First hand interview. Jill Testa, Wedding Ring Coffins: "If you believe in your product, just hang in there!"

Every aspiring entrepreneur needs an inspiration, a positive inspiring example to finally say "Yes!" to a dream of starting own business. Jill Testa from Wedding Ring Coffins is the co-owner of a unique business and today she'll tell us a bit more about how her company started and what did it take. 1. How did the idea of wedding ring coffins appear? The idea for the Wedding Ring Coffin came to me after attending a relative's funeral. By that time, I was already separated for several months and I had been thinking about doing something "special" with my wedding ring. Being at the funeral made me think about the death of my marriage, so the idea of a little coffin for my wedding ring seemed very fitting. 2. Did you have to leave a full-time work to devote yourself to business? No, I had been a full-time stay at home mother for several years prior to starting the business. 3. What difficulties did you encounter starting your business? Neither my partner nor I had any experience in manufacturing, so figuring out how to get the prototype made and finding a manufacturer was probably the hardest and most time consuming aspect. 4. What was the amount of initial investments? I can't give you an exact dollar amount, but we did try to keep our initial costs to a minimum by doing as much work on our own as we could, rather than hiring professionals. My partner has a background in technology and I have a background in accounting, both of which came in handy for starting things up. We also got very lucky because the media picked up on our business and that saved us a lot of money in advertising expenses. 5. What would you advise to aspiring entrepreneurs? It's very hard to start a new business, especially in these tough economic times. But if you believe in your product, just hang in there! And try to take advantage of all the social media opportunities---facebook, youtube, blogs, etc. They're free and they give you the ability to reach millions of potential customers.

Source - Business Ideas

Unique marketing - music & drinking kit

"Music" is what you are most likely to find on the "Hobby" list while reading someone's questionnaire on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks. Hundreds of millions of people love listening to good music and millions of them also love to compose and sing. That's exactly why young singers find it hard to make their way through the crowd and deliver their albums to masses. Something more then just good music is needed, something like a unique marketing strategy. American singer Ali Spagnola, a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, designer, painter, sculptor, programmer, and, as she calls herself, bibulous composer, having problems with the music, recently released her debut album and attracted a lot of media attention. And this is not due the high quality of her songs or unique singing manner. It's because her album, that includes 60 1-minute songs, represents a removable USB hidden in a plastic shot glass. Singer offers to listen to her songs while playing power hour drinking game. All you need is to start the music and take a shot of beer every time the song changes. The price of one "beer" kit is $ 20. Here we have a great example of how to market yourself and your goods or service. Create a story, a legend, a game, something that will attract people and keep them hooked. In this case Ali Spagnola sells more then just music downloads, she sells an idea for a party, a reason to give yourself an hour to relax and have fun.

Source - Business Ideas

Sustainable business idea - eco vehicle for parents

I bet you all have seen young ladies in sport suits jogging or skating while pushing the baby stroller? Young mums try hard to combine the two important tasks – to regain a pre-pregnancy figure and to spend much time outdoors with their babies. But jogging with a baby stroller is definitely not that comfortable and, besides, not safe for the child. Luckily, there are entrepreneurs who saw the demand for a harmonic combination of sporting and walking with a baby and came out to the children goods' market with a unique product. Taga Bike is a multifunctional lightweight urban vehicle that converts between a baby stroller and carrier bike within 20 seconds. Parents can ride their children around the city, but when the destination is reached, convert it into a compact stroller and enter the premises, ride an elevator or ascend steps. Besides being highly practical, Taga Bike is also an eco vehicle suitable for citizens who opt for green lifestyle. This unique bike costs $1495, which may seem like an expensive proposition, but given the prices of bike and baby stroller, it results quiet reasonable. Taga Bike official video Taga Bike results to be a very successful business and the best proof is that upon pushing on "Buy" button you get left with "We are currently out of stock" inscription. When coming to a market with new product you have to project the possible amount of sales and you better be realistic to avoid situation when your stock is full, but there are no crowds at the door of your shop/office. Yet you better develop a Plan B in case your prediction was too pessimistic as "Out of stock" is not a good way to welcome new customers.

