Photo Courtesy of: Suvro Datta / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

“If you would not be forgotten, as soon as you are dead and rotten, either write things worth reading, or do things worth the writing.” ~ Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17^th in Boston, Massachusetts, and lived from 1706 to 1790. According to msnbc.com, he is often called the first entrepreneur. His father, Josiah Franklin, had nine sons before Ben was born; however, Ben’s mother Abiah was Josiah’s second wife. Josiah, a candle maker, had seventeen children in all before his death. Although Josiah had dreams for Ben to become a clergy man, Ben had other hopes and dreams that would change the world forever.

Benjamin Franklin’s career as a salesman started when he was just twelve years old. His father could not afford the many years of school it would take for Ben to be a clergy man, Ben only attended one year of school. Since he loved to read a lot, his father felt that he would do well as an apprentice to his brother, James, who was a printer. Ben would help James write up pamphlets and set the type. After that was done, Ben would take the pamphlets and sell James’ and his own products to people on the street.

Ben would eventually run away from James in 1723, and rumors say that abuse was the cause. After several hardships, Ben ended up in Philadelphia married to Deborah Read. The couple opened their print shop and store where Ben’s printing business was held and Deborah sold her products, from soap to fabric. In 1733, Franklin began to publish Poor Richard’s Almanac with sections for weather, recipes, predictions and homilies. He did not use his real name, but instead penned the almanac as Richard Saunders. Many of our famous Ben Franklin Quotes actually came from Poor Richard.

As most of us know, Ben Franklin went on to invent some of the world’s most important creations. Bifocals were one of his accomplishments, brought forth out of his own need. He suffered from a condition that is known as presbyopia, which causes one to need glasses for seeing both up close and far away. Although he did not invent electricity, he is attributed with its discovery. What he learned about it would lead to the creation of thousands of new products, with thousands more to come. He also invented new words for his discoveries, a few of which are: battery, charge, condenser, conductor, plus, minus, positively, negatively and armature.

Franklin made many contributions to the world we live in. His entrepreneurial spirit drove him to help launch projects that would pave the streets of Philadelphia, as well as clean them up and light their pathways. He also started the Library Company in 1731, where he made it possible for poor people to read and own books. It was the first ever subscription library in America. Franklin also helped create the Philadelphia Hospital and Philosophical Society. When he saw many of his fellow Philadelphians suffer great monetary and psychological losses in house fires, he helped create the Philadelphia Contribution for Insurance against Loss by Fire. Ever wonder where we got the idea for homeowner’s insurance?

Pbs.org calls Franklin a “Writer, inventor, diplomat, businessman, musician, scientist, humorist, civic leader, international celebrity . . . genius.” Not only did this entrepreneur allow his ideas to make a better life for Americans, but he helped build what is now known as America. He joined the fight for independence, which thankfully was won. As his life shows, we, as entrepreneurs, should never let our ideas and talents go to waste.

“Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What’s a sundial in the shade?” Ben Franklin

Angela Kaye Mason is an online researcher, writer, and contributor at entrepreneurweek.com blog network. She may be reached at eweekcomauthor@gmail.com. Follow Angela on Twitter. Find her on Facebook .

©2012 entrepreneurweek.com, all rights reserved.

Photo Courtesy of: Idea go / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Although he is sadly no longer with us, we’d like to honor another famous entrepreneur in entertainment, Walt Disney. Mr. Disney was a man who transformed the world of entertainment and never failed to capture the imagination of his audience.

According to JustDisney.com, Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois. His father’s name was Elias and his mother was Flora Call Disney. Together, the Disneys had five children and only one of them was a girl. Walt grew up in Marceline, Missouri, where his family moved after his birth. Even as a child, Walt had an interest in art and would sell his drawings to the people who lived in his neighborhood to make money. He grew up to study art and photography at Chicago’s McKinley High School.

At the young age of sixteen, Walt Disney tried to join the military, but was refused for being too young. This did not choke out his desire to help others and serve and he joined the Red Cross instead. The Red Cross sent Disney to France, where he drove an ambulance and gave rides to Red Cross officials for one year. Upon returning home from France, he chose to pursue his art career and started a company with a friend named Ub Iwerks, who was a very talented young artist. Unfortunately, it soon went bankrupt. Yet again, Disney did not allow his entrepreneurial spirit to die and he took off for Hollywood to start over with twenty dollars and a suitcase.

