Alliance Title - Roseville, CA
On December 02, 2008 in Real Estate, Roseville, The Dump
Alliance Title Co. has closed its doors. Employees at the Roseville branch on Lava Ridge Court came in one Monday to find out that the office, and therefore their jobs, didn’t exist any longer. I was told from a source close to the situation that escrows were left hanging in limbo, with literally files left on desks when the closure came. It is reported that all Alliance Title branches on the West Coast have closed. A couple of weeks after the the closure, First American Title Co. announced it had taken over all escrows that were left hanging in the balance at Alliance Title Co, which is owned by Mercury Companies, Inc., a privately held company owned by the Paul Hauptman family. The San Jose Business Journal reports that several lawsuits from unpaid employees, unpaid landlords and vendors have been filed. It appears that Alliance Title Co. was a casualty of the severe downturn in the real estate market and could not compete with other title companies that had a corner on the foreclosure market, which represents up to 90 percent of all real estate sales in many areas of the west. Alliance Title in Roseville has been taken to The Dump.
Hollywood Video - Lincoln, CA
On November 29, 2008 in Video, Lincoln, The Dump
The Hollywood Video store in Lincoln, CA has closed. Personally, I’m surprised that we are not seeing more of the movie rental companies closing up shop all over the place. Given the Pay-per-View and video on demand services from Cable and Satellite, as well as the huge amount of content available online (hulu.com, as well as the regular TV network websites), we have plenty of places to go to get our movie fix. So, no surprise to us that Hollywood Video shut down in Lincoln, CA.
The Melting Pot - Roseville, CA
On November 29, 2008 in Restaurants, Roseville, The Dump
One of the more expensive restaurants in the Roseville area was the Melting Pot, a fondue restaurant where you cook your own meat, dip your bread in cheese, or your fruit in chocolate - all in a fondue pot. Another unfortunate casualty of the local economic downturn, the Melting Pot closed it’s Roseville location earlier this year. We went there a couple of times for business meetings and celebrations, and the ambiance was nice and the food was good. But, we always felt it was a bit too pricey, and had some concerns about its longevity from the start.
Wendy’s - Lincoln, CA
On November 29, 2008 in Lincoln, Restaurants, The Dump
One area that grew too big, too fast is Lincoln, CA. Lincoln has been hit particularly hard by the economic downturn - and you can see evidence of this as you drive around and see the number of homes in foreclosure. One of the first businesses to close up shop in Lincoln was the relatively new Wendy’s. At the time it was a bit surprising that this location closed so quickly - it seemed like it had just opened. But, in hindsight, I’m sure they saw the writing on the wall, and closed to cut their losses. Probably a good move given how hard the downturn has hit.
Retractable Christmas Lights
On December 18, 2007 in Polls, Product/Invention
I love Christmas. I love the change in the weather; I love how people are generally kinder to each other; I love getting gifts! However, one thing I don’t love – hanging Christmas Lights on my house! Every year it’s a battle… First, I need to find the lights (no, I don’t have a designated “Christmas Tree Light” section in my garage). Then, I unravel them all (all the while, mentally kicking myself because I so recklessly threw them in the box when I took them down last year), string them along the ground and look for lights that are burned out or broken. Of course, through this process, I always seem to drop on some lights, or step on some lights, causing me even more frustration. What a hassle to go through every year.
One solution is to just leave my lights up all year round. But, I’m not a big fan of that – it looks stupid, and people think you are a loser (admit it –you snicker at those people who leave their Christmas lights up all year round, don’t you!).
A better solution is to design lights that stay up all year round, but can be easily hidden so nobody can see them. Retractable Christmas lights! You can design them to retract under the eaves or behind the gutter. They could be retracted electronically via a switch, or via a manual handle/lever. I’ve never seen such lights on a house – but then again, if they were designed properly, I wouldn’t even be able to see them unless the homeowner wanted me to see them (he would just retract them once Christmas is over!). So perhaps they exist – but I don’t think so.
