Business Idea of the Day

But trash cans are supposed to be dirty. That’s what entrepreneur Warren Bishop hears nearly every time he explains how his fledgling, Point Loma-based trash-can-cleaning company turns filthy, germ-filled waste bins on wheels into sanitized receptacles, according to a story in the San Diego Union-Tribune. Why bother? “Flies lay eggs in there on food and animal feces, then they go into your house and land on your utensils and food

Born Rich: As the luxury travel takes on to woo the elite travelers, British Airways has also introduced their new first class cabin being installed on a B777, which flies from London Heathrow to Chicago O’Hare. The new cabin features a personal wardrobe, a 60 percent wider bed at the shoulders, leather-bound writing table, a 15-inch in-flight entertainment screen, USB port, RCA jack, noise-canceling headsets and personal electronic blinds along with mood lighting. To reach these in-flight luxuries for effortless travel, the design of the cabin is inspired by premium brands like Aston Martin and Jaguar

If you can find and do great, local stuff at home, why not do great local stuff that’s run by local people when you’re away too? Ooh.com is an online notice board and listings site where anyone in the world who offers trips, courses, classes and events can list their activities for free, and take direct bookings and payments through the site and directly from buyers. The site already has over 1000 activities listed

New Startups: Narwhal Company is the inspirational idea of an everyday person that was looking to move away from the 9-5 lifestyle and thrive in their entrepreneurial spirit. Thus, the idea to provide fashionable accessories from the re-use of neckties was born. Narwhal Co. is a unique and green product that hopes to be a catalyst for the funding of domestic and international humanitarian projects. Narwhal Co [New Startups]

“Puppy Tweets” dog’s collar allows dog owners to follow their dog on twitter. This plastic tag (introduced by Mattel), comes equipped with a sound and motion sensor, and with pre-recorded tweets. In accordance to the dog’s movements and behavior, it’ll post tweets to the dog’s Twitter account announcing it status. via: CNNMoney Related trends: Communicating with those who can’t Pets focused devices: * A collar tag from Boston-based SNIF Labs lets pet owners forge new connections with fellow dog-walkers, both online and off. * The Bowlingual Voice bark translator developed by Takara Tomy, a Japanese toy company, is a device that allegedly translates a dog’s bark or feelings into words people can understand.

Trend Friend is an online (and smartphone accessible) gift idea database that allows users to quickly find the trendiest gifts based on their search criteria. The site then lists which physical retailer carries the item allowing buyers to walk into a nearby store and walk out with their gift. The website is the first of its kind to offer consumers accessibility via the Internet and smartphone while linking each gift to a physical retailer. By entering “who” you are shopping for, the occasion and the price (range) you would like to spend, Trend Friend generates a list of the most-popular and trendy gifts from major retailers across North America that fit the selected criteria.

From fighting forest fires to laying carpet in day care centers, CNNMoney.com takes a look at what some small businesses that got stimulus-funded contracts are doing with taxpayers’ dollars. Carpet One Commercial Flooring in Cheyenne won a $75,000 stimulus contract to update the flooring in a day care/child development center at nearby F.E. Warren Air Force Base. The three-month month project involved tearing up old flooring and laying down fresh carpeting.

From fighting forest fires to laying carpet in day care centers, CNNMoney.com takes a look at what 5 small businesses that got stimulus-funded contracts are doing with taxpayers’ dollars. Leetex Construction in Dallas won just over $2 million in stimulus contracts to renovate existing construction, primarily at Fort Hood, a nearby Army base. The projects, each of which took between two and three months, are nearly complete. Rick Karlos, Leetex Construction’s owner, added six employees: four to work in the field and two to manage the paperwork associated with the government contracts.

Each month, we’ll highlight the bestselling entrepreneurship books on Amazon.com . Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t by Jim Collins The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion by Gary Vaynerchuck The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It by Michel Gerber The Value of Nothing: How to Reshape Market Society and Redefine Democracy by Raj Patel Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach To Customer Service by Ken Blanchard Rework by Jason Fried QBQ! The Question Behind the Question: Practicing Personal Accountability at Work and in Life by John Miller Good to Great and the Social Sectors: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great by Jim Collins The One Minute Manager by Kenneth Blanchard Founders at Work: Stories of Startups’ Early Days by Jessica Livingston Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results by Stephen Lundin The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything by Guy Kawasaki Leading Change by John Kotter Your First Year in Network Marketing: Overcome Your Fears, Experience Success, and Achieve Your Dreams! by Mark Yarnell and Rene Reid Yarnell All of the links to books in the post are affiliate links. Your purchase supports the continued operation of the Business Opportunities Weblog.

When Allison Fleming got married and decided that she was ready to have kids she knew her life would have to change, reports the Tallahassee Democrat . It was after son was born that she decided the time was right to leave her job and start on a new path, mompreneurship. That’s when she agreed to open a group fitness gym, Good Friends Group Fitness, with her friend of 35 years, Chelsea Garfield. “This has given me the sense of peace that I need,” Fleming said