Idea Of The Day. A new Idea Each Day. Some Don't Suck.

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Our Latest Posts About: Business

Rent Your Yard For Other People's Garage Sales

Wednesday, August 2, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

The quickest way to get rid of stuff is a yard or garage sale. Unfortunately, a lot of people can't do that.

I love getting rid of stuff, but I've never been able to hold a yard sale, because there aren't many people passing my house on any given day. Meanwhile, houses on the block perpendicular to mine have incredible success whenever they hold a sale because that block gets a ton of traffic.

That's because the success or failure of a good garage or yard sale is based on 3 major factors: location, location, and location. First, you need a yard or garage. Second, your yard or garage need to have enough space for your things and for people to park their car. Third, you've got to have a location that gets a decent amount of traffic, or nobody will see your stuff. That's th... [More]

Continue...Rent Your Yard For Other People's Garage Sales...

The Future of Mattress Shopping... at Hotels.

Monday, July 24, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Baby, Baby, let me sleep on it. I'll give you an answer in the morning.

Buying a mattress is a real pain in the neck. You walk into a big store full of mattresses and somehow come to a decision based on just a few minutes of laying on each of the beds. That's not easy, especially since you're going to be stuck with your decision for a very long time.

It's a bit like a taste test, where you're given a quick sip from a few different drinks. You like the taste at first, but when you get a larger portion, your tastes may change. That's exactly what can happen with testing a mattress for a minute or two in the store. You order the mattress you like best in the store, but when you finally sleep on it at home you realize it's a bit too hard or soft. Now, you've got to either s... [More]

Continue...The Future of Mattress Shopping... at Hotels....

Honest Talk Show Product Placement

Monday, July 17, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

It's hard to take news shows seriously, when the hosts shamelessly promote handbags.

There's a fine line between news, information, and commercial endorsements, and morning talk shows cross it every single day. How are we supposed to take hosts like Matt Lauer seriously when he just spent 7 minutes talking about makeup and handbag "Steals and Deals"?

Look, I realize TV is a business, and they need to make money, but I don't think a news and information show should be endorsing products without fully disclosing that they're being paid to make the endorsement. Current FCC regulations require them to make some sort of disclosure, but most people never see them because they zoom by in the credits at the end.

I think the FCC should require them to either make an announcement j... [More]

Continue...Honest Talk Show Product Placement...

Weekend FedEx Delivery For The Same Price

Friday, July 7, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

FedEx is behind the times.

When I think of FedEx, the first thing that comes to mind is overnight letters, which were the mainstay of their early years. Now that there are so many other ways to send documents digitally, you would think FedEx would focus on the competitive home package delivery business, which they are seriously at risk of losing to the US Postal Service, and in the very near future, to Amazon.

One of the best things about Amazon is Amazon Prime, their 2-day delivery service. To make the service even better they even negotiated a deal with the US Postal Service to include 7 day deliveries, which was unheard of until recently. Weekend delivery is so important to Amazon that they're even creating their own fleet of trucks to manage the deliveries. Clearly, we... [More]

Continue...Weekend FedEx Delivery For The Same Price...

Cracker Jack is MISSING Something!

Thursday, June 22, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Candy with prizes inside are a worldwide sensation, but the people who make Cracker Jack don't realize it.

Every day, millions of people watch videos of people opening up "Surprise Eggs", which are chocolate eggs with a prize inside. Apparently kids today love the thrill of watching people open them up and seeing what's inside. I'm not sure how the craze started, but they're extremely hot these days.

Finding a prize inside is nothing new to the makers of Cracker Jack; they've been doing it for over 100 years, in fact when you say the name Cracker Jack, the first thing that comes to your mind is the prize inside. It's as iconic as the sailor on the front of the package, but the prizes inside today's Cracker Jack packages are pretty lame. Instead of the variety of trinkets t... [More]

Continue...Cracker Jack is MISSING Something!...

Why Greeting Cards Are Expensive

Friday, June 2, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Greeting cards are EXPENSIVE. Here's Why.

A few weeks ago, I spent about $7 for a greeting card. There wasn't anything unusual about the card that would make you think it was special, in fact, most of the cards in the store cost between $4 and $7 each. This started me thinking about the reasons why cards are so expensive.

