“But inventing is about more than just a good idea,” Davison offers. “It’s also about taking a chance.”

As the founder and CEO of Davison, an award-winning new products development company that creates more than 150 new product samples each month, he knows a thing or two about inventing.

More than 20 years ago, Davison’s very first invention was a toothbrush sterilizer, but a larger company beat him to market. That failure sowed the seeds for what Davison calls his most successful invention—his nine-step method for shepherding ideas from sketch to prototype to market—and fueled his determination to give every idea person the opportunity to see his or her big idea realized.

One first-time inventor, Joy Clymer of Fruita, Colorado, was so frustrated by trying to transport deviled eggs to a picnic that she conceived of the idea for a covered platter with egg-shaped cutouts. Her successful product, called Party Traveler, is licensed under the name Party on the Go for QVC.

Most inventions solve a problem. For EMS pilot Joseph Springer of Harleysville, Pennsylvania, his invention was born out of his fondness for the crispy edges of homemade brownies. His Silicone Dessert Bar Pan, which ensures firm edges no matter what’s baked in it, was a hit, especially on QVC.

Some inventions improve on an existing idea. Kay Thompson of Clarkston, Michigan, found that walking her two Shelties in winter was anything but fun for her canine friends, whose paws always became cold, wet and salt soaked. So she created boots that would not slip off in the snow like the many she had tried. Now, her stay-put and fashionable Pugz Shoes for Dogs are all the rage.

Davison offers these tips to those who “dare to invent”:

Dare to Take Action: Do your research to see if there is already something similar on the market.

Dare to Share: Share your idea with others. A nondisclosure or confidentiality agreement will protect you from having your idea stolen.

Dare to Evaluate: Evaluate your idea honestly and think about how to market the product.

Dare to Ideate: Shape your creation with sketches, illustrations and photos.

Dare to Leave a Paper Trail: Use a notebook to write down all your ideas.

To see real-life stories of everyday inventors, tune in to the “Dare to Invent” webisode series at http://www.davison.com/webisodes.

Musicians: Forget the 90s and forget the traditional view that a band or musician must sign with a record label in order to release music. Release your own tracks through iTunes and promote it through social media while marketing into niche Internet radio communities like Last.fm and Pandora. If you’re a deejay, check out the multitude of DJ social networking communities and create a webpage for yourself.

Artists and craftmakers: You no longer need a physical location in some expensive downtown loft in order to promote your gallery. Put your work on Deviant Art or Etsy.com, where you can have your own online shop and do your own marketing. While traditional art collectors may still prefer only to buy their art in person, a new generation of arts and crafts enthusiasts is growing up online, where storage is much cheaper.

Writers: Don’t wait for a publishing house to come to their sense because you may be waiting forever. Self-publish your work with services like Lulu and Blurb and then get your work listed on Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Kobo Books and other e-book stores.

Innovators and Inventors: You don’t need to wait until you meet a billionaire investor lounging around in a bar, bored with his/her life. Raise your own money with the incredible online fundraising (popularly known as crowdfunding) tools like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Prosper, RocketHub and others.

The message here is that in the Age of the Entrepreneur anyone and everyone has the ability to use their talents to create a unique self-propelled business model, without the need of an intermediary agent or company. Whether you’re an artist, an inventor, a musician, or a craftmaker you have the ability to forge your own career path by taking advantage of online tools like social media, crowdfunding, e-commerce, and Internet radio.

Crowd-source for seed money - Crowd-sourcing sites for independent funding are huge in the social media world right now. If your business is launched but you’re still looking for seed money, it might be worth pitching a campaign on IndieGoGo, Kickstarter or any of the numerous options out there.

Have scalable products - Don’t just go for cheaper or premium, offer different versions of your products for a wide variety of financial conditions. A lot of times clients may want your product or service but the price scares them away. Lure them back in with deals, demo offers, and promotions.

Bold experimental marketing - Social media’s not enough, you have to get really innovative in today’s business landscape, especially when you don’t have the money for traditional advertising on television. Create a QR code to try and drive traffic to your website, mail individualized postcards, reach out to the local community.