As biography.com explains, it was at this point that Walt and his brother Roy resumed a cartoon series known as “The Alice Series”, which had been an important part of the failed business of Walt and Iwerks. Walt convinced Iwerks to help him once again, and invented a new character for their cartoons known as Oswald, the Lucky Rabbit. They landed a contract to distribute their films for $1500 each, and their enterprise was born. Mickey Mouse was born in 1928, just before motion pictures were given the element of sound.

Disney soon became obsessed with using only the latest technology to create his films. For two years, he had exclusive rights to use Technicolor in his animated films and won his first Academy Award in 1932 for his film Flowers and Trees, the first ever cartoon that was in full color. Disney went on to win 26 Oscar awards, which is the most ever won by one person.

Although Mickey was soon joined by Goofy, Donald Duck and many others, Walt Disney wanted to make movies. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released in 1937 and became the very first feature-length animated film that was made in Technicolor. The cost of the making of the film was almost one and a half million dollars, which was unimaginable during the Depression; yet the company still flourished.

Sadly, the world lost Walt Disney in 1966, but his imagination, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit will live on forever. Five years after his death, Disney World was opened in Orlando, Florida. The Epcott Center opened in 1981. Disney has been honored and remembered by many companies, writers and film stars, including Time magazine, who named him one of the most important people in the 20^th century. In spite of all of the recognition, it is, perhaps, the children who appreciate his work the most. And one of his more famous quotes shows that he never forgot that; “I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing, that it was started by a mouse.”

Angela Kaye Mason is an online researcher, writer, and contributor at entrepreneurweek.com blog network. She may be reached at eweekcomauthor@gmail.com. Follow Angela on Twitter. Find her on Facebook .

©2012 entrepreneurweek.com, all rights reserved.

Photo Courtesy of: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Some call him the “Father of Pinball,” although the entrepreneur and businessman did not actually create the first form of the game. What Steve Kordek did do was to take a revision of a 1930′s machine called the “pin game” and turn it into what we today know as “Pinball.” Kordek died at the age of 100 years on February 19, 2012. Joining his wife, who passed on in 2003, he leaves behind two daughters and two sons, six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

According to an article posted in the New York Times online by author Dennis Hevesi, the original pin game had a plunger that released a ball and then the player had to shake the table in order to try and ring a cup. It was said to be a very frustrating game that was in play until the 1930s. That was when a couple of designers from the D. Gottlieb & Company Pinball Factory, which is located in Chicago, Illinois, created a new game called the “Humpty Dumpty.” Harry Mabs and Watne Neyens’ creation contained six flippers, three on either side of the game from bottom to top.

Although the Humpty Dumpty quickly became very popular, Steve Kordek arrived on the scene in 1948 at a Chicago trade show to push Humpty right off the wall. Kordek’s new pinball game, the “Triple Action,” had only two flippers, making it much easier to play and cheaper to manufacture. He also added a more powerful electrical current to the flippers, which gave them better control over the ball. It also made it possible for the ball to travel much farther than with previous games and actually reach the top of the game. His design would remain in use for three decades and beyond, but his career expanded across six decades.

Kordek watched as the industry evolved from using battery power to computer-generated models. He is responsible for the creation of at least 100 other games made by teams that he led. His resume boasted work for such companies as Genco, Williams Manufacturing and Bally Manufacturing. Some of the best known titles are “Space Mission,” “Grand Prix” and “Contact.”

The story of how Kordek came to be involved in the pinball industry is quite interesting. As Hevesi shares, Kordek was visiting his home town back in 1937 and took a walk without an umbrella. A sudden downpour made him step inside of the nearest building, which happened to be the Genco building. The receptionist immediately assumed he was looking for a job.

Although he had never seen a pinball machine before, Kordek soon found himself soldering on Genco’s assembly line. As he worked his way up through the engineering department of Genco, Kordek attended Coyne Electric School at night. He was soon able to take what he learned and create his own product that surpassed those on which he had worked. It is a terrific story that shows how entrepreneurial opportunities can show up at anytime, in any place…even in a rainstorm and even for a product or idea you’ve never even heard of!

Angela Kaye Mason is an online researcher, writer, and contributor at entrepreneurweek.com blog network. She may be reached at eweekcomauthor@gmail.com. Follow Angela on Twitter. Find her on Facebook .

©2012 entrepreneurweek.com, all rights reserved.

