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If you are a women who is over six feet tall, you need to get to know Kathyrn Kerrigan and her latest entrepreneurial adventure - Kathryn Kerrigan Footwear
According to her website, Kathryn Kerrigan Footwear “offers stylish and fashionable ballet flats, pumps and boots for women with all shoe sizes.”
For our readers who follow famous women entrepreneurs you may know Kathryn’s history. Back in 2007, Kathryn Kerrigan was one of the top women entrepreneurs in the United States as ranked by Inc Magzine. In fact she was number 5 on the Top 30 Entrepreneurs Under 30 list.
It is good to see that some are picking up on this trend of small business and self-employment that is changing some economies as well as labor markets. Here is a great article on written by Daniel Weintraub of the Mercury News - check it out and if you think you can’t do it or you ready to give up on your dreams think again and remind yourself of the story your read about Servio Gomez.
Ok, I have always wanted to do this and now is the time…
We are going to create a list of the most famous entrepreneurs we know and continue to build on the list with your comments and feedback. Each day we will introduce a new entrepreneur with a little biography and description of their accomplishments. The hope is that we will eventually have the most complete list of famous entrepreneurs. I am personally hoping that together we can list at least 100 famous entrepreneurs.
Oh yeah, this is in no particular order.
The Most Comprehensive List of Famous Entrepreneurs (the beginning…)
1. Bill Gates
Like him or not? Bill Gates is considered one of the wealthiest men alive. The founding of Microsoft changed the way the world thinks and interacts. Even though Microsoft had the good fortune of being associated with the stock market boom of the 1990’s he built an empire. He has had to battle the big bad government and their antitrust suit and has lived to tell about it.
2. Henry Ford
Henry Ford’s passion and excitement for the automobile industry still lives today through many people who work for Ford, drive Ford automobiles and in lives in the minds and hearts of many entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs like Ford consistently fascinate us with their advancement and unique ideas and passion for what they do - two traits that you find in all entrepreneurs.
3. Oprah Winfrey
Oprah’s career began in broadcasting when she was 17, she anchored the news when she was 19 - kind of explains the rest of her story. A few short years later she moved to Chicago to host AM Chicago - it only took her one month to achieve #1 ratings, beating out Phil Donahue.A year later the show was renamed to the Oprah Winfrey Show - the rest is modern history. But the talk show was her job, nothing really entrepreneurial about it - but wait she created her own entertainment, media empire right before our eyes. She founded Harpo Studios which employs 250 people and is involved in television, film production, magazine publishing and online media. She also owns the Oxygen Media which broadcasts the Oxygen Network to more than 54 million viewers. Oh yeah, did I mention O Magazine and Oprah.com? She owns them as well. This is some of what makes her the most admired entrepreneur out there.
Open to comments, editions and discussion… See you tomorrow.
Are the record high gas prices affecting your bottom line this summer?
We have found a really cool service that may just help your employees reduce the bite that gas prices are taking out of their paychecks every month. Your business may be able to help them save money and cut expenses. Introduce iCarpool a new service that is designed to help deal with rising prices at the gas pump, traffic congestion problems and global warming and environmental concerns. iCarpool offers a list of the Top Ten Reasons to Carpool mentioning the following items:
Save on Gas
Save time by using the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) and Express lanes along your commute
Save on parking costs
Save the environment and reduce your carbon offset
Save your energy
Have better control of your work schedule
If available, get Carpool / Vanpool prime parking spots on your campus
Reduced traffic congestion if more people carpool
Reduce dependency on oil
It’s fun
The company is based in Seattle and claims their service works for both regular daily commutes and even unexpected trips across US and in Canada, Europe, and Australia. It can even help you find a buddy to bike or walk to work with.
So seems like clear win-win for an individual but what’s in it for the employer?
#1 Carpooling is a legitimate employee benefit, especially now as companies around the country are hearing it from their employees - the high gas prices have created a true need. This is a need employers can address easily and cost-effectively and also fell good about it.
#2 Depending on your parking lot situation you could save money providing parking spaces, since there wil be fewer cars needing slots.
