Mark Zuckerberg

This kid created Facebook (ever heard of it?) when he was 19. The social media wunderkind may be mired in controversy, but he’s also buried in money. Forbes ranks the now 25 year old #158 on the list of richest Americans, estimating his net worth in the neighborhood of $2 billion.

Sean Belnick

Belnick was 14 years old when he launched BizChair.com. Now that he’s old enough to drink, his company is bringing in nearly $50 million a year and is ranked by Inc. 500 as #37 in its list of top retail companies. The business model was straightforward: buy office chairs from China and sell them. By negotiating exclusive rights with his manufacturers and providing top-notch customer service, he carved out a niche that landed him prominent clients like Google and Microsoft. Proof that successful business ideas can (and probably should) be simple. (Interview with Belnik)

Juliette Brindak

Who said doodling in class was a waste of time? Juliette’s drawings of “Miss O” were fun when she was 10, but by the time she was 19 and put her characters online, they were big money, part of a $15 million enterprise at missoandfriends.com. The bread and butter of her brilliant business idea is simply to stick with what interests you.

Cameron Johnson

To be fair, Johnson went into business well before his teenage years—the dude was 9 when he launched a greeting card business. And he was only 12 when he started raking in the cash as a beanie baby eBay salesman. But Cameron Johnson started pulling in the big money—six-figure checks on a monthly basis—when he and some friends launched his Surfingprizes.com business, which paid both advertisers and users who added scrolling advertisements into their browsers. He sold that business, made his first million before high school was over, and then kept on going in college. His student venture, Certificateswap.com, sold gift cards online, and he sold that business for another big payoff. Johnson’s brilliant business ideas revolved around the middle-man principle, and they paid off big time.

Martina Butler

At the ripe old age of 15, the podcaster behind Emo Girl Talk had become the first teenager to draw major corporate sponsorship for a podcast. It didn’t hurt that emo music was surging in popularity in 2005, but by incorporating her own personal take and teen drama into the mix, she connected with an eager audience, lured in big sponsors, and watched her net worth break the million-dollar barrier. It’s, like, awesome. The lesson for all of us is, there’s a lot of money to be made in being you.

Matt Wegrzyn

Not many 17 year olds become master of their domains quite as successfully as Wegrzyn, whose domain investment business has developed into a million-dollar hit at Bodis.com. It’s a domain parking service that also buys and sells domains as well. The secret to his success has been being realistic, patient, and determined. By building gradually using a tried and true method of flipping domains (and a lot of them) he’s put a lot of older, more experienced entrepreneurs to shame.

Adam Hildreth

At 14, Hildreth started Dubit Limited, a UK social network for teens—it went on to become one of the biggest sites of its kind and the de facto resource for researching the teenage market. By the time he turned 20 he had launched another business in an entirely new realm—online child protection technology and was worth nearly $4 million. Sometimes it just pays to be an enterprising tech wizard.

Ephren Taylor

Taylor’s success is all over the map. He achieved success at age 12 creating video games. Then he went on to web design, and by the time he reached 17, his job-posting company, GoFerretGo.com, had grown to multi-million-dollar status. Now he runs City Capital Corporation, making him the youngest African-American CEO of any publicly traded company in history. His focus is now on alternative energy and church/nonprofit financial consultation. His business ideas are diverse and motivated by a belief that he could do it all.

Olivia Bennett

Starving artist? Not so much. Bennett sold her first painting at eight years old and has been doing very well for herself ever since. But she didn’t just conquer the business world—she also battled childhood leukemia, as told in her book, A Life in Full Bloom. It doesn’t hurt that she is immensely talented, but Bennett’s success also depends on her persistence and determination. No business idea ever succeeded without confidence.

Catherine and Dave Cook

The Cooks created MyYearbook.com, essentially Facebook junior, or MySpace for high school. Their site is a huge success, although one of their best business ideas was getting a quarter-million investment from their big brother. The real stroke of genius, though, was partnering with another site, Zenhex.com, bringing in user-generated quizzes and twice the Web traffic. Nevertheless, the younger Cooks started at ages 15 and 17, and their net worth has shot past the million-dollar mark faster than you can say, “Teens don’t tweet.”

