all about Tatto Business Ideas
Friday, 28 January 2011
Uncle Milton Uncle Milton Giant Ant Farm Story
Uncle Milton Uncle Milton Giant Ant Farm
Milton Levine liked to give his customers advice from the Bible: "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise."
Mr. Levine, who died Jan. 16 at age 97, knew whereof he spoke. He introduced the Ant Farm to America in 1956.
A mail-order entrepreneur, Mr. Levine said he came to the revelation at a Fourth of July picnic that included the inevitable uninvited insect guests.
Mr. Levine developed the narrow green plastic case with barn and windmill that became a toy sensation of 1957-58, when two million were sold.
Mr. Levine made no claims to have invented the formicarium, as homes for ants are formally called. A patent on one was issued in 1937 to a Dartmouth professor who made and sold "Ant Palaces" from a workshop in Hanover, Vt.
But Mr. Levine, who knew a lot about ants despite lacking formal training, insisted the formicarium was older still. "They're about as old as glass itself," he told The Wall Street Journal in 1958.
The son of Russian Jewish immigrants, Mr. Levine was born in Pittsburgh. His father was a dry cleaner, and Mr. Levine's main contact with ants came on visits to his uncle's farm, where he gathered them into mini-terrariums he constructed in Mason jars.
After serving in the Army in World War II, he and his brother-in-law, E. Joseph Cossman, started a mail-order business selling toy soldiers through ads in comic books. Later, they sold novelties like shrunken heads and spud guns.
The Ant Farm was initially sold by mail and later through retailers nationwide. Each Ant Farm came with a coupon for a vial of ants that was mailed separately, since ants don't have a long shelf life.
The ants themselves—red ants known as Pogonomyrmex californicus—were collected in the desert by workers armed with shovels and vacuums. At first they were paid a penny per ant, and the Christian Science Monitor reported in 1967 that the most productive of them made $3,000 weekly.
In 1965, Mr. Levine bought out Mr. Cossman, who went on to become a marketing consultant and author of "How I Made A Million In Mail Order."
Mr. Levine renamed his company Uncle Milton Industries—he said it was "Uncle" Milton because people often asked him if he was in the ant business, where was the uncle?
In a 1970 book Mr. Levine wrote, "Ant Facts and Fantasies," he explained that "this writer is of the opinion that ants are truly socialist. After all, their life is truly a communal one."
As the Cold War was winding down in 1989, Uncle Milton Industries sent representatives to Moscow to explore selling Ant Farms in the Soviet Union.
Uncle Milton Industries also offered products involving live butterflies and frogs, and other science-oriented toys.
Mr. Levine's son, Steven Levine, took over the business in the 1980s. It was sold to a private-equity firm in 2010.
"I love ants," Mr. Levine told Smithsonian magazine in 1989. "They're the greatest things on Earth. I've got three kids, and ants put them all through college. I never even step on ants, I tell you. Never."
For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.
[Via - WSJ]
The Million-Dollar Idea in Everyone: Easy New Ways to Make Money from Your Interests, Insights, and Inventions
IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea
How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy
101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than One Thousand Dollars: For Stay-at-Home Moms & Dads
Make Your Ideas Mean Business
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You
Thursday, 27 January 2011
Two Ways To Profit From Pizza
http://pizzaacasa.com/
Last year The Village Voice declared Mark Bello's pizza one of the three best in New York City. And it is sensational: a thin, crisp crust paved with the ideal balance of cheese and sauce, finished with fresh basil and a drizzle of top-grade olive oil.
But you can't buy it. You have to make it. And this in a city with more than 1,800 pizzerias.
Bello is the founder of Pizza a Casa, a "pizza self-sufficiency center" on the Lower East Side where he passes on what he's learned over a lifetime obsessing on the perfect pie. Students spend four hours and $150 learning how to make something they could buy--in cheesier form--for about $2 on most street corners. The classes, offered three days a week, sell out so fast he recommends signing up two months in advance; demand is so strong he has started offering pasta sessions as well.
Bello, who is self-taught, had been giving pizza classes around the city and in his own apartment in Chinatown for five years before he decided to literally set up shop, with a kitchen classroom and pizza equipment to sell, from peels to wheels. Student reaction to his personality and his itinerant classes had been so enthusiastic--both word-of-mouth and on online survey sites like Zerve.com--that last April he opened with a waiting list.