At first, I thought about the production costs. Some come in unusual shapes and sizes, and have interesting artwork or printing, but for the most part nothing about card production is any more complicated than producing colorful cardboard boxes for inexpensive grocery packages, so it can't be the cost of production.

Next, I considered the writing. After all, they always seem to have just the right words inside. Isn't it worth $7 for quality writing?... [More]

Continue...Why Greeting Cards Are Expensive...

What's Wrong With Pay For Pay - Payola?

Sunday, May 14, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

There was a lot of controversy in the 50s and 60s over the idea of Pay-For-Play... but what's wrong with it?

You and your band just recorded a masterpiece. It was a real labor of love and you can't wait for the world to hear it. Unfortunately, the only people outside the band who've heard it are your wife and your dog. Too bad. Better luck next time.

But wait! Here's an idea, why not pay some people to play it on the radio? I'm sure that once people hear it, they'll run to the local record store to buy it. Well, that's exactly what happened in the 50s and 60s, and it was a huge scandal resulting in the firing of the father of Rock and Roll, Alan Freed, and it nearly took down Dick Clark, who escaped with just a warning simply because he was more likable than Freed.

At... [More]

Continue...What's Wrong With Pay For Pay - Payola?...

Why We Need a 7 Day Economy

Saturday, May 13, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Why limit our economy to just 5 days?

There are so many services that shut down on weekends that it boggles the bing. For example, why is it that in today's digital society, we still have to wait until Monday for checks deposited on Thursdays and Fridays to clear? That's just plain stupid.

For that matter, why doesn't UPS, FedEx and the Post Office offer the same level of service on the weekend? Think of all the additional jobs it would create? Speaking of shipping, I find it funny that FedEx built its entire reputation on the premise of overnight delivery, but in reality, they're only an overnight service on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Anything shipped Friday, Saturday, or Sunday isn't shipped overnight. That's just 4 out of 7 days.

I'm not advocating th... [More]

Continue...Why We Need a 7 Day Economy...

Why Malls Need to Change

Friday, May 5, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

If malls want to survive, they need to change.

The Internet has changed the way people shop. In the same period of time that Amazon has seen over 1000% growth, traditional retail shopping has declined. Even well established companies like Sears and K-Mart have lost so much business that they risk total collapse.

At the center of the decline are local shopping malls, which struggle to get people in the door.

While you can blame Amazon and other online retailers, part of the blame has to do with the malls themselves. They need to find new ways to bring customers back, or they're doomed to fail.

One thing I'd love to see is the return of local merchants. As it stands now, many malls don't even offer space to local merchants and restaurants. In fact, in the mall near me... [More]

Continue...Why Malls Need to Change...

Need Help? Uber... For Services?

Friday, March 24, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

What amazes me most about Uber is the fact that they do one thing really well, and it has nothing to do with transportation.

When I look at the success of Uber, what I see is something much more important than simply providing transportation. What I see is a company that knows exactly how to connect people looking for a service (a ride), to people nearby who are ready, willing and able to provide that service, right now. It's a game changer for millions of people who use it to earn money with their spare time. It works so well, a lot of them now do it full time.

This makes me wonder, why stop there? Why not use their platform to let people who need other services find people nearby willing to do it? For example, let's say you need somebody to shovel snow, wash your car, o... [More]

Continue...Need Help? Uber... For Services?...

Loyalty Cards Need THESE Changes...

Monday, February 13, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

I've got a problem with Loyalty Cards. Here's how to make them better.

Just about every major retail store and restaurant has a Loyalty Card program that lets you get discounts and other perks just for using your card. While I don't have a problem with the concept, there's definitely room for improvement.

Every Loyalty Card is based on a simple trade. You get a discount, in exchange for giving them a way to track your purchases. While I don't have a problem with them collecting this information, I think retailers need a bit more transparency in what they collect.

Here are two suggestions.

First, since they're collecting all this information, doesn't it make sense to give customers a way of seeing their transaction history? This can be particularly useful for keepin... [More]

Continue...Loyalty Cards Need THESE Changes......

Phone Booths!

Thursday, January 26, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

I miss phone booths!

You rarely see phone booths anymore, and that's a shame. Now that everyone has a mobile phone, I'm sure a lot of people think they're not useful anymore, but as far as I'm concerned, phone booths are useful specifically BECAUSE everyone has a mobile phone.

