Sat, 19 Jun 2010 23:17:24 GMT

The Competition is out there

© Nicholas_TIt's a well-known truism that when the economy goes south and people start losing their jobs, the numbers of new small businesses go up. That pink slip is often the motivation that is needed for otherwise closeted entrepreneurs to get out and give their big dreams of independence and success a shot. Some of them make it, some of them don't, but for those who are already in the market, or have been planning a bootstrapping move for a long time, this surge can represent an unwanted wave of competition.

As a consultant, I am always leery of these downturns, because every laid off geek in the region is going to print up business cards and create a cloud of chaff that I will have to fight through to get the attention of prospects. This has been true in the past as well, particularly after the dot com implosion in 2000. From experience, I know that when the economy picks back up, most of those erstwhile entrepreneurs will disappear back into the mainstream woodwork and I'll have my market back to myself again.

This time around, there has been record growth in new businesses. The competition is fiercer than ever, and the nature of the downturn is such that, quite possibly, many of those jobs that disappeared will not come back; those that will may not come back for a long time. So I will have to buckle down and get used to operating in a more highly competitive environment than the past, and so will many other bootstrappers in my position. If you've been hunkering down as I have, waiting for the wave to pass, it's probably time to realize it's not going to: this is the new reality. Get your game face on! Posted by: Mattew      Read more     Source

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:03:54 GMT

How-to grow beautiful grass so your home is

A home isn't complete without a beautiful lawn to greet you each and every day. How-to grow beautiful grass so your home is "wired" on the inside-out. Something people often forget about when building their perfect wired home, is how it looks on the outside; why have a house full to the brim with technology and looking snazzy inside, to have it look like a dump outside? Make sure your lawn is neat, chuck down some grass seeds, plant some flowers, and make it look dead snazzy; you'll be the envy of your neighbours! You could also perhaps, to further wire up your house, setup some automated water sprinklers or the like so you are just as technological outside as in!
Posted by: Linda      Read more     Source

Thu, 01 Apr 2010 12:53:38 GMT

Shanghai Life and How to Print Flyers Cheap

© madtpt


Life in Shanghai is what you make it. Most big cities are like that. If you let it, a job in most cities will eat your life. If you can set clear boundaries between what's professional and what's personal you can maintain the balance in your life - do a job well and still have time for some sort of private existence.

Sometimes your professional life and personal life do manage to overlap, though. And that can be okay. I recently needed a brochure flyer for work. I also needed to print flyers cheap for a small community group I belong to. Online printing is often the best way to both. Why not do them together?

Shanghai is a beautiful city - if you have a enough balance in your life to afford you the time to see it. I personally like walking around in the old city - places like Yu Garden and the City God Temple, or the Huxingting Tea House. You can feel the history around you. Shanghai is a place to be enjoyed Posted by: Wendy      Read more     Source

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 18:57:38 GMT

Take The Big Apple Apart

I live and work in the Big Apple and it sees me through the good times and the bad. But what it would be like to take it apart? Brando settles this question with the green and red apple that not only light up when it's complete, but it's also a 3D crystal puzzle! This reminds me of something that my sister would love as she enjoyed doing difficult puzzles when we were little. I would probably keep it together and use it as a paperweight or a little doodad on my desk. With so many pieces, it seems to be difficult to keep it all together. But regardless of whether you play with it, use it as an icebreaker or simply look at it - it's definitely a cool pick! Posted by: Michael      Read more     Source

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:24:03 GMT

Wood Floor Refinishing and a Glass of Chardonnay

© It'sGreg


One of the nice things about wine is the way it blends so well with the many different aspects of life. Sure, you can drink wine from crystal goblets while eating agneau à l'ail et romarin (a lamb dish with rosemary and garlic) off of fine Haviland porcelain. But you can also drink it while you watch March Madness on ESPN and eat chips and salsa....

I recently spent some time redoing the dining room of my home. It's a fine old house and the dining room is graced with French doors that look out onto a backyard that includes a small stream and a view of the nearby range of mountains. The room is trimmed with oak facings along the edges of the doors and it has a fairly ancient oak floor in the room - craftsmanship that did not include nails as far as I can tail. The floors where impressive, but had suffered over the years.

The task of wood floor refinishing was actually easier than I thought it would be. Everyday I dedicated an hour or so that room. Then I would open the French doors and sit on the deck with a glass of Chardonnay - and enjoy the sunset. Posted by: Doreen      Read more     Source

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:13:03 GMT

Glass Awards Ooze Class

Why is everybody so madly in love with glass awards? Well, yes, I understand that they are visually magnetic, but what else? Well, I did look up some stuff and found a whole lot of interesting to read on the subject, which has made me a fan of glass awards as well!

First of all, these can be molded into a plethora of designs and shapes - which let them be customized and personalized to the end of the line! Therefore, if you had been wondering how to attain a carved wooden plaque that best fits in a situation like a soccer finale, such prizes can be a welcome relief. From being shaped as well-chipped soccer balls to prism-shaped mazes, glass prizes can be as malleable as you want.

Another advantage of such prizes is that they are sturdier and much more durable than simple wooden plaques and the like. Moreover, as far as medals, pins or similar prizes are concerned, glass is much more elegant and professional, especially where employee recognition or national-level athletics or sports is concerned.

