http://top-business-opportunities.net Opportunities, Tools, News, Links for Small Businesses Thu, 22 May 2008 03:34:02 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en After 17 years in the NFL, Packers quarterback Brett Favre is finally retiring. He will go down as one of the greatest players in the history of the game, and not just because of his numbers. What made him legendary were his intangible qualities--qualities you can learn from and ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2008/04/make-your-biz-legendary/ Producers of the Internet-video serial "lonelygirl15" -- once thought to be an amateur project but later revealed to be the product of professionals -- have raised $5 million from prominent technology investors to expand and introduce new online shows. The new funding for EQAL, the Los Angeles company behind "lonelygirl" ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2008/04/lonelygirl-gets-popular-with-investors/ A five-year-old boy is thought to be the UK's youngest person to patent an idea after inventing a labour-saving broom to help his father sweep leaves. Sam Houghton, of Buxton, Derbyshire, was just three when he came up with a double-headed broom to collect large debris and fine dust simultaneously. ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2008/04/youngest-inventor-patents-broom/ It’s like we’re watching a scene from that dumb reality show, “The Bachelor,” and in this case the bachelor is Yahoo. Who will walk down the aisle with Yahoo? Microsoft? Google? Time Warner’s AOL? Even News Corp. is getting into the act, considering a plan to team up with Microsoft ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2008/04/yahoo-merger-holds-peril-for-small-biz/ Jordan Lakoduk/ entrepreneur-"I started 'Dotcomr' in early 2004. My brother was getting his senior pictures taken, and he was talking to the photographer and she mentionted that she needed a website. And my brother mentioned that my brother does websites. I was really fortunate to have a really successful ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2008/04/teen-entrepreneur-earns-41000-for-college/ eBay is requiring that users in Australia use its PayPal payment service on all transactions. Aside from transactions in which the buyer picks up items in person and cash-on-delivery, no other payment method will be permitted, and eBay is banning sellers from using their own merchant credit card accounts ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2008/04/ebay-australia-bans-all-payment-methods-except-paypal/ Marketing Profs Daily Fix: Holly Suttmann, a former schoolteacher, started the Black & Light Candle company. Holly really understands word of mouth. She's proof that every business can master these inexpensive techniques. Lessons from Holly: Cultivate key talkers. She’s sent me two personal notes and really built a relationship with me. Use samples. ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2008/04/simple-steps-for-word-of-mouth/ THE e-commerce bandwagon bypassed millions of carpenters, massage therapists, lawyers and other service providers, mostly because it is impossible to drop an appointment into a shopping cart without unleashing a scheduling nightmare. “This is something that’s been needed for a while, but no one has been able to do it ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2008/04/making-appointments-for-doctor-or-dinner/ After numerous prototypes and years of tinkering, Rick Chambers and Larry Kost believe they’ve invented the perfect apparatus to accomplish just that: The Bataround. It doesn’t sound like much: an elongated stainless steel frame, connected to an aviation cable with a batting practice ball bolted to the end. But with ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2008/02/inventors-hope-%e2%80%98bataround%e2%80%99-is-a-big-hit/ Bob Parsons credits 16 rules for propelling him from humble youth to his role today as CEO and Founder of GoDaddy.com. Get and stay out of your comfort zone. Get and stay out of your comfort zone. When you’re ready to quit, you’re closer than you think. With regard to whatever worries you, ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2008/02/16-rules-for-success-in-business-life-in-general/ New and exciting work options seem to pop up all the time in today’s fast-paced cyber-world. Even so, certain fields have emerged as the most popular — and successful — online choices. Explore our hot picks to see if there’s something that fits your skills, talents or interests. Coaching and ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2008/02/10-businesses-for-work-at-home-moms/ Think retailers are the only ones that should offer gift certificates, think again. Every business can find a way to extend some form of gift certificate to clients and prospects. Think about the marketing factors at play with this tool. You allow others to pass your marketing message or gain ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2008/02/does-your-firm-offer-referral-gift-certificates/ CNN Money Whether a child is groomed to take over the family business or mistakenly pushed into it, problems often arise when family and authority mix. "Being in an emotional relationship and a business relationship puts a different, more difficult kind of strain on relationships," said Getzler, who inherited his consulting ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2008/02/help-for-handing-over-a-family-business/ Two Minnesota men have found their niche in the travel market by taking groups to scary places. Dave Schrader of Circle Pines and Tim Dennis of Burnsville are leading groups on trips to haunted hotels and spooky cruise ships. The two started an online radio show called “Darkness Radio” in January ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2008/02/haunted-places/ A leader's job often includes changing your people's attitudes and behavior. Some suggestions to accomplish this: Begin with praise and honest appreciation. Call attention to people's mistakes indirectly. Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person. Ask questions instead of giving direct orders. Let the other person save face. Praise the slightest improvement ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2008/02/how-to-change-people-without-giving-offense-or-arousing-resentment/ "The economy has been slip sliding away," says Witcher, whose 75-man operation also sells and services big rigs and is the Northeast's largest supplier of Pierce fire trucks. "We decided we wanted another place we could sell." As the economy slows, this is a good time to take a closer ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2008/02/small-biz-cracking-code-for-federal-contracts/ Trade shows offer inventors and entrepreneurs the opportunity to reach a large number of potential buyers and retailers. The most important thing you can do before attending a trade show is to make sure you choose the right one. Be sure to make your choice based on the potential returns. To ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2008/02/taking-your-invention-to-a-trade-show/ Ever wished you could be in two places at one time? A Japanese scientist has managed it through making a robot that looks and moves exactly like him. The Geminoid was created by Professor Hiroshi Ishiguro using a model of his body and hair actually from his head. When you poke ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2008/02/inventor-creates-robot-double/ reutersvideo - Jan. 4 - US researchers have grown a beating heart in a laboratory from the cells of newborn rats.Researchers hope this will eventually lead to the ability to build organs. http://top-business-opportunities.net/2008/01/researchers-grow-heart-in-lab/ The editors of Entrepreneur.com sifted through hundreds of inventions that became available within the past year to compile a diverse list of innovative, practical and fun products. iPhone - which consumers camped out for prior to its June debut, is the obvious choice for any "Best of 2007" list. Much ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2007/12/revolutionary-inventions-of-2007/ Grocery shopping for Rene Lopez became magical after he moved Downtown. Lopez merely has to make up a shopping list, and the next day, his groceries are waiting at home for him after work, with the perishables in the fridge and freezer. Michelle Harvey formed the Pittsburgh Town Shopper delivery ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2007/10/entrepreneur-delivers-much-needed-service/ http://top-business-opportunities.net/2007/10/mcdonalds-fries-after-10-weeks/ "We're one of the country's biggest exporters of marshmallows. We also sell our own lines of gourmet pretzels and popcorn to 41 countries. This means that we have to be pretty creative at tapping into international markets. "Before I became a marshmallow king, I spent several years in the early ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2007/10/meet-americas-marshmallow-king/ Who hasn’t fantasized about quitting their job and striking out on their own? Before doing anything, you should check out these excellent six myths about owning a business: Your family & friends will always understand the time commitment, even when no money is coming in. Your friends’ constructive criticism is never ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2007/10/six-self-employment-myths/ Donna Gonzalez recently posted her resume on websites like Career Builder.Com and quickly got a reply, "They just need people who already had bank accounts set up, so we could cash the checks for them." According to Donna, a company called Global Healthcare Inc.,out of London, sent her a contract ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2007/10/stay-at-home-moms-targeted-by-online-thieves/ A slew of businesses have popped up to help match students with internships, charging hundreds to thousands of dollars to help them write résumés, identify potential employers and find summer housing. University of Dreams uses its staff’s personal contacts at 500 companies to get students internships with employers they couldn’t ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2007/10/university-of-dreams/ Designer Adam Ellis has reinvented the ice cream truck. In doing so, he's reinvented a street vending business. Boutique flavors, a chandelier on the inside, and a truck that customers can write on, this is the ice cream truck overhauled, inside and out. An awesomely unique truck begs to ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2007/10/how-a-funky-ice-cream-truck-can-change-your-business/ It's not impossible to get your business out of debt and heading towards profitability. Others have done it and you can too. Facing bankruptcy can be a terrifying experience for a franchisee or small business owner. But it's not uncommon - and it's not hopeless either. Not everyone comes back ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2007/10/how-to-beat-bankruptcy/ It was one “skeeter” bite too many for Austin lawyer Blair Dancy. Dancy’s two young boys had walked in from backyard play covered in mosquito welts from the garden and patio areas. The sight of his bump-covered, itching boys was the last straw and the mother of invention. Most mainstream ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2007/09/inventor-tells-mosquitos-to-buzz-off/ America loves a good mug shot. The more frizzed, frazzled and frantic, the better. An Orlando entrepreneur has seized on that fascination, recently starting “JAIL,” a weekly newspaper filled with nothing but the unflattering thumbnails. Page after page, with only a few ads in between. “A mug shot is a ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2007/09/entrepreneur-sells-mug-shots/ When Chicagoan Jenny Dombroski spotted the NikeID website where consumers can customize sneakers according to their preferences, she knew it was a concept that could work for lingerie too. So Dombroski, who loves lingerie but knew nothing about the apparel industry, spent six months networking, asking lots of questions ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2007/09/customized-lingerie/ Tough product reviews anger some advertisers but win reader trust - and revenue - over time. Running a Web site that publishes reviews of camcorders sounds like a tame line of work. But I had a moment of terror when an executive at a major electronics manufacturer accused me of ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2007/09/the-risks-of-running-an-ethical-business/ Social networking sites are not only biting into workplace productivity -- they can also pose a major security risk. The use of social-networking sites at work has made companies more vulnerable to viruses and other threats. Social networking sites are not only biting into workplace productivity -- they can also ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2007/09/employee-web-use-poses-risks/ Chris Reed is founder and chief executive of Reed’s Inc., which produces a line of natural sodas. And he’s a fan — some might say a fanatic — of the pungent herb. Each year, his company chops 1 million pounds of fresh ginger, enough to fill 28 big-rig trailers. In ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2007/09/filling-a-natural-niche/ A national survey of small business owners revealed that the U.S. health care system remains a top concern. Almost nine out of 10 small business owners surveyed said the current health care system is in need of change, with six of 10 saying a complete overhaul is in order. The ... http://top-business-opportunities.net/2007/09/health-care-big-worry-for-small-biz/