Phone booths aren't just a convenient place to FIND a phone, they're also a private and quiet place to USE a phone. The last thing I want to hear in a public place is somebody blabbing away on their cell phone about their hemorrhoids or their most recent fight with their girlfriend.

Just because people already have a phone, doesn't mean they're not interested in finding a quiet place to make a call, so although businesses might not make money directly from the booths, phone booths definitely add to... [More]

Continue...Phone Booths!...

Search Engines Need This...

Tuesday, January 24, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Why is it so hard to find local information online?

The Internet revolutionized just about everything, but for some reason it's harder today to find local information online than it was before the Internet.

Before the Internet, if you were looking for a business, or phone number, all you did was pull out the local phone book, and within seconds you could find just about everything you were looking for.

Obviously Google, Bing, and Yahoo have listings for local businesses, but it's all blended together with all sorts of other stuff, making it hard to pinpoint what you're looking for.

Why doesn't one of the major search engines simply offer a dedicated service for finding accurate up-to-date local information?

Since a large percent of search is local, doesn't it m... [More]

Continue...Search Engines Need This......

Don't Name Your Company Until...

Sunday, January 22, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Coming up with a good name is one of the most important steps in starting a business, but many people overlook one thing...

One of the biggest mistakes I've seen people make when starting a new business is forgetting to search the web to see if somebody else already owns their new company name as a domain. This is a critical mistake that will hurt the startup down the road.

There's nothing worse for a new company than to go through all the effort starting a new business, and finding out that all your effort to try to build a brand name is wasted because another company has the same online identity.

If you want to call yourself True Blue Curtains, and somebody else owns TrueBlueCurtains.Com, then don't even bother forming the company. It's simply not worth the effort becau... [More]

Continue...Don't Name Your Company Until......

Contract 101: The Van Halen M & M Test

Sunday, December 11, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

How Van Halen used M & M's to make sure every contract was followed to the letter.

In the 1980's Van Halen was playing huge arenas and stadiums around the world. Because their stage equipment was so heavy and had very specific power and weight requirements, they wanted to make sure each venue followed their instructions to the letter, so they wrote extensive contracts with detailed instructions.

Their biggest fear would be that a venue would ignore the instructions and have the stage collapse or cause a fire if they didn't get every detail right.

David Lee Roth came up with a very inventive way to make sure each venue followed their instructions. He added a small clause in the middle of the contract specifying the band's backstage "Munchie" requirements which featured the... [More]

Continue...Contract 101: The Van Halen M & M Test...

Target's Targeting You.

Sunday, December 4, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Target knows more about you, than you know about yourself.

In retail, information is king, and nobody does it better than Target. Every time you shop at Target using their Red Card, or even your own credit card, they track every item you buy so that they can anticipate your future purchases.

The Target Red Card lets them take things even further because it links back to your full name, email, and home mailing addresses, so they can send you coupons and flyers tailored to your specific interests.

The idea of tracking your purchases isn't new. Companies have been tracking your purchases for years, but until recently they lacked the sophistication needed to do much more than offer coupons for similar or competing products at checkout. As retail databases grow, companies li... [More]

Continue...Target's Targeting You....

Amazon Should Get Rid of Alexa

Friday, December 2, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Hey Siri... What is Amazon Alexa?

I don't think Siri can answer that question, mainly because Amazon can't even answer it. For more than 20 years, Amazon Alexa has been the name of a service that provides traffic statistics to website owners, however for some strange reason, Amazon decided to give the Personal Assistant inside their Amazon Echo product line the exact same name.

One of the fundamental goals of building a brand is making sure the name itself is uniquely identifiable with the product or service, which makes you wonder why they decided to call their new Personal Assistant, Alexa. Of all the thousands of possible names Amazon could've used for their new Personal Assistant, why pick a name that they're already using for another product? What were they thinking?
... [More]

Continue...Amazon Should Get Rid of Alexa...

Uber... For Jobs. Find Day Labor Jobs Nearby

Monday, October 17, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

The core idea of Uber can be applied to a lot more than ride sharing.

If you think about it, what makes Uber so powerful is that it taps into a virtually unlimited workforce of people who have spare time and are willing to earn a few bucks by offering a ride. It's such a simple idea, but it changed the way people look at transportation. All a driver needs to do is tell the App they're available right now... which lets potential riders know you're ready.

