By: Co-Editor, RS:
As the decade came to a close, I took a small amount of time to reflect on another year of my life and how the business world has changed. For one reason or another, I started to think about various businesses that used to be in my neck of the woods on Long Island, New York.
One of the things I started to realize is that despite all of the advances in technology its impact on business over the last 10-15 years, the overall effect has not been good for the entrepreneur or the small business owner.
Can you imagine if you wanted to open a hardware store in the suburbs of any large or small city? Good luck. You will never be able to compete with the likes of The Home Depot. How about opening an office supply business? Once again, good luck, as Staples or Office Depot buys in such bulk that one cannot possibly compete on pricing or national advertising.
My recollection of the beginnings of this trend of “Big Business” domination ruining it for entrepreneurs, started in the mid to late 1980’s. It seemed that on every corner of the universe you were able to find a neighborhood video store. Then in the late 1980’s after Wayne Huizenga acquired the Blockbuster name, we started to see these mega-video stores all over the place. There were times you could find numerous Blockbuster stores within a few miles of each other. This phenomenon crushed the small mom and pop video retailer as everyone enjoyed the variety that Blockbuster could offer the consumer due to its ability to carry more inventory.
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By: Co-Editor, Bobby B:
Small business owners, I have another valuable resource that you might want to check out.
Winmark Business Solutions is an online small business resource center that provides entrepreneurs and small business owners with a wealth of free business management tools and small business information. They recently announced the launch of its newly redesigned site, which is enhanced with the latest social networking functionalities to provide users with an interactive and personalized experience.
Founded in 2004, Winmark Business Solutions is a division of Winmark Corporation. Winmark Corporation is a franchiser of over 850 value oriented stores including Play It Again Sports ® , Once Upon A Child ® Plato’s Closet ® Music Go Round ® and Wirth Business Credit ®.
Winmark Business Solutions currently works with more than 800 small businesses in North America and have become experts in helping businesses succeed. With over 6,000 pages of comprehensive, detailed and accurate business information, Winmark Business Solutions is a wonderful free online resource for small businesses. WBS online provides a resource of tools for success, articles from leading industry publications and selected vendor partnerships to save time and money.
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By: Co-Editor, Bobby B:
Muumuu Heaven operators of MuumuuHeaven.com and its retail outlets, is a true small business success story. They offer one-of-a-kind eco-conscious clothing, jewelry, accessories, homewares and art. The traditional Hawaiian dress, the muumuu, is the inspiration and “objet d’art” that forms the basis for the business with fabric from muumuus transformed into beautiful handmade garments, products and stylish works of art with a contemporary Hawaiian flair. The muumuus are given a new life, hence the name, Muumuu Heaven.
Muumuu Heaven’s small business success story is a great one. Deb and Eric Mascia, a couple in their mid-30s, have built their business from the ground up. When Deb Mascia saw a huge trash bag full of muumuus being thrown out at the thrift store where she volunteered, she asked to keep them, knowing she could give them another life. While the traditional muumuu wasn’t really her style as a fashionable 29 year-old fresh from NYC, Deb was drawn to their wonderfully bright and colorful fabrics with Polynesian motifs. She took the muumuus home and used swatches of the material to create her own personal collection of chic dresses and skirts.
Each time Deb wore her own designs she received compliments from friends and was frequently stopped on the street by eager fashionistas who knew style when they saw it. . She started receiving orders for outfits, and the Mascias’ living room quickly turned into a dressmaker’s workshop.
To market her distinctive threads, Deb started hosting what she calls “skirt parties.” Groups of women would gather to gossip, sip champagne, try on Deb’s latest creations and of course, buy. Deb would not only walk away with all her outfits sold; she’d have pages of orders for custom-made designs.
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By: Co-Editor, Bobby B:
When Dan and Jean Ehrlich, global touring musicians, got sick of the convenience store snack foods full of artificial ingredients they ate while on the road, they knew there had to be a better alternative. Dan and Jean decided to take things into their own hands by starting Rock-n-Roll Gourmet, creating “natural snack foods with a rock-n-roll attitude.”
Launched in June of 2009, its flagship brand, Hippie Chips, as well as other products, are already available in regional Whole Foods Markets and Safeway stores, natural food and convenience stores, and sold in public schools and college campuses.
Rock-n-Roll Gourmet’s mission was to make a totally natural, low fat, and tastily addicting potato chip. They also wanted to create a fun rock and roll image through their colorful music themed packaging, which they also use to promote new bands and artists.
Rock-n-Roll Gourmet’s mission was to make a totally natural, low fat, and tastily addicting potato chip. They also wanted to create a fun rock and roll image through their colorful music themed packaging, which they also use to promote new bands and artists.
Rock-n-Roll Gourmet is now the featured snack at the Woodstock Museum.
