| Comic Strip: Stupid Inventor Posted: 12 May 2011 02:50 PM PDT Does this sound like you? 
For more Stupid Inventor comics, visit the website: stupidinventor.com. 
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| Hitchhiking via Facebook Posted: 12 May 2011 01:01 PM PDT 
Herald Series: A young entrepreneur is on the road to success after his car sharing business clocked up 5,000 users. Drummond Gilbert came up with the idea for GoCarShare.com after seeing queues of cars each carrying just one person. The 29-year-old, from East Hendred, near Wantage, launched his firm 18 months ago to reduce the number of car journeys on Britain's road. GoCarShare.com is a website in the UK that allows you to hitchhike via Facebook. 
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| Today in Entrepreneurial History: May 12 Posted: 12 May 2011 12:07 PM PDT 
On this day in 1941 Konrad Zuse revealed the Z3, the world’s first working programmable, fully automatic computer, in Berlin. Unfortunately (but fortunately for the Allied war effort) the computer was destroyed in 1943 by an Allied bombardment of Berlin. More on the computer: The Z3 was an electromechanical computer designed by Konrad Zuse. It was the world’s first working programmable, fully automatic computing machine. It was Turing-complete, and by modern standards the Z3 was one of the first machines that could be considered a complete computing machine, although it lacked the conditional branch operation. The Z3 was built with 2,000 relays, implementing a 22 bit word length that operated at a clock frequency of about 5–10 Hz. Program code and data were stored on punched film. The Z3 was completed in Berlin in 1941. The German Aircraft Research Institute used it to perform statistical analyses of wing flutter. 
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| Engineering Heroes Posted: 12 May 2011 11:00 AM PDT 
Around 900 engineering undergraduates in the UK recently selected their own list of engineering heroes. According to PC World, Isambard Kingdom Brunel and James Dyson ranked in the first two spots with Steve Jobs coming in third. Brunel’s work on bridges, dockyards and railways made him the top choice among engineering students, with Dyson’s vacuum cleaners – as well as support for engineering projects – put him in second. Jobs takes credit for Apple products such as the Apple II and iPod. Nikola Tesla came in fourth, ahead of Bill Gates. Frank Whittle, inventor of the first jet engine was next, with Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Charles Rolls and Henry Royce and Thomas Edison completed the top 10 list. Mark Elborne, President and CEO of GE UK said: “Our research shows that iconic figures – both historic and modern – continue to inspire a new generation of engineers. We continue to see the impact of these icons all around us today; and our research shows that we have a proud tradition of pioneers and innovators in this country, which should be celebrated.
Photo by David Geller 
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| The No Splatter Lobster Platter Posted: 12 May 2011 10:00 AM PDT 
There is a reason why people who eat lobster at a restaurant receive one of those ‘bibs’ to cover their shirt. Good lobster can be very messy. According to Boston.com, T.J. “Lats” Latvis loves lobster but sometimes the mess can be too much. So he created a unique platter that helps cut down on the mess. The “Platter Ensemble” consists of a plastic slotted oval plate placed over a deep-dish platter that captures the juices that can squirt out when cracking a claw or tail. It was unveiled Tuesday at DiMillo’s Restaurant in Portland followed by a sit-down boiled lobster lunch served on the “A 2 3/4-pound lobster yields approximately 12 ounces of liquid,” said Latvis, a New England native who now lives in San Francisco. “This is equivalent to a can of Coke that diners otherwise would have to deal with.” The platters are sold online through a company called Lobster Gram and the University of Maine’s Lobster Institute, which gets a portion of the proceeds. The platters can also be used for shrimp, crab and other food and in time will be sold through retail stores and to restaurants, Latvis said.
Image from Platter Ensemble 
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| Needing More Business In Education Posted: 12 May 2011 09:00 AM PDT 
According to Canadian Business, a new study from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) shows that over 80% of business owners surveys would choose the same path if they were given a second chance. Most of those people also recommend entrepreneurship as a viable career option for young students, unfortunately they also agree that schools do not do enough to make them aware of this choice. “Given the many opportunities and rewards that entrepreneurship has to offer, it is only natural that business owners would recommend it as a career option and believe that schools should do more to encourage it,” reasoned CFIB’s vice-president of research, Doug Bruce. CFIB Sr. VP of Research, Economics and Western Canada, Laura Jones, was also quick to point out that 92 per cent of business owners indicate running a business is a rewarding career. “Entrepreneurs are happy to go to work every day because they have the freedom to be their own bosses and tailor their line of work toward their own strengths and interests,” she explained. Adding, “If entrepreneurial skills and aptitudes were sufficiently encouraged in the education system, the next generation of business owners will be in for a great career which not only permits them to build on their talent and expertise, but also fulfill them personally and professionally as well.”
