Local inventor's creation shuts door on mice

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Sherlock Holmes wields a large magnifying glass as he bends to examine obscure footprints in the carpet. David Curtis of Lonetown Road follows the same tradition, only he is holding a black light and following the tiny glowing footprints of maraudering field mice.

“It’s CSI for field mice,” he said recently of his new mouse tracking system, RodoTrak. It offers what he calls a baited box with a car-wash effect dousing mice with florescent powder.

He and a neighbor, Henry Emanuel of Lonetown Road, have a new company to market and make the device.Mr. Curtis is a second generation exterminator — Avon Pest Control in Stamford was started by his father in the sixties. “I cover all of Fairfield and Weschester counties. I have eight guys out doing general pest control services... Our job is to get it out or keep it out,” he said.

As the warm temperatures dip and frost rises, a lot of mice and other small creatures are headed indoors where everything is warm.
“We get the calls, rodents in house, droppings in the drawers, noises in the walls. We get a lot of noises in the wall... That’s kind of how this started,” he said.

Mr. Emanuel asked if there was a way to keep the mice out rather than killing them inside his house. “He said that maybe we could track them and see how they are getting in. Originally, we just looked for holes and plugged them,” Mr. Curtis said.

Mr. Emanuel is in the carpet business and uses fluorescent material for color enhancement. “I have a fluorescent material — maybe we can see how they are coming in,” he told Mr. Curtis. “His question was how we could get it on the mice. I had to build some kind of encapsulating trap so the rodents would actually treat themselves,” he said.

He experimented with different forms of the fluorescent, which comes in various liquids and powder forms, and with different container shapes and types of fibers for the mechanism. “I had to make a lot of changes to make it work,” Mr. Curtis said

The result is patent pending — a tunnel-like box is baited and filled with synthetic fibers bearing the fluorescent material.

“It coats their fur as well as their feet. Once they leave, we can track where they are getting in and out. The trails tell you everything you want to know about how these mice are using the structure...,” he said. The trails are revealed using a hand-held black light.

According to the company’s press release, RodoTrak uses non-poisonous baited “rodent detection stations” loaded with non-toxic fluorescent powder.

The fibrous material contains enough powder to cover approximately 15 linear feet outside and even more inside. Once they leave the detection and tracking station, the rodents create a trail of powder left as footprints where they walk or “body” prints where they rub against an entry (or exit) point The stations are set up in a maze-like pattern to locate and pinpoint rodent activity.

“In one case, a homeowner was absolutely convinced that mice were entering around a door. The door had been tightened several times and it moldings replaced, all to no avail. We set up three RodoTrak stations and tracked their path to a hole beneath the building’s siding, and did it within 24 hours!” Mr. Curtis said.

One local man, Gino Marsili of the Village Chef, has used the system in his residence and is very pleased with it. “In my house we had the classic signs of mice... you could hear them or see the droppings.” Mr. Marsili is something of a do-it-yourselfer.

“You have a black light and you start at the RodoTrak and you can follow their foot prints in the florescent dust,” he said. “In one situation at my house, there was a hole the size of a quarter about five feet off the ground. They were climbing all the way up there to that hole. I didn’t know I had a hole in my foundation but you can see their footprints,” he said.

His foundation is old stone, and he was able to fill the places where the old cement was crumbed away.

“I am 100% satisfied” Mr. Marsili said.

For more information, visit the company’s Web site at http://www.rodotrak.com.
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Netflix-Like AV Rentals

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http://www.meetingtomorrow.com/

Meeting Tomorrow offers business customers easy access to audio visual equipment. Hotels often charge extortionate prices for renting a projector or display screen, and other meeting venues don't always have the equipment needed for a presentation.

On Meeting Tomorrow, you choose the equipment you need, order it online or by phone, and the equipment is delivered to your home, office, hotel or meeting location on time. Advance orders are delivered the day before the meeting, and same day orders are welcome. (Meeting Tomorrow offers same day delivery to 95% of the US, and next day service to the rest of the country.)

The beauty of the concept is how simple it is for customers, who can rely on the equipment arriving on time and don’t have to go out of their way to pick up or return a projector. For returns, Meeting Tomorrow takes a cue from Netflix: pre-paid adhesive FedEx return labels are included with projectors and laptops.

After using the equipment, customers slap on the label and drop the cases in any Fed Ex drop box. Bulkier equipment, such as screens or sound systems, are picked up after the event. Pricing is straight-forward, too: no matter where the equipment is needed, customers pay the same rental prices and a flat delivery fee.