Shorter ads and more of them - If you do have a budget for advertising, go with the cheaper print ads and make several small ones. Having a single full page ad in the local newspaper will not be as effective as multiple small ads in well placed markets.

Cater to your existing customers - Obviously it’s good to bring in new customers but in the process you want to make sure you make your existing customers feel special. This will accomplish two things: it will retain them and it will help you to deputize them as mobile advertisements. Create incentives for them to spread the word about your business. Nothing beats old-fashioned word of mouth marketing.

Network with other business for dual promotions - You know the old platitude: if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. If your competitor just can’t be outpaced, play the smaller dog and mine them for trade secrets while riding their coattails.

Manage your reputation - Check Google and see how search engines are depicting you. If you are the subject of some scandalous blogs, you need to fight back. Don’t let a bad reputation precede you, especially if it’s inaccurate!

These tips are not universal truths, but if approached creatively and passionately the issues they inform should dramatically improve your sales figures. A small business needs to think outside the box. Master these strategies and watch your company grow.

Recent reports place the unemployment rate at 54 percent for Americans younger than 25. Driven in part by the decline in traditional job opportunities and in part by the innovative spirit that has long defined American small business, members of the millennial generation are going into business for themselves. And they’re using the same technologies that they’ve grown up with in their personal lives to facilitate their success as small-business operators.

Because the younger generation grew up using technology, they are using their knowledge to help them follow their entrepreneurial spirit – relying on technology to start their own business. Because of this use of technology, young entrepreneurs should look to these five areas where technology can help launch their new business.

Social media
Born in the digital age, millennials have grown up connected to the Internet, Facebook and Twitter, and texting is an everyday part of their lives. To avoid social overload and streamline communication, use tools that help bring networks together in one place. For example, users can connect Facebook to Hotmail and chat right from inside their inbox, as well as keep LinkedIn and Facebook contact lists organized with auto-contact linking across Hotmail and Windows Live Messenger.

Network and build relationships
Millennial business owners have grown up in a mobile, digital world. So have their customers, and those customers will be connecting with each other in cyberspace. Youthful small-business owners are using social networking and digital media to communicate with customers about products and services. They also rely on a variety of mobile devices for their networking needs and choose operating systems that allow them to communicate across a broad range of devices while working from anywhere.

Increase personal productivity
Streamlining time spent on tasks means increased productivity – and improved profitability. Young entrepreneurs use technology, such as Windows 7 Professional, to get around their PCs faster than ever with one-click access to the information they need to get their jobs done. Performance improvements mean less time hassling with the computer and more time talking to customers.

Help improve security
Security is a concern for all business owners, especially those of small businesses who can least afford the costs associated with security breaches. Small-business owners need to ensure that their customers feel secure, and products such as Windows 7 Professional help achieve that. The operating system protects computer networks from malicious cyberattacks and helps safeguard sensitive information, such as credit card numbers and employee and customer information.

Reduce costs and save money
Keeping costs under control and saving money are key elements of any successful business operation, yet new businesses may struggle with these essentials during their first years of operation. Technology can help companies improve efficiency – and save money – by reducing time spent on traditional filing and retrieval of documents, bill paying and invoicing, and a myriad of other business functions that are time-consuming when done by hand.

Young entrepreneurs are assuming responsibility for the change they want to see in the business world, creating new opportunities for themselves and new ways of meeting consumer demand. With optimism, self-confidence and the right high-tech tools, youthful small-business owners are poised to redefine the spirit of American entrepreneurism for generations to come. More information about technology that can help new businesses is available at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/business.

So, there’s no time like now to take a closer look at your small business. Are you maximizing efficiencies, or spending too much time on the small things? Are you doing the right things to grow your business? Are you putting off asking yourself the hard questions that may turn around sluggish sales?

There are more than 27 million small businesses in the country, employing about half of U.S. workers, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. In fact, between 60 and 80 percent of all new jobs created in our country can be attributed to small businesses. For small businesses to thrive in today’s economy, they have to find ways to boost efficiency with limited funding and resources.