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By: Co-Editor, Bobby B:
Web-based education solutions are among the most intriguing uses of our new technological paradigm. Using gaming to spur students’ imagination and learning can be most effective.
On November 24, 2009, Sabi Inc., a Kirkland, Wash.-based startup company that spun out of Microsoft Research in 2008, has launched “ItzaZoo™,” which is available at its website SabiGames.com. The latest in a series of unique, engaging interactive drawing and reading games for children age 4 and older, “ItzaZoo” is the second game by Sabi, and is the result of Sabi’s collaboration with leading cognitive psychologists, reading specialists, experts in children’s interactive software and, most importantly, children.
As the latest game featuring Living Ink™, a drawing recognition technology that evolved from the Sabi team members’ research while at Microsoft Corp., “ItzaZoo” has garnered much praise. Jinny Gudmundsen, kid tech reviewer for USA Today and Common Sense Media, awarded “ItzaZoo” the highest rating, saying, “This is children’s software at its best — don’t miss this one.”
Within this novel drawing game, animals including elephants, lions and turtles accompany children on a unique journey through the animal kingdom. The magic of Living Ink transforms drawings into interactive environments and allows each child to participate in the creation of an ongoing story. Reading and creative problem-solving skills are taught in a manner that builds self-esteem while providing a fun, unique experience for every player.
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By: Co-Editor, Bobby B:
Those looking for new business opportunities ought to look into this franchiser I am about to discuss.
The franchises that seem to be thriving in this economy bring something new to the table. For instance, we previously covered a franchise called DoodyCalls.com that was rapidly expanding by providing franchise opportunities in the dog-waste removal industry.
Now comes San Diego, California-based Stroller Strides.com. Stroller Strides is the country’s largest and fastest-growing stroller exercise program for new moms. While not a start-up per se Stroller Strides until recently operated out of the founder’s home.
The success of Stroller Strides leads some to believe the future of franchising is the home-based business model. Started by Lisa Druxman in 2001, the Franchise 500 fitness company has enabled its more than 300 franchisees – most of whom are moms – to own and operate a rewarding business from home. As mentioned, until recently, the Stroller Strides corporate office was headquartered in Druxman’s own residence.
A low-cost and lifestyle-friendly option, the model enables franchisees to create their business hours around the needs of their family, and they don’t incur the expenses and liability of a brick and mortar office.
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By: Co-Editor, Bobby B:
If you have seen documentaries such as King Corn or Food. Inc., you are aware of the problems facing this country with respect to how food is grown, how livestock is cared for and how the environment is affected by so-called “agribusiness.”
Now comes a company called AgMito Enterprises, Inc., wholesale and direct distributors of the Atovi Wonder Powder – Animal Feed Pre-Mix. Based in Leesburg, Florida, AgMito’s distribution channels include regional and national livestock and fish farmers; animal and pet feed manufacturers, breeders and veterinarians.
Atovi is an animal vitamin/mineral feed premix based on nano-technology. It is made from ordinary vitamins and minerals. However, it is radically different from conventional feed premixes in the market. It has revolutionary effects on the physiology and immune system of livestock and is completely safe. Some benefits include feed savings to farmers, lower cholesterol and fat in the meat, faster growth and time to market.
Atovi corrects and maintains the digestive system properly. With this product all nutritional and medication inputs are absorbed and utilized properly and efficiently. Proof of this is the almost total absence of undigested proteins in the manure and the very low ammonia fumes, which produce the foul odors ending up into a non-pathogenic, and organic fecal waste and further decomposition is not needed.
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By: The Editor
For the past few months GreatStartups.com has primarily written about companies less than 2 years old. Today, I decided to write about a company that has been around since 1999. I think as entrepreneurs it is always great to see companies that were just startups that have blossomed into successful businesses.
Based in San Mateo, California, Vendio.com has grown tremendously over the last 10 years. If you have something to sell online, chances are you want to use some of their online services.
Vendio lets you reach buyers where they are shopping, without forcing you to learn a different interface for each channel. Whether you are a seasoned online sales veteran, or the next ecommerce success story, Vendio makes it easy to build and run your online business no matter where your buyers shop.
Vendio says on their website “The keys to successful selling: Get quality products in front of buyers at a reasonable price, and manage your sales and customers effectively. The Vendio Platform provides you the easiest and most robust solution available to manage all your online selling: eBay, Amazon.com, or your own store. Completely hosted with nothing to install and no upfront fees, the Vendio Platform grows with you. Describe an item once and make it available to buyers on your own free online store, Amazon.com, eBay, Google Product Search, and other online channels. As sales come in, the Vendio Platform enables you to process all orders using one convenient interface while keeping inventory quantities in sync across your sales channels.”
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