[Via - Springwise.com] 

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It seems that almost every time I write my column, there's something new and exciting to talk about. This time, the changes are far more pedestrian, but they'll affect everyone who does business on eBay. Both good and bad changes from the U.S. Postal Service go into effect on May 14, while eBay is adding some new options you'll want to take advantage of.

International Mailing Changes
USPS is revamping its international services and raising prices. I'll give you the good news first. Many online sellers rue the day they get an international order. The different levels of mailing are confusing, and customs forms vary depending on your packages. That's all about to change.

The categories for international mail will become the same as those used for domestic mail. USPS will offer the following: Global Express Guaranteed (the most expensive option), Express Mail International (formerly Global Express), Priority Mail International (eight to 10 day service) and First-Class Mail International. Customs forms and address labels will be combined for most mailings when postage is printed electronically.

You can also now get discounts on international mailings when you print your own postage. Watch for discounts on the USPS website, PayPal postage printing and electronic postage sites like Endicia.com. Here are examples of the savings:

• 10 percent on Global Express Guaranteed
• 8 percent on Express Mail International
• 5 percent on Priority Mail International

An international flat rate will also be an option. For Express Mail International you can use the same free packaging and flat-rate options you use for domestic Express Mail. The flat-rate envelope postage is $22 for Canada and Mexico and $25 for other countries. For Priority Mail International, you can also use the same packaging you use for domestic mailings. The Priority flat-rate envelope (with a 4-pound weight limit) will be $9 for Canada and Mexico and $11 for all other countries. There's also a flat-rate box with a 20-pound weight limit that will cost $23 for Canada and Mexico and $37 for all other countries. Tracking will also finally be available on the Priority Mail International flat-rate boxes.

If you're shipping documents or lightweight merchandise up to 4 pounds, you can use the new First-Class Mail International rates at a great discount. The prices are based on weight, and you can basically send a 2-pound package anywhere in the world for $8.26 to $16.80.

Domestic Mailing Changes
Sadly, for those of us who use Priority Mail, the rates will go up. The flat-rate envelope goes from $4.05 to $4.60, and the Priority Mail flat-rate boxes will go up to $9.15. A 5-pound package in a non-flat-rate box will cost between $6.30 and $15.85 based on distance.

First-class mail is also getting a rate increase, with letters going up to 41 cents. It's still a bargain for eBay sellers to send items up to 13 ounces via first-class mail. USPS will now offer two levels of first-class mail. Letter-size envelopes begin at 41 cents an ounce, and large envelopes start at 80 cents. The rate for packages will be $1.13 for the first ounce. For each additional ounce on letters, flats and boxes, expect to pay 17 cents per ounce. Letters weighing more than 3.5 ounces will be charged the same rate as flats.

The good news is that boxes from USPS and carrier pickup will remain free. For more information on all the USPS changes, go to www.usps.com/ratecase.

Upcoming eBay Changes
eBay has rarely made changes in its feedback system--the backbone of customer confidence on the site. I like to call the enhanced system Feedback 2.0. The new system can be seen on many of the international eBay sites. Go to www.ebay.co.uk, search for an item and then click on the feedback link next to the seller's name to see how it works.

The new system divides feedback into "feedback from a buyer," "feedback from a seller" and "feedback left for others." You'll also see the addition of detailed seller ratings defined by one to five stars. Buyers can now rate sellers on various aspects, including item description, communication, shipping time, and shipping and handling charges.

eBay is also now letting users link to video within auction descriptions. (You can't embed the video; just link.) Write a line similar to: "See how great this item is in action. Watch a short demonstration by clicking this link." When you upload your short video on YouTube, you receive a link that allows you to share your video. You can also link to other video sites available from Google, MySpace, Microsoft or AOL.

This is an effective way to include your own infomercial on the item. Keep in mind, though, that this type of promotion is best for your stock or very special items. Also, many buyers won't have time to view your video, so don't neglect your item description and regular photos.

Marsha Collier, a successful eBay PowerSeller, is Entrepreneur.com's "eBay" columnist as well as the author of the bestselling eBay references,eBay for Dummies and Starting an eBay Business for Dummies.

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Ebay CEO says Web scams hurt business

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Ebay Chief Executive Meg Whitman on Thursday said increasingly sophisticated Internet scams were eroding the trust of online shoppers and hurting e-commerce.

She also called on industry leaders to work together more closely at a time when legitimate businesses must thwart global criminal organizations vying for control over sensitive financial data traveling across the Internet.

Whitman, who was speaking at a security conference sponsored by Visa USA, said she planned to meet this afternoon with lawmakers, whom she declined to identify, to discuss the issue.

"Security on the Net is actually an arms race in its most classic form," she said. "As we build sophisticated tools and fraud models to keep the bad guys out, the bad guys just come up with new ways to target us."

