Business Idea of the Day

Jay Goltz owns five small businesses in Chicago. He recently posted a list on The New York Times “You’re The Boss” blog of what he believes are the most important success factors in business: 1. Look for opportunities to do something better than just about everyone else

When you walk into the shop created by Debbie and Kristy Yettaw, they want you to feel like animals are people too reports Press-Telegram . Debbie, a laid-off transportation worker, and her 21-year-old daughter Kristy celebrated their grand opening onJuly 10. Inspired by her daughter’s love of animals and a troubled economy, Debbie says they took Kristy’s passion, coupled it with a plan and went after their dream.

The Toy and Game Inventor Expo is the only industry event designed exclusively to help the new toy and game inventor and entrepreneur by providing networking and educational opportunities. Independent inventors are an important source for new products to the Toy Industry, but because the industry relies heavily upon professional toy developers for new products it can be difficult for independent inventors to find a way in.

Although many people wouldn’t normally give it a second thought while pouring out some kibble for their dog, Carol Brown thinks twice about what they’re about to eat. After losing more than one dog to cancer, Carol decided there must be something she can do to help improve the quality of her pets’ life. She started mixing together various healthy and organic ingredients until she came up with her own homemade dog food reports The Patriot Ledger . Brown refinanced her house and opened her 500-square-foot store in August 2003 with only one brand of dog food and some homeopathic flea and tick powders.

It started as a joke when Jennifer Murtoff of Oak Park, Ill. printed up 150 business cards that identified her as an Urban Chicken Consultant. She had no real intention of turning her lifelong poultry passion into an entrepreneurial pursuit. WalletPop reports that it turns out that beyond the Chicago prairie, urban chicken coops are catching on from Albuquerque to Portland, Ore. “There’s a move toward urban agriculture and people want to have chickens in their backyard,” said Murtoff, who records her exploits on a blog, Home to Roost

Some pet owners don’t want to show their babies off to the world though and would rather throw them in a backpack. For these “animal lovers,” this specialty back pack pet carrier is a godsend, as it allows the animal just enough air to breathe and limits their ability to harm the user through the fabric. If you thought this dog poop catcher was ridiculous, then just imagine strapping your pup in a diaper that goes practically up to his front legs and leaves him sitting in his own feces and urine

Ever since high school Cynthia Saatkamp has known what she wanted to do and that was advertising reports The Commercial Appeal . At first, she wanted to become a designer, but then she changed her mind.

Lewis Schiff over at Inc.com had a recent conversation with Jack Stack, the father of “open book management” and the chief executive behind SRC Holdings, the industrial conglomerate based in Springfield, Missouri. I asked Jack if he was able to tell, from his sales volume, whether the economy was headed up or down? “Up,” he responds

You’ve heard of cat-sitters, dog-sitters and, of course, babysitters. But chicken-sitters? According to CNNMoney , in Portland, Ore., a city known for its deep do-it-yourself streak and poultry-permissive laws, two backyard farmers have stepped up to meet an unusual need: watching hens when their owners go on vacation. In May, Rhonda Piasecki, 43, and Sharon Rowland, 35, launched Just Us Hens , which they believe is the nation’s first chicken-sitting service. The business partners, who each boast a full roost of laying hens (four for Piasenki; eight for Rowland), met last year working at Portland’s Urban Farm Store.

Here’s a weird dog food story out of the UK: A new ice cream truck will be the local dogs’ best friend. Called the the K99, the ice cream truck delivers gammon (a kind of bacon) and chicken ice cream, complete with a crunchy canine biscuit bone.