#3 You could save a fair amount of money on mileage allowances on employees expense reports. As an example, if your company has trips between your sites - you can cut that these potential direct costs in 1/2 or by 1/3’s.
#4 You will help employees do their part to save emissions and reduce their carbon footprint.
#5 Your organization can earn some “green company” points in your community or on a broader scale - by doing your share in cleaning up the environment.
I would strongly consider looking into offering your employees a carpooling service - whether it is iCarpool or another service - it will be worth it.
I hope you have a great day with family and friends. It is nice to hear about everyone’s plans for swimming, BBQs, and fancy desserts. Personally, I’m having a traditional 4th, followed by my wife’s birthday on the 5th. I am loving it.
Tonight my wife and kids get back from traveling in Montana and Wyoming - can’t wait to see all of the pictures; bison, wolves, Yellow Stone, Grand Teton National Park, Old Faithful, hot springs, bear, moose, mountains etc., I hope your day is special for you too.
For those of you who have friends and loved ones in the military I want to thank you for the sacrifice that you and they are making to ensure our freedom and independence into the future. Please know that you have a grateful nation supporting you.
Have fun everyone. We will be back in action next week.
10 Little-Known Formulas for Successful Advertising - by Dean Rieck
What is your formula for creating effective sales messages? If you’re like most people, you’ll say, “AIDA,” an acronym for Attention, Interest, Desire, Action. It’s a classic, perhaps the most quoted formula in advertising and marketing.
However, just as a skilled craftsman expands his or her creative abilities by collecting and mastering a variety of tools, a savvy marketer can expand his or her creative abilities by collecting and mastering a variety of formulas. Here are some less famous but highly inspirational formulas to add to your collection:
• ACCA. Awareness, Comprehension, Conviction, Action. This is similar to AIDA, but “Comprehension” stresses the importance of clarity, which is vital for any persuasive message. And “Conviction” is much stronger than “Desire.” It suggests certainty.
• Attention-Interest-Description-Persuasion-Proof-Close. This is another AIDA variation by Robert Collier. Intended for sales letters, it outlines what he thought was the correct sales sequence.
• AAPPA. The eminent Victor O. Schwab suggested this commonsense, clear formula. Get Attention. Show people an Advantage. Prove it. Persuade people to grasp this advantage. Ask for action.
• AIU. This is my own formula for envelopes. It stands for Attention, Interest, Urgency. Something about an envelope must get your attention, whether it’s teaser copy, graphics, or just blank paper. This should lead to an interest in the contents and an urgency to open the envelope immediately.
• PPPP. This is a formula by Henry Hoke, Sr. It stands for Picture, Promise, Prove, Push. In many ways, it’s easier to implement than AIDA because it shows you four basic tasks you must perform to make a sale. Picture: Get attention early and create a desire. Promise: Make a meaningful promise and describe what the item will do. Prove: Demonstrate the value and support your promise with testimonials. Push: Ask for the order.
• Star-Chain-Hook. This is Frank Dignan’s charming and surprisingly fresh way to approach an advertising message. Hitch your wagon to a Star with an attention-getting opening that is positive and upbeat. Create a Chain of convincing facts, benefits, and reasons to transform attention into interest and interest into desire. Then, Hook them with a powerful call to action, making it easy to respond.
• ABC Checklist. William Steinhardt’s formula is more detailed than most and very practical: Attain attention, Bang out benefits, Create verbal pictures, Describe success incidents, Endorse with testimonials, Feature special details, Gild with values, Honor claims with guarantees, Inject action in reader, Jell with postscript.
• The String of Pearls. This is a particular method of writing copy. The idea is that you assemble details and string them together in a long line, one after another. Each “pearl” is complete in some way, but when you string all the pearls together, their persuasive power becomes overwhelming.
• The Cluster of Diamonds. Similar to the String of Pearls, this formula suggests assembling a group of details under an umbrella concept. For example, an ad might have the headline “7 Reasons Why You’ll Save Money With XYZ.” The copy would then list these seven reasons. Each detail is a “diamond” in a particular setting.
• The Fan Dancer. The analogy here is perfect, though a bit racy. The idea is to tantalize with specific details that do not actually convey information. For example, let’s say you’re selling a book on reducing taxes. Part of your copy might read: “The one secret way to pay zero taxes and get away with it (page 32). How the IRS uses your mailing label against you (page 122). Three clever ways to turn a vacation into a business tax deduction even if you don’t own a business (page 158).” As with the forgotten art of fan dancing, you reveal little and leave your audience wanting more.
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I came across this killer report earlier today that was written by this guy who is well known for publishing highly controversial reports on internet marketing.
Well, he’s done it again and this one is totally off the charts…
He talks about all kinds of crazy stuff from ebola viruses, to gold rush miners, to a new breed of “silent assasin” he calls “DuRus”.
He also gives some of the best advice I’ve ever read on gaining true focus and clarity, and talks about
a no-nonsense plan for taking any business to the same income levels as the “real” big boys are doing.
The stuff just makes sense.
Gotta give him credit…he tells it like it is, and you certainly won’t hear anybody else saying this kind of stuff.
Best part is though, he’s giving it all away for nothing!
Go grab your copy now…not sure how long it will be available.
The term private equity refers to equity loans and processions that aren’t offered by a government lending agency. Instead they are offered by private businesses and even individuals. This could be an excellent option for those who are struggling to get a traditional equity loan due to their credit or the length of time their business has been established if they are self employed.
It is important to understand that obtaining a private equity loan from a private lender means you are high risk. Therefore you can anticipate having to pay a higher rate of interest. While you don’t want to be taken advantage of, you may really need to access the funds associated with the equity you have accumulated. Make sure you carefully weigh your options because it is to your advantage to work with a government backed lender when ever possible in the area of equity loans.
Make sure you carefully read over all of the information pertaining to a private equity loan. There may be stipulations that you don’t want to commit yourself to. Look for information on high charges for late fees or penalties for paying off the loan early. Many of the different lenders are predators looking for people who they can take for a ride. While it isn’t ethical, the terms and conditions are legally binding if you read them and you sign the documents.
You will find that as you and others struggle to meet your commitment under the terms of the equity loan, the lender continues to generate large amounts of profit. The really don’t have too much risk involved on their end because if you pay on time they earn a high yield of interest. If you pay late, they charge you ridiculous fees. If don’t pay the loan they will simply take control of the collateral associated with the loan.
Private equity loans should be avoided unless you simply have no other options. This is a risky process to get yourself caught up in so be very carefully about proceeding with it. On average, $135 billion in private equity loans is owed right now to various entities. While these types of loans are easy to obtain, you may find it to be a terrible financial decision for you in the long run.
Your career is likely very important to you because it provides you with a way to pay the bills and buy things you enjoy. Hopefully you have a career that you really like because too many years of a person’s life are spent in the working environment for you to dread being there.
In order to show you can handle the responsibilities of the job you have to be able to effectively manage your time on a project. Make sure you ask questions about the project you are to complete so there are no misconceptions. You don’t want to spend your time working on something and then discover it isn’t what your boss really wanted.
As soon as you know your project and the deadline, break the project into small pieces. This way you can accomplish parts of it and then move on to the next without feeling overwhelmed by the big picture. If you are working on the project with someone else make sure you both agree on the set deadline schedule.
If the project has a very long time frame you may be asked to present what you have completed to your supervisor along the way. Make sure you pay close attention to your deadlines so you don’t fall behind. In every type of business there are unexpected events that come up and eat away at your time. Make sure you allocate room for such issues to come up so you won’t be stressed out to finish the project on time.
While you are working on one segment of the project, think ahead to the next. If you need to make phone calls, order materials, or get something approved do it now. This way everything you need will be ready to go when you get to that phase of the project. It will save you time and you can keep moving along at a good pace.
You will likely need to be confident in your decisions when you are working on a project. It is fine to do some research but don’t waste your time second guessing yourself. Trust your gut instincts and run with them. Once you have completed a part of the project don’t go back and do it over and over again. You will just be spinning your wheels and struggle to get the project completed on time.
