| Inventor Drinks To Success Posted: 24 Apr 2012 04:30 AM PDT 
The News Star: It’s called EX5. The “5″ refers to the drink’s five benefits — quicker recovery, less sodium, lower calories, more electrolytes and less sugar, says inventor Brian Brothers of Covington. Brothers said he got the idea while watching sporting events on television. So starting with the idea of improving sports drinks, he spent six months on the Internet, researching sports drink components such as sugar, sodium and important electrolytes. One of the shortcomings of most drinks, he decided, is the low amounts of potassium and other electrolytes. “I put together a formula and found that potassium creates a bad taste,” Brothers said. But to be effective, he believed, a new concoction needed a higher level of the element than other drinks on the market. After spending almost a year researching his new product and another year with Finley and his researchers, Brothers and his business partner, attorney Craig Hart, established H&B Beverages. The company expects statewide distribution in Louisiana by summer and has started in Baton Rouge.
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| ‘Man Cave’ For The DIY-er Posted: 24 Apr 2012 04:00 AM PDT 
The Commercial Appeal: “The idea is to be the ultimate man cave,” said McGhee, who opened the store in the second week of February backed by a group of investors. “We have four flatscreen TVs with ESPN on as long as we’re open. “We’ve got beer to accompany you on your project or reward you when you finish. You can’t drink it at my store, but you can take it home and enjoy it.” The store’s logo channels that of Harley-Davidson, the interior is painted in black and orange, and its television commercials are frank about not offering carpet swatches, flowers, and other items typically stocked by the gross in big box hardware stores. The small store — just 5,700 square feet — has a staff of 12, small enough that customers with long-term projects will always return to find the same people helping them.
Photo by Lenore Edman 
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| How Has The SBA Helped You? Posted: 24 Apr 2012 03:30 AM PDT 
KansasCity.com: The Small Business Administration is looking for videos showing how its programs and services have helped small companies. Three videos will be shown at a special event May 24 and could appear as part of National Small Business Week, the agency's annual event. Videos must be original and last two minutes or less. The deadline is May 11. For more information, go to http://smallbizvid.challenge.gov/.
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| Honest, But Not Too Honest Posted: 23 Apr 2012 11:42 AM PDT |
| Today in Entrepreneurial History: April 23 Posted: 23 Apr 2012 09:53 AM PDT 
On this date in 1952, Julius Freed, the American inventor of the Orange Julius died. The drink grew out of an orange juice stand opened in Los Angeles in 1926 by Julius Freed. Sales were initially modest, about $20 a day (about $245 in 2010 dollars, adjusting for inflation). In 1929, Bill Hamlin, Freed’s real estate broker, developed a mixture that made the acidic orange juice less bothersome to his stomach. Freed’s stand began serving the drink, which had a frothier, creamier texture. The sales at the stand increased substantially after the introduction of the new drink, going up to $100 a day. People began lining up at the store and shouting, “Give me an Orange, Julius!” Eventually, the new drink would simply be called “the Orange Julius”. During the 1950s and 1960s, Orange Julius was sold at a variety of outlets, including state and county fairs and freestanding Orange Julius stands. The original stand also provided medicinal tonics and bible tracts. If you’d like to make an Orange Julius at home, the book Top Secret Recipes: Sodas, Smoothies, Spirits, & Shakes purports to contain the recipe for that plus dozens of other “junk food” drinks. 
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