook.

Name your business

http://wanjiku-unlimited.blogspot.com/2008/09/wacky-business-names.html

Not the best way to bootstrap but..

Its very inspiring to see people do something they are passionate about. So I thought I'd share the video with you. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27800255#27751572

Tackling problems (Inventory/Supplies )

I saw this article and I thought that it was so inspiring and creative. Most people would look for an alternative instead of creating the alternative. The link is below:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27698880#27682654

Grant information

I was just looking up information that would help sopmeone get started opening a small business and I found this website with information on grant availability and processes based on each state. http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/blstategrants.htm

Stealth Advertising

While getting some coffee, I came across some stealth advertising. I was in a small non-branded coffee shop when I noticed the holder. I had scanned it for you to see. I saved it because the paper has seeds embedded within it. So when you put it in the ground it will break down and you'll have grass appear. A lady developed this idea a few years ago and has licensed the rights out to various groups. They do not serve barenaked foods at this coffee shop that I am aware of.

beer flavored ice cream

i dont quite like the way this is set up its a little slow and boring but the idea is hilarious and there are some other crazy business ideas that worked on the cite too i thought this was interesting to hear about some crazy business ideas and motivating because it shows you that you should never think your idea is too crazy if your pationate about it because sometimes crazy works

http://www.kewego.com/video/iLyROoafYPav.html

slogan

i thought this was a fun list of slogans to help get your mind going to think of your own slogan plus some are pretty funny

http://www.outwestnewspaper.com/wacky.html

Bootstrapping (Bottom Up Approach)

I really liked this article. I've read some things by this author who also has his own venture fund. Lately though in the last few years he has been writting alot hoping to inspire/lead a new generation. I believe the top down approach he states is good for financial estimates. It might be good from then to look at the bottom up when building your timeline and milestones. The article is here http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/01/the_art_of_boot.html

Top workplaces!

Women Entrepreneurs

Tips on Starting a Small Biz!

Interesting flick....from Small Business School

http://search.smallbusinessschool.org/video.cfm?clip=962

Business Method patents

What are your views? Should a process be allowed to receive a patent or should the testing process used from a 1970's era decision still be used? http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2008/10/30/ap5629507.html

Mergers and Acquisitions

I thought I would share this article with everyone. Apparently GM is going to have cashflow problems and needs to do something. I also thought it was appropriate to share with everyone considering they are buying an existing business. It could be a joint venture or complete buyout. The deal is quite complicated but it shows how complicate purchasing or creating a joint venture can be, especially if you are trying to expand. Reminds me of rapid growth problems. The article is here http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27457578/

Upcoming Importing laws

With our previous lessons looking into going global with a business I thought I'd look into some of the laws that are coming up.

Do you think we are repeating the past?

http://blogs.forbes.com/digitalrules/2008/10/its-1974-again.html

Do you think the U.S. is lossing its' competitiveness?

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/oct2008/gb20081022_377709.htm

Disturbing E-commerce remark by author

Hello Everyone,


After reading about E-commerce some time ago. I was disturbed by a suggestion provided by the author to improve page hits. The author had suggested including certain words within your site within the meta tags. I had read a while ago that a recent court ruling had declared that using meta tags of trademarked items is illegal. Mainly that stating Nike in your meta tags is a violation of the Lanham act. You will be liable for damages. However the author of this law book has indicated that if you are selling the product it would be acceptable to utilize the trademark within your meta tag. So selling Nike shoes would be acceptable for you to include nike within your meta tag. There is a chance you still could be served with cease and desist orders. If your interested on modern interpretation of the law that's not boring and easy to read. One of the trademark books I find to be informative is:

http://www.amazon.com/Essentials-Trademarks-Unfair-Competition/dp/0471209414/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225069146&sr=8-1

Since I'm interested in entering the illustrator market I thought I'd look into some of the things related to it. Despite focusing on the art industry the article makes some good points about advertising.

Since we were just reading about the possibilities of running a business online I thought I'd share this article. here

Ebay

Here is a question and answer with Kevin Pursglove, a former spokesperson for Ebay. Interesting material. The link is below.



http://www.ecommercetimes.com/story/2127.html

Cookie website

This is similar to the movie we saw before with cookie products. But this is an e-commerce store. THey sell their cookies online. Take a look.



http://www.monstersmallbusiness.com/ecommerce-marketing/success-terrysgourmetcookies.asp

The future of small business

http://sbinfocanada.about.com/b/2007/02/01/small-business-of-the-future-a-pretty-picture.htm

Very good info.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/columnist/strauss/2004-05-17-globalization_x.htm

Don't get taken for a ride.

