DBI Digest

Entrepreneurs’ Stories

Like Marriage, Business Takes Work

Source: The New York Times

AFTER about nine years together, Marcia Mulé and Bryan Scott noticed that a bit of the thrill in their relationship had worn off. In fact, they had some issues that were getting in the way of moving forward. So they decided to seek help. Ms. Mulé and Mr. Scott are not partners in marriage, but partners in Picture This Television, an Emmy award-winning television production company. And their help came from a variation on the couple’s counselor: the business therapist.  Read more

Millions in Sales From 3 Simple Words

Source: The New York Times

Even though he broke his foot dancing at his brother’s wedding one recent weekend, life is still good for Bert Jacobs. Mr. Jacobs is the 42-year-old co-founder of Life is good, a popular apparel brand based in Boston that is on track to break $100 million in sales this year. This is rarefied air for Mr. Jacobs, who a dozen years ago was selling T-shirts out of a battered van on the streets of Boston with his brother John, now 39.    Read more

Taking a Whack at Making a Car

Source: New York Times

Ian A. Bruce presses an Italian-made alligator-skin boot onto the accelerator of his three-wheel thrill machine and careens around a corner. The agile metal box tilts precariously to one side, leaving Mr. Bruce nearly horizontal to the ground. “The experience is like driving a jet fighter,” he shouts over the engine. “It’s truly a new kind of vehicle.   Read more

Industry & Technology Trends

Laptop With a Mission Widens Its Audience

Source: New York Times

In November, you’ll be able to buy a new laptop that’s spillproof, rainproof, dustproof and drop-proof. It’s fanless, it’s silent and it weighs 3.2 pounds. One battery charge will power six hours of heavy activity, or 24 hours of reading. The laptop has a built-in video camera, microphone, memory-card slot, graphics tablet, game-pad controllers and a screen that rotates into a tablet configuration.  And this laptop will cost $200.   Read more

If the Shoe Fits, Wear It. If Not, Design One That Does.

Source: New York Times

EVEN for the most dedicated shopper, finding just the right pair of shoes can be elusive. A store-to-store search — whether on the Web or at the mall — can take hours. Shoppers may think they’ve found the perfect pair, only to be stymied by a problem with fit, style or color. It’s not that retailers don’t try, as the huge shoe sections in department stores like Saks and Nordstrom, and Web sites like Zappos and Shoes.com, attest. But for those with very individual or exacting tastes — and with money to spare — some Internet retailers offer design-it-yourself options in footwear. Customization is more common with athletic shoes, but fashion footwear is beginning to catch up.   Read more

Personal Assistants on Call, Just Not in the Next Office

Source: New York Times

In the latest twist on the information-age truism that technology is making the world even smaller, entrepreneurs in India are trying to build a new market for the offshore services they offer: helping small businesses cope with even the most mundane day-to-day tasks.   Read more

Tools, Tactics & Tips

When It Comes to Advice, Be Specific

Source: The New York Times

Ask successful entrepreneurs the best advice they ever got, and what may be most surprising is how quickly they come up with an answer and how specific it is. Their responses generally went beyond the ever popular, “Do what you love, and the money will follow.” Most of the advice they cited fell into two categories:  Read more

Getting Paid, One Way or Another

Source: The New York Times

The problem is as simple as it basic. “For a small company, getting paid on time can mean the difference between having cash for an expansion and borrowing to pay the bills,” Hannah Clark writes in Inc. “But if you’re a minor vendor, you may be last on your customers’ payment priority list.”  Read more

Take your business global

Source: Fortune Small Business

When Devon Rifkin began scouring the globe for a low-cost but reliable producer of hangers for his fast-growing firm, The Great American Hanger Company, he began his search without stepping outside the comfort of his air-conditioned Miami office. A few clicks of the mouse on sourcing website Alibaba.com led him to Wooden Enterprises and Trading Cooperative, an India-based manufacturer specializing in wooden and metal products. After sending his company samples of a few basic hanger models, it responded promptly with mockups at attractive prices and quality. Wooden Enterprises and Trading Cooperative is now one of The Great American Hanger Co.'s regular suppliers.   Read more