Great Idea Contest?

Anyone who has a small business mind, typically is an idea mind. Seeing money in virtually every situation, ideas tend to pop into our heads all the time. Do we share them with other people? Inc.com is asking you to share yours and win $5,000 to help your start up, plus being featured in many of their publicatiosn if they deem that you have the best idea.

I'm sure the entire contest is all in fun, and thought to be a great way to help out us thinkers, but do any of you really consider sharing your ideas with a mass audience before you have made it yours to keep? I know I certainly wouldn't. I've used more flight deals than you can count meeting with people that have ideas, and to work on projects with them, but I've never publically put my ideas out there if I thought they were real money makers. At least things that have to be kept quiet :).

If you want to win the $5K and get the publicity head on over there and register. You have until May 9, 2008 to get your great idea in. Just don't feel too bad if someone like me sees it, improves upon it, or changes it slightly to make it their own ;).

LOL All the Way to the Bank

While many sit at home in their massage chair chatting away on instant messaging systems, text messaging with their phones, and message boards, there are some that have taken internet and text messaging slang and turned it into cash machines.

Of course we all see the commercials for text messaging services that think they are "hip" because they use terms like "LOL", "GTG", etc. in their slogans, but how about IM:It who uses those slang acronyms to design a line of clothing? With projected sales of around $200,000 for 2008, the company may have found a small niche that will give them a nice income for now, and the future.