A Virtual Power Engine for the Accelerated Dev. of Clean Technologies

It has been described by Clean Edge, a US. research and publishing firm, that "Clean technologies are a diverse range of products, services, and processes that harness renewable materials and energy sources, dramatically reduce the use of natural resources, and cut or eliminate emissions and wastes." Clean technologies offer significant additional benefits, notably their ability to improve the lives of those in both developed and developing countries.

The California Clean Tech Open, the nation's pre-eminent clean technology business competition, had over 500 clean technology industry insiders and observers at its second annual awards event that was held in San Francisco in October, 2007. This is powerful evidence of the fact that many businesses now pay attention not only to profits but also to the environmental impact their enterprises make. Almost 100 companies within the clean technology and renewable energy sectors presented at the third annual Clean Technology and Renewables Conference hosted in February, 2008 in New York City. The conference provided insight on upcoming technological advancements and cost improvements from leading solar, biofuel, and other clean technology companies operating across the globe. While there are many other events, contests, grants, and alternative financing programs available to support the development of clean technologies, there is no significant infrastructure to accelerate this business development worldwide. However, IdeaMama (http://www.IdeaMamaClub.com) is recognized as one of very few virtual venues that support the development of clean-tech projects and other initiatives that aim to make a positive environmental, social, and economic impact. Read More...

How Many Provisional Patents Will Be Filed In The Next Decade?

Being a part of the corporate world is becoming less and less sexy, and it's certainly no guarantee of security. The cool factor now lies in ability to run your own show. Mass media suggests that a real road to wealth and security is not climbing a corporate ladder, but rather becoming an entrepreneur, building your own businesses, and collecting real profits. Another way to prosper is to invent products, license the technology, and collect royalties -- a great source of passive income, while focusing on coming up with your “next big thing.”

Whether you are creating new products for licensing, or marketing your own products, protecting your intellectual property is a very important step in the process of IP (Intellectual Property) commercialization.

“Many inventors "hit the wall" as they spend all their savings on inventing and testing a prototype, and they become short of cash when it comes time to do patenting” shares Olga Kostrova, founder of IdeaMamaClub.com, a unique on-line platform for collaborative innovation, that provides the tools and processes that accelerate innovative ideas into business reality. Read More...

Finding New Opportunities During the Recession

Looking at the US employment statistics, you could conclude that all of the talk about a US recession has not yet affected the US job market. Nevertheless it's obvious that corporations are focusing on cost reduction, and lay-offs are inevitable. What will you do to support your family, with all of your years of expertise, when your job is on the line

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor, the number of unemployed persons (7.4 million) and the unemployment rate (4.8 percent) were essentially unchanged in February in comparison to the previous period. Over the month, the unemployment rates for adult men (4.3 percent), adult women (4.2 percent), teenagers (16.6 percent), whites (4.3 percent), and Hispanics (6.2 percent) showed little or no change. The jobless rate for blacks fell to 8.3 percent, in line with the average rate for 2007. The unemployment rate for Asians was 3.0 percent.

The number of people who worked part time for economic reasons, at 4.9 million in February, was little changed over the month but was up by 637,000 over the past 12 months.

These employment numbers don't tell the story of the recession that is upon us -- you need to plan for the worst.

If you lose your job, or if you have the entrepreneurial spirit, starting your own business during a recession is not a bad idea. You could become a consultant or perhaps invent a new product or service to satisfy the arising demands. There are many opportunities for people with good ideas. Yet, of course, there is a learning curve involved in starting up new any venture -- and because time is crucial, first time entrepreneurs have to be very efficient and begin to generate income quickly if they want to match their current paychecks.

Professional organizations and business networks can be of great help to you, especially if you've never been self employed. Peer expertise, advise, and emotional support are great motivational factors for the future success of new business owners.

On-line business and social networks can be priceless resources to entrepreneurs, and in most cases they provide basic membership for free to help people connect. While LinkedIn, Ecademy, and Xing were designed for networking and provide similar services, (Olga Kostrova's) newly launched IdeaMama Club (http://www.IdeaMamaClub.com) seems to be the most fascinating and exciting of all. Read More...

A Century When Money Matters Less and People Matter More

We live in an era when being a “millionaire” doesn’t get us very excited or mean much about our achievements. There are almost 8.5 million households in America with $1 million to $10 million in assets, and they fall into the “middle-class” category -- especially in Silicon Valley, which is a hub for innovation and technology deal making. But are these Silicon Valley millionaires happy? Entrepreneurs and investors keep hunting for “the next big thing” so they can make even more money, and until then everyone keeps comparing their bank accounts with each other as a way of keeping score. There seems to be no exit out of the rat race; enough never seems to be enough.

Yet, maybe there is a better way. IdeaMamaClub.com is one of the sexiest new Silicon Valley companies; it is a social networking for entrepreneurs, with some very interesting and unique capabilities. You would expect it to be backed by a few top notch venture capital firms, run by a bunch of Standford graduates, with an army of geeks spending 24/7 in front of their Macs making it all happen. However you might be surprised to find that in fact it is the brain child of just one, magnetic and spunky, 5’3" woman in her early 30's, who radiates more entrepreneurial spirit and energy than 50 mere mortals, while spreading what she calls her “little toilet wisdom.”  Read More...