Photo by Rex Pe 
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| Petsitting.com Connecting Pet Owners With Service Providers Posted: 12 May 2011 06:38 AM PDT 
The pet industry is huge. When sales are down for many products, pet supplies tend to keep going strong. The same can be said for the services people provide in this industry. Petsitting.com is an online service that helps connect customers who need daycare, walking, grooming, training, and boarding services with companies in their area that offer them. All you have to do is fill out the form and click to receive a quote. They check to make sure their providers fit the specific criteria needed to be included on their website. Customers can relax knowing their pets are in capable hands. I recently asked Jared Katz, the VP of Business Development, a few questions about their service and how providers can get listed. Tell us a little about Petsitting.com. Petsitting.com is a unique website that assists pet owners in finding reliable, professional and insured local pet service providers. The 100% free service gives pet owners the capability to easily connect with various types of pet service providers in their local area. Pet care services currently offered include: Dog Walking, Pet Sitting, Dog Training, Pet Waste Removal, Pet Boarding and Daycare. The Petsitting.com service is seamless and easy to use. Pet owners must simply visit the website and complete a short online form to briefly describe the pet service needed. Within hours, the pet owner will be contacted via phone and/or e-mail by 1 or 2 high quality local pet service providers, each of whom will provide pricing, references and any other important information necessary for the pet owner to make an informed decision. The pet owner then decides how to proceed, may request more information, evaluate its options and choose, without any obligation to do so, whether or not to engage one of the pet service providers. All pet service providers within the Petsitting.com network must be insured and bonded (where required) to ensure that pet owners are paired with companies of the highest quality.
What inspired it? Petsitting.com was created by with animal lovers with the desire to facilitate the lives of pet owners. As experts in the world of online marketing, we discovered the void facing 62% of the USA population. This vast percentage of Americans are pet owners, and most of them lead very busy lives. The goal of our site is to assist all pet owners across North America (and eventually the world), whether they just moved into a new neighborhood or recently adopted a pet, in finding professional pet care services.
In how many cities/states do you currently have service providers listed? We are in most states across the USA and started into the Canadian market within the past 6 months. We have extensive coverage, across most major cities across the USA.
What does a provider need to do if they want to be listed on your website? Simply call toll free – (800) 398-6081 and speak to one of our sales consultants. They will walk a provider through every aspect of the program. A provider can also go to this link and submit their information. Once submitted, one of our sales consultants will contact the provider usually within 1 business day. Our sales professionals can get a provider up and running within 3-5 business days.
What separates you from the competition? Our network of pet care providers consists solely of insured, bonded & established organizations. We pride ourselves in having an elite network of providers around the country. We want to provide our customers with superior service, and that means getting the highest quality pet care providers onto our network. If you don't have a well-established pet care business, we cannot accept you onto our network. It is also interesting to note that our sales consultants have the ability to coach and guide individuals into the process of getting a new pet care business up and running, so that they can join our network in the future. This service and guidance is fully complementary to aspiring pet care proprietors. Our goal is to create a positive competitive environment among pet care providers, as well as a great service for pet owners seeking pet care in their local areas.
Do you have any goals you would like to accomplish in the next year or so? Petsitting.com would like to continue its expansion into Canada as well as continue to build out the existing pet care network around the USA. Our 3-5 year plans include expansion to parts of Europe and Australia. We are already receiving a positive buzz in these areas and they are now marked for our next wave of expansion.
What are some lessons you have learned during your time with the company? We have learned that there is truly a real 'need' for our service in the marketplace. Petsitting.com has created a service that is beneficial to pet owners and pet service providers alike. As many of our pet care providers have asserted, our service fills a void in terms of their sales and marketing agenda. We offer a way for pet providers to increase their business over and beyond their existing referral base. At the same time, we offer pet owners a quick and easy way to find professional, reliable pet care services.
Do you have any advice you would like to offer entrepreneurs just getting started in the pet service industry? In this industry we find that a lot of businesses fail because the love of pets takes priority over the love of running a business. In order to succeed, you need to fully understand the business and operations surrounding a pet service company. The love of pets is a great start, but this will not necessarily equate to a successful business. Be sure to join the major pet associations out there (namely PSI, APSE or NAPPS) and educate yourself on the best business practices. Understand what it takes to acquire a new customer and maintain a high level of service. A pet care business is a wonderful thing, but it takes patience, time and dedication. When you have built your foundation and have a handful of clients, give our sales team a ring and learn how Petsitting.com can assist you in furthering the [growth] of your organization – that's what we are here for!
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| Makeup Icon Leaves Her Mark Posted: 11 May 2011 11:00 AM PDT 
Mirta de Perales was rich and famous in her home country of Cuba, but all that changed when she left in 1962. With only a few dollars and her two children, she decided to build her way back up in business. She started at the bottom, but she eventually found success again in the cosmetics industry. Mirta recently passed on at the age of 88, but her amazing story as a woman minority working hard to create a successful business has lived on, reports The Miami Herald. "Mirta was, at the same time, tough and sweet. She knew every detail of the company and demanded from her staff to always look their best. She was a very good person, to the point of giving many of her employees the down payment they needed to buy a house, and she helped those newly arrived from Cuba to buy their first car. She always said she had to give back all that God had given her. She was a very devoted Catholic." Cuban stylist and entrepreneur Samy said De Perales was the pride of Hispanics because, despite being a woman, a Cuban and an exile, she established her brand in a country that was new to her. "Mirta made her dream come true and opened the doors to people like me who wanted to follow in her footsteps," said Samy, who remembers her as an affectionate and elegant woman who always had sweet things to tell him. "She carried forward her trajectory from Cuba and dared to compete in the major leagues with a lot of success. Her products continue to fascinate because they have an exquisite quality."
Screenshot from Mirta de Perales, Inc. 
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