Do you ever wonder what motivates someone to start a business and what inspires their business ideas? Meet business professionals from around the country and find out what sparked their business ideas.

Business: The Swim Squad, founded by Aquatics Director Jordan Meher, provides-certified swimming instructors to drive to parents’ homes or community pools to teach swimming lessons.

Motivation: Consumer demand. “While in college, I used to drive around town and teach swimming lessons and was so busy I had to turn potential clients down.  After graduating with a degree in Civil Engineering, my phone continued to ring although I was trying to get a “real” job as an engineer.  After doing some research, I realized there was no program that would send instructors to a parents home pool!”

Outcome: “After 3 successful summers of running The Swim Squad, I have over 25 employees and just recently completed our Franchise Disclosure Documents to become a franchise and spread swimming safety across the country!”
Continue reading The Naked Truth: how they did it

After many takes, several lighting adjustments and extensive advice from a few video pros out there, I finally taped my first Working Naked video. In this video I share three ways to figure out what you should be charging for your product or services. If your fees are too high you may lose business. But if your fees are too low and you’re working too many hours for too little money, eventually you’ll resent your clients.
Continue reading Are you giving it up too easily?

The way your office is organized can affect your productivity.  You can take time to schedule your days, but if you can’t find what you need to accomplish tasks, you’re wasting time.  Take this test to figure out where you need help.

1.  Do you spend time looking for lost items every day?
2.  Are your files overflowing with papers you haven’t seen since you’ve filed them?
3.  Do you use more than one calendar?
4.  Is your desk covered with little scraps of paper?
5.  Do you have stacks of magazines older than six months in your office?
6.  Do you use a to-do list?
7.  Do you keep papers and other stuff you never use?
8.  Is your workspace free of stacks of paper?
Continue reading Quiz: how organized are you?

The Desktop Station keeps your supplies organized and in sight.

Do you remember the movie The Jerk and Steve Martin’s character yelling, “The new phonebook is here…I’m somebody now!” while dancing around?  I feel the same way about the new Container Store “Work Smart Office Sale” catalog…dancing around included. Now we can all get organized or at least have an office that looks amazing.  My three favorite products are:

Desktop Station. You Lookouts (who like to keep everything in sight) will love this product alone or paired with the Landscape Letter Tray and the Landscape Paper Drawer. Aside from holding pens, pencils, folders and other supplies, you can see clearly what’s inside.  No more hidden supplies.
Continue reading Home office supplies that inspire you

Paint is one of the easiest ways to update your home office.

How would you describe your home office? Does it look a bit rough around the edges? Clients may not see your home office but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a nice, comfortable and even stylish place to work.  There are a few cheap ways to give your home office a facelift.

• Paint your walls and don’t be afraid of color.  Start with your rug, a piece of art or any furniture that’s in your home office and then match it.  It doesn’t have to be a perfect match (that’s boring). If you can’t find a color you like, make up your own color.  I created “Working Naked Gold” for my home office.
  Continue reading 4 cheap ways to update your home office