The Right And Wrong Ways To Raise Money

http://www.forbes.com/soho/2008/09/04/dell-small-business-ent-fin-cx_dr_0904dileepraorightwrong.html

Hello hand shaker

Who knew a handshake could be so important?

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jun2005/sb20050628_5060_sb013.htm

How to Set up a Wellness Plan

http://guides.wsj.com/small-business/hiring-and-managing-employees/how-to-set-up-a-wellness-plan/?mod=rss_WSJBlog?mod=smallbusiness

5 Tips to consider for helping employees lead healthier lives. I'm glad it focuses on the payoff that employees will get from it, instead of the payoff that the business will get.

Looking for Cost Cuts in Lots of New Places

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122411037187438233.html

Creative ways that some small businesses have used to cut costs in a tough economy.

Example of a Joint Venture in the form of a business

Joint Ventures can exist as another entity and not a partnership. Here is an example of a joint venture for the sole purpose of exposing the Columbian brand of coffee to others. This reminds me of a farmer's co-operatives that have been gaining ground.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27226772/

Credit crunch for small businesses

The Credit Squeeze on Small Business

Famous without schooling

This article is pretty cool to read. It shows some famous people who didn't even go to college, yet they became successful. It was a little different so I decided to post it on here. The link is below.





http://blog.inc.com/global-business/2008/08/you_dont_have_to_be_lucky_to_b.html

Success not luck

This article has to do with success and not luck. I thought it kind of went well with our studies because unfortunately we hear too often about how it may just be pure luck that we succeed. The link is below.



http://blog.inc.com/global-business/2008/08/you_dont_have_to_be_lucky_to_b.html

I thought this was interesting!

Going Global

When going global it is important to consider what are the best places to start your business.

Foreign Foods

While we were reading about going global with businesses with in the United States I came across this article. Its a great example of how Moon Cakes have been adapted to appeal to our culture. link here

By-Product Pricing

While reading the text. I became interested in By-product pricing and remembered
terracycle. Terra Cycle was a company that uses waste boxes (misprints) and other byproducts to produce fertilizer. When I saw the Zoo Doo I immediately remembered Terra Cycle. Well here is another company with by-product pricing.

Business Markets for tough times

http://blogs.wsj.com/independentstreet/2008/10/13/winners-and-losers-where-does-your-small-business-stand/

Short article on which small businesses are most likely to see a decline and increase. Although I do have to say contrary to the article, I am a lessor of real estate and we are having a slow time right now.

WSJ Video link...Top Small Workplaces 2008

http://online.wsj.com/video/the-top-small-workplaces-winners/58F43593-43E2-4279-B003-45F4F8FF2E61.html

Don't Panic. Advertise

Don't Let Hard Times Derail Your Advertising
Even in a climate of fear, it's unwise to start knocking your rivals. And ads help reassure people it's business as normal

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/oct2008/sb2008107_423872.htm

Making you business stand out of the crowd.

Differentiating Your Business
7 tips for creating a unique selling proposition that helps cut through the competitive clutter to drive sales

http://www.entrepreneur.com/microsites/sprintbusinesseventscenter/article190942.html

hers a lil quiz to help you get organized

http://www.score.org/cgi/quiz.cgi?quiz=internet_small_business_taken_over_quiz

benifit from economic downturn

i found this article on another blog i there are also alot of other intresting reads there
http://goeasywriter.wordpress.com/2008/08/04/3-ways-small-business-owners-can-benefit-from-the-economic-downturn/

I'd like to work here...

Guerilla Marketing site

You need to sign up to view the full version of the articles on this site but from what I've read it looked like an interesting site.

Criticism

Fairly redundant for the most part but it never hurts to have a reminder.

Tactics

There are a lot of good ideas in here; especially if you don't have a lot of money to spend on advertising.

http://www.bootstrappingblog.com/50-guerrilla-marketing-tactics-you-should-be-using

Video...Guerilla Marketing Success stories

http://online.wsj.com/video/guerrilla-marketing-success-stories/08708485-5076-42D7-8D17-4F6CB00D561D.html

Bartering for Business...what do you think?

Ron Paul on Fox Sep. 24, 2008

Do you agree with Ron Paul? What are your thoughts about this interview?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB-OhTfplYE

How To Swing With Guerrilla Marketing

Don't have much cash to spend on advertising? A little creativity can make your message go a long way.

