Author Archive for Timothy Lowrance

Idea Buyer

The Company

It’s one thing to make a product. It’s another to find a way to distribute it. IdeaBuyer.com has allowed its over 50,000 members to buy, sell, or licence patents, connecting inventors, companies, universities, and distributors through the exchange of intellectual property.

Eric Corl founded this internet company in 2007, launching it while still in college at Ohio State University. The idea was born when he realized that there was a great disconnect between intellectual property and commercialization – new ideas were falling into black holes of unnecessary costs and time as their owners were attempting to push them toward the market. Putting school on hold, Corl decided that he would make a website where these ideas could reach the right distribution channels quickly. He dedicated his full focus to this company and brought it from its modest beginnings to its current size. With only a few employees, Idea Buyer is now the largest marketplace for intellectual property.

Eric Corl’s Background

Corl said that he learned the importance of hard work through the time he spent at his family’s manufacturing business. Entrepreneurship was not a topic of discussion for them, it was simply a way of life. He took the skills he learned there into his innovative career.

Help! How Do I Internet?

A Simple Need

It has become more than just an option for companies to utilize the internet in marketing. Online advertising, PR, and communications have become necessary elements of any firm that desires to survive an onslaught of creative competitors.

But not every company has the time or expertise to make its online presence known. That’s where Yodle comes in.

 

The Power of Pivot

Ben Rubenstein and John Berkowitz began to try expanding their their company named NetPal when they graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2005. The idea had been born as a simple online marketing business, but, much to their dismay, what had seemed like a great idea was not going so well. They were not getting enough clients.

Everything changed when NetPal was hired by a local dentist. Rubenstein and Berkowitz saw that they needed to target specific types of businesses: professionals like doctors and lawyers, and, more specifically, local businesses. It was this pivot that brought their company the initial success it needed to expand into what it is today.

A Complete Solution

The Yodel name was born in 2007, giving off the idea that online marketing will allow a company’s voice to be echoed and heard far and wide. Yodel specializes in business website creation, search engine optimization, social media strategy and maintenance, email marketing, and other internet services, providing a wide variety of online help to small companies that don’t want to bother with the details of internet marketing.

The Takeaway

Pivot. Rubenstein and Berkowitz kept their eyes open as they worked through the initial stages of their company. They were not afraid to adapt in order to succeed. This is a vital trait for successful entrepreneurs.

College Hunks Hauling Junk

“Let Tomorrow’s Leaders Haul Your Junk Today”

The business idea is simple: capitalize on the extra energy and muscle of college students by hiring them to haul away things people don’t want – things that can be recycled, burned as fuel, or donated to charitable organizations. This three-fold aspect College Hunks Hauling Junk is one of the big reasons this business idea was selected by the Leigh Rothschild Business Plan Contest in 2004. Omar Soliman was the winner of $10,000 in this competition, and he used the money to get his business off the ground.

It was started even before Soliman and his partner Nick Friedman graduated from the University of Miami. But after graduation, they decided to take their idea and make it into something massive. Moving to D.C., they turned their small concept into a large-scale operation. But this wasn’t enough. In 2008, they moved again, this time to Tampa, FL to convert their company into a franchised firm. Since then, College Hunks Hauling Junk has made several “fastest growing companies” lists and in 2013 won the Franchise 500 Award.

The especially noteworthy trait of Omar Soliman and Nick Frieman is that these young men dreamed big. The idea they had designed was a good one, one that would have made a fantastic single firm in D.C. However, they realized that this business concept was one that could be even bigger than that. Today, they have 3 main locations and 47 franchises. That is success on a massive scale.

Daniel Knudsen – Filmmaker

A discussion of innovation need not be limited to devices or services. Innovation is the driving force behind any human pursuit, whether it be industry or art form.

Making a Career out of Film

A particular young man who is a big part of bringing exciting and well-needed change to the film industry is Daniel Knudsen. This young man grew up in a neighborhood just outside of Detroit, MI.  At age 17, he started working on film crews, and his passion for filmmaking was born. As Daniel studied the camera and lighting skills he would need in this industry, he began to realize that he wanted to be a producer/director.