Credit: lobster20 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

With more Americans being open-minded in the types of food they eat, entrepreneurs are taking advantage and are venturing into innovative startups such as selling bugs as food.

Fear Factor, along with other TV shows popularized bug eating, maing it less taboo to some Americans. Human consumption of insects, or otherwise known as Entomophagy, is popular in various cultures around the world. In the U.S., there are some companies earning quite a following with their innovative idea of selling bugs for human consumption.

An example of a company that sells bugs for food is World Entomophagy. Harman Singh Johar, student of the University of Georgia and owner of World Entomophagy, raises crickets and mealworms in his apartment and sells the insects to as much as $40 a pound. He feeds the insects with whole-grain oats and organic fruits and vegetables. According to him, insects fed with organic food are heavier and tastier.

Mr. Johar opted to breed organic bugs instead of catching them straight from the wild due to health and safety reasons. Wild insects may contain pesticides or parasites, which are dangerous when ingested. His closet in his apartment located off campus is temperature and humidity controlled. The insects are housed in boxes, and each box is well-organized and labeled with date of harvest and cleaning.

Mr. Johar’s company is just one of the many companies that sells insects as food. The number of Americans who expressed interest in eating insects has increased based on the number from the past years. David George Gordon, renowned author of “The Eat-A-Bug Cookbook,” said that the number of U.S.-based chefs cooking insects has increased and the number of companies supplying insects for human consumption has increased as well.

More Entrepreneurs Selling Bugs for Human Consumption

Hotlix, the original creator of edible insect candy, has been in business for 20 years. It specializes in outrageous confections such as candies and chocolates with edible insects inside. According to the company’s marketing manager, business is good, with a considerable amount of people calling to ask if the company sells insects in bulk. The company has been featured in popular magazines such as Newsweek and Forbes.

Sweet Whimsy, a French-inspired pastry store in Long Grove, Illinois, has recently joined the Entomophagy-mania and included bugs in its baked products. Owner Joshua Baudin started using caramelized mealworms as toppings for some of his goods, and he orders the worms from World Entomophagy.

Etom Foods, founded by University of Chicago sophomore student Matthew Krisiloff, is a fairly new insect-for-food business. Mr. Krisiloff positions his company differently than other companies’ selling bugs for food. In order to maintain a competitive advantage, he offers bugs in their less bug-like form, making the bugs for appealing to eat. Last April, he won a grant worth $10,000 from his school to develop a technology to extract the edible meat from grasshoppers and insects. The technology used is similar to taking the shell off a shrimp.

Another company in the business of selling bugs for human consumption is BugMuscle. The company has a pending patent for nutritional supplements derived from insects. According to the founder Dianne Guilfoyle, her recipes include ants, mealworms, crickets and pupae of a housefly. She sees her products as very marketable to athletes since insects are classified as a legal source of steroids.

Benefits of Eating Bugs

Advocates of bug eating have cited numerous benefits. According to a study conducted in a university in Netherlands in 2010, raising insects produce less greenhouse gas compared to raising livestock. Insects require less food and do not require energy for them to stay warm. It is also easy to take care of insects, since they are small and do not need a lot of space. Insects are also nutritious because they are rich in fats, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. A perfect example is a stinkbug. Compared to steak, a gram of stinkbug has similar protein content and 6x more iron content.

Although Americans are still far from being ready to have worms or insects in their dining table, there are entrepreneurs who are seeing the business of selling bugs as a potentially lucrative venture.

Kimberly is a researcher, writer, business woman, and contributor at entrepreneurweek.com blog network.  She may be reached at eweekcomauthor@gmail.com.

©2011 entrepreneurweek.com, all rights reserved

Credit: winnond / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

When Ludwick Marishane’s best friend became too lazy to take a bath, the young
entrepreneur came up with an idea which caused him to receive the Global Student
Entrepreneur Award. Student Entrepreneur Ludwick Marishane was just eighteen years
old when he and his friend were enjoying a day in the sunshine. The two boys took in
some rays in Limpopo, which is a rural area in South Africa which is Marishane’s home.
As the two of them decided to leave for the day, Marishane went to take a shower, but
his friend was too tired and did not feel like getting clean.