There you have it. Now share with the rest of us what you were doing during your teen years

Successful con-artists are loaded with business skills—they know their market, they’re expert communicators and advertisers, they can close any deal, and they know how to maintain customer loyalty . . . for awhile. They just lack scruples, a soul, and an actual product or service.

So if you’re a former confidence man (or if you think you have what it takes to be one) here are five business ideas you could launch or implement right away to gain a fortune without losing any sleep.

1. Start a Con Protection Service

Anyone who thought they were too smart to get conned found out just how wrong they were last winter. Bernie Madoff scared the hell out of everyone when the world learned that he conned some of the Wall St. and Hollywood elite out of $50 billion. Everyone is (or should) think twice about making investments. Offer your expertise at sniffing out a confidence game to anyone who wants some added assurance that their money is going into good hands. Charge a lot for major investments. Charge a little to verify online services. Create an index of the schemes you’ve uncovered, and you’ll never have to work a dishonest day again.

2. Join the Tourism Industry

People who “aren’t from around here” make for classic targets of a con, because they don’t know who to trust, they’re unfamiliar with their surroundings, and they’re often in the mood to try things they’ve never done before. If you’re a con-artist, you can spot a tourist from a mile away. So start a tourism outfit that directs out-of-towners to real adventure, pleasure, and escapism they’re looking for. Instead of going for one big score, you can genuinely serve a lot of customers and make big money.

3. Launch a Business Network Community

Con-artists rarely work alone. They know how to use accomplices (shills) to play on people’s fears and passions, their needs and strengths, and how they all work together. Who better to forge connections between colleagues and business partners than an expert in con(tact) management? A con artist is an expert at understanding what drives people. You can use that for mutual benefit just as easily as for manipulation and trickery. Put yourself at the center of business activity, and you’ll gain access to more power and influence than you know what to do with.

4. Become a Professional Fundraiser

You’ve got your ethical issues straightened out right? Good. Then take your skills to the opposite extreme and start raising money for legitimate causes.

If you understand the psyche of an individual so well that you can swindle $200 for a bogus “my car was impounded” story, you certainly have what it takes to drive people to give and help people truly in need. Turn you con skills into doing good by becoming a professinal fund raiser and boost your karma points.

5. Become a Marketing and Advertising Guru

Okay, so a lot of people would call this switch a lateral move—but from a legal perspective, you’re in the clear. The big difference between marketing and swindling is that marketing has the potential to connect people with other people or products and services that really can benefit them. Your firm grasp of the reality that people make decisions based on emotion, well, that can earn you an honest living, even if it does earn you the nickname, “liar for hire.”

Anything else you can suggest for an ex-con artist to do as far as ethical business goes?

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Tried and true business principles go a long way toward building success. But if you want cutting edge business ideas in a tech era that is being redefined on a monthly basis, you have to keep your eye on the start-ups. So here are 50 fresh start-ups that are rocking 2009 (including a few from past years that have surged through the down economy).

1. Bing : The first two “startups” are new ventures from the Internet’s biggest players. Microsoft’s latest brainchild attempts to bring practicality and power to the search engine market (and maybe to exact a little revenge for the Yahoo! sale that wasn’t to be).

2. Google Wave : Your Google Account has not yet been activated for Google Wave—if it had, you wouldn’t be reading this, you’d be feeding your newfound Wave addiction. At least that’s what we’ve been led to believe with the hype over the newest big development in the social network universe.

3. Anyclip : Post any clip from any movie ever made. Legally. Yeah, “whoa,” is right.

4. Zillow : In a short period of time it has become the default choice for real-estate searches, packed with features and overflowing with cool. When the housing market lagged, Zillow’s popularity and relevance skyrocketed.

5. Muttr : All the things you aren’t supposed to tweet are destined to be muttered anonymously and shared gratuitously on Twitter’s evil twin.

6. SpawnLabs : Essentially Sling Box for gamers, allowing users to access an HD gaming console over the Internet using a Sling HD Pro device.

7. Story Something : Parents can have bedtime stories—based on direct contact with the authors—custom written for their children and sent straight to their mobiles or web browsers.

8. Rackup : Priceline meets eBay meets the gift card rack at the supermarket. It offers customers the chance to get gift cards for less than they’re worth—and retailers get the benefit of prepaid revenue from loyal customers.

9. Beterz : An online sports betting community—but for free and without the broken kneecaps. Users can connect with friends, boost their cred, and even earn prizes.