Source - Business Ideas

First hand interview. Jack Grant, CigaRV "Many business ideas end up being just good ideas that should never be tried as a full-blown business"

Earlier this month I've posted an article about an interesting business idea – mobile cigar lounge. This post got very popular and I decided to contact the co-owner of this project, Jack Grant, to tell you a bit more about how this idea appeared and what it took to start this business. Thus I will also give a fresh start to the tradition of first-hand interviews with successful entrepreneurs. 1. How did the idea of mobile cigar lounge appeared? Did you have to leave a full-time work to devote yourself to business? I had just left a partnership in a local cigar lounge and I wanted to continue in the business. I knew I didn't want to spend the time and money on a brick-and-mortar establishment and try to convince people to come to me. I thought, with the increasingly strict smoking laws, it would be better to take cigars to people when and where they wanted them. So the search was on for the right vehicle to accomplish that plan. 2. What difficulties did you encounter starting your business? The typical hurdles in starting a business; finding capital, etc. But the real issue with a tobacco business was making sure we could function within the laws and guidelines that are required. That piece took some extra time and research. 3. What was the initial investment process like? Well, it took investments and loans from nearly a dozen others aside from myself. I formed a corporation and traded shares of it for cash and labor. 4. What would you advice to aspiring entrepreneurs? Do a lot of research directed at who you believe your target audience to be. Many business ideas end up being just good ideas that should never be tried as a full-blown business. Make sure you're going to pursue something that is going to have a wider reach than just you and the people you hang out with all the time.

Source - Business Ideas

Online business on broken hearts

If your heart is broken and your relationship or marriage lies in ruins, then what can possibly bring a relief? Well, there hardly is something other than time. But you can't heal your broken heart, then, may be, it is worth to at least make some few bucks on selling things that remind you of your ex? Never Liked it Anyway is a new startup - marketplace where newly singles can sell their ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend's gifts. Site works just like Ebay, where you can list your items for a certain price. There you can find wedding gowns, clothing, accessories, electronics, jewellery and other items originally given to impress. besides, there is a directory called "The Juice" where users share their sad stories and a "Moving On Manual" to help overcome that bad partnership. This is a very promising idea for business as there are thousands of couples breaking up each day and ex lovers usually don't want to keep on to memories. So I'm pretty sure that there's still space on the market for new similar projects.

Source - Business Ideas

Top 5 world’s most unusual jobs

World is full of people doing strange job. Some of them are quiet disgusting, others - weird, yet well paid. I've already posted "Top 5 world's most unusual professions" and "Top 10 most bizarre professions", but here's another porcion of what we call strange job. Nr. 1 Actor for haunted house Some actors perform on stage, some appear in movies, some makes us laugh and others – cry. But there are actors whose stage is a coffin or dark corner in a haunted house and their job is to make us scared. They wear ghastly makeup and never get any applause, but I heard that the payment is not so bad after all. Nr. 2 Bingo announcer/ Bingo caller They are an essential part of the game of bingo, keeping the audience amused and alert as well as adding some humour into the game. Unusual profession, indeed! Nr. 3 Rodeo clown A rodeo a performer who works on bull riding contests. His primary job is to protect the rider from the bull after he dismounts or is bucked off, by distracting the bull and providing alternative targets for the bull to chase. Unusual job for hazardous people. Nr.4 Stand-in bridesmaid When a bride doesn't have enough girlfriends she can count on a stand-in bridesmaid – an attractive lady at around the age of a bride who will line up behind the bride on her wedding. Weird job, but it gets more and more popular. Nr. 5 Sewer Inspector This job involves carrying out assessment and repair of clogged pipes and passage ways while enduring the fragrance that flows through the underbelly. People working in this field can expect human excreta, cockroaches, rats and various other things that people dump down their flushes as part of their routine encounters at work. Pretty disgusting, ah?