Can you think of some other tips that might help with advertising?


http://www.forbes.com/2006/06/08/cx_sr_0608askexpert_slide_3.html?thisSpeed=15000

Cool Advertising

This slideshow is actually really cool. It puts a twist on normal advertising. Definitely makes you look twice.





http://www.pronetadvertising.com/articles/creative-advertising-that-makes-you-look-twice.html

Guerilla Marketing

I liked this article because it related to what we just learned in chapter 9 about Guerilla Marketing plans. The link is below.





http://www.entrepreneur.com/marketing/guerillamarketing/article193306.html

Unconventional Role Model

Take a look at this story and the video. Talk about a skill, he pretty much shows you how well the basics can work.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26976442/

A Planner Plumbs for a Niche

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122274023246288991.html

I saw this and thought it was an interesting small business idea.

Five Survival Tips for Entrepreneurs

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122243729863478905.html

I thought this article had some good tips. They are kind of obvious, but people sometimes forget when things are stressfull in a bad economy.

How much?

i though this was real important to read about

http://tedcape.wordpress.com/2007/11/28/how-much-debt/

shoulda dones

http://selfmade.eliotdill.com/awesome-business-ideas-that-got-stolen-from-me/

check it out

Elevator Pitch

I thought this was a great example of an elevator pitch and what to prepare for.

Company's doing good

I was inspired again by this week's video. I was reading an article in relation to the death of Paul Newman and there was a lot of information about his company I didn't know. This article is just a tid bit. If all companies just did a little bit could you imagine the good we could do in the world.

http://www.newmansown.com/

This week's video assignment

This week's video assignment got me thinking about opening a business in an inner city neighborhood; so I did a search to see if there were any initiatives out there. I was surprised to find this one from this past March. It is great too see that the SBA is putting its resources to work where it is needed the most. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/small-business/2008/03/sba_launches_innercity_initiat.html

Money Crunch

Has anyone looked at the video clips at msnbc.com lately?

If you go and select a clip to bring up the pop up selection click business>small business.All the articles are talking about the cash squeeze. Its funny that they aren't talking about better ways to manage and control your cashflow. I thought everyone should look at the videos they are creating as news for small business. It's understandable but they have people who are growing too fast and never made any projections and are shocked the bank says no.

Take a look at this clip

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/26973767#26973767

RIDING THE GREEN WAVE

http://www.entrepreneur.com/worklife/successstories/youngmillionaires/article196570.html

What do you think?

GOING OUT OF BUSINESS

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/26819314#26819314

Scary stuff, but there is always a bright side..

Credit Cards...

Isn't it interesting where people are looking for loans now. Like the article lays out this way of financing your business seems very risky to me.

The Etiquette of Business Dining..

Going Global with your Small Business

This article is interesting!

Would you use a people to people lending practice?

Could people to people lending become the norm in the future?

http://www.forbes.com/entrepreneurs/entrefinance/2008/02/11/lending-online-banking-ent-fin-cx_mf_0211capital.html

Becoming a business titan.

Do you still think it is possible in todays harsh economy to become a business titan?

http://www.forbes.com/entrepreneurs/entrefinance/2008/06/03/citigroup-harry-potter-ent-fin-cx_ml_0603titanfinancing.html

Lots of People Could Use a Cash Infusion

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122221482913069373.html

This has some funny stories about small bussiness owners who are trying to ask the US Treasury to bail them out of their financial woes, too. This is the first time I've read an article about the whole government bailout thing without getting mad...

For Entrepreneurs, Opportunity Still Knocks

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122229016165972503.html

This article is really inspiring for entrepreneurs who are wary about starting their own businesses in today's harsh economy. It talks about how small businesses can still thrive in rough times, even if larger businesses aren't doing well right now.

Business Cafe

this is a place where small bussiness owners canget together and share their stories and tips

http://www.businessownersideacafe.com/

business degree ideas

different options on how you could use your business degree

http://www.worldwidelearn.com/online-education-guide/business/business-major.htm

An unusual business idea,

This is a link to an unusual business idea. Apparently they claim they didn't create
a business plan. Somehow though they were able to gather together figures.
http://money.cnn.com/2008/09/17/smallbusiness/smash_shack.smb/index.htm

Raising Money

Some useful tips on how to come up with money to start your business.

Could Be Helpful...

List of small business ideas...

I thought this was interesting!

The "elevator pitch"

A little article stating more a less what came up in chapter six concerning presenting your business plan to investors. It reminded me of the whole "elevator pitch" concept.

