How Small Businesses Can Protect Ideas: Trademarks, Servicemarks, Patents, and Copyrights

101 of patent, trademark, servicemark, and copyright for small business and entrepreneurs. A discussion of patent “bullying” and protecting your patent, protection your reputation, and does social media change the landscape for patents, copyrights, and trademarks?

How to Start a Business – Quick and Free Tips Part 2

So you have a business idea. (No business idea? Register here and complete “Mind Mapping” exercise in Module 2).The question is: What should I do next? Here are a few steps you can take in a few hours.

Top Low Cost and Free Small Business Tools – Part #4 The Best of the Rest

This is the final post in our series of low cost and free business tools for small business. Today, we’ll approach the area of cheap business resources just as you might: Googling! After each listing, we’ll evaluate who makes it in this post and why. For educators, this can also be a good exercise in critical thinking and filtering skills for students in this era of information overload.

Top Low Cost and Free Small Business Tools for Start Ups – Part #2

At the 2009 World Business Forum in New York, global leaders in business stated the importance of running lean and mean during this down economy. With the expense of health care coverage, especially for small business, the need for access the tips in this series have never been more pertinent. Below is the second in a series of our favorite free and low cost tools for small businesses and starts ups.

Free & Low Cost Tips for Start Up Businesses – Part #1 – From Robert Tuchman & Young Guns

Robert Tuchman is a young entrepreneur success story going from a one-bedroom apartment to a $70 million dollar company in the sports marketing industry.

Top Planning Secrets of Million Dollar Entrepreneurs – Part 1

This is the first part in a series on business planning exercises for entrepreneurs. The exercises shared in this series represent an exclusive look inside the elite entrepreneurial group EO (formerly known as YEO – Young Entrepreneurs Organization). EO members must have businesses with a minimum of $1,000,000 in revenues. Below is what EO members recently learned during an Executive Management Program in Boston, MA:

#4-How Entrepreneurs Are Surviving the Financial Crisis

This is the last in our series on what specific steps entrepreneurs are taking to survive the slow economy. In this post we feature Jennifer Folsom, Director of Mom-Entum Resources (http://www.mom-entum.com/). The company matches high-performing individuals with part time work. Jennifer notes the following about their operations given the current state of the economy:

#3-How Entrepreneurs Are Surviving the Financial Crisis

Entrepreneurial skills are good ones to have, especially during a slow economy. This series focuses on the top survival tips from successful entrepreneurs on getting through the crisis. In this post we feature Marty Janis President & CEO, Atlantic Services Group (www.AtlanticServicesGroup.com). The company provides valet, transportation, garage management, and maintenance services.

The #1 Piece of Business Knowledge Entrepreneurs Wish They Knew – Part 3

yef-logoThis is the third part of a series fueled by a single question asked to successful entrepreneurs:

“What is the #1 piece of business information you wish you had known when you were younger?”

Today’s answer: Give it away for free & build your network

Finding Role Models for People Young and Old

Many parents, employers, and young entrepreneurs are looking for role models for their kids, staff and themselves.  Where to start? Here is one idea:  Role Models on Paper from the new beta site: The Hot Mommas Project free case study library. Below you will find more on the project, as well as suggested exercise for parents, educators, and young entrepreneurs.

The Hot Mommas® Project produces curricula for dynamic female leaders. However, as you will see below that the cases are appropriate for both young men and women seeking role models.  On of the main reasons is the  award-winning case studies  showcase not only successful business practices, but also successful personal practices including the identification of leadership abilities and work-life balance strategies. The project is  housed at the George Washington University School of Business.  The project is popular in the social media community – hence the edgy name – and allows instructors the opportunity to connect with case protagonists on their Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other pages.

Suggested Exercise:

Need a student or young adult to tap into their potential? As  a creative extra credit assignment or family book club, have your young role model write their own mini case study (500-1500 words). Use the case study wizard at www.HotMommasProject.org beta site (About). Here is what to do:

1. Prep the student with the template at the bottom of this page.
2. Have students choose “Create a new case” at www.HotMommasProject.org (must be 18 or older).
3. Women choose “F” and men choose “M” in their profile.
4. Move through the case wizard steps, click “publish at the end.”
5. Go to “Case Library”, click “View” and send you the link as proof they have completed their case study.

Bonus: If their case study is good enough, they could be published in a top Prentice Hall textbook, other media outlets, plus receive thousands of dollars in  prizes as part of the case study competition through January 31.  See judging criteria.

For more information, click this post.

To nominate your young role model, click this post.

For virtual coaching, click here.

Here are two examples of case studies by students/young adults.

http://www.hotmommasproject.org/caseview.aspx?id=81

http://www.hotmommasproject.org/caseview.aspx?id=80

Alternative exercise:

Sign in at www.HotMommasProject.org and select 5 cases to read.  Answer the following questions:

1. Which is your favorite, and why?

2. Which person is the strongest professional role model, and why?

3. Which person is the strongest personal role model, and why?

4. Do you think it’s possible for someone to be both a personal and a professional role model? Discuss.