Sometimes a product stands out so much that I just have to talk to the visionary behind it. Such is the case with Monica Williams’ creation, Pacimals, a combination pacifier/plush toy that she created after noticing that daughter Mackenzie kept dropping her pacifier, something that drives most tots to tears. That small observation has morphed into a new product that begs to be noticed in an already-saturated baby-product market.

In this week’s Ask Lynda, I break from the regular letter format to speak directly with the radiologist-turned-entrepreneur, who never expected that her email asking for business advice would prompt a response – much less an hour-long phone call from the author of the book she’d just read. “Holy cow – you replied!” Yes, Monica. Your product was just too cute and inventive to pass up!

(more…)

Ruby Tuesday Pick of the Week: UsedCardboardBoxes.com
Why It’s a Gem: If at first you don’t succeed, try a leaner, greener business model.

When Marty Metro’s first business model to sell used cardboard boxes failed, it didn’t get him down. His passion for his idea kept him retinkering until he got it right. Today, UsedCardboardBoxes.com is a financial – and environmental – success story. (more…)

Logo of Zilok.com, the online rental marketplace

Ruby Tuesday Pick of the Week: Zilok.com
Why It’s a Gem: A super-lean business model provides a green way for customers to both save and make money.

With the success of such super-sites as eBay and Craigslist, you might think there wasn’t room in cyberspace for another customer-to-customer website. But Zilok, which came on the market just two years ago and already has sites in five countries, has carved a green niche for itself by providing an alternative to buying and bartering: renting.

Not only does this idea come at a time when our sagging economy is making us rethink our long-standing belief that we “need” to own as much possible, but it’s also an environmentally friendly solution to what to do with all that clutter we have stuffed into our closets and garages. (more…)

Ruby Tuesday Pick of the Week: Fetch! Pet Care
Why It’s a Gem: Along with liquor, the pet industry is one of the few that has proven to be recession proof.

Ruby Tuesday: Fetch! Pet Care, Paul Mann (MP3)

With all the evangelical pessimism being spread by the media, I want to bring you some good news: There are industries that have been relatively untouched by the recession. Some, in fact, are thriving.

This week’s Ruby Tuesday spotlights a company whose franchises are multiplying faster than rabbits — and they’re helping to create more jobs and franchise opportunities in the process. How’s that for news to get your tail wagging? (more…)

Ruby Tuesday Pick of the Week: MyOpenBar.com
Why It’s a Gem: Community building and free samples have built a hobby into a genuine business venture.

Ruby Tuesday: MyOpenBar.com, Jason Fried (MP3)

Even in an up economy, the word “free” is one of marketing’s most popular buzzwords. Who can resist free? Jason Fried of MyOpenBar.com took the concept of giving something away for free and turned it into a viable business venture that has seen his company’s growth explode ever since the economy took a nosedive. Jason spoke with me about the key components to MyOpenBar’s success: community, public relations, and believing so strongly in his product that he gives it away for free. (more…)

Ruby Tuesday Pick of the Week: Custom and Private
Why It’s a Gem: Founder Cliff Strome’s passion is all the fuel this small business needs

Ruby Tuesday: Custom and Private (MP3)

To be truly successful, you have to have passion. It’s essential. An entrepreneur without passion is like a New York City cab with a flat tire: It sits stuck in one place while the world passes it by.

Cliff Strome, Founder of Custom and Private Tours

Cliff Strome of New York’s Custom and Private tours is living proof that passion can drive success. After technology forced him into a new line of work, he finally heeded his “bliss” and struck out on his dream career: Giving clients a personalized view of the city he both loves and knows inside and out. The old nine-to-five job? Not for this entrepreneurial fellow. (more…)

Ruby Tuesday Pick of the Week: INK Inc.
Why It’s a Gem: By making a simple change to the traditional business model that public relations firms have used for decades, INK has attracted a spate of new business

Ruby Tuesday: INK Inc. (MP3)

“You get what you pay for.” In the old-school world of public relations, that chestnut didn’t always hold true. The system was based on high retainers, which clients paid whether or not they saw results. That’s like paying the lease on a Maserati and not getting to take it out of your driveway.

But a Kansas City, Missouri-based firm is changing the PR landscape. At a time when many businesses are cutting PR as the first step in tightening budgets, Dick Grove’s INK Inc. is finding its new-business pipeline flooded like a tsunami. How’d they do it? (more…)

For the first time in company history, Teleflora will advertise during the Super Bowl.

For the first time in our company’s history, Teleflora has purchased a spot on the Super Bowl. It is also the first time in 20 years that a floral company has bought commercial time during the big game.

The timing couldn’t be better. With Valentine’s Day following just two weeks after the Super Bowl, we’re giving guys a heads-up that if they want Valentine’s “Night,” they’d better remember (more…)

Today, I appeared on The Advertising Show, the country’s only weekly show of its kind, to discuss Rubies in the Orchard with hosts Brad Forsythe and Ray Schilens. In addition to chatting about my upcoming book and some of the secrets and stories therein, the three of us also talked about other key book topics, such as business transparency, unique selling propositions, interacting with your customers, and the newly leveled playing field created by the current economy.

If you missed the show, you can still tune in to hear about a topic I didn’t cover in my book: why I decided açai wasn’t as good for my customers as pomegranates are. (The answer just might make you kick that açai habit and switch to POM.) You’ll also get a taste for (more…)