Development Strategies

The article is a tad bit on the long side but it is an interesting read. http://ncsu.edu/enitiative/inspiration/documents/small_business_dev_strategies.pdf

Business Planning 101

Here are a few more sites that help out in creating a business plan. Even though they want the new business owner to use them to get their loans and credit cards, I think it is good that some banks and credit card companies offer these services.
http://www133.americanexpress.com/osbn/tool/biz_plan/index.asp

http://www.va-interactive.com/bankofamerica/resourcecenter/workshops/businessplan/businessplan.html

Business Plan Competition

This link is about a Business Plan Competition. We have read a few stories about competitions in our textbook so I thought I would include one on the blog. Pretty cool stuff.



http://www.alliance.rice.edu/alliance/RBPC_Success_Stories.asp?SnID=2

Business Plan

I liked this link because it goes along side with what we are studying now, the Business Plan. The link is really a few links, but can just give a few ideas on how to plan your business, start your business, manage your business and even getting out. The link is below.



http://www.sba.gov/smallbusinessplanner/index.html

Contaminated products, again?

Should the U.S. trust products form other countries, when their products have been know to be contaminated in the past?

http://www.forbes.com/business/2008/09/16/baby-milk-china-biz-cx_pm_0916notes.html

Should the government be bailing them out?"

Should the government bail the big boys out; and how do you think this bail out will effect small businesses?

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_39/b4101044083232.htm

I thought this article was
Interesting.

Secret to Small Business Success...a motivational video

Family businesses.....some advice

Tips for small business

Another video for this week but I thought it was a nice little success story.
Link Here

What to study if you want to open a business in the future.

http://www.entrepreneur.com/ask/answer10277.html

How to sell your business

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jan2008/sb20080116_236713.htm

Just a small article about what a seller should do when selling his or her business..

Government info from A-Z

Interesting site with the the laws and information needed about starting a small business.

http://www.business.gov/guides/business-law/?cm_sp=Dynamic%20Lead-_-Whats%20New-_-Center%201%20-%20Home%20-%20/guides/business-law/

Staying Creative: Success on a Shoestring

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_34/b4097042742868.htm?chan=smallbiz_smallbiz+index+page_getting+started

Ten Resources for Nervous Entrepreneurs

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/running_small_business/archives/2008/09/resources_for_n.html?chan=smallbiz_smallbiz+index+page_top+small+business+stories

uncommon business

heres a blog with a whole bunch of uncommon businesses

http://uncommonbusiness.blogspot.com/

Another good article

http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/starting-business/starting-business-more-topics/investigate-business-before-you-buy.html

This whole website has a lot of good information on it. Here is just one article to tie in with this week's lesson.

Shoes

Here is an interesting business:

Make it hotter.

Make it hotter.

The Fun Factor

i thought this website had some intresting tips and alot of helpful information

http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/im_fun_factor.html

Race and Entrepreneurial success....interesting.

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/sep2008/sb20080912_022879.htm?chan=smallbiz_smallbiz+index+page_top+small+business+stories
Do you believe this?

A Partnership of Two Old Rivals

RAILROADERS and truckers have barred no holds in their thumb-in-eye competition for more business. Over the years the truckers have managed to lure millions of dollars worth of freight traffic annually from the railroads. But as the trailer fleets have grown, truckers have brought on themselves the ire of motorists and tightening restrictions from states on trailer weights, size, etc. Railroaders, in turn, have seen their costs rise as business dropped. These pressures are forcing the two adversaries to end their fighting and compromise. The compromise: piggyback shipping, i.e., carrying loaded truck trailers on railroad flatcars



http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,806900-1,00.html

Recruiting and Hiring Top-Quality Employess

Recruiting and Hiring Top-Quality Employees

By Paul Sarvadi


Recruiting and Hiring Top-Quality Employees
Follow these tips to ensure you'll bring the right people into your company.