Pizza a Casa is a niche business, but Bello notes that more and more Americans are willing to pay to learn to cook at home, especially in this economy. And hands-on is a better way to learn than watching television or reading a cookbook. "Simple food is not easy, and aspiring pizza-makers know that," he says.
Using his arts background--he has a master's degree in sculpture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago--Bello designed every inch of the stylish 450-square-foot space. There's a trestle table down the center outfitted with a marble slab for each of as many as 16 students and a tiny station in one corner where he can demonstrate his "deejay-twist" action to stretch dough and have it telecast by "dough cam" onto the overhead screen next to the home-style ovens.
Bello opened on a Manhattan shoestring: less than $150,000 from a furniture business he started after grad school and turned over to a partner. He also says he was "not afraid to pick up a power tool" or to barter like crazy. One example: "I wanted to show you can make pizza in any oven," so he presented his business plan to the Viking appliance company and persuaded it to donate equipment.
Bello chose the right location, too, on the same block as the famous Kossar's Bialys shop and the Doughnut Plant, which draws tourists even from Japan. Then he let former students and friends in the media spread the word.
More than 1,000 students have baked their way through Pizza a Casa, turning out 2,300-plus pizzas. Friends of former students and repeat students who bring friends and family typically make up a majority of the classes.
"Most of my students have never touched flour in their lives," the New York City native says. But Bello also has taught restaurateurs, some from as far away as Turkey and Paraguay, who want to "up their pizza game."
Bello has a book proposal in the works and says expansion is a possibility, too. But for now, "the class is dependent on me," he says. "I don't want to make it cookie-cutter."
For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.
[Via - Entrepreneur]
The Million-Dollar Idea in Everyone: Easy New Ways to Make Money from Your Interests, Insights, and Inventions
IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea
How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy
101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than One Thousand Dollars: For Stay-at-Home Moms & Dads
Make Your Ideas Mean Business
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
Solar Cinema
http://www.thesolcinema.org/
Cinemas around the world are faced with the challenge of recapturing the public's imagination, creating a compelling experience to drag customers away from their smaller-screen rivals. The latest attempt we've spotted has taken a micro approach, creating a tiny cinema from a 1960s caravan to showcase films from the local area.
The Sol Cinema seats just 8 adults or 12 children in quirky surrounds, featuring two tiers of plush seating and an LED projector. A dedicated usher sells tickets and shows the audience to their seats. Furthermore, the entire operation is powered by a 120W solar panel and lithium batteries. The cinema is part of a non-profit project and is available to organisations wishing to showcase short films in their local community. It has already toured a number of music and arts festivals in the UK.
The Sol Cinema has been attracting a lot of attention for its novel approach in the UK. Combining an intimate auditorium with local content and an eco-twist seems to be a winning formula. What lessons can you learn and apply in your local market...?
For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.
[Via - Springwise]
The Million-Dollar Idea in Everyone: Easy New Ways to Make Money from Your Interests, Insights, and Inventions
IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea
How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy
101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than One Thousand Dollars: For Stay-at-Home Moms & Dads
Make Your Ideas Mean Business
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You
Friday, 14 January 2011
Funhouse Artist : FESTER
Tuesday, 11 January 2011
10 Business Ideas That Are Both Stupid And Profitable
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You
1000000 pixels, charge a dollar per pixel – that’s perhaps the dumbest idea for online business anyone could have possible come up with. Still, Alex Tew, a 21-year-old who came up with the idea, is now a millionaire.
2. PickyDomains
Hire another person to think of a cool domain name for you? No way people would pay for this. Actually, naming domain names for others turned out a thriving business, especially, when you make the entire process risk free. PickyDomains currently has a waiting list of people who want to PAY the service to come up with a snappy memorable domain name. PickyDomains is expected to hit six figures this year. Full Story
3. Doggles
Create goggles for dogs and sell them online? Boy, this IS the dumbest idea for a business. How in the world did they manage to become millionaires and have shops all over the world with that one? Beyond me.
4. LaserMonks
LaserMonks.com is a for-profit subsidiary of the Cistercian Abbey of Our Lady of Spring Bank, an eight-monk monastery in the hills of Monroe County, 90 miles northwest of Madison. Yeah, real monks refilling your cartridges. Hallelujah! Their 2005 sales were $2.5 million! Praise the Lord. Full Story
5. AntennaBalls
You can’t sell antenna ball online. There is no way. And surely it wouldn’t make you rich. But this is exactly what Jason Wall did, and now he is now a millionaire. Full Story
6. FitDeck
Create a deck of cards featuring exercise routines, and sell it online for $18.95. Sounds like a disaster idea to me. But former Navy SEAL and fitness instructor Phil Black reported last year sales of $4.7 million. Surely beats what military pays.
