Great Ideas for your Small Business: Import Something New and Different A new industry was spawned forty years ago by a homely fruit then known as the Chinese gooseberry. The palm-sized brown fuzzballs, now called “kiwis,” were the basis for Frieda Caplan’s wildly successful exotic-produce business. Before Frieda Caplan began importing fruit and vegetables from … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Create a Fad People used to stand in front of dave kapell’s refrigerator for hours, even when they weren’t hungry. They were mesmerized by his collection of hand- made magnetized words—-an idea that evolved into a major 1990s fad: the Magnetic Poetry kit. Kapell, a songwriter and cab driver, … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Get Certified as a Minority Supplier Marguerite thompson browne, director of special projects for San Francisco–based Washington Sportswear Inc., was among the 4,000 people attending the National Minority Supplier Development Council’s (NMSDC) twenty-fifth annual conference in New York City. “This conference gives you access,” said Thompson Browne, whose sportswear … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Think BIG – It Doesn’t Cost Any More than Thinking Small I learned an important lesson from all the entrepreneurs I profiled for my “Succeeding in Small Business” column before starting my own multimedia communications business: It doesn’t cost any more to think big than it does to think … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Send Pizza to Potential Clients Everybody loves pizza. it’s not just hot, gooey, and delicious—it’s also a business opportunity. You probably never thought of pizza as a powerful business tool, but it is. Scott Jackson, founder of the Jackson Design Group in Orlando, Florida, has used pizza as an … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Consider Multilevel Marketing Fran lyles-harper was a physicist working on the Space Shuttle’s main engines when she attended an in-home art party. “The art really touched my soul,” said Lyles-Harper. “It wasn’t only beautiful, but it was quality art at affordable prices.” Lyles-Harper didn’t buy anything that night, but … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Become a Government Contractor The federal government is the world’s largest purchaser of goods and services, so why not get in line? The Federal Marketplace should be your first stop. The site is rich with information on how to market and sell products and services to Uncle Sam. The … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Tap the Growing Hispanic Market Some of the 2000 census figures have the U.S. Hispanic community feeling new strength. The numbers show a population growing faster than expected and more broadly distributed than in years past. “Best of all,” says George Herrera, president and CEO of the United States … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Know Your Competition Entrepreneurs love to brag about beating their competition, but the truth is, most small business owners are too buried in work to keep track of what their competition is up to. But operating your business in a vacuum can lead to its demise. “You have to … Read more
Great Ideas for your Small Business: Really Work a Trade Show Hedy ratner, founder and copresident of the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC) in Chicago, really knows how to work a room. A consummate networker, she has devoted years to helping women entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. Here are some of her great tips … Read more