10. Kukoo : This email client aims to make electronic communication work for the user and not the other way around. It helps users schedule the times they’ll check email and prioritize important messages over junk. It also informs senders when to expect a reply.

11. Plagium : Are you being plagiarized? Is plagiarized material being submitted to you? A simple cut and paste in this customizable search will let you know if the truth that’s out there is a ripoff.

12. CoTweet : Already a leader in facilitating corporate twitter accounts that retain a personal feel, this platform is an excellent tool for brand management and CRM.

13. BuddyTV : TV watching with schedules, summaries, show highlights, and snarky reviews all organized into neat little compartments. The more diverse the TV industry gets, the greater the hold BuddyTV takes on the market.

14. Picnik : Online photo editing site that makes image correction easy and file organization across social networks a snap.

15. CarDomain : Car and racing enthusiasts converge on this social network designed for motorheads and the vehicles they love.

16. Localbacon : The model sounds as strange as the name: job seekers, not their prospective employers, pay for the service, making the listing space more attractive to the hiring company—and lowering the chance a good resume will get lost amidst thousands of frivolous applicants.

17. Wetpaint : A service that makes it easy to create a fan site or social network built around any area of interest.

18. LearnVest : Financial Management software with the content of an economic adviser and the personality of a specialist social network. Offers users tools and support at any juncture of their financial journey.

19. Udorse : Turns users into their own advertising/PR agency, allowing them to promote the products, services, places, people, and brands they love using their own photographs and descriptions—and with the chance to make their own money.

20. Mailmyweb : Stuck behind a company firewall (or policy) that won’t let your browse past your corporate site? Mailmyweb allows users to send in url’s of interest and receive the full content by email.

21. Twitres : Anyone with a Twitter account can tweet a link to their resume, hosted by the ResumePark service. Excellent supplement to an existing business idea.

22. The Swop : This is a startup for the startups. Based in London, this service encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to promote, share, and utilize the services of other up-and-coming businesses.

23. Healthywage : How do employers save money on their employee health insurance coverage? Reward healthy lifestyle improvements with monetary bonuses tracked and implemented by Healthywage.

24. RefMob : Referral programs are annoying—who wants to accost their friends for the chance at $15 off your next bill? RefMob users do, with all their available referral programs in one easy-to-use location that does away with the awkward coupons.

25. 5to1 : A needlepoint blogger doesn’t want S&M dating service ads popping up on her blog’s sidebar overnight—but if she did, 5to1 could make it happen. They coordinate advertisers and content owners for peak relevancy and pinpoint timing.

26. ToonsTunes : Online community for kids that doubles as a recording studio where kids can create and share their own MP3s.

27. Red Beacon : It’s essentially OnStar without the satellite or the car—it’s the Yellow Pages on steroids. Redbeacon brings local service providers to the user, complete with price comparisons, bids, and urgent requests with ETA notification.

28. iTwin : Remote file sharing with no setup, no complicated downloads, and no real tech knowledge required. Plug one USB drive into one computer. Plug its twin into a second. They’re connected by a “cableless cable” and ready to file share instantly.

29. ClaseMovil : Web-based education taken to an internationally connected level. It’s a mobile classroom that customizes and integrates the learning process beyond pre-conceived boundaries.

30. Hark : This cross-network link-sharing service promises to make our current understanding of “real time” look slow as molasses. Enables users to see true real-time links to what every contact on any social network is discovering.

31. iMo : Want to use your iPhone or iPod Touch as a PC gaming controller. There’s an app for that: iMo.

32. Clicker : Old school TV remote controls used audible clicks—but this ain’t your grandpa’s clicker. This service organizes the billions of TV-quality Internet watching options that could have many couch potatoes kissing their satellite dishes goodbye.

33. Insttant : This news aggregator turns the public Twitter stream into an online news service, complete with headlines, photos, and graphics. 140 characters meets the New York Times.

34. The Whuffie Bank : Can you convert your social networking cred into currency? The Whuffie Bank wants to do just that in their attempt to make generosity and goodwill profitable.

35. Toybots : Webkinz gave online identities to stuffed animals. Toybots Woozees complete the circle with online control of real-world toys. Before long, your kid’s teddy bear could have more apps than your iPhone.

