AOL Small Business http://smallbusiness.aol.com AOL Small Business http://smallbusiness.aol.com/media/feedlogo.gif AOL Small Business http://smallbusiness.aol.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Rico Elmore, Fatheadz: When Regular Glasses Just Won't Fithttp://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/07/29/rico-elmore-fatheadz-when-regular-glasses-just-wont-fit/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/07/29/rico-elmore-fatheadz-when-regular-glasses-just-wont-fit/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/07/29/rico-elmore-fatheadz-when-regular-glasses-just-wont-fit/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

At 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, Rico Elmore always had trouble finding a pair of sunglasses. Turns out, he wasn't alone.

 

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]]>Entrepreneur SpotlightFatheadzgetting into Walmartselling to Walmartstarting a businesssunglassesWalmartGeoff Williams2011-07-29T13:00:00+00:00Loyal Pennings: Life of the Partyhttp://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/07/18/loyal-pennings-life-of-the-party/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/07/18/loyal-pennings-life-of-the-party/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/07/18/loyal-pennings-life-of-the-party/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

During his two decades in the Los Angeles nightclub business, Loyal Pennings has hosted just about every A-lister in Hollywood. But all that partying can be a lot of hard work.

 

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]]>best clubsEntrepreneur SpotlightH.WoodLA clubsLA nightclubsLA nightlifeLas PalmasLAXstarting a businessWicklerRod Kurtz2011-07-18T21:30:00+00:00Chris 'Drama' Pfaff: Taking a 'Young & Reckless' Approach to Businesshttp://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/07/14/chris-drama-pfaff-taking-a-young-and-reckless-approach-to-bus/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/07/14/chris-drama-pfaff-taking-a-young-and-reckless-approach-to-bus/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/07/14/chris-drama-pfaff-taking-a-young-and-reckless-approach-to-bus/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

A lucky break and a famous cousin helped make Chris "Drama" Pfaff a reality TV star. A tireless work ethic and knack for marketing made him a successful CEO. All before his 25th birthday.

 

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]]>Chris Drama PfaffChris PfaffEntrepreneur SpotlightFantasy FactoryRob and BigRob DyrdekRob Dyrdeks Fantasy FactoryYoung and RecklessRod Kurtz2011-07-14T18:30:00+00:00Pump Wear's Julie DeFruscio: Helping Kids Battle Diabetes in Stylehttp://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/07/07/pump-wear-helping-kids-battle-diabetes-in-style/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/07/07/pump-wear-helping-kids-battle-diabetes-in-style/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/07/07/pump-wear-helping-kids-battle-diabetes-in-style/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Like the millions of people with Type 1 diabetes, Julie DeFruscio's three kids are forced to wear insulin pumps 24 hours a day. So she set out to design a line of clothing and accessories that make the task a little more fashionable.

 

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]]>diabetesdiabetes equipmentdiabetes treatmentEntrepreneur Spotlightinsulininsulin pumpsinventionsmedical devicesPump Wearstarting a businesstype 1 diabetesAlicia Ciccone2011-07-07T12:30:00+00:00Meet the World's Oldest Entrepreneur!http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/06/23/meet-the-worlds-oldest-entrepreneur/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/06/23/meet-the-worlds-oldest-entrepreneur/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/06/23/meet-the-worlds-oldest-entrepreneur/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Or so we think. At 96, Oxman's Surplus founder Jerome Oxman still clocks a full workday and even began an expansion of his business recently. "I just can't retire," he says. "I'd go crazy."

 

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]]>Entrepreneur Spotlightfamily businessJerome Oxmanmilitary surplussurplus storiesworlds oldest entrepreneurGeoff Williams2011-06-23T10:00:00+00:00TailGate Beer's Wesley Keegan: Brewing Up Successhttp://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/06/17/tailgate-beers-wesley-keegan-brewing-up-success/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/06/17/tailgate-beers-wesley-keegan-brewing-up-success/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/06/17/tailgate-beers-wesley-keegan-brewing-up-success/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Wesley Keegan's father gave him the idea to start a brewery. His passing gave him the inspiration to make it succeed.

 

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]]>breweriescraft beerEntrepreneur Spotlightmicrobreweriesrunning a businessstarting a businessTailGate Beerunique business ideasPatrick Sauer2011-06-17T18:00:00+00:0027 Million and Counting: Rich Amundson, Dicks Cottonshttp://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/06/15/27-million-and-counting-rich-amundson-dicks-cottons/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/06/15/27-million-and-counting-rich-amundson-dicks-cottons/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/06/15/27-million-and-counting-rich-amundson-dicks-cottons/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Meet Rich Amundson, the founder of Dicks Cottons, a New York-based lifestyle brand that makes sunglasses and other accessories sold around the world. His motto? "Be happy, live comfortably."