Rags-to-riches entrepreneur Barbara Corcoran has built a thriving business from scratch and become a leading expert and author on strategies for business profitability and growth.

“Small business owners wear many hats – from CEO to office manager – and they can’t afford to get bogged down in the time-draining details,” says Corcoran. “Now is the ideal time for small business owners to streamline their operations and start thinking about how they can best move their business forward.”

Here is some of Corcoran’s best advice for anyone looking to take a small business to the next level:

Make a not-to-do list: It can actually be tremendously helpful to sit down and make a long list of all the things you do that amount to nothing. Then, carefully write the not-to-do list on a piece of paper and post it on your refrigerator or desk where you’re bound to see it. It will force you to fill in your time with more productive activities that might yield a better return.

Make a system for everything. A system can be developed for anything – you just have to take the time to set it up once, and it will save you enormous time and boring repetition. For example, small businesses need a simple order fulfillment system. Electronic postage solutions like those from DYMO Endicia integrate with your online e-commerce platform and provide one location to store all your customer information, keeping you organized and making shipment processing and mailing fast and simple.

Stay away from complainers: Whether you’re at home or at work, complainers rob you of your energy. They’re a lot like the Death Eaters robbing the life from Harry Potter and his good friends. Always distance yourself from the person who whines. Your outlook on life will improve and your energy will soar.

Get creative: The big guy always has the corner on money but the little guy usually has the corner on creativity. Take some time to sit down and analyze how your rivals are advertising their brand and plan something smarter. One way you can do this is through (free) social media.  If you take the time to creatively post and write with honesty and a touch of humor, you will soon build a large following of fans willing to try out your product and brag to their friends.

Ries’ forthcoming book, THE LEAN STARTUP, is anticipated to be a bestseller and is already among Amazon’s top 100 in the management category months before its release.

Meanwhile, ultra-successful companies like Groupon and Dropbox are putting Ries’ ideas to work to remarkable effect, and the likes of Mitch Kapor, founder of Lotus, and Brad Smith, CEO of Intuit, joined Ries as keynote speakers at Lean Startup’s 2nd Annual Startup Lessons Learned Conference on May 23rd in San Francisco.

But for Ries, who co-founded IMVU, a social entertainment company with 40 million users and $3 million in monthly revenue, the real barometer of Lean Startup’s success are the 100,000-plus people who have created their own “Lean Startup Meetups” in cities around the world. At the Meetups, entrepreneurs gather to apply Ries’ approach to their own business projects, posting videos, projects, and results on Ries’ http://www.startuplessonslearned.com/.

“Startups are the lifeblood of the American economy,” says Ries, “In the past two decades, they have accounted for nearly all the net job growth in our country.”

It’s a surprising realization: American job growth is no longer driven by steelworks and car plants, as it once was, but by innovation and entrepreneurship. Today’s biggest job-driving companies – Google, Yahoo, Intel, eBay – were born as startups. As America’s economy continues to shift, jobs and growth will depend on startups to an even greater extent.

This shift has put the spot light on Reis who has caught the attention of President Obama who asked the U.S. Chief Technology Officer, Aneesh Chopra to specifically ask Ries to advise on ways the government can successfully create entrepreneurship initiatives.

What this also means to Ries is that revitalizing the U.S. economy is really about maximizing every American startup’s chances for success. Lean Startup is the first business movement to do exactly this, and it’s doing it with a surprising degree of success – even for a startup.

But how can an aspiring entrepreneur go about starting a business when the market seems against them? How can someone with big plans and new ideas ensure success in a dramatically different economic atmosphere? There are two things that will always be essential in getting a new business off the ground; a water-tight business plan and capital.

From Drawing Board to Blackboard
Those possessed by the entrepreneurial spirit and raring to get their business up and running sometimes find it difficult to translate great ideas into a well-thought-out business plan. For those, a trip back to the classroom may be necessary. Many entrepreneurs consider enrolling in an MBA program in order to fine-tune business practices and methods before a real-world launch.