Source - Business Ideas

Ideas for business - random sandwich service

The more choice you have, the harder it gets to stop on something, right? Specially when choosing something for lunch or dinner? Should it be sushi? Or maybe fresh Italian pasta? Or should I just take a fresh Cesar's salad? All those "or", "maybe" and "should I" can get pretty tiring… The obvious decision is to simplify things by removing the choice and that's exactly what NYC entrepreneurs did! Randwhiches, a Brooklyn (NY) based sandwich service, offers customers a lunch with a touch of mystery – randwich, or random sandwich. Randwiches are available with different gourmet fillings like duck salami, Irish cheddar, smoked mayo, onion jam on rosemary foccacia etc. But the most exciting part is that you never know what you're going to get. Customers of this new startup must place online orders at least two days in advance, and pay $7 for each randwich via PayPal or Venmo. I just love this unique business idea! Great combination of excitement, surprise and gourmet food (well, at least customers' reviews are quiet positive). Wish all the best to this company and their unusual service.

Source - Business Ideas

Cool business idea for winemakers - meteorite wine

I'm always telling that unique business idea is a perfect way to success. However, that's not 100% true. Unique product or service is a very good base for successful business, but if you can't think of any, then use your imagination and add a touch of uniqueness to a common one. Ian Hutcheon, astronomer from Norwich, England, came up with cool business idea – meteorite wine. He says that for many years he shared passion for astronomy and wine, trying to find a way to combine them both. „Meteorito" wine, created in Tremonte Vineyards, Chile, from Cabernet Sauvignon grape is the result. Cabernet Sauvignon for this very special wine is aged with an 8cm wide meteorite that was formed during the birth of the solar system and once belonged to the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. About 6 000 years ago it crashed into Atacama Desert in Northern Chile and now helps Hutcheon to add a more „livelier" taste to his wine. So far Ian Hutcheon produced about 10 000 litres of meteorite wine which created a lot of attention in media and was even mentioned in Chile's national news. Although the first bottle of "Meteorito" wine was sold in 2011, it already gained popularity and fame its creator. This proves that sometimes you don't even have to produce a unique product or service, just make up a thrilling legend and enjoy profits floating to your pockets!

Source - Business Ideas

Weird business - notarization of predictions

A unique notary office opened its doors in one of US cities. These law specialists provide notarization services for forecasts and predictions made by psychics and fortune tellers. Notary office operates in a suburb of Saint Paul (MN) and offers all people who possess extraordinary abilities and use them to earn a living to improve their reputation and attract more customers. Now everyone can notarize his predictions and forecasts. If time shows that they were true, then physic or fortune-teller will have a conclusive proof of his or her abilities. This notary office also provides regular legal services, but its owners make an emphasis on their unique specialization. Notarization on predictions might seem a weird business idea, yet there is a certain sense in it – there are about 70 companies, that provide "supernatural" services in Saint Paul and that's quiet a large target audience. So, this unique business has good chances to succeed.

Source - Business Ideas

Online business idea - employees' moral evaluation

Keeping a team motivated and positive can have a huge impact on any business, helping to achieve goals and succeed. But how can a manager test employees' morale and evaluate it objectively? Tete-a-tete talk can reveal some of the issues, but most probably employees won't be too sincere sitting in front of their boss. Well, now there's an easy and nice solution to this problem. Happiily is an internet startup 2011 where any work team members can anonymously and securely share their sentiment across four key areas of their working day: The work they do, the person they work for, the people they work with and the company they work for. Employees fill out a questionnaire specifically designed to understand their current feelings about work life. Users are also able to send out "shouts", which are similar to tweets, to share feelings quickly. Happiily anonymously compiles mood scores to provide managers a full data for an overall picture of how an entire company is feeling. Project was launched quiet recently and is so far free of charge. This interesting online business idea offers an important tool for managers and small business owners who want to build a strong and motivated team. No doubts such service will be highly demanded and Happiily will be commercially successful.