Whitman said a particularly vexing challenge is safeguarding Internet users from "phishers," who try to obtain sensitive personal information by masquerading as a trusted Web site or e-mailer. These scams, Whitman said, are eroding the trust of Internet shoppers and hurting e-commerce.

While the company has developed some new technologies to thwart phishers and other Internet scams, she said there is no single solution. One measure that would help protect businesses and consumers, she added, is more collaboration among e-commerce companies, Internet service providers, software companies and banks.

Shares of Ebay rose 36 cents to $31.39 in afternoon trade on the Nasdaq Stock Market.

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Is a Super Bowl Ad Really Worth the Cost?

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One Super Bowl ad runs $2.6 million. Is it a good investment? What else might an advertiser do with that kind of cash? Do the people’s favorite ads even get the best results?

Super Bowl ads have, for years, been little more than a beauty contest for advertising agencies. When a company selects an agency's ad to represent it during the Super Bowl, it’s sort of like choosing a girl to represent a state in the Miss America pageant. Super Bowl ads are an iconic, cultural phenomenon that makes very little sense; essentially, they're the advertising equivalent of bathing-suit-clad girls with big eyes and high heels talking about their dreams of world peace.

Over a year, the price of one Super Bowl ad could provide your company exposure to 50 percent of the population of Southern California. It would buy you enough radio repetition for the average listener to hear your ad four times a week, 52 weeks a year throughout Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County and the Inland Empire (Riverside and San Bernardino). Altogether, $2.6 million could buy you several thousand ads, which would reach a total of nearly 15 million people.

Paying $2.6 million for an ad to air during the Super Bowl might possibly be the dumbest thing you could do with $2.6 million. Or the smartest. It all depends on what you communicate in the ad.

The Dumbest Super Bowl Ad of 2007: FedEx Ground
Although this was one of the more clever and entertaining ads this season, it'll also prove to be counterproductive. Remember the ad? A bunch of people are sitting in a conference room …

MANAGER: FedEx saved us with their overnight service, so we’ve added FedEx Ground for everyday shipping.

JOEL: Ground? That doesn’t sound fast.

RELAXED GUY LEISURELY HOLDING COFFEE: Actually, Joel, FedEx Ground is faster than you think.

MANAGER: We can’t judge things by their name. Don’t you agree, Harry?

EXTREMELY HAIRY GUY: Absolutely.

MANAGER: Eileen?

GIRL LEANING HARD ON HARRY: Of course.

MANAGER: Joy?

JOY: (Gives an effervescent giggle with a beaming smile)

MANAGER: Bob?

BOB: (Bobs his head up and down in an extreme fashion)

GUY WITH HUGE DOUBLE CHIN: You see, Joel, we all agree that FedEx Ground is fast, despite the name “Ground.”

MANAGER: Well said, Mr. Turkeyneck.

The ad ends with the FedEx logo revolving quickly to reveal four variations--FedEx Ground, FedEx Express, FedEx Kinko’s and FedEx Freight--while an off-camera announcer says, "FedEx Ground. Fast. Reliable. And for less than you think."

Here are the major problems with the ad:

1. The ad clearly illustrates that Joel was right; you can judge things by their name.
2. The people arguing that FedEx Ground is fast “despite the name” appear bizarre and ridiculous. Joel is the only normal person in the room. We identify with Joel, not with the others.
3. “For less than you think” is ambiguous ad-speak. Specifics are always more powerful than generalities. “For as little as $2 a package” is specific. And far more impressive.
4. The ending of the ad is soft and unfocused. We’re not yet convinced that FedEx Ground is a worthy alternative to UPS, and it seems that FedEx isn't completely convinced either. In the end, the company wants to be sure that we realize there are at least three other FedEx options: FedEx Express, FedEx Kinkos and FedEx Freight.

The Smartest Super Bowl Ad of 2007: Two Lions for Taco Bell
Remember the ad? A pair of lions are looking at a group of campers in the distance eating lunch while on safari. The lions smell the new steak taquito from Taco Bell. The rest of the ad is one lion trying to teach the other how to pronounce “carne asada,” the type of steak used in the taquito.

Here’s what makes the ad work:

1. A lion is king of the jungle; its opinion is respected.
2. Lions are meat-eaters, absolute carnivores.
3. Viewers learn how to pronounce a strangely spelled word--carne asada--thereby increasing their comfort level when ordering the item at Taco Bell.
4. The ad ends with a mouthwatering close-up of freshly grilled carne asada steak as it's being sliced. You definitely want to taste it.
5. The ad is focused on one thing: the carne asada steak taquito. Taco Bell’s agency had the wisdom not to include any images or descriptions of other Taco Bell products.