“I get to see people who are very talented walking in the door a little lost — perhaps lacking some skills, habits or practices — become great business people,” says Phil Siegel, a successful serial entrepreneur and teacher at the Acton School of Business.

While traditional MBA programs have faced criticism for churning out risk-inclined financial speculators and investment bankers that led to the near-demise of Wall Street, other MBA curriculums with a focus on sound business practices and principled entrepreneurship are seeing a spike in interest.

“An MBA isn’t just for someone looking to land a job on Wall Street anymore,” says Siegel. “There are a few great schools offering an education that teaches how to really start and run a business from the ground up.” A handful of respected schools focus on the skills necessary to build and operate a business by offering MBA programs with entrepreneurship-specific tracks. Acton, where Siegel teaches, furthers the trend with their intensive one-year MBA in Entrepreneurship, an entire program focused on developing principled entrepreneurs and teaching them the tools, skills and judgment they need to run their own businesses.

Finding an Investor
For those who have the entrepreneurial enthusiasm, the know-how, and the structure in place to start building a business, but don’t yet have the funds to do so, the next step is finding an investor. Siegel says not to get discouraged even though investors may seem more tight-fisted given the economic downturn. “If you’re looking for money for a new venture, there are plenty of investors out there,” says Siegel. “The current economy hasn’t really affected the enthusiasm for great ideas.”

However, he cautions that all the normal “do’s and don’ts” of seeking funding are magnified in this kind of environment. Siegel urges entrepreneurs to:

Have a plan. “Come up with a business plan that is clear, concise, internally consistent and reasonable for the market opportunity.”

Know your customer. “Understand your customer and know why they would buy your product or service instead of what they buy today. Do market research, and have customer ‘pilots,’ if necessary, to prove that your product has value.”

Seek out experts. “Bring experts to your aid; they can help increase your credibility. In good times, people tend to believe your story, but in bad times, they’re more skeptical.

Prepare for profits. “Having done your business planning and preparation, ask yourself how you’re going to spend the money you are seeking. Who do you want to invest in your venture? What milestones are you going to reach in this round of investment capital? What will you need in terms of financing after you achieve your initial goals to get cash flows to break even?”

There will be many stops along the path to any entrepreneur’s first ribbon-cutting. Whether an MBA, an investor, both or neither are in their future, the advice given here should help any startup weather the economic storm.

“People are still willing to write checks,” concludes Siegel, “they’re just a little bit more careful, and a lot more cranky.”

For more information on the Acton School of Business’ one-year MBA in Entrepreneurship program, please visit http://www.actonmba.org.

When others were giving way to the Great Recession’s doom and gloom, Dr. Lisa Ross, president of Pioneer Passion LLC, searched for a silver lining instead.

Dr. Ross found that our forbearers overcame obstacles against all odds through four distinct qualities, but she warns the nature of those qualities was radically different than we perceive them today. The enterprise, mastery, resoluteness, and self-reliance of our great grandparents were strengths and skills born out of necessity under extreme hardship — severe climates, unforgiving economies, and no modern conveniences — that are difficult for our current consumer culture to grasp.

“If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.” – Thomas Edison

“We still possess these qualities within us,” she explains, “although they’re atrophied, like muscles that haven’t been used. Americans throughout history, not only faced unforeseen challenges with vigor and confidence, but also set their sights on accomplishing unimaginable feats to boot, like building the Erie Canal and the Brooklyn Bridge — efforts that we have forgotten how hard they were Because technology has faced us so squarely on the future that we rarely look back to our past.”

Dr. Ross developed the Creatorpreneur™ program during the Great Recession to help adults, youth, businesses, and organizations reclaim the qualities of enterprise, mastery, resoluteness, and self-reliance of their late 19th and early 20th century great grandparents and integrate those qualities into the 21st century technological economy. Dr. Ross describes “Creatorpreneur,” a concept she originated and trademarked, as an idea-doer. The “creator-” in a Creatorpreneur compels an individual or organization to conceive ideas for alternative employment, ground breaking businesses, social change projects, and diffusing innovation into mainstream organizations. The “-preneur” in a Creatorpreneur develops and applies the skills of enterprise, mastery, resoluteness, and self-reliance to turn those ideas into reality.