From a Friend to Lazy to Bathe Comes Award Winning Business Idea

According to ‘portfolio.com’, it was then that Marishane came up with the idea which
would become his award-winning business. The twenty one year old Capetown
University student is the creator of ‘Headboy Industries’. His idea from three years prior
was to create a antibacterial cleanser which would be used when there was not much
water around, or, as in his friend’s case, one just did not want to bathe. This past Friday,
during Global Entrepreneur Week, Marishane became the first African who is sub-
Saharan to win the Global Student Entrepreneur Award.

The young man is pleasantly surprised that his lazy friend not wanting to take a bath has
led to his success. The contest which he participated in and won had over two thousand
contestants. By then end of the competition, thirty student entrepreneurs stood in the
New York Stock Exchange and shared their business ideas with a panel which included
several veteran entrepreneurs. The Entrepreneur’s Organization was in charge of the
contest, which was funded by the New York Stock Exchange and the Ewing Marion
Kauffman Foundation.

An Idea Who’s Time Has Come

Marishane calls his antibacterial cleanser ‘DryBath’, which is very self-explanatory. The
product is not only convenient, but can also be extremely beneficial in those areas
where polluted and infested water is being used to bath in, and in those countries
where a simple bath can cause deadly illnesses. It is said to have a market potential of
over two billion people.

There are also possible commercial uses for DryBath. Hotels could save water, airlines
could provide it to passengers on long haul flights, and more. The young entrepreneur
is expecting to make one hundred and sixty two thousand dollars in revenue in 2011,
and a million dollars in the next year. British Airways has already expressed an interest
in the DryBath, as has Accor hotels. WaterAid and Oxfam has already partnered with
Marishane to provide DryBath all over the globe to disaster victims. The brilliant
young entrepreneur pitched his product as, “a poor man’s necessity and a rich man’s
convenience.”

Marishane shared with portfolio.com that his participation in the Global Student
Entrepreneur Awards was “ a game changing experience” for his growth-both
professionally and personally. As far as winning? He says that this is just proof that
the crazy dreams which we have in high school can become something that can really
make a difference in the world. The global chairman of the Entrepreneur’s Organization,
Kevin Langley stated, “This year’s GSEA competition really symbolizes how young
entrepreneurs are making their mark: creating employment, changing the world, and, in
Ludwick’s case, saving lives.”

Angela Kaye Mason is an online researcher, writer, and contributor at entrepreneurweek.com blog network. She may be reached at eweekcomauthor@gmail.com. Follow Angela on Twitter. Find her on Facebook .
©2011 entrepreneurweek.com, all rights reserved.

Credit: Sarunyu_foto / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Cleantech Open Awards, a non-profit organization, has been rewarding entrepreneurs that espouse clean technology for six years running. The spotlight is on startups around the world that pursue innovation and clean technology in their inventions and systems. To date, 593 companies in the United States alone have finished the entrepreneurship programs of Cleantech Open, which in turn raised funding for an excess of $500 million. It is for this reason that Cleantech Open is sometimes dubbed the Oscars of Clean Technology.

Cleantech Open Awards 2011 National Winners

All throughout the year, many participants joined in the elimination rounds until the winners were selected during the final awarding in San Jose, California. Aside from bragging rights and recognition for the winners, a cash prize was also given to help the startups with investment and continued funding. The 2011 National Grand Prize winner was Atmosphere Recovery, which was selected from the winners of the five categories at the Cleantech Open. Runner up winners was Indow Windows, PK Clean, Whole Trees Structures and GridMobility.

Atmosphere Recovery is a startup based in Eden Prairie, MN, and is the first startup from the Midwest to win the National Cleantech Open. It also won the Renewable Energy category. The company showcased a system that analyzed gas through a particle filter, then through eight optical filters and sensors where a laser was beamed into. As a result, manufacturing was made more efficient and the energy released was processed cleanly. Atmosphere Recovery won $250,000.

Indow Windows took home the first runner-up award for window inserts that seal in the heat of the house during winter. The thermal inserts are almost invisible and work to eliminate fog and condensation caused by the different temperatures around the windows. Another perk of this product is reducing the outside noise that comes in by a minimum of 50%. Indow Windows also won the awards for National Sustainability compared to the other entrants of the contest.

The second runner-up award was bagged by PK Clean that has the dream of setting up factories in the US that convert waste that contains carbon, such as plastic, into hydrocarbon fuels that can be utilized, like diesel.

2011 Cleantech Open Alumni Awardees

Every year, Alumni Award was given out to Cleantech Open alumni companies that showed considerable growth. Factors that judges considered in determining the winner are jobs creation, amount of investment capital raised and technological achievement, among others.