How would you like to go on a date with an HIV positive person? Paul Graves and Brandon Koechlin thought that someone would, so they created a dating site for HIV positive folks last year. Projected 2006 sales are $110,000, and the two hope to have 50,000 members by their two-year mark.
Christie Rein was tired of carrying diapers around in a freezer bag. The 34-year-old mother of three found herself constantly stuffing diapers for her infant son into freezer bags to keep them from getting scrunched up in her purse. Rein wanted something that was compact, sleek and stylish, so in November 2004, she sat down with her husband, Marcus, who helped her design a custom diaper bag that’s big enough to hold a travel pack of wipes and two to four diapers. With more than $180,000 in sales for 2005, Christie’s company, Diapees & Wipees, has bags in 22 different styles, available online and in 120 boutiques across the globe for $14.99.
9. SantaMail
Ok, how’s that for a brilliant idea. Get a postal address at North Pole, Alaska, pretend you are Santa Claus and charge parents 10 bucks for every letter you send to their kids? Well, Byron Reese sent over 200000 letters since the start of the business in 2001, which makes him a couple million dollars richer. Full Story
Fake wishbones. Now, this stupid idea is just destined to flop. Who in the world needs FAKE PLASTIC wishbones? A lot of people, it turns out. Now producing 30,000 wishbones daily (they retail for 3 bucks a pop) Ken Ahroni, the company founder, expects 2006 sales to reach $1 million.
To see other businesses that have not made the top 10 list but came pretty close, visit Uncommon Business Ideas Blog
10+ Unusual Ways To Make Easy Money On The Internet If You Love Writing
Startups That Work: Surprising Research on What Makes or Breaks a New Company
Start Your Own Business for $1,000 or Less
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You
Monday, 10 January 2011
Top 3 Cute Tattoo Designs For Girls
There are many popular designs of Cute Tattoos For Girls. Among those that top the lists of most popular ones are the following:
Stars
Stars are interpreted as light and energy and have been known in the ancient times as a means of guidance. Egyptians look up to the stars in anticipation of people's fate in the afterlife. Servants of the Pharaoh refer to the stars to predict their master's fate. In medieval times, the study of the stars led to the development of the calendar. Stars illuminated the night sky and have been used as a reference to for direction back when the compass was yet to be invented. The great northern star was what led the three kings to the location of the Christ's stable in the story of the Nativity. The location and alignment of the stars also serve as reference for astrologers to predict the future of people born under different zodiacs.
Butterflies
Butterflies are known for their beauty. They come in different colors and sizes and are often mesmerizing. Girls opt for this design especially because of the beautiful patterns, colors and what it represents. Butterflies stand for independence. Often perceived as a feminine symbol, it represents the female strength and beauty combined.
Tribal Tattoos
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Locating Cute and Sexy Ankle Tattoo Designs For Girls and Women
Keep it Small
One of the most important things to remember tis that the ankle is a not a very big area to get a tattoo done on. It is a small canvas so to speak so you really want to adjust the design that you are looking for to fit the space. For example a ankle tattoo is probably not the idea place to get a big Japanese print theme done. So you want to think small in the beginning and keep you ideas hovered around small designs that will work well in the area. Yes designs can be shrunk to fit better and resized to some degree. However, you don't want to shrink it down or up to much.
Not To Intricate
Another thing to carefully think about and plan ahead of getting the tattoo is you want something that is not to intricate. If you are going for a very small and complex Celtic knot work tattoo it is for sure going to fade with time and not look that hot. In fact it will end up as a big ink blob on your ankle. So keep in mind you want something that is small and not to intricate or it will turn into a blob of ink.
Lots of Color
One good thing is you can incorporate a good amount of color in the design. By using bright and strong color combinations you will make the tattoo really pop and stand out on the ankle.
Benefits of Ankle Tattoos
There are a lot of benefits to ankle tattoo designs and this is why they are so popular among women. First of all you don't have to worry much about the sun fading the tattoo design much over time. Typically the ankle does not get a lot of direct sunlight and it is usually easily covered up with a sock. Therefore the design will stay bright and strong for a long time to come and not need much touching up or sunscreen. Another benefit is they are easy to keep hidden in the professional work place if needed. Last they are often less expensive because of their size and ease of design.
