Entrepreneur back issues from September 2005:
Martindale's calculators on-line center: www.martindale center.com/calculators.html.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... This site houses an impressive number of calculators--more than 20,000 at press time. These calculators can compute just about every conceivable measurement imaginable, from ...
Tell-a-Friend Wizard: www.tell-a-friend-wizard.com.( )(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... Viral marketing, including those "tell a friend" buttons found on product pages and articles throughout the web, is increasingly important in getting your product recognized. Tell-a-Friend Wizard makes it easy to add those customized ...
ZoomInfo: www.zoominfo.com.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... Find personnel contact information through this people-summarization search engine. Type an individual's name along with his or her business, and results appear with titles, employment ...
MeetingBridge: www.meetingbridge.com.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... Take care of your teleconferencing, web-conferencing and webinar needs all in one place--MeetingBridge. No reservations are required, and once you establish a dial-in number and entry code, it's ...
ProcessLibrary.com: www.processlibrary.com.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... ProcessLibrary.com offers the latest information on spyware, adware, Trojans, viruses, system processes and common applications for free. As your computer hums, dozens of processes run in the ...
QuickSeek: www.quickseek.com.(RESOURCES: Websites, organizations, events and more to grow your business)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... QuickSeek is an online directory that lists more than 16 million businesses in its database, delivering essential business information such as operating hours, business descriptions, e-mail ...
In the driver's seat: while navigating the ups and downs of entrepreneurship, your independence is your best asset.(EDITOR'S NOTE)
Sep 01, 2005; ... THIS MONTH'S COVER headline, "Retire Rich," is, I admit, hardly original. But it usually appears on books and magazines that deal with investment and personal finance issues. Sure, investing in real estate or the stock market is one way to retire rich. But here at Entrepreneur, we advocate ...
Free press.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the Editor)
Sep 01, 2005; ... While I appreciate you including a list of business software for Mac users ("The Right Stuff," May), I was surprised that many notable free and low-cost products weren't mentioned--specifically GIMP graphics program, laws PDF Creator and OpenOffice.org. Those of us just starting ...
Shaping up.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the Editor)
Sep 01, 2005; ... I can't begin to tell you how excited I was to read about David Barton in the 'Almost Famous" section of the July issue. As a fellow fitness entrepreneur, I can tell you from experience, we aren't always held in the highest regard. I've had more than a few people snidely tell me they ...
Site seen.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the Editor)
Sep 01, 2005; ... Thank you so much for having such a wonderful and informative website. I have found countless resources for my own business. I began searching the site when my business was in its planning phases. I used so many marketing techniques and gathered so much wonderful advice from ...
Spreading the word.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the Editor)
Sep 01, 2005; ... "Behind the Magic" (August) by Chris Penttila was great. I especially enjoyed the diverse businesses represented. Having known one of the contributors, Kara Vample Turner, for over 10 years, I commend you on selecting entrepreneurs who truly understand customer service and how ...
Page turner.(FEEDBACK)(Letter to the Editor)
Sep 01, 2005; ... I'd like to commend Rieva Lesonsky for her excellent editorial leadership of Entrepreneur magazine. I have subscribed to your publication for over a year, and my gratification with the content has not waned, but has grown exponentially over the past few months. I was a ...
Parent trap? Entrepreneurs wonder what effect their businesses have on their kids.(FORWARD)
Sep 01, 2005; ... PEYTON Anderson rode his first business to the top of the dotcom boom and, starting about the time his first child was born, back down again. Since then, the Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, entrepreneur has started another company and adopted twin daughters. But Anderson knows that ...
In-depth view.(TECH TOY)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... IN-DEPTH VIEW: Become one with your computer, and virtualize your reality. E-D 3-D Wireless Glasses add a whole new dimension to images on your PC. The $99.95 spectacles use infrared transmitters with a 10-foot range to add depth to images on both LCD and CRT monitors. A dual-emitter ...
Mixed signals: keep your business alive in an unpredictable economy.(Automoblox)
Sep 01, 2005; ... WORDS like variable and mixed are usually used to describe the weather. These days, they can also be used to describe the U.S. economy. While the economy keeps growing overall, the combination of rising gas prices, a static job market and a potential housing bubble has left the ...