This year’s winners of the Alumni Award are Energy Hub and Power Assure. Energy Hub merited the award after raising an astounding $14.5 million and creating 30 jobs in 2011. Power Assure, on the other hand, boasts of $13.5 million in financing and 43 job creation.

2011 Cleantech Open National Sustainability Awardees

Indow Windows received this year’s National Sustainability Award because of its use of sustainable technology and idea. The company’s business goals are excellently aligned with its strategy for sustainability. Teams that enter the Cleantech Open are given specific mentoring to guarantee that their investor pitch and business plan also include sustainability. Runner-ups of the award were Sanergy and Dragonfly Solutions.

Cleantech Open 2011 Regional Awardees

Six companies that earned the highest accumulated points in their respective region were recognized in the Clean Open Tech Awards. The winners received $10,000 worth of awards, and this is separate from the $20,000 they already received from being regional finalists. Overall winner in California region is b2u Solar, Arctic Sand in Northeast, Lightweight Structures in North Central, Indow Windows in Pacific Northwest, Veritek Coal Processing in Rocky Mountain and Cyclewood Solutions in South Central region.

Global Cleantech Open Ideas Awardee 2011

While Cleantech Open Awards recognize start-up entrepreneurs, the organization goes a step further by looking at companies at the level of grassroots. The company that fulfilled their exacting criteria and bested more than 1,000 applications from 23 countries around the world this year was Biofiltro, a system developed at the University of Chile.

Biofiltro is a system for treating water waste by using microorganisms and worms, both natural means. Instead of the chemical sludge that are the by-products of current common waste water treatments, Biofiltro produces earthworm castings that can be made into organic fertilizer from crops and soil treatment. Not only is this system cheaper, it is also sustainable and it is pro-environment. This system is definitely most welcome for developing countries and the rest of the world, given that clean water is fast becoming scarce. For developing this system, Biofiltro was rewarded with the grand prize of $100,000. It bested 5 other finalists, namely, Biomethodes from France, Black Silicon Solar from Denmark, Cambridge Nanotherm from the United Kingdom, Reformtech from Sweden and Resolute Marine Energy from the USA.

Since this is the second year that innovative clean technology solutions and ideas from around the world were analyzed and awarded, the Cleantech Open is on its way to becoming the catalyst for clean technology start up entrepreneurship globally.

Kimberly is a researcher, writer, business woman, and contributor at entrepreneurweek.com blog network.  She may be reached at eweekcomauthor@gmail.com.

©2011 entrepreneurweek.com, all rights reserved

Credit: PANPOTE / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

People in the world of gadgetry may know Tony Fadell as the brilliant designer of the iPod hardware. This 42-year old technologist also led the iPhone and iPod division prior to resigning from his VP position. After his resignation, there were assumptions on what his next step will be. Thermostat. Even his wife didn’t see that coming.

Reason Behind the Concept

According to Mr. Fadell, currently, there is a significant amount of carbon released into the air, and people are wasting billions of dollars on energy costs, all because of the fact that an automatic and simple way to control temperature is not available. With years of skills and expertise acquired from working in Silicon Valley, he came up with a thermostat that was not only an energy-saver, but it was also brilliant and charming that saving the world while saving energy couldn’t be any more exciting.

Working with the best team from Silicon Valley, from engineers and designers to computer scientists, Mr. Fadell founded a company—Nest Labs—to revolutionize a long neglected, yet extremely vital technology, thermostats.

It didn’t take Mr. Fadell long to get investors excited. Included in the list of investors backing his Silicon Valley startup are venture capitalists Google Ventures, Shasta Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, Lightspeed Ventures, Intertrust and the company backed by Al Gore, Generation Investment Management.

It was the culmination when Nest Labs introduced the Nest Learning Thermostat, the first learning thermostat. The product is available for preorder at Nest.com and Best Buy and shipments are scheduled in November.

iPod of Thermostats

Nest aims to revolutionize every aspect of the device, in such a way that it will make other thermostat units look like an antiquated tape machine beside an iPod. With brushed metal ring of stainless steel and chassis of reflective polymer, Nest reflects any color and blends into any wall. Crisp color digital display is far from the displays of current high-end programmable thermostats, which were reminiscent of the DOS era.