 

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]]>27 Million and Countingbest sunglassescelebrity sunglassesDicks Cottons sunglassesJersey ShoreJersey Shore sunglassesRich AmundsonRich Amundson Dicks Cottonsstarting a businessBen Craw2011-06-15T14:00:00+00:00PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com's Josie Daga: Giving Bridal Gowns a Second Lifehttp://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/06/14/preownedweddingdresses-coms-josie-daga-giving-bridal-gowns-a-s/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/06/14/preownedweddingdresses-coms-josie-daga-giving-bridal-gowns-a-s/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/06/14/preownedweddingdresses-coms-josie-daga-giving-bridal-gowns-a-s/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Many brides spend thousands of dollars on dresses they'll only wear once. PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com gives them a way to make some of that money back -- and to help other brides' dreams come true.

 

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]]>bridalEntrepreneur SpotlightJosie Dagapre-owned wedding dressesPreOwnedWeddingDresses.comstarting a businessunique business ideaswedding dresseswedding gownsGeoff Williams2011-06-14T16:30:00+00:00Kim & Scott's Gourmet Pretzels: A New Twist on Successhttp://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/06/01/kim-and-scotts-gourmet-pretzels-a-new-twist-on-success/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/06/01/kim-and-scotts-gourmet-pretzels-a-new-twist-on-success/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/06/01/kim-and-scotts-gourmet-pretzels-a-new-twist-on-success/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Talk about tying the knot. Not long after they were married, Kim and Scott Holstein decided to start a pretzel company in their kitchen. Today, they oversee a $10 million brand that can be found at Whole Foods, Walmart and other chains.

 

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]]>Entrepreneur Spotlighthome-based businessesKim and Scotts PretzelsKim HolsteinpretzelsScott Holsteinstarting a businessstarting a business at homeGeoff Williams2011-06-01T16:30:00+00:00ManCans' Hart Main: A 13-Year-Old Entrepreneur Invents Candles for Menhttp://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/05/10/mancans-hart-main-a-13-year-old-entrepreneur-invents-candles-f/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/05/10/mancans-hart-main-a-13-year-old-entrepreneur-invents-candles-f/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/05/10/mancans-hart-main-a-13-year-old-entrepreneur-invents-candles-f/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Hart Main realized that most guys don't want to smell like lavender or fresh laundry. So he created ManCans, candles designed specifically for men, with scents like New York Style Pizza, Grandpa's Pipe and, of course, Bacon. Did we mention he's only 13?

 

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]]>business ideas for kidsbusiness ideas for teenscandle businesscandlescandles for menEntrepreneur SpotlightHart Mainhome-based businesskid entrepreneurskidtrepreneursMan Cansstarting a businessyoung millionairesGeoff Williams2011-05-10T13:30:00+00:00Prepared 4 Life: Inspiring Entrepreneurs, One Lemonade Stand at a Timehttp://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/04/30/prepared-4-life-inspiring-entrepreneurs-one-lemonade-stand/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/04/30/prepared-4-life-inspiring-entrepreneurs-one-lemonade-stand/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/04/30/prepared-4-life-inspiring-entrepreneurs-one-lemonade-stand/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

On May 1, more than 120,000 kids in 31 cities nationwide will participate in the fifth annual Lemonade Day -- all as part of Michael Holthouse's goal to make entrepreneurs out of lemonade.

 

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]]>Entrepreneur Spotlightkid entrepreneurslemonade standPrepared 4 LifeTamara Schweitzer Raben2011-04-30T05:00:00+00:00We Do Lines: No, It's Not What You Thinkhttp://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/04/18/we-do-lines-no-its-not-what-you-think/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/04/18/we-do-lines-no-its-not-what-you-think/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/04/18/we-do-lines-no-its-not-what-you-think/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

We Do Lines literally paints lines in parking lots. How three guys took a clever name and a simple concept and built a successful company with franchises up and down the East Coast.

 

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]]>best business namesbest company namesbusiness namesChris Couricompany namesDan RellaEntrepreneur Spotlightfranchisesparking lotsparking lots paintingparking lots stripingstarting a businessTom Darrowunique business ideasGeoff Williams2011-04-18T18:30:00+00:00Boogie Wipes: For These Moms, Necessity Really Is the Mother of Inventionhttp://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/04/14/boogie-wipes-for-these-moms-necessity-really-is-the-mother-of/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/04/14/boogie-wipes-for-these-moms-necessity-really-is-the-mother-of/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/04/14/boogie-wipes-for-these-moms-necessity-really-is-the-mother-of/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

With six kids between them, Julie Pickens and Mindee Doney know a thing or two about runny noses. Together, they developed Boogie Wipes -- expected to bring in $10 million this year.

 

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]]>Entrepreneur SpotlightinnovationsinventionsJulie PickensLittle Busy BodiesMindee Doneymompreneurssaline wipesstarting a businessstartupsTargetunique business ideasWalgreensWalmartwipesGeoff Williams2011-04-14T20:30:00+00:00Villy Customs' Fleetwood Hicks: Cruising to Success, On Two Wheelshttp://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/03/07/villy-customs-fleetwood-hicks-cruising-to-success-on-two-whee/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/03/07/villy-customs-fleetwood-hicks-cruising-to-success-on-two-whee/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/03/07/villy-customs-fleetwood-hicks-cruising-to-success-on-two-whee/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

With thousands of possible combinations, including add-ons like Swarovski crystals, Villy Customs lets bike enthusiasts design their own cruisers.