History lesson: this couple invokes a bygone era with their Victorian antiques and reproductions.(SNAPSHOT)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... ENTREPRENEURS: Melissa and Randy Rolston, 47 and 49, respectively, founders of Victorian Trading Co. in Lenexa, Kansas DESCRIPTION: Wholesaler and retailer of Victorian-themed artifacts and antiques STARTUP: $200 in 1986 2005 PROJECTED SALES: $15 million CELEBRATING LIFE: In ...
Border patrol: Congress goes to bat for in-state expansion tax incentives.(CAPITOL ISSUES)
Sep 01, 2005; ... MEMBERS of both parties in Congress are trying to reverse an unappealing decision handed down last September by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, whose rulings cover the states of Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. The decision said it was unconstitutional for Ohio to offer tax ...
Gadget gurus: let tech trendsetters spread the word about your product.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... WHEN consumers are in the market to purchase a new tech gadget, whether it's a digital camera or a computer, they often seek the advice of tech-savvy friends or family members who constantly have their ringer on the pulse of what's cool and useful. Global PR agency Burson-Marsteller has ...
Status quota? Without trade quotas, U.S. textile-makers struggle.(FORWARD)
Sep 01, 2005; ... GEORGE Shuster, CEO of Cranston Print Works Co., likes to say his company "opened China before Nixon did." The Cranston, Rhode Island, textile company, Shuster says, was importing raw materials from China even before Nixon's 1972 diplomatic breakthrough ended decades of Cold War silence ...
Who's the boss? Keep your company's travelers in line with a clear-cut business travel policy.(BIZ TRAVEL)
Sep 01, 2005; ... MANAGING your company's travelers is almost like managing kids--both need clear boundaries. If you're finding it increasingly difficult to rein in travel expenses (typically the third-highest controllable cost at most companies), it's time to set those boundaries with a travel policy ....
Designer babies: munchkin couture is all the rage with hip parents.(FORWARD)
Sep 01, 2005; ... SORRY, Gymboree--infants and toddlers are now rocking stylish clothing and products that reflect the hip tastes of their parents. According to the NPD Group, the children's clothing market totaled $29 billion in 2004 in the U.S., and major designers are adding munchkin lines to their ...
Taking sides: right-brain skills are gaining ground in the business world.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... A MAJOR shift is taking place, and we're not talking about seismic plates. Daniel Pink, author of A Whole New Mind: Moving From the Information Age to the Conceptual Age, believes we're seeing an economic evolution in the abilities necessary to succeed in business. We asked Pink what he ...
Holding pattern: so far this year, small-business hiring has been on pause.
Sep 01, 2005; ... THE BAD news about small-business hiring this year is that it has been going nowhere. The good news is, the year isn't over. "It's almost as if small businesses [hit] the pause button," says Michael Alter, president of Skokie, Illinois, payroll service firm SurePayroll Inc ....
Return to me: learn how to capture the greatest return on the customers you already have.(Return on Customer )(Book Review)
Sep 01, 2005; ... EVERY BUSINESS owner has to decide whether it makes more sense to devote limited resources to a new marketing campaign, a new product-development effort or another business-building plan. In Return on Customer (Currency Doubleday, $24.95) marketing visionaries Don Peppers and ...
Search party: latest fun team-building trend? Scavenger hunts.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... ENTREPRENEURS are discovering team-building can be child's play. The latest bonding activity: scavenger hunts that send employees out with only cryptic clues and their collaboration skills to guide them. "We decided to do this not only for fun but to have some cross-functional ...
Boxing match: a boxy car could be the perfect fit for your business needs.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... SEEN THOSE milk crates on wheels? The boxy styling of these vehicles turns heads. And for business purposes, their spacious rear cargo compartments, low lift-over and soaring ceiling heights make it easy to load odd-shaped items. Three that run the gamut from affordable utilitarian to ...
Answer the call: two companies ring in much-needed new phone systems.
Sep 01, 2005; ... SWITCHING to a new form of technology can be exciting for a growing business, but the road is rarely smooth. We caught up with two very different businesses as they shed their old telephone systems and got onboard with some of the latest technology. In 2001, Mary Heather Hanley, ...
Central perks: women use unique benefits to show employee appreciation.