Both an architectural piece and an electronic gadget, Nest Learning Thermostat is beautiful as much as it is functional. Sensors and moving parts, along with a wide range of technological elements are integrated in one small, intuitive package. Its intuitive way of interaction is evident in the way it lights up, when someone comes close to it. With just a push on the display, it will show the menu. Adjusting the temperature is as easy as turning a ring, and after which, it will show the amount of time it will take to achieve the set temperature. When heating, the display turns red, and when cooling, it turns blue.

It is equipped with artificial intelligence and energy saving features, such as Auto-Away and Energy History. With Auto-Away and motion-tracking sensors, it turns the cooling and heating down when no one is home, saving energy in the process. Energy History lets owners know the amount of energy used daily. The device connects to Wi-Fi, and owners can access their Nest online and control temperatures in real time from a smart phone, laptop or tablet. Software updates will be automatic with the Wi-Fi connection.

Equipped with the technology that enables iPod to play music for 24 hours, the Nest enables remote control using the internet even while the device on the wall is asleep and not using external power.

How It Saves on Energy Cost

Homes in the United States, including transportation, are what constitute roughly 10 percent of the total energy consumption of the country. Half of the 10 percent goes to heating and cooling and the rest goes to lighting, heating water, appliances, computers and other electronic devices.

According to experts, homes are achieving 5 percent savings in energy every time a house is kept a degree cooler in the winter and a degree warmer in summer. By changing consumption patterns, such as an average of four degrees, homeowners can easily save 20 percent on energy cost. Less heating and cooling mean lower energy bills and lesser carbon emissions.

Despite the cost of the device, selling on retail at $249, Mr. Fadell asserts that the device will pay for itself after a year in energy savings. Unlike traditional thermostats which are surprisingly inaccurate when it comes to measuring temperature, and are usually off by four or more degrees, Nest is dead-on. It uses multiple sensors to exploit the Microelectromechanical systems technology or MEMS to measure the temperature inside and outside the device. With the same sophisticated algorithm used in the noise-cancelling microphone of iPhone, the device is able to give an accurate reading of the room by discounting the slight heat generated by the device itself.

The artificial intelligence feature of the device contributes to the efficiency of the thermostat. Initially, users will have to set the thermostat three or four times a day, depending on the user’s schedule. The thermostat will then use the daily settings to establish a pattern and regulate temperature based on the pattern.

Nest provides owners with feedback on their energy consumption, and as an incentive to save, it awards owners with a virtual leaf each time they set their thermostat at an energy-saving level.

Nest Labs Future

According to the founder, Nest Labs may offer additional services in the future. Investors of Nest will be excited to know that the company has plans of venturing past thermostats and exploiting other green opportunities in exquisite ways only an elite team of tech geniuses from Silicon Valley can.

Kimberly is a researcher, writer, business woman, and contributor at entrepreneurweek.com blog network.  She may be reached at eweekcomauthor@gmail.com.

©2011 entrepreneurweek.com, all rights reserved

Credit: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

At least eleven hundred jobs could be coming to Indianapolis, and even more to other
locations at a later time, thanks to California entrepreneur Bobby Yanagihara’s plan
to create mobile entertainment trucks. The founder and chief executive officer of the
startup company known as ‘Litebox’ plans to build a one hundred, and twenty-five
thousand square foot plant which will provide jobs for approximately one thousand, one
hundred people.

New Jobs

The new jobs will include anything from marketing, to engineering, to manufacturing.
And those are just within the plant which will manufacture the trucks. Those trucks will
feature a huge Panasonic LED screen television which will be built inside of a custom
trailer. The TV screens will be made so that they can rise up above their trailer, and will
feature various forms of mobile entertainment, such as movie, sporting events, and
live concerts. Once the trucks are completed, this will mean even more jobs in various
locations. He is hoping to have his plant open by the spring of 2012.

Yanagihara will be partnering with both Panasonic and Base Corp. He plans to invest
twenty one million dollars in the building of the plant, and states that he has another
two hundred million in secured funds from private donors. Yanagihara also wishes to
renovate an office building downtown in Indianapolis in which to put a production
studio and office for his Litebox company. If the project goes forward as planned, it is in
line to receive ten million dollars in state economic incentives, which will mainly consist
of tax credits. He could also be granted property tax abatement from the city on Litebox
buildings.