 

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]]>best bike shopsbike shopscustom bicyclescustom bikescustomizationdesign your own bikeEntrepreneur SpotlightFleetwood HicksSchwinnstarting a businessunique business ideasLauren Drell2011-03-07T22:30:00+00:00Digital Photo Academy's Richard Rabinowitz: Helping America Take Better Snapshotshttp://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/02/27/digital-photo-academys-richard-rabinowitz-helping-america-take/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/02/27/digital-photo-academys-richard-rabinowitz-helping-america-take/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/02/27/digital-photo-academys-richard-rabinowitz-helping-america-take/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Richard Rabinowitz helps thousands of students across the country learn the ins and outs of digital photography -- all from the comfort of his New York apartment.

 

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]]>CanonDigital Photo Academydigital photographydigital photosDPAEntrepreneur SpotlightNikonphoto basicsphoto tipsphotography classesphotography tipsstarting a businessunique business ideasLauren Drell2011-02-27T21:00:00+00:00Omhu: Bringing Style to Senior Citizenshttp://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/02/23/omhu-bringing-style-to-senior-citizens/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/02/23/omhu-bringing-style-to-senior-citizens/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/02/23/omhu-bringing-style-to-senior-citizens/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

We all have to get older. But our golden years don't have to be boring. That's why Rie Nørregaard, Susy Korb and Susan Towers started Omhu, a company that sells fashionable canes, walkers and other living aids.

 

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]]>baby boomerscanesEntrepreneur Spotlightliving aidsmobilityOmhuRie Nørregaardsenior careseniorsstarting a businessSusan TowersSusy Korbunique business ideaswalkersLauren Drell2011-02-23T14:00:00+00:00Treesje's Laura Darrah and Sheila Nazarian: From Bridesmaids to Business Partnershttp://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/02/15/treesjes-laura-darrah-and-sheila-nazarian-from-bridesmaids-to/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/02/15/treesjes-laura-darrah-and-sheila-nazarian-from-bridesmaids-to/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/02/15/treesjes-laura-darrah-and-sheila-nazarian-from-bridesmaids-to/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Laura Darrah and Sheila Nazarian met at a mutual friend's wedding and discovered a mutual love of fashion. Today, their line of handbags can be found on the arms of Heidi Klum, Lauren Conrad and other celebrities.

 

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]]>best handbagsbusiness partnershipsEntrepreneur SpotlighthandbagsHeidi KlumKitsonLaura DarrahLauren Conradleather goodsluxury goodsNeiman MarcusSheila Nazarianstarting a businessstarting a business with friendsTreesjeLauren Drell2011-02-15T17:00:00+00:00Pampered Passions Fine Lingerie's Alicia and John Vargo: Balancing Passion with a Passion for Businesshttp://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/02/13/pampered-passions-fine-lingeries-alicia-and-john-vargo-balanci/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/02/13/pampered-passions-fine-lingeries-alicia-and-john-vargo-balanci/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/02/13/pampered-passions-fine-lingeries-alicia-and-john-vargo-balanci/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Like many couples, Alicia and John Vargo met online, fell in love and tied the knot. Only difference? They also started a successful business along the way.

 

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]]>Alicia and John VargoAlicia VargoEntrepreneur Spotlightfamily businesshusband wife businessJohn Vargolingerielingerie businessPampered PassionsPampered Passions Fine Lingeriestarting a businessstarting a business with your spouseGeoff Williams2011-02-13T20:00:00+00:00JackThreads' Jason Ross: How a Kid from Ohio Took the Fashion World by Stormhttp://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/02/08/jackthreads-jason-ross-how-a-kid-from-ohio-took-the-fashion-wo/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/02/08/jackthreads-jason-ross-how-a-kid-from-ohio-took-the-fashion-wo/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/02/08/jackthreads-jason-ross-how-a-kid-from-ohio-took-the-fashion-wo/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Just a few years out of college, Ross took a bank loan and a business plan and created flash-sale shopping site for guys that now brings in millions.

 

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]]>Ben Lererbest online shopping sitesEntrepreneur Spotlightfashionflash saleGilt GroupeJack ThreadsJackThreadsJackThreads founderJason Rossonline shoppingstarting a businessstreetwearThrillistThrillist Jack Threadsyoung millionairesyoungest millionairesLauren Drell2011-02-08T17:30:00+00:00Packers vs. Steelers: Battle of the Bar Ownershttp://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/02/05/packers-vs-steelers-battle-of-the-bar-owners/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/02/05/packers-vs-steelers-battle-of-the-bar-owners/http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2011/02/05/packers-vs-steelers-battle-of-the-bar-owners/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The proprietors of two watering holes in Green Bay and Pittsburgh share stories about life behind the bar, their predictions for the big game and why Super Bowl Sunday is good for business no matter who wins.

 

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]]>Champions Sports Bar GrillEntrepreneur SpotlightGreen BayJim OliverPackersPackers SteelersPittsburghRon EnkeSteelersSunny Jims TavernSuper BowlSuper Bowl barSuper Bowl DallasSuper Bowl XLVPatrick Sauer2011-02-05T18:00:00+00:00