Sep 01, 2005; ... DO WOMEN business owners bring more perks to the workplace than men? Maybe not, but the perks they offer employees often have a decidedly feminine touch. Hillary Kelbick, 49, president of MKP Communications Inc., a $5 million marketing and consulting firm based in New York City, ...
Better than ever: happily a year after: Mad Science looks back at their year in a Cinderella story after winning Entrepreneur and Xerox's 2004 office makeover contest.(EXTRA: CAN AN OFFICE MAKEOVER BOOST BUSINESS?)
Sep 01, 2005; ... IT'S BEEN almost a year since lack and Kathy Hamlett, owners of Mad Science of Scottsdale and northeast Phoenix, won Entrepreneur and Xerox's "Help! My Office is Obsolete!" Makeover Contest. If you recall, the children's science education franchisees received a completely redesigned office ...
Eye on the storm: natural disasters happen, and this company created just the product to help fix things up.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... INTO EVERY LIFE, a little rain must fall. But Marc Patti, founder of Paul Consulting in Tallahassee, Florida, has a different view of storm clouds, especially during hurricane season. Paul and software programmer Wes Holden have devised software called Debris Information Management System, ...
It's all talk: voice-to-text technology can make text messaging a breeze.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... Unless you have especially fleet thumbs, it can be a chore to type a text message on a cell phone. That's why Samsung (www. samsungwireless.com) has come up with a way to reduce your typing time with a couple of new mobiles featuring VoiceMode voice-to-text technology. We tried out the ...
Stay in touch: have all the financial information you need right at your fingertips, and you'll always know the right move to make.(DIGITAL EDGE)
Sep 01, 2005; ... RITA ALVY-TEETER came into work one bright spring day last year to find a third of the revenue pulled out from under her Irvine, California, design firm. The loss of just one large client hit the paychecks of the president and her partners immediately, and put Drive Industries ...
Battery tests: don't drop that call--use these power-up options instead.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... Relying on your cell phone to keep in touch with your business and customers means having to ensure it functions no matter how long you're on the road. There are several ways to keep your phone juiced up even if you have long stretches between access to a power outlet. Some ...
Lapping it up.
Sep 01, 2005 ... Toshiba Qosmio G25-AV513 laptop (www.toshiba direct.com) CNET'S RATING: Excellent 8.1 THE GOOD: Attractive design; crisp display; built in TV tuner; runs cool and quiet; slot-loading, double-layer DVD burner; excellent soft ware and support THE BAD: ...
Holiday bonus: add an extra-special feature to your site, and get customers to indulge.
Sep 01, 2005; ... WITH THE holidays just around the corner, now is a great time to add some special features to your website that will likely increase sales. There are four specific things you can do, according to the "2004 Shop.org/BizRate.com Online Holiday Mood Study." The study found that the ...
Wallflower.
Sep 01, 2005; ... If you're going to stare at the walls, you may as well have something nice to look at. So try Gateway's new FPD1960 19-inch LCD. At under two-and-a-half inches thick and 10 pounds without its stand, it will create a vibrant 1,280 x 1,024 window to your work. ...
Groomed fields.(Avanquest software)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... Working with a database shouldn't require a computer science degree, so it's nice to know that DataBase Professional keeps it simple with 30 ready-made templates. The adventurous can still create specialized databases with personal touches. It can import from Microsoft Access, Excel, ...
Double down: it's in the cards to double your data storage space with DL technology.(BUYER'S GUIDE)(Buyers Guide)
Sep 01, 2005; ... MEET THE new generation of DVD burners. Known as dual-layer or double-layer drives (both DL for short), these bad boys can pack 8.5GB onto a single disc--twice what you're accustomed to getting with older DVD technology. Of course, you'll have to pony up a little more for the ...
Get your fill.(Inkjet printers are cheap to buy)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... Inkjet printers are cheap to buy, but their supplies can come back to bite you in the budget. The manufacturer is the most reliable though most expensive source, but options are available for replacing cartridges more cheaply. Refill kits that require injecting new ink into old ...
More, more, more: AOL expands its media reach by stepping up service with VoIP.(CONNECTIONS)
Sep 01, 2005; ... IT SEEMS LIKE everybody's offering you internet phone service. But AOL's Callways (www.aol.com) offers more than just voice calls. Though it was hurt by the switch to broadband, the communications giant still counts 22 million subscribers willing to pay at least $15 per month to ...