“We Love Visionaries, We Love Inventors, and We Love Entrepreneurs”

According to ‘Indystar.com’, Governor Mitch Daniels was on hand as Yanagihara
made his announcement revealing his project. The governor described Yanagihara as
an entrepreneur who was not afraid of taking risks, and added that the state would
financially support his venture, if he follows through on his plans. Daniels also said to
Yanagihara”We love visionaries, we love inventors, and we love entrepreneurs. You are
all those things.” The governor said to the crowd, “Indiana should be very proud to have
this production based here. You people will be so proud to have new jobs springing up
left and right.” Daniels did point out that the state will not issue any tax breaks or grants
until the jobs which Yanagihara promised have been created.

Yanagihara stated that Lite-box was founded at the beginning of 2011, and currently has
about sixty employees in California, Minnesota, and New York. Those jobs will be staying
put and are not a part of the expected Indiana jobs. He is hoping to get in while the
market for his idea is hot. There are already several competitors, such as Visible Display
Corp in California. That company currently owns eight of the Jumbotron screens which
are mounted on to trucks. Those trucks are leased out for sporting events, political
rallies, concerts, and more. Mark Petree of Visible Display says that as more players
show up in the market, the prices of the screens are going down. Although the demand
for the product is on the rise, the supply is rising as well.

Although Yanagihara does not yet have a working model of his forty-seven foot tall
screen, he plans to have one on display at the Super Bowl next year, which will be held
in Indianapolis on the 5th of February. He is hoping to close the contract on the purchase
of a fifty two acre field within a month. This is where his plant will be located.

©2011 entrepreneurweek.com, all rights reserved

Angela Kaye Mason is an online researcher, writer, and contributor at entrepreneurweek.com blog network. She may be reached at eweekcomauthor@gmail.com. Follow Angela on Twitter. Find her on Facebook .

Credit: Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It may sound like a fairytale, the American Dream. An American starts their own business in the garage of their home, and that business explodes into a huge success. It may seem unbelievable, or to those who know the story of Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, it may seem like a fluke, a once-in-a-lifetime thing, something that could never happen to them. Truth is, it is not really that far of a stretch that it could, and has happened much more often than many realize, and to some of the biggest names in the country.

Unique Garages

Steve Jobs, who passed away on October 5, 2011 at the age of 56 is perhaps the most well-known entrepreneur to start his business in a garage. In 1976, on April fool’s Day, Apple Inc was founded by Jobs and Wozniak in the garage of his Job’s parents, with money the two men got from selling Jobs’ Volkswagen, and a calculator owned by Wozniak. Apple is now the second largest company in the world, in terms of market value, after taking the position from Petro China on September 23, 2010. Exxon Mobile is the current largest company, but was briefly surpassed by Apple in August of 2011. So for a moment in time, a company which began in the garage of a college drop-outs parents’ home became the largest company on the planet.

According to a recent post from ‘History.com’, however, Jobs was not the first entrepreneur to start his business in a garage and cultivate it into a huge, world-wide success. In 1939, Bill Hewlett and David Packard pitched in five hundred and thirty eight dollars to start their company. Newlyweds David and Lucille Packard lived in Palto Alto, California, and Bill Hewlett was living in a shed on their property. The two men started a business in the one-car garage to David and Lucille’s home, developing various electronic devices. That garage is now a historic landmark in the state of California, and that computer business is one of the largest technology companies in the world.

Walt Disney is another popular name across the entire globe, and yet it too started in a garage. Walt Disney himself was born in Missouri in 1923, and moved to Los Angeles, California with his brother, Roy Disney in hopes of making short films which would be part live action and part animation. The two men began working in the garage which belonged to their Uncle Robert, making their revolutionary ideas a reality. Later known as the ‘Alice Comedies’, these films became the start of the largest media conglomerate in the entire world. Ironically, Walt Disney Company purchased Pixar Studios on 2006 from Steve Jobs. The garage that once belonged to Robert Disney was donated to the Stanley Ranch Museum in 1984, after it was rescued from demolition.

Garages Garages

Who knew the world’s most famous doll, Barbie, and her brother, Ken, got their start from a company which began in a garage? Ruth and Elliot Handler lived in California as well, and began to make picture frames in their garage. They expanded to doll furniture, and other toys from the scraps of wood which they had lying around. Although her husband felt that it was a bad idea, Ruth decided to make a doll which looked like an adult woman, instead of the usual “baby” doll. Ruth named the doll after their daughter, Barbie. Later, she designed a male doll which was named Ken, after the couple’s son. The dolls were designed in the 1950′s, and brought Mattel to fame. Ruth became the company president in 1968.