As all employers quickly learn, there's a world of difference between a worker who's correctly matched to their job and their organization, and one who is not.
But how do you find and match the right people to the right jobs? By including, in your comprehensive people strategy, a well-structured recruiting and selection program. The key to successfully developing such a program is to follow a proven recruiting process for the positions you need to fill. Resist the temptation to omit steps, because shortcutting the process can shortchange your results. Here's what you'll need to do:
Content Continues Below
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1. Develop accurate job descriptions. Your first step is to make sure you have an effective job description for each position in your company. Your job descriptions should reflect careful thought as to the roles the individual will fill, the skill sets they'll need, the personality attributes that are important to completing their tasks, and any relevant experience that would differentiate one applicant from another. This may sound fairly basic, but you'd be surprised at how many small companies fail to develop or maintain updated job descriptions.
2. Compile a "success profile." In addition to creating job descriptions, it's important to develop a "success profile" of the ideal employee for key positions in your company that are critical to the execution of your business plan. These might include such positions as team leaders, district managers and salespeople. For example, let's say you currently have 20 salespeople. Within that group, you have four that are top performers, 12 that are middle-of-the-road and four that aren't quite making the grade. If you could bump the number of folks in the top group from 20 percent to 33 percent, that could have a dramatic impact on your company's performance.
To accomplish that goal, you need to profile everyone in the sales group to identify any skills and attributes that are common to the top group but missing from the other groups. Using this information, you'll be able to develop a profile to help you select the candidates most likely to succeed in that position. Remember, you can't tell if you've found a match if you're not matching candidates against a specific profile.
3. Draft the ad, describing the position and the key qualifications required. Although some applicants will ignore these requirements and respond regardless, including this information will help you limit the number of unqualified applicants.
4. Post the ad in the mediums most likely to reach your potential job candidates. Of course, the Internet has become the leading venue for posting job openings, but don't overlook targeted industry publications and local newspapers.
5. Develop a series of phone-screening questions. Compile a list of suitable questions you can ask over the phone to help you quickly identify qualified candidates and eliminate everyone else.
6. Review the resumes you receive and identify your best candidates. Once you post your ad, you'll start receiving resumes...sometimes many more than you anticipated. Knowing what you're looking for in terms of experience, education and skills will help you weed through these resumes quickly and identify potential candidates.
7. Screen candidates by phone. Once you've narrowed your stack of resumes to a handful of potential applicants, call the candidates and use your phone-screening questions to further narrow the field. Using a consistent set of questions in both this step and your face-to-face interviews will help ensure you're evaluating candidates equally.
8. Select candidates for assessment. Based on the responses to your phone interviews, select the candidates you feel are best qualified for the next step in the process.
9. Assess your potential candidates for their skills and attributes using a proven assessment tool. A resume and phone interview can only tell you so much about a job applicant, so you'll need a dependable assessment tool to help you analyze the core behavioral traits and cognitive reasoning speed of your applicants. For example, a good test will provide insights as to whether the individual is conscientious or lackadaisical, introverted or extroverted, agreeable or uncompromising, open to new ideas or close-minded, and emotionally stable or anxious and insecure.
The success profile you created for each position will help you determine which behavioral traits are important for that position. For example, you would expect a successful salesperson to be extroverted. On the other hand, someone filling a clerical position might be more introverted.
These assessment tests can be administered in person or online. Online testing and submission of results can help you determine whether the applicant should be invited for a personal interview.
10. Schedule and conduct candidate interviews. Once you've selected candidates based on the previous steps, schedule and conduct the interviews. Use a consistent set of 10 or 12 questions to maintain a structured interview and offer a sound basis for comparing applicants.
11. Select the candidate. Make your selection by matching the best applicant to the profiled job description.
12. Run a background check on the individual to uncover any potential problems not revealed by previous testing and interviews.
13. Make your offer to the candidate. The information you collected during the interview process will provide you with important insights as to starting compensation levels and training needs.
Additional Pre-Recruiting Tips
Before you start the hiring process, determine your strategy relative to how people fit into your organization. What is your process for making sure they're a good fit with your company's culture? Decide whether your approach to the cultural question should include a second interview. Also, who else, if anyone, do you involve in the interviews to help make this selection and judge the candidate? Your goal is to have a plan that will help you determine whether you have a qualified applicant who will fit into your company's culture.
In addition, decide whether you're going to conduct pre-employment testing. How much is it worth for you to know an individual's strengths and weaknesses, not just as a hire/don't hire test, but as a coaching tool to help you determine their training needs and the best approach to maximize the person's productivity? Pre-employment testing is often overlooked, when it could be a very valuable tool. For example, if you find an applicant who fits the job description and appears to be the person you want to hire, pre-employment testing can help you determine how to work with them more effectively and move them along in your organization.
If you want your business to attract and retain good clients, your comprehensive people strategy must include a recruiting and selection strategy that attracts and retains quality employees. Following a well-thought-out, structured process will help you best match the right people

Pizza in a CONE!!!!...

http://www.konopizza.com/
What do you think?

A Few Ideas When Selling Your Invention

I discovered this article on Businessweek.com. It showed a couple of points on what to do with your invention, whether you are considering patenting or building prototypes. Pretty inciteful things listed if you are interested in inventions or building one yourself.

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/sep2007/sb20070912_726423.htm

Cereality

Since we are on the subject of franchises, I wanted to add this link to possible franchise ideas. Cereality is a cereal bar. Basically they serve cereal in take-outs containers much like you would see at an Chinese restaurant. They provide the different types of cereal, hot or cold, as well as several kinds of milk. It is a great idea, which is really simple but creative. There used to be one in Philadelphia, but I am not sure if it is still present. It was actually a cool place. The link is below.

http://www.cereality.com/main.php

From Real Estate to the Pizza Parlor

This article explains a man's change from real estate to the pizza business. He felt as though the real estate market would crash so he changed careers. The man was successful in both careers, which is very inspirational.