This made me think of a few other ways Uber can be useful and one of the first things that came to mind was to take their model one step further. Since the core idea is that one group of people are telling the App they're available to hire for a ride, so a second group of people who need a ride can "hire" them to drive them,... [More]

Continue...Uber... For Jobs. Find Day Labor Jobs Nearby...

Fixed Price, Haggle Free Car Prices

Saturday, October 1, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Don't you HATE negotiating for the best possible car price?

I recently did some price shopping for a new F-150 Pickup using TrueCar, a car shopping website that shows you what typical buyers are paying for the same car and it showed me that there was a range of over $9000 in prices on some models. This means that some buyers paid over $9000 more for the exact same F-150 as other buyers who weren't aggressive negotiators.

Buying a car shouldn't be a test of your negotiating skills. The fact that one buyer can pay that much more for the same car, simply because they didn't know they could get a better deal is completely unfair.

The same is true for a lot of other products, like appliances, but it's particularly bad for car buyers because the prices are much higher and peopl... [More]

Continue...Fixed Price, Haggle Free Car Prices...

Why Apple is Winning The Consumer Market

Sunday, June 5, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Apple's Greed is Ruining Apple TV

Thursday, May 12, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Apple TV would be so much better if Apple wasn't so greedy.

When Apple introduced the latest generation Apple TV, I was pretty excited because they said it would have an App Store, just like iOS and OS X. To me that was a huge breakthrough because unlike the previous generation, it means that it can finally run third party Apps. The only problem is that most of the Apps are pretty lame.

This was a big letdown because I assumed it would only be a matter of time before my favorite video services like Amazon Instant Video and Vudu were finally available on my Apple TV. Even after al this time, neither company have Apps, and there's no indication they will be appearing any time soon.

I also hoped to see shopping Apps from companies like Amazon. eBay, and Walmart. Once again... [More]

Continue...Apple's Greed is Ruining Apple TV...

Microsoft Shouldn't Force Windows 10 Down Your Throat

Sunday, May 1, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Microsoft really, really, really wants you to run Windows 10.

Over a year ago, I created a post about why Microsoft should offer Windows Subscriptions, with free updates for life.. The main argument is that it's pointless for Microsoft to sell "upgrades" of Windows because the upgrade price wasn't worth it. To pay $100-$200 just to get the latest version of Windows was completely pointless.

As I mentioned last year, because of the high price to upgrade, most people stick with the version that came with their PC, until they get a new one. Because so few people have the latest version, there is little incentive for software and hardware companies to release products specifically designed for the newest versions of... [More]

Continue...Microsoft Shouldn't Force Windows 10 Down Your Throat...

Why Apple Radio Should Have a Free Option (With Commercials)

Wednesday, April 13, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Not everyone is willing to pay for radio, especially casual listeners.

When Apple Radio launched, it was just like Pandora and iHeartRadio. It was a free music service that let people create their own custom "Stations" featuring their favorite kinds of music. Since the service was free, there were commercials, just like traditional radio.

For most casual users, the inclusion of a commercial every now and then was completely normal. After all, radio stations have been running commercials for almost 100 years.

However when Apple acquired Beats Music, they decided to change Apple Radio to a subscription model without commercials. This means that casual listeners like me who are unwilling to pay have no other choice but to use a competing service.

The key point is that

... [More]

Continue...Why Apple Radio Should Have a Free Option (With Commercials)...

Always Use Clear Photos In Your Profiles

Sunday, February 7, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Blurry photos look creepy!

They say you should never judge a book by it's cover, but when I look at the photos some people use in their online profiles, I have to wonder if they realize how many people are basing their opinions on their poor choice of photos.

Thanks to SmartPhones, just about everyone has thousands of digital photos to choose from as their profile photo, so you have to wonder why some people pick blurry photos with poor lighting as the one photo that is supposed to represent them online.

It goes beyond blurry photos. Some people use photos that are just plain awful.

For example, with thousands of photos to choose from, why pick photos of yourself pouring beer on your head at a frat party? Or photos that look like a mugshot?

... [More]

Continue...Always Use Clear Photos In Your Profiles...

Movie Theater Subscriptions

Wednesday, February 3, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Netflix for Movie Theaters?

