Going green is one of the biggest trends in the world right now. A popular topic at summits among world leaders tend to include a lot of debate on cutting carbon emissions and other green initiatives. The film industry touts their efforts to keep productions are green as possible (The 2008 film The Incredible Hulk became the first big budget blockbuster film to earn the Environmental Media Association's Green Seal)....
I’m sure most of us have been in the situation I’m about to describe. You’re low on money and it’s about time for all your bills to come due. You’ve got just enough to scrape by and get everything paid, but you’re leaving yourself just a little short for a while. You make an executive decision to let a bill or two slide into the next month so you’ve got...
Any retirement professional can tell you that you need to invest your earnings in order to retire in comfort. They might tell you to look at bonds – debt issued by corporations or municipalities – and shares of stock, which are pieces of individual companies that entitle you to a portion of the profits (known as dividends). And it’s true – investing is essential to stay ahead of the curve....
It is no exaggeration to say that the Internet is one of the most disruptive inventions in human history, and is completely indispensable in modern life. Through the advent of the Internet, the world has become connected like never before, and with that connection comes endless business opportunities ripe for the picking. Countless companies have risen from the from the online world to revolutionize entire industries. For example: Amazon took online shopping, already a growing...
There is a trap out there, that it is all too easy for even the most motivated, self starting individual to fall in to without a little pre-planning. The most successful business in the world, be it a small home operation or a Fortune 500 company lives or dies by its income. But without careful monitoring, the line between what is your money and what goes back into your business...
Avon Products is a company that's well known and well respected in neighborhoods around the world. Avon has marketed cosmetics and personal care products since 1886 - clearly an enduring business model. Although Avon's products are not unique, the business model that the company employs enables it to stand out in a crowded field of competitors. Rather than rely on the traditional retail marketing structure, Avon employs a network of semi-independent affiliates...
I've spoken at length about "how" to start a business. That is, after all, the primary focus of this blog. But one thing I haven't really spoken about is "why." Not why you want to start your own business in the first place of course, that speaks for itself, but why you are starting this particular business? While there are any number of explanations, it's my feeling that they all...
When people think about earning an income, typically they think about having a job. And why not? That's what you're trained for throughout your educational years and onward into adulthood, and it's a system that has worked (for better or for worse) since the Industrial Revolution. A job seemed to offer security - a paycheck, a pension, reliable work - by tapping in to the business owner's resources and networks...
Starting, building, and managing a business may be your best chance to earn a real return on your investment, but it’s no cakewalk. The small business failure rate is substantial – in fact, on average only 29% of small business startups survive for more than ten years. That sounds risky, and indeed it is. However, not all businesses are created equal, nor do all types of businesses fail at the...
I want to try a little experiment with you all. If you own a smartphone (and you should), pick it up, and go to your phone's application store (Blackberry App World, Google Play, Apple's App Store, etc). Now take a look at the most downloaded apps. More specifically, take a look at the prices. Notice anything? Apps generally fall into three categories. Free, which is, well, pretty obvious. Premium, which...