This dream was fulfilled when Daniel produced his first major film: Creed of Gold, a thriller that was released in 2014. A link to the trailer is below:

http://vimeo.com/40611218

He took this movie to several film festivals, even premiering it in Milan, Italy, where it won an award.

The Company

Daniel Knudsen’s company, Crystal Creek Media, is dedicated toward producing movies that are positive, educational, and Christian in theme and voice. He has gone to great efforts to build a company from the ground, displaying remarkable drive and perseverance in a difficult industry. He has spoken at several Christian film events, spreading the message that audiences can be reached by Christian groups with powerful storytelling and good cinematography.

 

I took a class from Daniel Knudsen in High School, and he inspired me to study and experiment with this fascinating medium of communication.

Lee Moseley – Bubble Soccer

It’s about time somebody solved the cry-baby soccer epidemic.

For far too long, we have watched soccer players grovel in pain to show referees just how “terrible” it is to have contact with another player in this world-famous sport. Well, no more.

There’s a new game in town.

And it’s called Bubble Soccer. Or if you’re not from the US, Bubble Football. This game was developed by Lee Moseley, a asbestos surveyor who, as a young man, gave up his day job to pursue his unique idea.

It’s a pretty simple concept: the game is played just like regular soccer, except with each player wearing a PVC plastic “bubble” that protects the head and upper body, allowing for unique and hilarious contact throughout the game.

Lee Moseley’s company wasn’t started easily. He knew how he wanted create these suits, but investors didn’t believe the idea would take off. So, with the help and support from his wife, Moseley financed the entire operation himself, basing it in the UK. The determination he showed through this risky venture was one of the key reasons for his success. The idea began to spur interest in people. Many are attracted to this more lighthearted style of soccer, and it has been used at parties, corporations (as a team-building exercise), and various other unique venues in addition to more normal sports scenarios. Now, he services events all across the UK, and several other versions of his product have sprouted up around the world.

Moseley’s comments about this product reflect his spirit in making his business. “We have had a overwhelming response to the game and everybody who has taken part has really enjoyed themselves. It’s not something that I think I’ll ever get bored of doing either, as just watching people play is hilarious.”

Here is a man who believes in his business. That is the sign of a great entrepreneur.

She Skipped a Year of HS for WHAT?!

It takes real dedication to skip an entire year of High School for your passion.

But that’s exactly what Janelle Putrich, a photographer who takes the art and flair of her business to the next level, did. Leaving behind academics and classes, she spent Junior Year refining and perfecting what she was best at – a unique type of photography that captures the depth of a person’s character and the emotion behind the moments of life. This unique style has attracted quite the clientele. For now, Janelle manages her photography and portrait operations from her home near Cleveland, OH.  The creativity and desire for new and exciting things that spurred the inception of her business has allowed her to branch out into also utilizing cosmetology and design in her photos.

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Her inspiration is simple: to represent the stories of life through pictures

“One of my favorite things to do as a kid was to go into the depths of the basement and look through bins of photos from parents’ lives. There was something so special and priceless about seeing what my parents did, how they how they loved.”

I met Janelle at a debate tournament in Michigan two years ago, and since have closely followed her business endeavor. Her insane amount of drive to find new and different ways to tell stories through photography has inspired me to pursue my own passion of film-making more avidly. Because anyone can use a camera, but very few people can create something so unique that people are left in awe.

The innovation in the way Janelle runs her business is that it is so focused on combining art and photography together in a way so as to communicate the very essence of a person. She uses extreme camera settings, backgrounds, costumes, and cosmetics in her portraits. (even going so far as gluing petals to her face!)

 

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People are naturally drawn to pictures taken by a creative eye. Take a moment to observe the one to the left.

This is an upside-down shot of a pond’s reflection. But the way it was composed makes it look magical.

Magic is a good word to describe the work of Janelle Putrich. Through her persistence and creativity she has created a unique art form in an industry that makes it difficult for anyone to distinguish themselves. And through it all, she has determined to give glory to God. That, in itself, is something well-needed in the art world.

 

You can find more of her work at:

http://www.photography4thecreator.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/janelleputrichphotography

 

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“When you invest in a photographer, you are not only investing in photos for yourself, but also for generations to come.  It is important when selecting a photographer that you love their style and that you trust them to capture the moments that really count – for the photos of today turn into the memories of tomorrow.”