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jul2008/sb20080716_250379.htm

Lawyers for Small Companies

This article shows interesting information, which was just brought to my attention. In looking at another small detail, or major in this case, a small company should look for a lawyer. The lawyer can handle different situations, which may save you the legal money and aggrevation later on.

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/aug2008/sb20080828_716806.htm

2008 Low-Cost Franchises Rankings

Here's a list of the 100 low cost franchises for 2008.

Which one would you consider opening?

http://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/rankings/lowcost-115390/2008,.html

Small Changes Making a Big Difference

I thought it was interesting how this video clip pointed out how by simply engaging the customer and encouraging them to give a definate answer could change business.

click here

SBA Approved Franchise

I figured this would be a good article to tie together last week's information about the SBA with this week's lesson on franchises. There are advantages for opening SBA approved franchises. The site lists the franchises that are SBA approved and talks about the benefits associated. http://www.franchise.com/sba-approved-franchises.cfm

Family Members as Employees

Should You Hire Your Parents?

A handful of business duos around the country explain what happens when traditional family roles are turned upside down—and the CEO hires his mom

by John Tozzi

SPECIAL REPORT

Story Tools


Daniel Negari, the 22-year-old founder of the high-end Los Angeles mortgage brokerage Beverly Hills Mint, set a strict ground rule when he hired his first employee last year: "She doesn't refer to me as her son. She's actually not allowed to."
The rule helps Negari and his mother, Berta, 47, keep their family and company roles separate. The Negaris are one of a handful of business duos around the country we spoke with to get a sense of what happens when a young entrepreneur hires a parent (BusinessWeek.com, 3/19/07). The consensus is mom and dad can become key employees who bring a combination of loyalty, honesty, and experience that would be hard to find outside of the family. Of course, hiring a parent turns traditional family roles upside down, and that can strain both families and companies if not handled properly.
To convince Berta Negari to leave Bank of America (BAC), where she earned a six-figure salary as a broker, Daniel showed his mother that he made $250,000 in commissions in his company's first year and argued that she would earn more working for him. He also offered her equity in the company, although he retains majority control. In return, he landed an employee he knew he could trust to broker deals and help oversee the 14 contract salespeople who work for him on commission. "I would so much rather hire my mom and let her make good money with me, rather than hire someone I don't know and don't even know if they're going to do their job," he says.
"Not Pulling Your Punches
Beyond loyalty, having a parent in the company permits a level of candor that can help entrepreneurs evaluate business decisions. "If you do everything together under one roof, you get real good about not pulling your punches," says Don MacAskill, the 31-year-old founder of Mountain View (Calif.) photo-sharing service SmugMug. He brought his father, Chris, a 54-year-old Silicon Valley veteran, on board his startup in 2002 as an investor and first employee.
The pair's "open spirited debate," as Chris calls it, set the tone for a company that now counts seven other family members among its 40 employees (BusinessWeek.com, 1/10/08). "All of the employees know that they can walk into my office and yell at me if we're doing something stupid," says Don. "They've all seen my father or my brother or someone do that to me."
Parents can also offer young companies needed management experience. Chris MacAskill brought the lessons learned from his own three startups to his son's venture. He handled finances, legal issues, marketing, and the nitty-gritty details of running the company so Don could concentrate on developing their product.
Lorraine Earle plays much the same role a her son's company, Johnny Cupcakes. Earle, 52, a former manager of a Boston law firm, spent years helping her 26-year-old son John run his Hull (Mass.) T-shirt business pro-bono. She joined Johnny Cupcakes full-time in 2006 and handles all the financial management, human resources, and legal issues. "I do all the stuff that he doesn't have the desire or the expertise to deal with," she says.
For some young entrepreneurs, having a parent on board provides credibility they otherwise might have trouble earning. Bryan and Steve Sims, the son-and-father pair behind financial education company Brass Media, say their relationship adds value to their product, a financial-literacy magazine for students that is sponsored by financial companies. "If you have sponsors in a program in high school, they look very much at what kind of company it is," says CEO Bryan Sims, 25. Having his father with him demonstrates a level of integrity that helps convince schools to work with them, he says.
Keeping Roles Distinct
But despite the advantages of hiring a parent, the situation can backfire if family members allow personal issues to cloud business decisions, says Carol Ryan, membership director at the Loyola Family Business Center in Chicago. To prevent such conflicts, she says, families need to keep work roles distinct from familial roles. "Suddenly they're going to have to be able to accept that in this context I'm not your father [or mother]," she says.
That's why entrepreneurs who hire parents have to set clear boundaries to distinguish between the parent-child relationship and the CEO-employee relationship. Even though Don and Chris MacAskill split the equity in SmugMug at Don's suggestion, they both agree that Don, as the CEO, has the last word. The Sims family leaves work discussions at the office: "If we're having a family dinner, we try not to bring up business-related items," says Steve Sims, 57.
And for Daniel Negari, one key is in how he and his mother address each other. "When she's here, I never use the word 'mom' or 'mother.' It's just a known thing in the office that she's not my mom during the day," he says. "Sometimes I forget even at home, and I call her Berta."