Source - Business Ideas

Mobile Credit Card Processing Solution for Your Business

Anybody involved in the selling business can tell you how essential it is to accept credit cards. Many small businesses and vendors shy away from accepting credit cards because of the long-term contracts required, the bulky equipment needed and the high fees involved. However, now anybody, from the neighborhood baby-sitter to your local Girl or Boy Scout group, with a suitable smart phone and inexpensive credit card processing application can process a credit card. Mobile Credit Card Processing Benefits There are a few unique benefits to mobile credit card processing including real-time payment processing and account verification, easy integration of online accounts and accounting software and compatibility with many popular payment gateways and merchant accounts. Additional features may include e-mailing or texting receipts to your customers which saves you the time and trouble of producing invoices. Whether you are selling items door to door, are a vendor that frequents trade shows or offer a service like home construction, plumbing or photography, mobile credit card processing allows you to accept credit or debit cards wherever you go. Things to Look for in Processing Options Your business is as unique as you are and with the numerous credit card processing solutions available, you are sure to find one that will meet all your m-commerce needs. To find the perfect solution, investigate each potential processing option and compare pricing, features and functionality. Charges, Fees and Pricing Every company claims they charge the lowest fees, but that does not mean there are not hidden charges of which you need to be aware. It is more important to understand the total price rather than finding the lowest introductory rate or the lowest per transaction rate. There are many fees and charges you should apprise in order to determine the best and most practical solution for your business. Aside from a monthly service fee and set up fees, there may also be a charge every time you swipe or manually enter a credit card. The per-transaction fee is usually comprised of two charges, the processing rate and the base rate. These vary depending on which payment gateway and merchant account you use. Favored Features Besides processing credit card, many solutions include additional features to please any merchant. With the right phone, network and service, you can have the ability to email or text receipts to your clients, manage customer information, accept tips, calculate sales and other taxes or use your device to capture your customer's signature. Features can make your job much easier, facilitate sales and increase your profit. Security Mobile transactions may seem hazardous at first, but you can be put at ease and put your customer's fears to rest as well in knowing that processing mobile credit cards is as safe as processing credit cards in a brick and mortar store. Make sure the processing provider uses SSL encryption and is PCI compliant and soon those fears will be a thing of the past. Each processing solution for accepting credit cards has its advantages and drawbacks, find one that works best for you and your business.

Source - Business Ideas

Small business idea - mobile smoking lounge

The ban on smoking in public places outside of designated smoking areas (which are quiet few) in US, became a real challenge for inveterate and … a great source of income for shifty entrepreneurs who feel new business trends. CigaRv - is a 26 feet long mobile van equipped inside as a smoking room with comfortable couches, granite counter tops and flat TV screens. This van can be ordered for wedding receptions, golf tournaments, winery events, bachelor or bachelorette parties to provide guests with the opportunity to smoke freely in a comfortable, well-ventilated lounge. CigaRv also operates throughout the Bay Area and Northern California, broadcasting updates on its current location via Twitter and Facebook accounts. CigaRV project was launched a bit more then a year ago, but this small business idea already proved to be successful: mobile smoking lounge assisted various events and got lots of media attention. Facts speak for themselves – mobile smoking lounge is a cool business idea worth investing time and money.

Source - Business Ideas

Sustainable business - edible cutlery

Sales of plastic cutlery grow for about 20-30% per year, generating significant non-biodegradable waste and polluting the planet. The idea of single-use forks and spoons is absolutely brilliant and helps to save time and efforts required to wash-up the cutlery, but the harm caused to nature can't be ignored. Well, now people who prefer green lifestyle and care about environment can respire – a solution to this problem is found! Two Indian entrepreneurs, Narayana Peesapaty and Rama Devi Rayapudi, started a unique green business - a production of edible cutlery. Although this concept is not a new one, BK Environmental Innovations has been among the first to turn it into a reality – company already offers forks, knives, spoons and chopsticks in 3 flavours (vanilla, strawberry and pineapple) and plans to expand the range. Cutlery is made of Sorghum flour know as Jowar - a traditional Indian product. BK Environmental Innovations is a great example of truly sustainable business. They do not only sell green products, but they also popularize the idea of waste-free cutlery. Besides, there is additional sustainability is this business - BK Environmental Innovations support Indian Jowar farmers, who, for the past decade, felt a significant outflow of consumers – in India Jowar flour is slowly but surely replaced by rice. If all entrepreneurs would be as responsible as Narayana Peesapaty and Rama Devi Rayapudi, pollution would no longer be a big deal…

Source - Business Ideas

Weird business idea - tined Santa's reindeers

You'll hardly find a child in US who does not know the names of all Santa's reindeers. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder (or Donner), and Blitzen - these names are familiar to any child and it is something sacred, it's a miracle that children believe in. Yet shifty UK entrepreneurs made a successful business using these famous characters. UK food company Edible launched a new Christmas delicacy – Santa's Reindeer Pate. The 190g tins contain cognac, spices and reindeer meat – which comes from Sweden and is labelled as a "farm raised relative of Rudolph". Harvey Nichols stores sold this "Arctic delicacy" for 15GBP (around $25) per tin and it was so popular that the entire stock was sold out. Despite outcries against the practice of grinding up Rudolph reindeer pate turned out to be a successful business idea. And we all know that money doesn't smell.