Wouldn't it be great if your Netflix subscription also let you see the latest movies in the theaters? While it may sound a bit far fetched, it's actually pretty practical. You pay a flat monthly rate, and you can see as many movies per month as you want.

Like most subscription services there's going to be some people using it more than others, but it all balances out in the end. Even if some of the customers decide to see two movies per day, chances are the theater will still make a profit by selling drinks, popcorn, and other snacks.

Subscribers simply log in to an App or a website to order tickets and pick them up at the theater. It's that easy.

Gas Prices Rounded To The Nearest Penny

Saturday, January 30, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

9/10th of a penny is just plain stupid!

Why do gas prices still have an extra 9/10 cent in small letters at the pump?

Last time I filled up, I paid $1.639 per gallon. For all intents and purposes, I paid $1.64, so what's the point of hiding it? Most tanks today only hold around 20 gallons or less, so the net price of a typical fill-up would only be impacted by an extra 20 tenths of a cent, 2 cents

In a time where there's a debate over getting rid of pennies, it's it time they stop pricing gas with fractions of a penny?

I could understand using fractions of a cent if the last digit wasn't always a 9, but a changing number based on some market variables, but it's always a 9 and it's only purpose is to make people think the gas is a penny cheaper than in actually is.... [More]

Continue...Gas Prices Rounded To The Nearest Penny...

Uber For Services... Like Shovelling

Monday, January 25, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Need something done right now. Who can you call?

One of the reasons Uber is so popular right now is that connects people looking for something (a ride), to somebody nearby who is willing to offer it at that very moment. In a very short time they created an instant marketplace for people to offer their services to the public and the response has been overwhelmingly good.

To me, the next logical extension is for people to offer other services using the same interface. When a handyman or contractor has some free time, they go to the App and immediately pop up on the map so that people looking for their services can find them. They can specify a rate per job or per hour and let Uber handle the financial part of the transaction.

The services can be just about anything. For... [More]

Continue...Uber For Services... Like Shovelling...

Prepaid Gas... By the Gallon.

Friday, October 9, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Wouldn't you love to stock up on gas at today's prices?

Today's idea is inspired by the "Forever Stamp" from the US Post Office. All you have to do is buy a stamp today, and you can use it anytime you want, even if there's a price increase. It's a pretty simple idea, but it was revolutionary when they introduced it because it meant that you didn't have to buy additional stamps to cover the price increase.

This means that if you stockpile stamps today, you can theoretically save a fortune in postage 20 years from now. Because of this, the Post Office originally monitored the sales of stamps to see how the public would react just before a price increase, to see if it would create a problem with stockpiling. It didn't. Although there were clearly spikes in sales before an in... [More]

Continue...Prepaid Gas... By the Gallon....

How ALL Fast Food Should Run. Fresh Food, Made To Order, Not A Counter Full Of Cash Registers.

Thursday, August 6, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Do you remember the first time you ordered a sandwich at Subway?

I can remember it like it was yesterday. There was only one Subway restaurant in town, and it was pretty far from my house, but somebody said I should try it.

I asked for a BMT, then they asked me what kind of bread I wanted. That surprised me. Next, they pointed to all the trays of goodies and asked me what I wanted on it.

I was a bit timid at first.I wasn't used to the idea of fast food being prepared right at the counter, but within a couple of minutes, they built a sandwich that was not only fresh, but uniquely mine. It had lettuce, tomato, pickles, black olives, sweet peppers, and gobs of mayo.

I didn't realize it at the time, but this simple idea was about to make Subway the fastest growing fast f... [More]

Continue...How ALL Fast Food Should Run. Fresh Food, Made To Order, Not A Counter Full Of Cash Registers....

Gmail Reseller Program.

Thursday, June 18, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Why doesn't Google have a Reseller Program for Gmail?

We all know people with horrible email addresses with all sorts of numbers at the end. I'm sure it wasn't their first choice. After all, who would select "MonkeyBuns7474505B@gmail.com" if they didn't try at least a few dozen other ones first.

The trouble is there are literally hundreds of million Gmail users out there, so it's become nearly impossible to register a good @gmail.com address that isn't already taken, without adding some numbers to the end.

The easy solution is for Google to offer addresses at other domains.

They already offer Gmail at other domains to corporate users using Google Apps, but those companies pay a monthly fee for each account. Because of this monthly fee, Google doesn't show advertising... [More]

Continue...Gmail Reseller Program....