Going Green

Going Green Is Good for Your Wallet
Two recent studies show that green building standards not only are effective, but also escalate property values.

by John Gendall



The results of two recent studies—one carried out by the New Buildings Institute (NBI), the other by CoStar Group—show that green building standards are not only effective, but also escalate property values. The post-occupancy studies, both released in March, attempted to measure the value of buildings with sustainability features compared to conventional buildings. They also aimed to demonstrate the effectiveness of third-party certification programs, specifically LEED, administered by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and Energy Star, managed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
One study confirmed that new LEED-certified buildings use less energy than non-certified buildings. Commissioned and funded by the USGBC, the study was conducted by the NBI, a nonprofit organization in the Pacific Northwest that specializes in providing information about sustainable architecture. Researchers compared data on energy use intensities collected from 121 LEED-certified buildings to statistics from an energy survey conducted by the federal government in 2007.
The NBI study found that the median energy-use intensity (EUI, as measured by kBtu per square foot per year) for LEED buildings is 24 percent better than the national average for conventional buildings. When divided into typologies, office buildings demonstrated the most significant difference. LEED-certified offices performed 33 percent better, and those with a Gold or Platinum rating performed 50 percent better. These results underscore one of the study’s other prevailing findings: that, in most cases, buildings perform better as they get higher ratings, between certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.
The NBI study results weren’t entirely positive. Surprisingly, the actual EUI performance for LEED-certified, high-energy-use buildings, such as laboratories and data centers, was nearly two-and-a-half times higher than what was predicted during their design. The report calls this “very poor, even on average,” and suggests that performance modeling is in dire need of rethinking. Andrew McNamara, director of new construction services at Bright Power, a New York-based energy consultancy, says he was surprised by the drastic underperformance of some LEED-certified buildings. Projects that were supposed to see energy savings of up to 40 percent actually “underperformed code by 60 percent.” “The NBI study provides a much-needed comparison of energy models to reality,” he says.
The Maryland-based CoStar Group, a provider of commercial property information, undertook a separate study, investigating green building real estate trends by analyzing property values and occupancy rates. The study used a pool of more than 1,300 buildings, representing about 351 million square feet. Results showed that Energy Star buildings on the market commanded an additional $61 per square foot. They also showed that rental rates for Energy Star buildings are $2.40 per square foot higher than those in non-certified buildings—and occupancy rates are 3.6 percent higher. In addition, CoStar discovered that LEED-certified buildings are selling for $171 per square foot more than non-certified buildings. In terms of rental prices, a LEED-certified building fetches an extra $11.24 per square foot.
Provided by Architectural Record—The Resource for Architecture and Architects

Young Entrepreneurs

Here is a link to an article about successful entrepreneurs from the past year. I think it is interesting to see how these people started there business and went about keeping them afloat.

http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/sep2008/sb2008098_467315.htm?chan=smallbiz_special+report+--+best+u.s.+entrepreneurs+25+and+under_special+report%3A+best+u.s.+entrepreneurs+25+and+under

Best states for business...

Couples Running a business

Retail Sales

I really wasn't sure what to post about so I figured I'd relate it to my life. I actually work at Kmart and came across this short video about how retail stores are doing with the back to school season. And although sales have been going up since people are starting to shop for their back to school supplies, they are still no where near where they have been in past years. Like the video was stating some clothing stores were not doing as well as stores like Walmart or Kmart that sell the required items from teachers, and I guess people are just buying less expensive clothes for their kids since they don't really have the extra money to be spending.

http://www.businessweek.com/mediacenter/video/marketreports/7c3a3b025e60c5ead717a57acce5d6e2131e77d2.html

So ironic that we are watching a video on Cold Stone, check this link out. I only became aware of this controversy a couple of weeks ago...

http://www.unhappyfranchisee.com/2008/07/cold-stone-creamery-franchisees-alleges-fr-churning/

That's just one article of MANY..."Google" it because its totally worth it to be informed about this one, and since this is from an actual franchise owner, you may want to check out a story from a "reputable" news source.

There are also several stories out there about Cold Stone providing "exaggerated" business plans and essentially setting their franchise owners up for failure.