Yet another surprise in the tale of garage start-ups is the story of Google. Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who were students at Stanford University, were working on a research project in the garage of Susan Wojcicki. The project turned out to be a revolutionary search engine, which came to be known as “Google.” Susan was a friend who came to be an employee. Google has since became a globally recognized company, and the word is now even used as a verb. (For example, “I am going to ‘Google’ how to make a birdhouse.”) The house and garage where the company began in the Silicon Valley is now owned by Google.

And who doesn’t like scented candles? Those too got their start in a garage. In the winter of 1969, a teenager in South Hadley, Massachusetts felt bad because he did not have enough money to buy a Christmas present for his mother. Seventeen year old Michael Kittredge came up with the idea to melt down his crayons, and created a scented candle from them for his mom. Neighbors and friends who saw the candle wanted some for themselves, and Kittredge convinced a few friends to help him create them. They worked out of his parents’ garage for a year, until the business became too large, and they had to move into a nearby mill, which was in bad need on renovation. From those young minds, the Yankee Candle Company was formed, and became the largest American maker of candles with literally hundreds of retail stores and international sales.

Angela Kaye Mason is an internet researcher, writer, and contributor at entrepreneurweek.com blog network. She may be reached at eweekcomauthor@gmail.com.

©2011 entrepreneurweek.com, all rights reserved

Credit: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A recent report from ‘USA Today’ shared ideas and tips on how a parent can encourage their children to become entrepreneurs. After interviewing child inventors as well as their parents, many different questions such as, “What are those parents doing different?” were raised and answered.

Use their imagination

One of the first tips which were given is to allow your child to experiment while they are very young. Let their imaginations go free, and give them toys which they can use to create and build things. Some kids may be more artsy and prefer clay, paints, and such. “Cassidy” is one such child, and the daughter of Norm Goldstein, who is the chief Executive Officer of ‘By Kids for Kids’. Cassidy loved to make animals out of pipe cleaners and clay. Other kids may be more technical, and need toys such as Leggos. It is very important to encourage your child while allowing them to find out the areas in which they excel. It is also a very good idea to sit down with them, at a table or on the floor, and not only offer encouragement, but, also play with them.

In addition, It is said to be very important to take children seriously when they have ideas. Far too often, parents simply brush off, or even laugh at thoughts of inventions which kids have. Instead, when a child comes to you with an idea, sit down, talk about it with them, and ask how they would make it work. When Cassidy was upset over her crayons breaking all the time, Norm asked her, “Well what do you think we should do?” Together, they created the Crayon Holders. And when Hart Main thought that someone should create “manly” scented candles named “Man Can,” he was told, “Okay let’s figure out how to make them.”

Move On It

When your child does come up with a great idea, don’t sit on it, or hesitate. First you will have to make sure that the idea has not already been patented. That is very simple to do, by visiting uspto.gov, which is the United States Patent and Trademark Office web site. Then call around to anyone who you know could help with your idea. Hart called a family member who already made candles, and brainstormed his “Man Can” idea. Send hundreds of letters to department stores such as Wal-Mart, asking them to sell your product.

Another thing which is very important to remember is that you should not become too involved. Although there is only so much that your child can do, allow them to do all they can. Encourage them at each and every step, and if they pause, ask such things as, “Okay, that was wonderful! What next?” But do not do everything for them; let them make their own decisions…even at those times when the decision could be a mistake. When children do make those mistakes, encourage them to keep moving. It is important that they learn early on that mistakes will happen, but it is not a stopping point, merely a learning experience. Learning how to fail, and keep going is a very important lesson for a child on the road to entrepreneurship.

Encourage Entrepreneurship

It is a very good idea to get your child involved in groups which encourage entrepreneurship. Whether it be an organization at school, or other groups, such as the Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts, The Future Business Leaders of America, 4H, or others, kids who can bounce ideas off of other kids seem to fair well. Many groups will even sponsor competitions which will help your child grow into entrepreneurship. For Science competitions, you may check Intel and Google. ‘By Kids for Kids’ features all sorts of competitions, in math, science, arts, and sports. Most of these also have a prize of cash, which can boost the child’s college fund.

Angela Kaye Mason is an internet researcher, writer, and contributor at entrepreneurweek.com blog network. She may be reached at eweekcomauthor@gmail.com.

©2011 entrepreneurweek.com, all rights reserved