There is a precedent for this type of convenience – take, for example, the fake Christmas trees from Costco that cost nearly $200. How many millions of these trees has Costo sold? I know many people, including my own dad, who have paid for the convenience of having a “low-maintenance” tree. In fact, just last week, I crawled up into my dad’s attic to help him pull his Christmas tree down. The beautiful thing is that the lights are already on the Christmas tree – so, each year, just box up the tree and store it until you need it again the next year! No more struggling to get the lights “just right” each year! Clearly people like convenience, and are willing to pay for it!
Of course, not everyone would agree that this is a good idea – which is why we ask you to Pump It, or Dump It. I did find one famous critic – Dilbert! See the following link: http://www.dilbert.com/comics/dilbert/duh/impractical_ideas.html.
But, someone else thinks it’s a good idea. Take a look at this: http://www.ideablob.com/ideas/409-Retractable-outdoor-Christmas-l
Also, it appears that there may already be a patent for an idea similar to this: http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6918680.html
If you have a great idea, and are interested in starting a business using that idea, one important lesson to learn, is to Always do your research! I came up with this Retractable Christmas Lights idea on my own, but I did take the time to research if someone else had already thought of it. More often than not, you will find that someone has had a similar idea. It is critical that you don’t infringe on someone else’s legally protected idea or product (i.e. patents or trademarks). But, it also important not to let critics discourage you from pursuing your dream. Perhaps someone has already made a business – can you do it differently? Can you do it better? Can you pay for rights to license the product or technology from the patent holder? The market rewards innovation – perhaps you can differentiate your product or service enough to make it successful!
So, our question to you – could Retractable Christmas Lights become the next big thing in Holiday decorations? Could someone make a successful, sustainable business from this product? If so, PUMP IT! If this has no chance of being successful, DUMP IT!
Themed Toothpaste Caps
On September 12, 2007 in Product/Invention, Manufacturing, Retail
Sometimes, getting children to brush their teeth is like getting a cat to take a bath. Like cats to water, so are kids to toothpaste, just simply incompatible. So it’s no wonder why the oral hygeine industry has come out with product after product to try to coax kids to brush their teeth. We all know about cartoon character toothbrushes and toothpaste, flavored toothpaste and electric toothbrushes. As soon as a new movie, or television show becomes a hit with kids, you can expect to see the characters on an upcoming tube of toothpaste or toothbrush. The companies can charge a premium for these items because of the new demand. And anything to get their kids to brush teeth is going to be a hit with parents. Is there anything else that hasn’t been thought of that could make toothpaste even more of a hit with kids?
We all know about themed bubble baths for kids. You may have had some when you were younger, Batman, G.I. Joe, Barbie, where you unscrew their heads and pour in the bubble making potion. Those were good times! Why not something similar for toothpaste? Themed Toothpaste Caps. Kids love cartoons like Spongebob, Pokemon, Ben 10, Kim Possible, Fairly Odd Parents. The list is endless. Or what about recent movies, Transformers, Ratatouille, TMNT, Pirates of the Carribbean, Shrek 3, Harry Potter 5, and many, many more? Would kids like to replace the boring white cap that comes on their toothpaste tubes with a cool head of Spider-Man, Jack Sparrow, Jimmy Neutron, Power Puff Girls, Bratz and Michaelangelo? I think they would.
This is certainly an idea that could be huge! Toothpaste is a $40 Million industry. Be creative, come up with a design of a few caps, take the design to a machine shop and get them to develop a couple of prototypes of the product. If you know anyone in the industry, that’s a plus, so you can pitch your idea to the right people. But make sure you have them sign confidentiality agreements before showing them your idea and prototypes so they don’t just steal it. Think about packaging and pricing. Do you sell them individually or 3 per pack for say $4.95? And do you have a mystery cap in your package? Do you make them collectible and give each cap a number? As they say, “Collect Them All!” You’d have to develop a full-fledged business plan and run all the numbers to really make this work. Think of distribution channels, and the manufacturing aspects. Funding is always an issue so think of how to fund the business and whether you want a loan from a bank, venture capital, or individual investors.
So there it is. The cap is off to developing new ideas to get kids to brush their teeth. Themed Toothpaste Caps. Moms and Dads everywhere will love you for getting little Johnny to brush his teeth. Who knows, if you can get kids to brush their teeth, someday you may even be able to develop something that will get Sylvester to enjoy taking baths!
So what do you think? If you like this idea then Pump it! If you think this idea stinks, then Dump it!
