Jewelry Business Guru by Cindy Edelstein

Protecting Your Product Ideas

Ladies Who Launch is one of my favorite business programs -- it's a grassroots organization that offers "incubators" for women who have a great business idea and need support. Frankly, wish I'd thought of it!

However, on their blog this week there's a great entry on Patents and defending your brilliant ideas.
Kim Lavine, author of Mommy Millionaire, writes:

    I remember when I was just starting out, perhaps the scariest moments for me involved putting my ideas out there in the marketplace, worrying about somebody knocking them off. Since then I’ve learned that the idea is only 5% of a product’s success—and this may include the patent! The other 95% is sales and marketing. You can find a whole section in my book MOMMY MILLIONAIRE on patents, and I would suggest everyone read it to find out the absolute basics for going forward, including when to pay and attorney, and when not to. ..... read more

I never saw a 5%/95% ratio before  and I'm glad someone else said it other than me!

Sales trumps design - EVERY TIME!

Small-business owners work longer, happier hours

Speaking as someone who is online/plugged in almost all the time, I agree with with this report in the NAWBO Smartbrief:                   

    Small-business owners work longer hours and more holidays than the general population, but they also feel more in control of their lives, according to the latest index from Discover Small Business Watch. Another plus is small-business owners get more support from their spouses when they check their e-mail on their days off compared to those who work for other people, according to the report. Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)/Associated Press

I'd say we're happier too and our families are more integrated into our work life. Would you?