New Kids on the Block

Some people go all fuzzy at the sight of a new puppy. My daughter the doula feels that way about babies. And I get all shivery over startup businesses. Seeing a baby idea come to life makes me want to jump in and help.

As the late Sydney Harris reminds us, ideas, like airplanes, are most vulnerable on takeoff. For many new kids on the block, the tricky bit is getting the word out. So today I’m sharing a handful of new businesses in the hope that you’ll check them out for yourself and pass the word along.

Last fall, I got a call from Joe Cruse asking for help on self-publishing a book he’d written called I Don’t Smoke,  a “stand alone” (do it yourself), but not a “go it alone” (get a cheering squad), treatment in a book.

Joe is a lively septuagenarian who is an addiction specialist. Among other things, Joe was the Founding Medical Director of the Betty Ford Center at Eisenhower Medical Center and also served as President of the medical staff at Eisenhower Hospital. We discussed his options and he chose Booklocker to produce the book. In no time at all, Joe had books in hand and has already won an award from the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers. 

If you or someone you care about still smoke, I highly recommend I Don’t Smoke.

Another new business I’ve been raving about is Live Counseling. Based in Austin, TX, this startup offers counseling services on a wide range of subjects—no matter where you live. Counselors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to help solve problems, listen and advise. If your new dog won’t stop pooping under the bed or your 4-year-old is suddenly sassy or your relationship is feeling rocky, you can get help quickly.

Live Counseling is also building a portfolio of experts so this could be a great opportunity for you to add another profit center and share what you know. It’s a brilliant idea whose time has come.

Know a bride, bridal shop owner, or fashion-conscious prom or nightclub goer? If so, they need to know about Over the Top Fascinators. I admit I had never heard the word fascinator before my sister Margaret started her business, but I’ve had great fun watching her have great fun creating dazzling hair ornaments. Visit her Website and you’ll not only see her elegant creations, but you’ll see storytelling in action when you read her descriptions. 

If you or someone you know has a special occasion coming up, Over the Top Fascinators will make sure you stand out in the crowd.

“Reinvention” is the buzz word of the day—and for good reason. If helping others reinvent themselves appeals to you, consider signing up for Valerie Young’s brilliant Outside the Job Box consulting program and you’ll be on your way to a new startup of your own.

By the way, if you have a startup that you think my readers should know about, send me details at barbara@joyfullyjobless.com.

Sometimes to make it big, you first have to make it small. Conrad Hilton started out sweeping floors in a dusty New Mexico hotel. He cleaned up as owner of a famous hotel chain. John Paul Getty started with a $500 oil lease in Oklahoma and become one of America’s richest men. David Packard baked the paint onto his first product in a kitchen oven. Forty-five years later, he was running a $4.7 billion company. There are anonymous men and women starting small today whose names will be household words in 20 years. Will one of those names be yours? Get started.–Harry J. Gray