Dr. Ross sees Creatorpreneur™ as a niche movement within the mainstream economy, rising from the Great Recession’s ashes. “The Great Recession showed us that a comfortable paycheck with benefits is no longer a given for experienced, educated Americans willing and able to work. That realization shook the nation to its core, but we forget we’ve only had the security of working for a large employer for a century or so. Before the advent of big business and mass produced goods in the 1920s, most Americans worked in family-owned businesses and farms in small towns. Faced with adversity daily, they made their living through enterprise, mastery, resoluteness, and self-reliance. In some ways, we have come full circle. Creatorpreneur™ offers a small yet important choice for those who want more control over their future in a volatile economy.”

The Creatorpreneur™ program offers training, coaching, and consulting on Overcoming Obstacles to Innovation; The Creatorpreneur Manager; The Creatorpreneur Team; The Creatorpreneur Teacher; Creatorpreneur for College and High School Students; and Creatorpreneur for Seniors. Each session is based on the following framework:

Creatorpreneurs are Enterprising. They “want to do” and have an insatiable desire to bring their ideas to life by materializing them in the physical world.

Creatorpreneurs are Mastering. They understand that having a great idea is not enough and apply their knowledge to turn their ideas into reality. What Creatorpreneurs don’t already “know how to do,” they learn to do by figuring it out on their own or finding someone who does know to show them.

Creatorpreneurs are Self-reliant. They are confident they possess the inner strength and outer resourcefulness to achieve what they set out to do. Creatorpreneurs are self-starters and take full ownership of their thoughts and actions.

Creatorpreneurs are Resolute. They “will to do no matter what.” Motivated by a relentless drive to accomplish, Creatorpreneurs focus unwaveringly on their end goal. They enjoy the challenge in overcoming obstacles and look upon defeat as temporary and instructive.

Karen Adamedes, international author of Hot Tips For Career Chicks, praises the Creatorpreneur vision: “Dr. Lisa’s ‘Creatorpreneur’ concept is a powerful framework that shows individuals how to take positive action. This is especially timely in a difficult-to-navigate economy where individuals are wanting to take the responsibility for determining their own destinies. Whether in the U.S. or across the globe in Australia we need Creatorpreneurs now like never before.”

About Dr. Lisa Ross
Lisa Ross, Ed.D., is president and founder of Pioneer Passion LLC, a Washington DC-based training and organizational development consulting firm that takes a root cause approach to people-in-organization issues. She has helped individuals and organizations overcome obstacles and achieve their goals for the past 25 years through her roles in healthcare human resources, nonprofit management, higher education, and consulting. She holds a doctorate in Educational Psychology and Research from the University of Memphis and a master’s degree in Mass Communication/Advertising from the University of Florida. Visit her online at http://pioneerpassion.com.

by Bill Anand, CEO and owner, Vacuums Unlimited – Chantilly, Va.

By nature, entrepreneurs and small business owners are do-it-yourself kinds of people. We take big ideas and run with them. Success (or failure) rests on our shoulders alone. But the fact is, we can’t do it alone. And one proven way to manage the issues and roadblocks every new or growing small business will face is to align your business with a strong group of strategic partners.

A Do-It-Yourselfer needing partners? Yes, that’s right. Strategic partners are far different from a list of vendors that do a job and get paid; strategic partners are committed to the growth and prosperity of your business. They want to see you succeed.

By recognizing the importance of strategic partners, and with planning, you can develop your list of “must have” strategic partners to help build your business’s reputation and value with your customers.

Here are five strategic partnerships to consider as your business grows. They will allow your business to compete in an economically difficult marketplace, make your business look bigger than it actually is and let you spend time on things that really matter – like building your bottom line.