TV is an impact medium. But there will be no impact if the viewer isn’t paying attention or if your ad's message is unfocused. The Super Bowl is the one event each year that guarantees viewers will be paying attention. We tune in as much for the ads as for the game.

Are your ads entertaining but counterproductive, like the FedEx ad? Or are they entertaining, focused and convincing like the Taco Bell ad?

Follow the lead of FedEx Ground if your goal is to entertain America. But if you want to sell product, I suggest you study Taco Bell's script.

---

Roy Williams is Entrepreneur.com's "Advertising" columnist and the founder and president of international ad agency Wizard of Ads. Roy is also the author of numerous books on improving your advertising efforts, including The Wizard of Ads and Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads.

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To People Who Want Your Own Business – But Don’t Know Where To Start

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Being your own boss is a dream that hundreds of thousands of people aspire to every year. But out of the many people that start a business each year, approximately eighty percent fail. But, that also means that twenty percent of the dreamers build a successful business. Whether you want to open a family business, or you intend to build a chain of stores, there are some common elements that are necessary for success.

A Business Plan is necessary for every business no matter how large or small. This plan should include such things as a description of your business and your plan for its future success. Operating without a business plan would be like starting on a vacation without knowing where you were going. You would make it somewhere, but it might not be where you wanted.

A good business plan is written as a guide for your business. List what your objectives are; are your business objectives only to make a profit, or are you interested in long term expansion. These are questions to ponder.

Your business plan should include a marketing plan. How will your customers know that you are there? What types of advertising are best for your business? Advertising rates can vary widely depending on which media you choose to use. Newspaper advertising may be successful for one promotion, but not for others. One business owner that I know created a very expensive radio advertising campaign during a basketball tournament to advertise a clothing store and did not do very well with the promotion. Other times, I have known radio campaigns that did very well. The best way to “get the word out” will vary from location to location.

Be realistic. Your competition is a major factor to think about when considering opening a business. Perhaps there are too many stores that sell the same items that you want to sell. Visit the businesses that are going to be your competition; or have others visit them and report back to you. You may learn a lot from what others are doing. You may also learn what things they are doing well and what things that you can improve. Every person has been in a business and after leaving thought about things they would do if the business were theirs.

Opening Capital. How much money you will need to get started is something that is often under estimated. I would suggest that you estimate everything that you can think of that is necessary and at least double it. It may not take that much, but I have found that it is better to be over capitalized, than to be under funded. And, you will always have expenses that you forgot.

Finally, find out what your potential customers want. The adage “If you build it, they will come,” is not necessarily true. If you are selling something that customers in that area don’t need or want, the likelihood of success is minimal. Having a clothing store that specializes in men’s suits would not seem to be a good idea in a rural farm area. However, having a clothing store that sold jeans and overalls might do very well in that area. Ask yourself questions. If you do not purchase items very often that you are considering selling, chances are that your potential customers will not either.

Do your homework. Opening a business is hard work and taking shortcuts on your research will only hurt you in the long run.

And Do Not Give Up. There will be plenty of difficult times in the beginning. But if you persevere, perhaps you will be one of the twenty percent of the businesses that succeed and prosper. It will feel good to be your own boss and you will decide that it was well worth the headaches.

Article Source: http://www.articlecube.com

Paul Taylor is a business owner that helps other business owners and entrepreneurs locate wholesale distributors and dropshippers. Visit his website www.WholesaleMap.com" target="_blank">www.WholesaleMap.com for information about wholesale sources or opening a business.

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From The Wall Street Journal Online

Instant ramen noodles, long hawked as a cheap, quick food for college kids and others with lean budgets, are going gourmet.

Last fall, Union Foods Newcorp. of Irvine, Calif., launched several ramen-noodle products, including Gourmet Snack Noodles Soup and Mamma Mia microwaveable noodles, that are low in sodium, have no monosodium glutamate and no trans fats. The company also is pushing new noodle lines infused with vegetables, as well as ones with spices and sauces that appeal to different ethnic tastes.

Union Foods, one of the smallest players in the ramen-noodle market with an estimated 5% market share according to the company, is betting that its souped-up noodles will differentiate its offerings and help it better compete with larger rivals, Nissin Foods (USA) Co. and Maruchan Inc., at a time when growth has stagnated in the dried-soup foods category.

The company is hoping to lure, among others, people who once feasted on ramen noodles in their youth but are now looking for a healthier alternative. To that end, Union Foods hopes to eventually use its healthier -- and more expensive -- products to shift away from lower-cost retailers and into higher-end stores like those of Whole Foods Markets Inc., which specialize in more healthful fare.