Move over: relocating your business can save money--and make room for some serious growth.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... COMPETING WITH giant companies isn't easy. But it's even harder when shipping across the Rocky Mountains adds over three percentage points to the price of your product. That's what John Jansheski, founder and CEO of DenTek Oral Care, discovered while shipping consumer oral care supplies to ...
Seeing green: when it comes to investing, banks are where the money is.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... When Willie Sutton, the legendary 20th-century bank robber, was asked why he robbed banks, he supposedly quipped, "Because that's where the money is." Today, some smart portfolio managers agree. Ken Mertz, portfolio manager of the Forward/ Emerald Banking & Finance Fund, is one of them. ...
Price fix: to keep up with increasing costs--and big competitors' prices--more small businesses are pulling the trigger on the pricing gun.(DOLLAR SIGNS)
Sep 01, 2005; ... IF YOU'VE Been swallowing the rising costs of doing business, watching as soaring energy prices and exorbitant healthcare expenses choke your already-gasping profit margins, you're not alone. Many entrepreneurs have been waiting and watching for cues from their industries and larger ...
Second chance: tax amnesty offers help for businesses that owe.(TAX TALK)
Sep 01, 2005; ... A state sales tax amnesty offer could be on its way to your state soon. The program is part of the national Streamlined Sales Tax Project, or SSTP, which is designed to simplify and modernize sales and use tax collection and administration. The amnesty program is expected to ...
The right fit: looking for capital? A boutique private equity group could be the perfect funding partner for your small business.(RAISING MONEY)
Sep 01, 2005; ... BRANDON Cushman grew up around the construction business. And although he was ready to graduate from medical school in 1999, it was the construction business that lured him out of the hospital and back into the hot sun. Today, Cushman's Denver-based company, Fauxcrete Inc., pours nearly $5 ...
40-year plan.(interest rates)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... Looking to make your monthly mortgage payment more affordable? Adding 10 years to the typical 30-year mortgage can significantly reduce your payments. Low interest rates have made 40-year mortgages relatively rare in recent years. "Now, as rates trend upward, you will see the ...
Thinking ahead: take (long-term) care.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... As Americans age, long-term care insurance may prove one of the most important insurance products on the market. The coverage pays for assistance when a person is unable to care for himself or herself because of a prolonged illness or disability, and it might make a smart addition to your ...
Reporting in: federal law allows you to check your credit reports for free every year. Here's how to access them--and protect your credit rating.(PERSONAL FINANCE)
Sep 01, 2005; ... STARTING SEPTEMBER 1, every U.S. citizen has the right to a free annual report from each of the three major credit bureaus--Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. People in some parts of the country have had that ability for a while, either because of state laws or the fact that the new federal ...
Spitzer's stand.(Eliot Spitzer)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... Thanks to Eliot Spitzer, it may be time to take a fresh look at your 401(k) plan provider. The New York state attorney general's investigations indicate that employers in all states must ensure employees aren't overcharged for benefits--or risk legal ramifications. A 401(k) ...
Retire rich: entrepreneurs are good at growing businesses, but when it comes to personal portfolios, many all too often fall short. Experts share tips, strategies and secrets for the best ways you can accumulate wealth and retire rich.
Sep 01, 2005; ... Retirement is not a word that often rolls off an entrepreneur's lips. Whether starting a new business or enjoying the benefits of an established one, few entrepreneurs care to think about their golden years--or anything else that might separate them from their companies. ...
The real deal: what's it really like to be embezzled, expand internationally, or sell your product to Target? Get the inside scoop from these entrepreneurs on the ultimate highs (and lows) of business ownership.
Sep 01, 2005; ... ADMIT IT--YOU'RE CURIous. Like the irresistible urge to gawk at tabloid TV or read a gossipy celebrity story in People magazine, you can't get enough intimate details of what other people have gone through. As an entrepreneur, you've wondered, What would it be like to expand ...
Glass action: an entrepreneur revs up business for his clients with an innovative mobile solution.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... IT'S HARD TD STOP jaded New Yorkers in their tracks, but guerrilla marketer Russ Levinson, 30, founder of AdverLive LLC, has found a unique way to turn heads for his clients. He drives an 18-foot Isuzu truck with glass-paneled sides to various Manhattan hot spots--Times Square, Wall ...
