Mint.com Interview on Crowdfunding

Dr. Letitia Wright has a huge heart for entrepreneurs. She loves their energy and the twinkle in the eyes they get when talking about their product. She’s passionate about helping them because she has personal experience seeking help for running her own business and coming up empty handed.

Wright started her career as a chiropractor, and while she loved the medical part of her job, she struggled with the business side. There weren’t enough clients and she needed a marketing strategy. The lowest point of her journey was when she went to hire a practice management company to help her troubleshoot the business issues and they told her she didn’t make enough money to be one of their clients.

She focused on learning about business herself, eventually creating a TV show in 2000 for entrepreneurs called “The Wright Place,” which offers advice, resources and growth strategies to small business owners.

“I never wanted anyone to feel the punch in the stomach that I felt,” she said.

She stopped seeing patients in 2004 to focus on growing her business career and hasn’t looked back. In the past several years she’s thrown much of her energy at becoming a go-to source for information on crowdfunding, constantly reading new information, following trends, keeping up to date on SEC best practices and growing her knowledge on what is a relatively new way to raise capital for a project.

Working with private clients as well as running her own successful crowd-funding campaigns to pay for a book and workshop has given her plenty of insight on the ins and outs of open source fundraising.

With the economy still struggling and credit being hard to come by, Wright couldn’t have picked a better time to become an expert in alternative methods of paying for an idea.

“You can crowdfund anything,” she said. “It’s fantastic.”

Wright answered questions for Mint about crowdfunding. Here’s what we learned:

What’s the biggest misinformation about crowdfunding?

Read  rest Mint.com Interview Here

Pop-up Shops – Be At The Right Place At The Right Time

Pop-up shops encapsulate all the desirable traits of any commercial property. They are cost effective, easy to set up and involve very low risk. So itís no surprise that their popularity is rising exponentially! There was a time when pop-ups were almost exclusively associated with Halloween, but not anymore. Today, small businesses as well as globally established brands are leveraging the ever increasing potential of pop up shops.

Pop up shops are an excellent option for small business owners and for individuals who are just starting their own business. They can be set up within a matter of a couple of hours and if the location is well thought, they provide a tremendous return on investment. It takes hundreds of thousands of dollars to put together a conventional store ñ however, a pop up shop can be set up for a fraction of that amount. Such shops are also way more convenient as they require minimal paper work.

If a certain business person wishes to open a store in a different part of town, then a pop-up shop enables him/her to gauge the reaction of the local population. If the reaction is positive, then the individual can go ahead and set up a full sledged store but if it is not up to the expectations of the person, then he/she can hunt for a better location. The pop-up store acts as a shield and prevents avoidable losses. Just as you test drive a vehicle before buying it, similarly, a pop-up shop enables a vendor to test out a local market before entering it with full force.

Instantly recognizable brands use pop-ups to reinforce their identity. These shops allow people to connect with the brand more personally. The brands on the other hand get an opportunity to create a memorable experience for potential customers. Pop-ups stores feature attractive themes and have strong visual and cultural appeal. Thus, they are a very effective tool for impressing the values of a certain brand upon the public. Companies often use pop-ups to showcase new products or limited editions of existing products.

Pop ups cater to everybody. They can be customized according to individual needs, preferences and most importantly ñ budget. They are ideal for products which hold relevance only during a particular period or season. For example: Beachwear sells extremely well during summer, childrenís toys go up in demand during the holiday season, umbrellas during the rainy season – you get the point. Many business owners set up different types of pop-up shops based upon current events ñ these include Valentineís Day gifts, Motherís day gifts, biking gear and souvenir stores at car and bike exhibitions, health products, natural medicines, teas, coffees, exotic handicraft materials, food, themed costumes and so on.

The success of a pop-up shop is heavily dependent on several factors such as choice of location, relevance of products and most importantly ñ ability to attract potential customers. People should feel the need to check out the pop-up shops. It should be stylish and must appeal to the curiosity of the public. Pop-ups usually have very limited marketing budgets and they must often rely solely on stunning, striking graphics in order to attract people.

Some of the best pop-up shops in the world are created by PrimaryColor. Some of their clients include Volkswagen, BenQ, Reebok, Pacsun etc.

We found their pop-up shop for PacSun was wonderful, done in the trendy SoHo district in New York City. We also thoroughly enjoyed the work they did in Paris France, setting up an amazing looking Pop Up Shop for Urban Decay

Instant Chafing Relief

Finally a Solution: Instant Chafing Relief!

Finally a Solution: Instant Chafing Relief

It’s a problem that plagues almost all women of all shapes and sizes.  It’s the most dreaded issue in the summertime months, yet it’s the least spoken about.  Chafing.  The flab drab that will steer any woman away from her little black dress, especially in the summer heat.  A lot of venues offer instant chafing relief with exercise, magic potions, elixirs, and creams, with sometimes disappointing results.  Can there really be instant chafing relief?  We think so.

Who Knew Instant Chafing Relief Could Be So….Messy?

Chafing is actually a bigger deal than what most think, which is why it’s sent many women rushing to find instant chafing relief.  Chafing can be an irritating problem, causing blistering, bleeding, and sometimes sores, depending on the frequency of friction.  Running, walking and jogging without proper athletic wear or apparel can make matters even worse overtime, causing a great deal of pain. Raw skin can appear, where infection may follow.  Should all of this be the cost of bearing those lady legs?

So admit it.  You’ve probably tried every known remedy to find instant chafing relief.  You’ve tried powders, messy gels and even natural remedies.  Brand name gels claiming to relieve and prevent thigh chafing have lined your medicine cabinet. Some turn to unflattering and uncomfortable girdles, only to continue the cycle of discomfort. But all you seem to be left with are stains on your favorite dress, unflattering stich lines, and gel running down your thigh.  This can oftentimes be a hassle, especially during the season of short shorts and minis.

Instant chafing relief has been advertised in many miracle solutions, but none have been very viable and well…instant. That is until Bandelettes came along. Bandelettes are the simple, yet sexy solution to the inconvenience of creams and home remedies.  Resembling the top band of thigh high tights, Bandelettes combines sex appeal and comfort, and can be worn underneath shorts, skirts, and dresses with no notice of unruly stitch line.

Instant Chafing Relief: Chafing Thighs vs. “Chub Rub”

This product takes into consideration the real cause of chafing, which is not related to size, but to body structure.  The relative angle of the hips, thighs and knees usually determine the severity of chafing.  With this in mind, consumers can rest assured that the design will fit their needs (and did we mention, sexy lace?).  Its design carries silicone, non-slip bands, which means it’s staying in place.  So far we’ve seen users that testify to its comfort and attractive styles. Consumers have been raving that Bandelettes are breathable and lightweight, which means no adjusting.

In a world of fast paced consumers, many look for the instant way to solve common issues.  Chafing, although its discomforts only show on the faces of women during the summer months, is a common issue that everyone experiencing it attempts to find instant relief of.

« Previous Page — Next Page »