Manage From The Left... But LEAD From The Right.

Saturday, May 2, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Are you a Logical Left Brain Thinker? ... or a Creative Right Brain Thinker? Maybe you should be both.

If I gave you a pen and asked you to write your name on a piece of paper, I would know within seconds if you were right or left handed. This is because the thought of using the opposite hand for something as complex as writing is simply out of the question. Our brains simply favor one hand over the other.

For the same reason, many of our other brain functions favor one side over the other, which can have a major effect on our personality. It determines how we think, what we like, how we see the world, and how we make decisions. Although it's harder compare left vs right thinkers, there are clear differences.

Most left brain thinkers are characterized as logical, orga... [More]

Continue...Manage From The Left... But LEAD From The Right....

Bottled Water Should Cost (Much) Less Than Soda

Monday, March 9, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

How the heck did the price of water go from free... to just as expensive as water?

I used a vending machine today, and they're asking the same price for bottled water as for sodas. This wasn't an isolated incident. If you buy a bottle of water just about anywhere, they often get the same price as they do for drinks with sugar and other ingredients.

Not long ago, if you asked people to pay for water, everyone would think you were crazy. Then in the early 80's, Perrier started selling the first popular brand of bottled mineral water.

At first, it was mainly targeted at the wealthy; they called it the "Champaign of Mineral Water", and trendy people literally drank it up. To many people (including me), it was just expensive water, but you could almost justify the price beca... [More]

Continue...Bottled Water Should Cost (Much) Less Than Soda...

2 Sided ID Pendants. What Good is a Badge if the Back Shows Half the Time?

Monday, March 2, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Badges? We ain't got no badges... We don't need no stinking badges!

Isn't it strange that some companies make it a point of requiring their staff to wear ID pendants, but they flip upside down half the time? As long as they're going to flip over, they should put the same information on both sides. What good is an ID tag that's blank on the back?

I recently visited a hospital where a parade of nurses, doctors, physical therapists, patient assistants, surgeons, technicians, interns, residents and cleaning staff come and go so fast, you have no idea who's who. Because the badges flipped over so often, most of the time I had no who I was talking to, which made it hard to know the kinds of questions they could answer, and it was even harder referring to them after they left.... [More]

Continue...2 Sided ID Pendants. What Good is a Badge if the Back Shows Half the Time?...

Use Social Media to Listen To Your Customers, or They'll find Somebody Who Does.

Saturday, November 29, 2014 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

We have two ears, but only one mouth. There's a reason for that.

It's a classic cliche. The Barker with a megaphone in his hand, telling everyone that he's got the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Very few companies use Megaphones and Barkers anymore, but sometimes it seems like they still use the same techniques to communicate with their customers. Instead of standing on soapboxes with megaphones, they send out emails and press releases, and hold big events to shout to the world about how great they are, but they don't seem to listen to customers anymore.

When social media came along, a lot of companies simply shouted the same messages in worthless blasts designed to wow their customers. They sprinkle in a few clever jokes, photos and videos and they think they've mas... [More]

Continue...Use Social Media to Listen To Your Customers, or They'll find Somebody Who Does....

Rent your yard for other people's Yard Sales... New Business Idea

Monday, September 15, 2014 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Do you have a big yard or empty garage, on a street with lots of traffic? Why not rent it to people who don't?

This may sound like a crazy idea, but some of the best ideas start out that way. The main thing you need for a business idea to work is to find something that you know people like, then sell it to them.

Let's face it, some people would love to have a garage or yard sale, but they simply can't. In business, that's an untapped demand, and an opportunity for somebody to do something about it.

Everyone loves a good Yard Sale

A yard sale is a great way to get rid of unwanted stuff, without throwing perfectly good things into the garbage. What's better than seeing your beloved things finding new homes, while also putting some cash in your pocket?

If you

... [More]

Continue...Rent your yard for other people's Yard Sales... New Business Idea...

Cat Video Network

Ketchonnaise - Pre-Mixed Ketchup and Mayonnaise

A Guaranteed Spam-Free, Pre-Encrypted Email Service

iPhone and iPad Keyboards Should Show Numbers Too

Sleeveless Snuggies!

Don't Bother With SEO. Use Real People Optimization Instead.