What's in store? Get ahead of the game with the latest retail trends.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... With low-rise pants all the rage, retailers are opting for curvier mannequins, which better show off the trendy trousers. David Denniston, director of environmental design at Fitch (www.fitch. com), a retail merchandising consulting firm in Columbus, Ohio, weighs in on four other store ...
Good company: selling to people who are smarter and more experienced than you? Don't be intimidated--be wise to how you can learn from them.(SALES SUCCESS)
Sep 01, 2005; ... IF I HAD TO choose between selling to someone smarter and more experienced than I am and someone who is not, I would choose the former every time. Some of the strongest business relationships I have developed over the years have been with people who have taken me under their wings and ...
Give 'em liberty: freedom of choice motivates American consumers. Learn how to build a winning campaign by giving your customers the power to choose.(TACTICS)
Sep 01, 2005; ... EVERY DAY, Americans are inundated with product and service choices, just walk down any aisle in your supermarket, and you'll find that almost every product category is saturated. Yet we continue to crave--even thrive on--our freedom to choose, and smart marketers incorporate this ...
Road signs.(FlapMedia LLC )(advertising on the mud-flaps of trucks)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005 ... Looking for a fast-track way to break through advertising clutter? Maybe it's time to hit the road. A new crop of automobile-based media vehicles is offering several affordable ways to reach road warriors. FlapMedia LLC (www. flapmedia.com) now sells advertising on the ...
Sage advice: can Confucius' wisdom make you a better marketer?(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... Idealist and philosopher Confucius was born on September 28, 551 B.C. Confucius never ran a business or pitched a client. In fact, Confucius touted a hard line negative perspective about profit-seeking activities and believed that business, if it existed at all, should be an ethical ...
Memory lane: ads infused with nostalgia drive customers your way.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... "Remember how it used to be?" That question can be a powerful inducement to buying a once-laborious product that has been transformed into a zippy new wonder-widget. The visual contrast can be dramatic--think of commercials for kitchen gadgets and gardening gizmos in which the old is ...
The missing link? Want more people to visit your website? A link-building campaign could be just the thing to help you draw in shoppers.(NET SALES)
Sep 01, 2005; ... IT'S EASY to get links to your site from other websites. You, your webmaster or an intern can do the job. And this overlooked marketing strategy offers two big payoffs: more visitors and higher search engine rankings. Not all links are created equal--get links from websites with ...
Social grace: this socially conscious business is built around environmentally conscious products.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS is good business. This philosophy has been Jeffrey Hollender's guiding light for the past 17 years. As president of Burlington, Vermont-based Seventh Generation, a manufacturer of environmentally safe household and personal-care products, Hollender planted this concept ...
Seeing the light.(energy law )(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... Need more light in your life? You might just get it, courtesy of a congressional amendment that would extend daylight-saving time by two months. The Upton-Markey amendment--named for co-sponsors Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) and Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA)--would move daylight-saving ...
Fantastic forum: to keep the floor open for your team's innovative ideas at any time of the day or night, bring your brainstorming online.(Video on Location Inc)
Sep 01, 2005; ... COLLABORATION has taken on new dimensions at Video on Location Inc., a full-service video production firm in Rockville, Maryland. The company's 16 employees use virtual collaboration software to create commercials, webcasts, instructional videos and other projects. Company ...
Commuter gains: ease employees' transportation troubles with commuter benefits.
Sep 01, 2005; ... BOB BEGLE opened his business in downtown Atlanta because that's where his customers were. But the employees needed to staff the 37-year-old entrepreneur's company mostly lived in the suburbs. "Nobody lives in the downtown area because of the cost of housing," explains Begle, co-founder of ...
Without a sign: don't get roped into a deal before you know it.(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... Think a deal ain't a deal until everyone signs on the dotted line? This is not only wrong; it's a dangerous misconception, A handshake or an oral agreement are obvious exceptions. But did you know that an exchange of letters or a simple promise can legally bind you? The problem ...
It's not personal: don't get burned by overly personal personnel files.(LEGAL)(Brief Article)
Sep 01, 2005; ... The office manager storms into your office and demands to see her personnel file. She says she heard a rumor about what might be in there. Cringing, you open the drawer. Why weren't you more discreet? Be forewarned: Various state and federal laws entitle employees to review ...