Stay Informed!

I can't stress how stongly I feel about staying on top of current politics, and this election is such a turning point in all of our lives (just as any is I'd imagine). A lot is at stake in this presidential election for small business owners, and I did some research on the stances of the candidates on this topic. The NFIB and SBA have their own opinions, as do many politicians and actual entrepreneurs. Here are links to a couple articles I found interesting...

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/conventions-conclude-fall-campaign-begins/story.aspx?guid=%7B80D978B8-64BA-49AC-A032-394CCAD8B7C9%7D&dist=hppr

http://www.allbusiness.com/company-activities-management/company-strategy/11496093-1.html

...The great part is, not only are healthcare/insurance issues a factor in this election, but the positions of women in the world of business are being brought to the forefront as the GOP announces its first female vice presidential candidate.

Recommeded reading

Ladies Who Launch is a great book for anyone looking to start a new business or idea. It's not just for Ladies. Check it out.

FUN BUSINESS CARTOONS

I came across this web site and thought it was fun. You can find business tips and trends on it but i found this article interesting, its about a cartoonist and his cartoon series "mostly business"

http://www.smallbiztrends.com/2008/02/fun-business-cartoons.html/

if you go to this link you can find more of his cartoons

http://www.newslettercartoons.com/index.html

Real Entrepreneurs, Real Inspiration

I thought these were interesting videos about a few small business owners.

http://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/r-video-a-112772-kazoo_and_company-i

Diaper Cakes

I picked this article because it seemed fascinating and humorous. A lady who did not think anything of her hobby, turned it into a company. I like the fact that her idea came from out of nowhere and made her become successful with a business.

http://www.powerhomebiz.com/OnlineSuccess/babycakes.htm

Alex's Lemonade Stand

I know that Alex's Lemonade Stand makes profit for children with cancer. But, I felt as a business in itself, it has bloomed from a small business into a world-wide company. I feel even though the entrepenuer in this business was only age four at the time of her start, she showed motivation and proved to be inspirational to everyone. The link to the story is added below.

http://www.alexslemonade.org/lemonade_stand.php

Small business awards.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqaoUIek56o

I found it interesting that there are quite a lot of different awards for small business owners/helpers. Check it out.

Daycare

I had no idea what to post about so I figured I would find another article that I could benefit from. What I got out of this article is that there are a lot more aspects about a job than what is just on the surface. I think making a business plan will be the real key to any small business being successful and that you have to think outside the box. Start with a basic plan and then expand from there. http://www.entrepreneur.com/startingabusiness/businessideas/startupkits/article41422.html

SBA and veterans

I figured since we had to read about the SBA this week I would post on what I learned about while I was in the Navy. I was a career counselor and we had to let separating sailors know about what options and benefits were out in the civilian sector that would benefit them. The SBA has an awesome program for veterans who want to start up their own business. The also help veterans who already own their own business. In my transition class I learned that the SBA looks favorably upon veterans because they feel we are disciplined and hardworking and for many of us it would be most likely the only other job we have once we are out of the service. http://www.sba.gov/patriotexpress/index.html

Creativity

Last spring I took the Integration of Knowledge: Creativity through Bucks and I thought some of the points brought up in that course would be applicable here. The course focused on defining creativity and in one of our books they broke creativity into 7 principles. The following is an exert explaining the Seven Da Vincian Principles:

"1. Curiosita - an insatiably curious approach to life and an unrelenting quest for continuous learning.
2. Dimostrazione - A commitment to test knowledge through experience, persistence, and a willingness to learn from mistakes.
3. Sensazione - The continual refinement of the senses, especially sight, as the means to enliven experience.
4. Sfumata - A willingness to embrace ambiguity, paradox, and uncertainty.
5. Arte/Sceinza - The development of the balance between science and art, logic and imagination. "Whole-brain" thinking.
6. Corporalita - The cultivation of grace, ambidexterity, fitness, and poise.
7. Connessione - A recognition of and appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things and phenomena. Systems thinking."
-Gelb, Michael J. Introduction. How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci. New York, NY: Bantam Dell, 2004. 9.

These principles all focus on how to improve an individual's creativity which, in my opinion, is something that any entrepreneur should pursue. Does anyone think that a particular principle is more important than the others in how it will help their business?

Small Chocolate Maker Goes Global

Slide Show...how 6 companies energized their employees....

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/08/0814_energize_your_team/index.htm

Which company idea do you like best?

McCain and Obama on Small business issues...

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_68/s0808021468792.htm?chan=smallbiz_smallbiz+index+page_top+small+business+stories
Read the article....who do you think would be best for small business??

What is a blog?