3 Ways Smoke Alarms Can Be More Pet Friendly

Emergency Contact Info Needs to Bypass Locked Phone

Autocorrect Should Translate Text Slang into English... Because Kids Actually Think It's Correct Grammar

Lookalike Finder Site

Out of Ideas? Fusion of Two or More Ideas Could Change Everything.

How Camera Makers Can Simplify On-Camera White Balance

Darth Vader is Retuning to Star Wars

A Bedside Book Projector - Read Books on the Ceiling!

Reinvent The Wheel? YES. There's Always Room For Improvement.

Amazon Echo as an Intercom. Room to Room Communication, Even Across the World.

TV Needs More Shows Like Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood... The Seinfeld of Children's TV

Stop using default Security Questions... here's why.

A Car Periscope? Why Not?

Digital String on Your Finger... To Remind You You Left Something Behind...

Use Social Media to Listen To Your Customers, or They'll find Somebody Who Does.

Why Doesn't Apple Offer a FULL SIZED Wireless Keyboard?

How Banks Can Make Checking Accounts More Secure

4 Cell Phone Parental Control Ideas Your Kids are Guaranteed to Hate.

.Podcast Domain TLDs. A Direct Domain For Podcasters.

* Note: The ideas on "Idea of the Day" were posted without any formal research into existing inventions.

In some cases, patents may already exist for these ideas, in other cases, there may not be any existing patents and you are free to develop and explore the viability of developing and patenting the ideas.

The authors make no claim that any of the ideas are safe, practical, or suitable for any particular purpose. You are responsible for the results of trying, developing, patenting or using any of the ideas on this site.

For some people, our ideas are just an interesting read, but our goal is to encourage you to take action. If you see an idea that you like, do something with it... Take action.

- Joe

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Idea Of The Day. A new Idea Each Day. Some Don't Suck.

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The quickest way to get rid of stuff is a yard or garage sale. Unfortunately, a lot of people can't do that.

Baby, Baby, let me sleep on it. I'll give you an answer in the morning.

It's hard to take news shows seriously, when the hosts shamelessly promote handbags.

FedEx is behind the times.

Candy with prizes inside are a worldwide sensation, but the people who make Cracker Jack don't realize it.

Greeting cards are EXPENSIVE. Here's Why.

There was a lot of controversy in the 50s and 60s over the idea of Pay-For-Play... but what's wrong with it?

Why limit our economy to just 5 days?

If malls want to survive, they need to change.

What amazes me most about Uber is the fact that they do one thing really well, and it has nothing to do with transportation.

I've got a problem with Loyalty Cards. Here's how to make them better.

I miss phone booths!

Why is it so hard to find local information online?

Obviously Google, Bing, and Yahoo have listings for local businesses, but it's all blended together with all sorts of other stuff, making it hard to pinpoint what you're looking for.

Coming up with a good name is one of the most important steps in starting a business, but many people overlook one thing...

How Van Halen used M & M's to make sure every contract was followed to the letter.

Target knows more about you, than you know about yourself.

Hey Siri... What is Amazon Alexa?

The core idea of Uber can be applied to a lot more than ride sharing.

Don't you HATE negotiating for the best possible car price?

Apple TV would be so much better if Apple wasn't so greedy.

Microsoft really, really, really wants you to run Windows 10.

Not everyone is willing to pay for radio, especially casual listeners.

The key point is that

Blurry photos look creepy!

It goes beyond blurry photos. Some people use photos that are just plain awful.

Netflix for Movie Theaters?

9/10th of a penny is just plain stupid!

In a time where there's a debate over getting rid of pennies, it's it time they stop pricing gas with fractions of a penny?

Need something done right now. Who can you call?

Wouldn't you love to stock up on gas at today's prices?

Do you remember the first time you ordered a sandwich at Subway?

Why doesn't Google have a Reseller Program for Gmail?

Are you a Logical Left Brain Thinker? ... or a Creative Right Brain Thinker? Maybe you should be both.

How the heck did the price of water go from free... to just as expensive as water?

Badges? We ain't got no badges... We don't need no stinking badges!

We have two ears, but only one mouth. There's a reason for that.

Do you have a big yard or empty garage, on a street with lots of traffic? Why not rent it to people who don't?

Everyone loves a good Yard Sale

If you

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