Ruby Tuesday Pick of the Week: WriteGirl
Why It’s a Gem: The power of the pen (or pixel) can empower high school girls

There’s a lot of rumbling about the collapse of today’s public education system, but very few voices have offered up solid ideas on how to fix it. The most successful tactics oftentimes seem to be undertaken by third-party organizations, rather than programs established and run by the schools themselves. That’s why Stewart and I have given our support to such programs, including P.S. ARTS and the Los Angeles-based WriteGirl, which has taken on the enormous task of “empowering [high school] girls through mentorship and self-expression.” (more…)

Ruby Tuesday Pick of the Week: Science Commons
Why It’s a Gem: Eliminating red tape and developing new protocols makes sharing research easier than ever – which puts all cures within closer reach

Researchers around the world are hard at work on cures for most every ailment and disease. But until now, there was no system – let alone incentive – for sharing their discoveries, leaving researchers working independently in their own silos, possibly duplicating the same mistakes as their colleagues around the globe. It wasn’t unusual for decades to pass before any significant progress was made on a study.

But that’s all changing. Just as parent organization Creative Commons has made sharing artistic endeavors both easy and profitable, Science Commons is using that same open-access model to enable the scientific research community to both find and share their studies, thereby enabling an approach to sharing data that just might revolutionize the scientific world. My interview with John Wilbanks was a fitting way to cap off Open Access Week. (more…)

Ruby Tuesday Pick of the Week: HIB-System
Why It’s a Gem: DIY homebuilding comes of age with a LEGO-like solution that’s as simple as it is environmental

Most every kid who has played with LEGOs has dreamed of living in a house of her own construction. Now that dream has come closer to reality, with the innovative design from Germany’s HIB-System, a company that produces wooden tongue-in-groove building blocks that most anyone can assemble into the house of their dreams, minus the bumpy green lawn and plastic pine tree.

After building more than 100 homes in Germany using this system, HIB has now come to the United States, where it hopes to make a splash in the eco-competition being held in Greensburg, Kans., a town devastated by a tornado in 2007 and now looking to rebuild its community with affordable, sustainable housing. While the HIB system still requires some help from construction professionals such as plumbers and electricians, the overall frame of the home can be done in just a few days by one person, and with the building blocks weighing no more than 55 pounds each, you can even forego the traditional heavy machinery. Welcome to the new age of DIY.
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Ruby Tuesday Pick of the Week: International Virtual Assistants Association
Why It’s a Gem: Get Just the Right Amount of Support You Need — No Commitment Necessary

Our lives have become virtual — virtual money (ATM cards), virtual sales clerks (online shopping carts), virtual relationships (texting). So why not virtual assistants? And, as with other forms of technology, the world of virtual assistants is evolving to encompass more industries and skills sets than most brick-and-mortar entrepreneurs might have believed possible. (more…)

Do you know a business that is doing well despite the recession? Does your small business use a company or service that has helped you compete with the big guys? If so, then Lynda wants to hear from you. “Ruby Tuesday” is accepting nominations for companies to profile in the now bi-weekly column, where Lynda Resnick and the executive of the week share their insights into marketing and business solutions for the new economy. Submit your candidate for consideration in an upcoming column.

Need business advice? In “Ask Lynda,” the POM Queen answers your marketing and entrepreneurial questions. Submit your question today.

Ruby Tuesday Pick of the Week: Business Talent Group
Why It’s a Gem: This new piece of human capital infrastructure enables talent to have a different kind of professional life and companies to have the ultimate flexibility

With the business world undergoing a seismic shift, companies need to be nimble to adapt to the ever-changing forces at work. And nowhere is being nimble more important than in any business’ most valuable asset: its workforce.

By monitoring trends in her own career as an executive, Jody Miller identified a highly undeveloped niche – one that hinges on the unpredictable nature of human interactions and personalities – and showed that being flexible could turn unpredictability into profits. (more…)

Ruby Tuesday Pick of the Week: 1% For The Planet
Why It’s a Gem: This mighty little organization makes it easy – and profitable – for businesses to help out the planet

Why are we here? A big question. Businesses should be profitable for their stakeholders and their employees, but in these desperate times, business must also give back. The needs of our society are so great and government is stretched beyond its capacity. A company that isn’t helping to make the world a better place – either through the inherent value of its product or service or through charitable giving – isn’t realizing its potential. “Doing well by doing good” is good for business, too. Because consumers also care that those they do business with are good citizens of the planet.

I’m sure there are many businesses out there that would like to practice this ethic but are unsure of how to go about it. That’s where 1% For The Planet comes in. Read on to learn how this mighty little organization is affecting big changes for our planet, and how your business can join in. (more…)

Ruby Tuesday Pick of the Week: Zoomerang
Why It’s a Gem: Traditional methods of market research get tossed out the browser window as the Internet offers cheaper, faster methods

Not so long ago, businesses had to shuck out tens of thousands of dollars to learn what their customers thought of their product or new idea. Not only that, but it could take months – even years – before they saw results.

In recent Ruby Tuesdays, we’ve seen how the Internet is making the marketplace a level playing field by introducing technologies that are affordable to businesses of all sizes. From legal documents to customer service, businesses have a wide array of options to replace the antiquated methods of the past. This week, we see how one company has helped revolutionize the way businesses do market research. (more…)

Ruby Tuesday Pick of the Week: Ning
Why It’s a Gem: Creating an online community used to cost a small fortune; now it’s affordable for businesses of all sizes

Value. Unique selling proposition. Community/transparency. I refer to these three concepts as the Three Gems, the pillars on which any business must be built if it hopes to grow and survive.

When most people think of the third gem, the first brands that spring to mind are Twitter and Facebook – both wonderful tools, but they comprise only two pieces of the social-networking puzzle. Ning brings the picture one step closer to completion, with an affordable solution that has helped millions of small businesses build social networks that are big on community and small on cost. (more…)

Ruby Tuesday Pick of the Week: Solexx/Adaptive Plastics
Why It’s a Gem: Solexx greenhouses are the epitome of sustainability made easy

Slow food. Organic. Local produce. Healthful, sustainable food is no longer a trend; it’s become part of the nation’s social conscience, with even the First Family raising their own victory garden.

With 20 years’ experience in the market, Adaptive Plastics is taking the next step by introducing a modular greenhouse that makes growing so simple even those of us with brown thumbs can raise a bumper crop – for a fraction of the price of store-bought organics.
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