Ankle tattoos are always make a cute and sexy feminine tattoo design that works great for girls. Just remember the points above and make sure you don't get a design that is to large or to intricate and you should end up with a tattoo that you love for a long time to come.
Cute, Small, and Pretty Feminine Tattoo Designs Ideas
Butterfly Tattoos |
The butterfly tattoos are the most popular design for women. They are simple and elegant, without being overly gaudy. Butterfly tattoos are considered visually pleasing and definitely feminine. Having a life size or smaller beautifully designed butterfly on your ankle or shoulder is both graceful and pretty. For some people, there are special meanings in butterfly tattoos. Depending on the culture, they can mean rebirth, transformation, delicate beauty, freedom or good luck.
Tribal Tattoos
Tribal tattoos are a popular choice for many. One major advantage in tribal tattoos is that they use black ink, which does not fade as fast as other colors. They lend themselves for being placed in locations that are quiet popular among people wanting tattoos, such as the upper arm, back and lower back. There are so many tribal styles to choose from or you can easily design your own. Flower Tattoos Nothing is more girly than a flower tattoo and that is why they are considered to be very feminine. The large variety in flower tattoo designs makes them an attractive option for females wanting their first tattoo. The various flowers have different meanings and this also makes them popular. Flower tattoos can also be combined with other designs, such as butterflies, ladybugs, vines or hummingbirds, to make a spectacular overall tattoo design. Among flower tattoos the perennial favorite is and has always been the rose.
Fairy Tattoos
The mystical and legendary fairy is considered one of the cutest and prettiest tattoo designs. Since fairies are usually feminine and tiny by nature, the designs for fairy tattoos follow these same aspects. There is a degree of nostalgic appeal with the fairy tattoos. Legend says that the fairy originates from Celtic mythology and they are believed to have special magical powers at their disposal. Fairies can easily be combined to make a pretty and feminine collage design.
Heart Tattoos
The universal symbol for love and relationships is the heart and that is why they are such a popular tattoo design option. Small hearts are considered to be very cute and adorable. Many people get the heart tattoo with the name of their loved one written across the heart, to symbolize their undying love for each other. Regardless of what you are looking for in a tattoo design, you are sure to find many designs that are cute, small and feminine. In choosing a tattoo design, make sure you select a design that you like and will be happy with for a long time.
Sexy and Cute Tattoo Designs For Girls
Female tattoos
For the first fifty or sixty years after tattooing became commonplace and even mainstream in modern society, few women got tattoos – in fact, those that did were the exception and usually a touch eccentric or rebellious.
All that changed about twenty years ago when tattooing became more socially acceptable, largely due to the many celebrities who publicly sported tattoos. Some of these were women, and so the female tattoo became more common and acceptable. Nowadays most people find female tattoos sexy and attractive, they certainly aren't offensive anymore.
That having been said it’s still true that more men than women get tattoos and it’s even true that there is a little element of social rebellion inherent in a woman’s decision to get a tattoo, although this is less and less the case, tattoos are more like a fashion item these days.
However, female ink is no longer shocking, and we no longer jump to conclusions about a woman’s moral character based on whether or not she has a few tattoos!
Butterfly tattoos
Flower tattoos
Star tattoos
Fairy tattoos
Cute Girly Tattoo Designs
Tattooing is an ancient body art which has managed to maintain its popularity even though thousands of years have passed since the first tattoo was created. The art of tattooing has evolved greatly, nowadays tattoo guns perform he desired design in the most amazing and realistic manner. You can choose cute girly tattoos if you are a girl and want to enhance your femininity through body art and there are a variety of cool monochrome or colored designs to choose from.
Choosing the right tattoo deign is a must when deciding to get a tattoo as tattoos will permanently (if you choose a permanent tattoo) mark your skin. It is true that tattoos can be removed using laser, however a permanent scar will be created, thus your skin will not look like it used to before choosing a tattoo.
The new techniques allow talented tattoo artists to create some of the most realistic tattoos and if you are looking for a tattoo design which will make you look unique but still maintain your femininity, inspire yourself from the following girly tattoo ideas as they are popular and can allow you to personalize your tattoo design to suit your preference and style: