| January 28, 2011 |
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- Shred your core, learn a language, earn some money
When Dov Biran's trainer suggested he keep track of his daily diet, Biran searched the Internet in vain for a simple way to do just that. Spotting an opportunity, the veteran software entrepreneur launched Fitango, a site where members can find action plans for accomplishing various short-term goals. Experts who write the plans keep 70% of the sales revenue -- an incentive for them to promote the Fitango site, which has attracted about 5,000 members since its launch last month. Crain's New York Business
(1/26)      
- It's a "Mad" world for this vintage clothier
Theresa Campbell McKee didn't have a bad life working as a private chef aboard yachts in the Caribbean, but what she really wanted to do was indulge her passion for vintage clothing, she says. She founded her business in 2002, starting with one rack of clothes and an eBay store. Thousands of dresses later, McKee has her own site, Blue Velvet Vintage, that sells one-of-a-kind pieces from the "Mad Men" era, but also higher-margin reproductions sized for the women of today. "I work about 70 or 80 hours a week," she says, adding that she's comfortable but not wealthy. "I wouldn't work this many hours for someone else for the money I make now. It's really a labor of love." SecondAct.com
(1/24)
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- Can your business clear the biggest hurdle to success?
There are any number of problems and choices that confront a new business, but no matter what your field, distribution is perhaps the biggest challenge of all, Seth Godin writes. Distribution defines your market and your margins, so "[j]ust about every business is limited (and thus valued) by its distribution, by the way it is able to get paid for what it makes," Godin writes. Seth Godin's Blog
(1/27)
- 5 tips on startup PR
Public relations can be a great tool for startups, but it requires continuous effort on the part of the founder, venture capitalist Mark Suster writes. Whether you work with an outside firm or hire an internal expert, you still have to personally do the interviews and sell the point of view. PR is about stories, Suster writes, and "if you don't define the story about you, somebody else will." BothSidesOfTheTable.com
(1/23)
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- 100 ways to get through "down" time
Michael Hess writes that his recent query on how readers deal with "the inevitable trials, tribulations, and stresses of business life" led to more than 100 responses in 48 hours. In this blog post, he shares some of those responses, noting that the strategies differ for outward-looking people, who deal with problems in "a fairly unemotional and matter-of-fact manner," and inward-looking people whose solutions "tend to revolve around introspection, perspective, and mindfulness." BNET/Business with Class blog
(1/27)
- Innovation, with a little help from your friends
Social ties are key to spurring innovation, says social media researcher Sinan Aral. Idea generation isn't the work of inspired individuals, but comes from connected groups, Aral argues, so to come up with bright ideas, we should surround ourselves with interesting people with diverse perspectives and approaches to solving problems.  Innovation Leadership Network Blog
(1/27)
 | Think around the problem. ... There is always another way to look at something, a way to tackle it that has not yet been tried."
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Recent SmartBrief on Entrepreneurs Issues:
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