Glass awards can also have colors - which look pretty much ravishing when complete! Green shades from the jade crystals or the optical clarity from the Starfire elements can easily take the recipients' breath away. You can also opt for a flawless, colorless trophy, which not only looks regal but is also easier on the budget.

Overall, as far as classy trophies are concerned, you do not have to go over-the-top and get yourself a gold or silver mass. A chic, deftly crafted glass trophy will do the trick just fine!
Posted by: Brista      Read more     Source

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:09:40 GMT

A Moral Conscience for Bankers?

© World Economic Forum
Have you tried to figure out the Recession? (Are you tired of trying to figure out the Recession?) Let's see, there was subprime lending and balloon payments and rising rates for home-buyers who probably weren't going to ever be able to make their payments anyway. There were people making loans who had no intention of holding those loans. There were financial derivatives (whatever that is). There was a housing bubble fueled by subprime mortgages and a construction bust caused when the market collapsed. And there was a credit crunch and then the fear and pessimism that came with the collapse of some huge financial institutions, and, well, I could go on....

You could get a headache trying to figure it out. But I think everyone will agree that somewhere along the way the financial industry itself made some bad choices. So I thought it was timely when I hear the NPR interview this morning with Stephen Green.With bank bailouts and executive bonuses in the headlines, it's hard to find the connection between banking and ethics.

But it's an argument that Stephen Green, chairman of HSBC - one of the biggest banks in the world - makes in his new book about banking: Good Value: Reflections on Money, Morality and an Uncertain World.

Green is also an ordained priest in the Church of England. In his book, he proposes a "new capitalism" that brings good business and good ethics together. He says moral and spiritual values should take precedence over immediate profit.It's an interesting interview, focused in part on Green's recent book, Good Value. Posted by: Steve      Read more     Source

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:49:46 GMT

Offers.com and Others Feature Online Saving

Who doesn't like to save money online and now Offer.com and numerous other sites offer online discounts and coupons.


© alancleaver_2000
How do you save money online? Heck, everyone's getting into the act.

There are also coupon Websites, e-commerce sites offering better prices than your local superstore (even with shipping) and, of course, there are plenty of other opportunities too.

If you're like millions of others who already spend hours online updating a blog, keeping track of friends or business associates via social media or just checking out videos, games and generally having a good time, why not also learn ways to trim your budget too.

Being online can be much more than just a diversion or a way to socialize. You can cut expenses and look for bargains too.

In fact, the Washington Post reports on a number of ways to save money by simply surfing including:

• Getting cheap event tickets
  


• Reducing recurring bills
  


• Getting out of cell phone agreement
  


• Checking a company's financial structure (before investing)
  


• Doing online banking
  


• Finding free drinks
  

What's your favorite method of finding free stuff online?

For more on how to save really big using the tools already available on the internet, start surfing for bargains daily. We think you'll like what you find.
Posted by: Doreen      Read more     Source

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 09:38:55 GMT

Check Out Rebecca Ward

If you haven't heard of Gaffers Tape, you've probably seen it. This tape has a bit of a texture to it and is something that you would use when it comes to painting your home. It insures that you paint within the lines. This week, I attended the installation work of Rebecca Ward, an artist that is known for using this tape as a portion of her work! Kate Spade had commissioned her work for their store in Tokyo and last week, she presented her new work at their Broome St store as well! Guests at the party were welcomed with gaffers tape throughout the store and the vaulted ceilings. Pink and yellow were throughout the store which only highlighted many of the fab items that are a part of Kate Spade's current collection. Find out more about the artist and more of this event via Kitten Lounge's full post about opening night! Posted by: Michael      Read more     Source

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 04:26:26 GMT

Can your vendors scale with you?

© squarepants2004j/auntyhuiaScaling is on the minds of most bootstrappers at least some of the time; you have dreams, you're working hard on them, what happens when the inevitable wild success strikes you and your company? Surely you have given some consideration not just to how you would spend the piles of money you will be raking in but to how you will serve the demands of all those customers shoveling that money toward you?

Working with small businesses that are finding success lately has left me considering this question, at least with respect to website hosting providers. The fact is, it can be very difficult to find a vendor that can satisfy the needs of a boostrapping business as well as the massive success that business may eventually become.

The importance of doing so should not be under-rated, however. The traditional approach to scaling is to switch suppliers when demand exceeds the ability of the existing vendor to keep up, but this is complicated and inefficient in most circumstances and in the worst cases, can dramatically check the growth of your own company as time and energy is devoted to making the transition instead of into improving and marketing your own products.

Unfortunately, there are few vendors that are structured to serve both the low end and the high end of their lines adequately. In fact, many are proud of specializing. But with today's technologies and social networking capabilities, it may be a false choice they are making. Few entrepreneurs get into their respective businesses without some dream of success. Why would you fail to serve them when they are just starting out and gain their loyalty for the long term, and at the other end of the scale, why would you let them move on to someone else just when they are starting to gain their greatest success?

Maybe there is an opportunity there for some other bootstrapper to make a success out of! Posted by: Mattew      Read more     Source