| Rent an Underwater Scooter Posted: 26 Apr 2011 04:20 PM PDT 
Discovery.com: HydroBOB is an underwater scooter that lets riders explore their underwater life aquatic without any diving or swimming experience necessary. The yellow apparatus is currently available to rent at Ft. Lauderdale’s Hydrodome. A $25 one hour package lets riders explore the mysteries of the deep…the deep end of a swimming pool that is. Unfortunately, despite its resemblance to a seahorse, HydroBOB is not available for joy rides under the sea. 
|
| Closed Super Market Opens Itself Up For Business Posted: 26 Apr 2011 12:38 PM PDT 
A grocery store in New Zealand was scheduled to be closed for Good Friday last week, but no one told the computer system that controlled the lights, cash registers, alarm and door locks. Bright and early Friday morning the store opened it self up and within minutes shoppers started arriving. Within three minutes the public began to wander in and began filling trolleys, some even took the time to bag their items, all of which was captured on the CCTV system. Checkout control supervisor Basil Way told ONE News around 50 people entered the store and “set off their merrily way shopping”. “Not one of these people realised that the store’s actually closed and no staff is in here.” A member of the public contacted the police and told them people were leaving the store with groceries. Sergeant Guy Callahan said the store was closed when police arrived at about 9:20am, and they then contacted the owner. Not all the customers left without paying, around 12 people had used the self-service tills to pay for items, and among them was Te Aho Paraha. You can watch the video here. 
|
| Sandwiches With A Smile Posted: 26 Apr 2011 11:48 AM PDT 
It is a safe bet that almost everyone loves a good sandwich. The proof is in the success of big box sub shops like Subway. There is another contender in the sandwich business that is ready to elbow its way into the spotlight. That business is Capriotti’s. Capriotti’s is a specialty sandwich shop franchise. Their delicious sandwiches have pulled people from all over, motivating some people to drive many miles just to purchase a couple sandwiches. With 70 locations in ten states, Capriotti’s is only at the beginning of a very promising expansion. For the right entrepreneur, now may be the time to bring this sandwich shop into your own town. I recently asked Ashley Morris, CEO, a few questions about his company and his franchise opportunity. Tell us a little about Capriotti’s. Capriotti's is a sandwich shop that delivers the freshest and most extraordinary sandwiches possible all with a smile.
What inspired it? The first Capriotti's was opened in 1976 in Wilmington, DE. The idea behind the sandwich shop was to roast whole turkeys every night and then use the fresh roasted turkey in sandwiches the next day. This sort of quality meat and the other fresh ingredients used on the sandwiches began gaining popularity in the area and in 1987, the second and third locations opened. It was around this time that our signature sandwiches such as the "Bobbie®" were born.
What are some of the specialty sandwiches you offer? Our most famous offering is the Bobbie, made with the roasted turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing and mayo. Some of our other popular special sandwiches include the Capastrami® with hot pastrami, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing and cole slaw and Cole Turkey® with the slow-roasted, homemade turkey, provolone cheese, Russian dressing, cole slaw and mayo. Capriotti's also has a wide variety of vegetarian options and classics like an Italian and a Homemade Meatball.
What separates you from the competition? The quality of our meats and freshness of our ingredients. Every night, at every location, 24 pound turkeys are slow roasted in the store and then shredded off the bone the next morning. The other ingredients such as the cole slaw and stuffing are made in store with our 30+ year old recipes. Another thing about the Capriotti's menu is that about 50 percent of our offering are hot.
Tell us a little about your franchise opportunity. Capriotti's is always looking for interested franchisees and now is a great time since we are really looking to build out the brand.
What are the requirements? For a single unit franchisee, the minimum financial requirements are $100,000 – $300,000 liquid and $500,000 net worth. Restaurant experience is preferred, a minimum of 2 years, business experience and a passion for the restaurant industry. Our franchise fee for a first-time, individual location is $46,000. As an Area Developer, the franchise fee goes down to $36,000 per restaurant.
Do you have any goals that you’d like to accomplish over the next year or so? Capriotti's is going through a big expansion right now, with plans to open about 20 new locations by the end of this year. Then our plans for the next 3 to 5 years is to expand to about 200 locations with new locations in new states and cities.
What are some lessons that your business has taught you? Being involved with Capriotti's has taught me that you always have to be ready to change plans and switch directions. If something isn't working it doesn't make sense to dig your heels in but rather to problem solve. For example, our original plans with Capriotti's was to develop franchises with buyers one or two at a time. However, now, we are focused on developing territories with multiple locations in the works at a time.
Do you have any advice that you’d like to offer fellow entrepreneurs that are just getting started? I never thought I would end up CEO and partial owner of a sandwich chain, so my advice would be to take chances but always get behind a product or brand you believe in.
|
| Weird: Chinese Street Sweeper Invention Posted: 26 Apr 2011 11:32 AM PDT If you attach a handful of brooms to a rotating drum and then drag that behind the car, will the streets get cleaned? Yes they will. 
|
| Today in Entrepreneurial History: April 26 Posted: 26 Apr 2011 11:28 AM PDT |
| Spring Clean Your Business Posted: 26 Apr 2011 11:00 AM PDT 
Spring is finally here! While you’re doing a little spring cleaning in your home, Savannah Morning News has a few tips that will help you spring clean your business, too. Clean up your excess inventory An easy place to start cleaning may be with your inventory. If you are a retailer, you should analyze your inventory. What is moving and what has been on the shelf for the past year with little or no turnover? Clean up your customer list Another item that needs to be cleaned periodically is your customer list. Do you know where your business is coming from? Who are your top producing customers? Are there customers that take a lot of time but don't pay for that time? Clean up your physical space It is amazing how we get accustomed to clutter in our own business. It can be a real turn off to your customers. Try to walk through your business and look at it from your customer's point of view. Are the floors clean? Is there junk on the floor? Are there too many displays in the aisles? Do the walls look dirty or dated? Sometimes a little cleaning and painting can create a fresh new look for you and your customers.
Photo by Larry Page 
|
| Super Mom In Business And At Home Posted: 26 Apr 2011 10:00 AM PDT 
Not many people can see themselves raising nine children. Even less would start a business too. However, Robyn Pellei not only runs a successful business and cares for a large family, but she home schools each one. Needless to say, she is a busy woman, but she is also very driven in what she does. Through her company, ViveVita, this innovative mom has managed to develop and launch a variety of products that are based around children and family, including her popular bandette cup tags for kids, reports The Charlotte Observer. Q. How did ViveVita begin? ViveVita began out of a need to resolve some irritating everyday issues that I was facing – and realizing that I would be facing them for many years to come if I didn't figure out a way to fix them. And … since I was set on “fixing” the problems, I was determined to fix them in ways that I enjoyed – creating something pretty or cute, not just functional. Q. How do you manage working with 9 children at home with you? For most people it probably looks something like “managed chaos!” I have an office that is off to the side of the house – I work in the office early in the morning, late at night, and during the day whenever I can take the time (or when I have sitters, which is usually 3-4 times a week for 3-4 hours). Being that my goal is to be present for the kids, I don't usually shoo them right out of the office when they come in … instead, I encourage them to climb into the back of my chair and either comb my hair or give me a back rub (smart score for Mommy!). I will also take my laptop into the busy home zone and do the quick and easy stuff while also helping the kids with whatever they need. And, you'd be surprised how well 9 children can entertain each other – I highly recommend that any mompreneur have more kids to solve the keeping-them-busy issues!
Photo from ViveVita 
|
| Cleaning Up The Community Laundry Posted: 26 Apr 2011 09:00 AM PDT 
With a life of drugs, crime and incarceration long behind her, Shantae Holmes has found a new life as an entrepreneur, reports StarTribune. Holmes has started a laundromat called, “All Washed Up.” It had been years since the last laundromat closed its doors in that area, and she felt it was time to bring a much needed service back home. “I was humbled,” she recalled. “My faith reemerged. And I am surrounded by wonderful family, friends and mentors.” Holmes, 39, is also a mom, a cancer survivor and engaged to be married. The business has grown every month, and faster since the winter storms subsided. Yet Holmes still hasn’t generated enough monthly cash flow yet to pay herself a salary after operating and interest expenses owed on the clean, bright business equipped with 44 new washers and dryers. Holmes, a North High graduate, is rolling out a low-cost marketing plan that ranges from fliers to spots on KMOJ Radio and a long-delayed electronic sign. “Business is getting better,” Holmes said. “We had a rough winter. People are starting to find us. We have TV and Wi-Fi and we pick up and deliver.”
Photo by Alisha Vargas 
|
| Old Timey Con-Artistry Posted: 26 Apr 2011 04:27 AM PDT 
Their techniques may have changed a little, but the general principles of the con atrist remain the same as they were when this article from a 1930s issue of Popular Mechanics: Recently a middle-aged man walked up to the teller's window in a small mid-western bank and asked to be given a fifty dollar bill in exchange for bills of smaller denomination. The teller accepted the stack of small bills and gave the man a fifty. On counting the bills, however, the teller discovered and called to the man's attention the fact that there were ninety-nine dollars; forty-nine in small bills, and a fifty. The stranger thanked the teller and found a one dollar bill, asking that the pile then be changed for a hundred dollar bill. This the teller did, and the stranger walked away. Immediately another man started talking to the teller, asking change for a ten and directions for reaching a nearby town. Then the teller "came to." The bank had been bunked out of fifty dollars, as the first fifty given the stranger had not been returned. The second man had been the "cover-up" to keep the teller's mind off the transaction and to give the first a chance to get away. 
|