Source - Business Ideas

Vending machine business - drinks & wifi

Vending machine business is a very profitable niche which is great from one side, but has certain disadvantages from the other side. High competition is among them. To attract customers and ensure their loyalty vending business owners use all kind of marketing tricks. A major Japanese beverage maker Asahi in 2012 will equip its vending machines with wireless Internet access points. No registration and password will be required. Points will be open to any devices - smartphones, notebooks and tablets. One connection to vending machine's wifi will operate 30 minutes. After it ends user will simply have to connect again to continue the session. In addition to the usual content user will see local advertising and some useful information related to the location of the machine. Although wifi access doesn't have anything to do with whether you buy something from vending machine or not, I'm still pretty sure that this marketing strategy will help to boost sales and increase profits. Anyway, time will show and I'll carefully follow news about this interesting vending idea.

Source - Business Ideas

Trendwatching - dollar stores rebirth

Successful business in recession sounds more like a children's fairy tale, isn't it? But, actually, there are some business niches that not only keep same profit level when everyone around goes through tough times, but is also booming. Dollar stores, where frugal shoppers can buy all kind of useful items for $0.99-1,00. American dollar stores are experiencing a rebirth. Shops selling goods worth about one dollar a piece, after the 2008 crisis and stagnation in the economy have become extremely popular. "Dollar" savings represent the new American philosophy. According to statistics about 42% of people earning $ 30,000 a year or less visit such shops on a regular basis. But these are not the only clients. New clients of dollar stores are people, who earn more then $30,000, but are very concerned about keeping the same level of income or are afraid to lose their welfare due to problems at work or rising expenses. These people get a very special pleasure from hunting low cost goods. All this explains why dollar stores were among the star retail performers this holiday season. And I'm pretty sure that they will remain on top of the list of successful businesses in 2012 as well as world economy is far from healing and experts say that new economic recession is just around the corner. So, if your plan for 2012 includes a "start my own business", then consider opening a dollar store.

Source - Business Ideas

Top 10 cool business ideas for stickers

Unique, personalized stickers for any occasion. 1. Foot stickers Unique product by Nike EMEA. An alternative from snickers for those, who love to go barefoot yet don't like dirty feet as well as slipperyness. Besides, foot stickers protect pedals from injuries. 2. Garment Guard sticker for sweaty armpits If you are familiar with sweaty armpit problem and antiperspirants doesn't seem to help, then this is your solution. Stick these cotton stickers to the inside of the shirt and they will absorb sweat, keeping skin dry. 3. Stickr Frames A practical way to display photos - moveable and reusable stickers in shape of photo frames. Simply peel off the backing, attach your photos and stick on the wall. 4. Beauty Alert stickers Expiration date labels for cosmetics. Now you won't have any trouble remembering when to replace your night cream or mascara. 5. Drinkmarx Customizable colored bands for identifying your bottle. They fit all of the most commonly used beverage containers. They are available in a variety of colors and designs. Markers are dishwasher safe and reusable. 6. Lovable Labels Personalized stick-on labels to identify all your children's belongings. 7. Infectious car stickers Infectious is a cool startup that sells specially designed car stickers that will spice up your car and make it truly unique. Stickers can survive up to 2 years through car washes and bad weather. 8. Infectious stickers for mobile phones Edgy design stickers (or skins) for mobile phones to help you express your personality through your mobile. 9. "I Park Like an Idiot" sticker A bumper stickers that helps you to inform drivers who can't park properly of their asshole status. Who knows, maybe this will remind them about the need to improve their poor parking techniques. 10. Stickers for light switches from Ziemowit Maj designer Cool stickers to give a unique touch to light switches in your office or at home.

Source - Business Ideas