"There's been such a view that ramen is really low-end stuff, and we don't believe that our products should be in that low-end market," says Victor Sim, chief executive of Solafide Inc., a private-equity firm that acquired Union Foods in June 2005.

As Union Foods' experience shows, small companies can find it difficult to compete in a niche market when their products become commoditized and the industry is dominated by one or two large, low-cost producers. And while launching a new product line is a way for companies to differentiate themselves, the move is fraught with uncertainty. In tweaking its products and marketing message to make an impact on the industry -- and make a profit -- Union Foods will have to walk the fine line of capitalizing on its traditions while promoting what's new.

"I think the challenge...is finding a balance in retaining taste and retaining affinity to your consumers and offering them a better product and making them feel better about their choices," says Debra Joester, president and chief executive of Joester Loria Group, a New York-based licensing and branding firm. She says the name change to snack noodles with no reference to ramen could alienate some consumers.

Quick and Cheap

Instant ramen noodles -- which typically come in a cup or a square package that costs 10 cents to 50 cents a pop -- is well entrenched as a cheap, quick meal: just add hot water, some packaged ingredients and let it sit for three minutes. But it's also known for being chock-full of savory but unhealthful ingredients, such as trans fats, sodium and monosodium glutamate, or MSG.

The U.S. is the world's fourth-largest consumer of ramen noodles, with 3.9 billion packages sold in 2005, according to the Japan-based International Ramen Manufacturers Association. China is No. 1. But U.S. ramen sales have been sliding due to the explosive growth of ready-to-serve soups that are more convenient for consumers.

In comparison to those ready-to-serve and condensed soups, sales also have been hurt by ramen noodles' "limited palette" of popular flavors -- beef, chicken and shrimp -- according to a report by Mintel International Group, a consumer research firm. Until recently, instant ramen noodles hadn't changed significantly since they were created in Japan in 1958 by Momofuku Ando, the recently deceased founder and chairman of Nissin Food Products Ltd., a market leader in the ramen category.

At Union Foods, though, big change is under way -- which the company hopes will boost sales. The company says it broke even last year, with revenue of $20 million to $25 million. Mr. Sim expects 2007 revenue to climb to $25 million to $30 million, with $5 million to $10 million in profit.

In addition to taking the unhealthy ingredients out of its noodles, Union Foods is putting good stuff into a more diversified line of products. For instance, it's injecting noodles with vegetables like spinach and beets. It offers a line of "picante," or spicy, noodles called Enchilosa, and came out in October with a higher-end product called Fiesta that comes in a biodegradable container, not the traditional Styrofoam. Both target Hispanic consumers.

Union Foods also launched in December an Asian-market product called Dae Jang Gum, which uses a spice based on kimchi, a traditional Korean dish of spicy pickled vegetables such as napa cabbage. And its new Mamma Mia Spinach Noodles with Alfredo Sauce is packaged in a biodegradable cornstarch and paper container.

All this new goodness is going to cost consumers, though: $2.50 to $2.99 each, compared with 10 to 50 cents for its original ramen noodles, which the company still sells.

Small Steps

Mr. Sim says his ultimate goal is to attract interest from high-end food retailers like Whole Foods of Austin, Texas, and Trader Joe's Co., Monrovia, Calif. He says the company is in the early stages of sending them samples.

But a healthier approach alone may not be enough to garner the attention of these stores. The fact that Union Foods had never had a product to appeal to them will make it much harder to persuade those stores to carry the new ramen line.

So far, Union Foods has made some inroads in the healthy market. Mark Trotter, chief executive of YoNaturals Inc., a San Diego-based maker of vending machines that serve healthy items, plans to soon put the new ramen noodles in his hot-meals vending machines where people have access to microwaves and hot water, including corporate campuses.

For now, though, Union Foods is banking on traditional outlets to drive business. In November, the 7-Eleven Inc. chain of convenience stores began selling the Gourmet Snack Noodles and Enchilosa lines. The Fiesta line and Mamma Mia Mac Cheese should be available by June.

Union Foods isn't alone in its healthful push, however. Late last year, Nissin Foods (USA) of Gardena, Calif., introduced its Noodle Soup premium product featuring air-dried pasta with large chunks of vegetables such as broccoli, carrots and celery. It also added a Souper Meal, a larger version of Nissin's popular Cup of Noodles, with thicker noodles and richer broth, and Chow Mein, a Chinese-style stir-fried noodles microwaveable package. Prices range from 99 cents to $1.49.

"Everybody's been hungry for something new," says Matt Talle, national sales manager at Nissin Foods (USA).

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