Home › Monthly archive ›

July, 2009

The Seventh Idea Cafe's Grant Winner to Shine on July 20

Submitted by Jordan on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 11:26
in

Voting is now closed and we are getting ready to announce the winner. Fifty small business ideas took part in the final phase of the contest, competing for your vote. If you’ve read our finalists Q&A stories on Idea Café Blog, you must have seen there are many terrific finalists with original approach and inspirational ideas. In the end, it is your vote that will determine who is the most outstanding small business owner.

The Eighth Idea Cafe's Small Business Grant Now Open For Applications!

Submitted by Jordan on Tue, 07/14/2009 - 14:13
in

We’ve got some exciting news: Idea Cafe is proud to open today its new $1,000.00 Small Business Grant, dedicated to all entrepreneurs who are keen on conquering new heights with their business acumen. We hope this grant can help a promising entrepreneur speed up the process of taking their business ideas to the next level.

Your Unique Selling Proposition

Submitted by Michael Angier on Wed, 07/15/2009 - 11:27
in

Your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)--whether for yourself or your business--is a critical part of your marketing success. How many times have you been at a business or social function when you were asked what you did? How did you answer? Were you able to articulate clearly in just a sentence or two what you did and explain it in a way that evoked genuine interest?

Accounts Receivable Factoring: It’s More Than Just the Money

Submitted by Tracy Eden on Thu, 07/16/2009 - 13:47
in

The concept of “core competency” refers to the things done by a business that lie at the heart of its ability to manufacture a product or deliver a service. They are strengths relative to other organizations that are not easily imitated and that can be leveraged across different products and markets.

Language Translation as a Home Business

Submitted by Bizymoms Management on Fri, 07/17/2009 - 11:11
in

Among the many home business ideas that keep floating in the business environment, the most pragmatic and stable ones are those that involve some special personal skills of the entrepreneur. In such businesses that involve a particular skill, the competition reduces because of the fact that not everyone will be able to enter such a line and compete with you. Therefore, the value and worth of such businesses sustains for the long run, and there is always a fair amount of work and a fair profit margin available in them.

Go Green Go is the Winner of the Idea Cafe’s Entrepreneurial Spirit Grant

Submitted by Elena on Mon, 07/20/2009 - 14:47
in

Go Green Go, a T-shirt business that promotes eco-friendly activities, is the winner of Idea Café’s Entrepreneurial Spirit 2009 Small Business Grant. With its original concept of promoting eco-awareness and social responsibility, Go Green Go has instantly grabbed the hearts of our regulars and stood out amongst hundreds of other nominated small business ideas. Congratulation! We wish you luck in all your future initiatives!

Faster than the Speed of Thought

Submitted by Michael Angier on Wed, 07/22/2009 - 16:48
in

One of the ways you can differentiate yourself in the marketplace is to deliver your products and services faster than your competition.

The Power of Publicity

Submitted by Julia Hutton on Thu, 07/23/2009 - 10:58
in

Why public relations is important, how to do it, and the groundbreaking effort that one PR firm is making to help stimulate the success of small businesses.

Public relations is a vital service to building a business or launching a new product. If PR is a new concept for you, there may be a lot of questions. What needs to be in a press release? Is PR the same as advertising? Before jumping into something you don’t understand, consider some important PR tips.

How to Cash in on the New International Currency

Submitted by Michael Angier on Fri, 07/31/2009 - 14:05
in

Any banker will tell you--if they're completely honest--that your greatest financial asset is your ability to earn income. It's not your house, your bank accounts or your car. They don't actually want your collateral, they want your payments. What's important to them is your ability to earn money on an ongoing basis. That ability is based on your health (your capacity to work), your knowledge, your skills, your reputation and your experience.