Payroll Services – There are two schools of thought. If your finance responsibilities are manageable, you can use software like Quick Books that will guide you through the payroll process. However, outsourcing payroll services can take bookkeeping responsibilities off of your to-do list. And most importantly, they’ll help you avoid penalties. Professional payroll specialists apply the correct amount of federal, state and city payroll taxes and assure that the company will not be hit with inaccuracy fines, which can be high. Some services include an online portal so you can easily handle check writing and payroll deductions. Others take a hands-on approach – they provide human resources functions and health benefits administration.

Information Technology (IT) – If you’re like many small business owners, IT can be confusing. Rather than risk your livelihood, find a trusted IT partner who can offer stability and secure technology options, and who can also play a key role in business continuity. Your partner should explain each recommended service and respond quickly with personal attention if requested. Based on the services rendered, your IT partner could also serve as a competitive advantage, offering you unique upgrades to your current systems. Because IT is tailored to your business’ needs, there is not one solution for everyone, but a service like oDesk is inexpensive and a good place to start looking for a trusted partner.

Logistics - If your company sells or plans to sell online, you must anticipate the volume of packages being sent to customers and all of the logistics that come with it – storage, packing, shipping, returns, customer service, etc. By tapping into an advanced logistics network like Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), you don’t have to worry about the time and labor needed to fulfill online orders and take customer service calls, because they do it for you. Your customers will enjoy a consistent experience, likely at a lower cost to you, and you will free up resources. You can also benefit from Amazon’s free Super Saver and Prime shipping programs if you sell your product on Amazon.com and fulfill orders through FBA.

Design – First impressions matter. In a world that’s becoming more visual, your company’s marketing pieces need to be professional. From your business card to your website, how you sell yourself is as important as how you sell your product. Securing a professional designer to help brand your company will return your investment many times over. Freelance graphic designers or locally-run agencies can usually start from a blank page and create everything you need, in addition to helping you find printers, developers and other resources. To find a designer, check out http://www.AIGA.org, the non-profit professional association for designers.

Supportive Family and Friends – Perhaps the most important strategic partner. When you’re working 15 hour days, a smile and a hug from a spouse or friend can really get you through the toughest times. They are your biggest fans and the ones who lend their ears, their time, and in some cases, their wallets so you can live your dream.

About the Author:
An entrepreneur and small business owner for more than 30 years, Bill Anand is CEO and owner of online retailer http://www.GoVacuum.com and Chantilly-based retailer http://www.VacuumsUnlimitedVirginia.com. He can be reached at 1-888-468-2210.

A Huggies-commissioned study also cited access to financial resources (65 percent) as the No. 1 barrier preventing moms from turning their business ideas into a reality. Other significant barriers include risk of failure (43 percent) and not knowing where to start (36 percent).

As Maria Bailey, mother of four and founder of working mother resource http://BlueSuitMom.com, explains, “Moms are some of the most inventive people I know; they develop great business ideas but lack access to the financial tools necessary to launch a business.”

Bailey offers prospective entrepreneurs these tips to getting started:

Determine dedication level. Decide whether your passion is a business or a hobby to determine the time, money and resources that you are willing to dedicate.

Do your homework. Search the Internet and store shelves to see if your idea already exists. If so, think about how your product can answer a need that existing ones don’t.

Test the idea. Get the input of your target consumers by hosting an informal focus group.

Write a business plan. Even if it’s a simple one-page outline, consider the following: What will you produce? How will you manufacture it? How will you market and sell it? What is your exit strategy for the business?

Find a mentor. Online communities of successful women can offer support, insight and guidance.

Discover capital in untapped sources. Look for unique funding sources such as brand-sponsored grant programs. Huggies offers grants, annually awarding a total of $250,000 to 12 mom entrepreneurs. Named “MomInspired,” the program provides resources and funding to women-owned business startups and new products inspired by motherhood. Leslie Espowe, one of the first grant recipients, recognized a parenting need and developed a solution with her hands-free, waterproof WateRoo infant carrier, now marketed under the Lucky Ducky Baby brand thanks to her grant money.

To be considered for a grant, moms must submit an application online by June 30. Twelve individuals will receive $15,000 in funding to support their idea or business. Interested moms, 21 or older who live in the U.S., can visit http://www.HuggiesMomInspired.com to apply.