I recently chatted with Bryan Silverman, co-founder of Star Toilet Paper and winner of Entrepreneur magazine’s College Entrepreneur of 2012, to learn more about his business. Star Toilet Paper is unique – they print advertisements and coupons on a wide range of environmentally friendly toilet paper. Then they supply venues with this printed toilet paper, free of charge, by using the revenue from the advertising side of the company.
Life’s greatest opportunities often rise from life’s greatest challenges (and even failures). That’s the story of so many small business owners, and that’s certainly the case with Mark Rivard, owner of Rivard Art LLC.
I first learned about Mark when I saw him tweet about packing and shipping some skateboard blanks at his local The UPS Store in Minneapolis. Shortly after, I spoke with Mark and learned more about his passion for art, how his business came to be, and, more importantly, what he’s doing to give back.
In the spirit of NCAA® March Madness®, The UPS Store is hosting a series of one-hour small business Twitter chats to help small business owners “Get in the Game,” “Stay in the Game,” and “Win the Game.” Chat one-on-one with well-known small business experts about overcoming the challenges you face as a business owner.
All Twitter chat participants will be automatically entered to win one of The UPS Store’s new Small Business Tool Kits. Sound good? To be eligible, follow @TheUPSStore and include the hashtag #SBOadvice in your tweets during any of the one-hour chats. Check out our lineup:
It’s important to enjoy what you do for work, and if you can have fun while doing it – even better. For Gail and Stacey Rogers, work is not only enjoyable, but it truly is fun. In fact, making sure others are having fun is in the job description!
The mother and daughter team own Toys with Love in Chester, New Jersey. Says Gail, “It’s not just a place for parents and gift givers to shop; it’s a place for kids to come and have fun.” The store’s business is booming – later this year they plan to move to a larger location across the street to expand their product selection.
With the craziness of Black Friday, the crowded mall parking lots and the seemingly endless wish lists, you’ve likely put a lot of time and effort into finding the perfect gifts for everyone on your list. You’ve fought the lines and stalked the sales, and now have the perfect gifts to show for your hard work!
But there’s still an important item left on your gift shopping list: getting the items to their new owners. This might be as simple as having Santa leave it under the tree, or you might need to help him with the legwork and ship them yourself. But don’t panic. Luckily, holiday shipping can be the easiest part of the whole process, with some tried-and-true wisdom:
If this Thanksgiving is anything like last, about one out of 10 Americans will be traveling to spend time with family and friends. (Last year, AAA projected 42.5 million Americans would travel during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.)
While I’ve never had the personal “pleasure” of flying during the Thanksgiving holiday, I’ve certainly heard enough stories to keep me grounded whenever possible. Flight delays and lost luggage have a way of deflating the Thanksgiving spirit.
Now, I can’t solve the whole flight delay thing – after all, weather’s weather – but I can offer some hope for the weary traveler who’s ever lost a piece of luggage: consider shipping your luggage.
Meet Jill Salzman, mompreneur extraordinaire. She’s the founder of The Founding Moms, a local monthly meeting where mom entrepreneurs can connect and learn from one another. She is also the author of the book “Found It: A Field Guide for Mom Entrepreneurs.”
We first met Jill following the Mom Biz Retreat in Chicago earlier this year. She provided copies of her book to all attendees. Once we connected with her after the event, we quickly learned that Jill has actually been a customer of her local The UPS Store since 2009!
If you’re like me, you’ve already filed your taxes—a month or two ago! I guess I like seeing that refund in my bank account, so I try to file as soon as possible. But there are many out there (you know who you are) who wait til the last minute to file their taxes, even if the IRS gives them an extra couple days to file. I guess the looming threat of late fees doesn’t scare them. Maybe they like the stress, who knows?
Fortunately, there’s relief for all you last-minute filers. Your neighborhood The UPS Store location offers copying, postal and shipping services to help you get your taxes to Uncle Sam on time. Many of The UPS Store locations actually stay open late on April 17 to accommodate the procastinators. And some even throw a Tax Break party to celebrate our right to pay taxes.
Most people who physically send their returns to the IRS use the mail, but did you know you can also SHIP your federal tax returns via UPS? What’s better than watching your tax forms make their way to the IRS? With UPS shipping, you get a tracking number so you can track your return all the way to Uncle Sam.
If you’re mailing, don’t forget they’ve got to be postmarked by April 17.
In just a week, hundreds of thousands of college basketball fans will finally get what they’ve been waiting for: three straight weeks of drama, buzzer-beaters and upsets known as March Madness ®. We’ll witness some of the game’s greatest players and coaches vying for the ultimate prize: to be crowned NCAA national champions.
If there’s one common trait of all NCAA ® championship teams, it would be great coaching. A great coach understands the game and inspires his or her team to greatness and success.
Great coaches exist on and off the court. If you own a small business with a team of employees, you’re a coach, in a sense. And, sometimes, even coaches need a little coaching from the experts.
A couple weeks ago, I had the privilege of attending Entrepreneur magazine’s 2012 Growth Conference in Long Beach, Calif., as a member of The UPS Store team, which sponsored the event.
For the more than 850 entrepreneurs who convened at this year’s Growth Conference, there was an undeniable feeling of optimism and determination to learn and grow their businesses.