36. Lissn : What if Twitter were nothing but conversations? That’s the premise of Lissn, where the discussions are organized by geography, by topic, and with no need to trace the back and forth of @ mentions.

37. Trollim : Some warriors use swords. Others use artillery. The real geeky ones use code and do battle on Trollim. Finally an arena where their skills can be appreciated.

38. Mota : Sell your car on your own with the full-featured services of a dealer (a reputable one)—warranties, driver history, financing offers, and expansive sales listings. Good carma, indeed.

39. Stribe : In five minutes, site owners can equip their content with Stribe social networking software that engages users and, with additional paid services, enriches the owner’s customer usage data and site profitability.

40. Clixtr : This iPhone/smartphone app uses photo uploads with event tags and location data to create a geo-social network that make anyone a virtual bystander to hot happenings around the world.

41. Yellowbird : How do you describe an innovation that captures images and portrays them in a three-dimensional likeness on your flat computer monitor? With a really, really long url.

42. Yext : Yext takes the business model of pay-per-click advertising and applies it to phone calls in a pay-per-call model in a revolutionary, results-based take on the Yellow Pages.

43. OptiSolar : A manufacturer of PV (photovoltaic) solar panels with ambitious plans for providing traditional energy companies and their customers with renewable energy.

44. Cocodot : Event-planning, guest coordination and communication, and celebration branding that takes eVite style technology, adds the touch of a professional coordinator, and places it in a do-it-yourself context.

45. Crowd Flower : When a temp or two just won’t cut it: an outsourcing company that hires and trains its own staff and can provide Web solutions, content moderation services, and even project management to the business in need of efficient, short-term solutions.

46. Sungevity : This solar-powered startup markets to individual consumers, providing free quotes and affordable solar panel installation.

47. Affective Interfaces : Imagine: a market research panel where participants tell you exactly how they feel about every aspect of your product—without answering a single question. Affective Interfaces uses facial expression recognition software on Web cam images to gauge emotional reaction to images, messaging, and the overall brand.

48. FHTML, Inc. : It’s not an abbreviated curse—it stands for FluidHTML, a new scripting language that puts Flash capabilities into a more manageable dialect, especially for novice programmers.

49. Perpetually : A shocking Web development can span the globe in an instant—and it can disappear just as fast. This Web archiving service is a corporation’s, lawyer’s, or politician’s dream, preserving entire Web sites in a click be it for helpful posterity . . . or damning evidence.

50. This spot is reserved for your start-up.

Please take a moment and share some of the impressive new tech business ideas with the rest of us.

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Winding up before a judge in court is never a good sign for your business . . . unless you’re in the legal profession. It can happen to anyone: the underdog, the top cat, the genius, the idiot, the slimy or the squeaky clean. Sometimes you can get sued just for being successful. Here are 10 business ideas (along with real life examples) across the spectrum of possibilities that can pretty much guarantee to land your ass in court.

1. Copy someone else’s idea and name it after them.

This is quite possibly the biggest “duh” in the history of business, but even commercial giants fall prey to the trap. In an effort to capitalize on the success of Pixar, Disney thought it would be a novel idea to sell a lamp that looked just like the famous Luxo lamp that serves as the I in the Pixar logo. They copied the design of the Norwegian company’s lamp and even named it the Luxo, Jr.

Gee, you’d think someone at Disney would have given the people at Luxo the heads up. But they didn’t, and instead they got sued for trademark violation.

• Read Disney/Luxo suit.

2. Innovate

As several items in this list will show, some of the most successful business ideas and entrepreneurs become instant targets for frivolous lawsuits. One of the surest ways to get sued is to come up with an idea with broad appeal and wild success—there’s only so much money to be gained from suing poor people.

Facebook and Twitter have both been sued in separate cases by business claiming to hold patents over the technology and procedures that make the social networks successful. The suit against Facebook is far flimsier than the one against Twitter, but the problem plaguing both defendants is the same: the world of patents is so overwhelmingly flooded, it’s virtually impossible to know if your entrepreneurial genius overlaps with someone else’s half-baked plans.

The lesson: as long as you do your due diligence and don’t steal anyone else’s ideas, you’re probably safe.

• Read Patent troll lopes after Facebook and Twitter sued over patent infringement.

3. Ride the coattails of someone else’s success.

When someone makes it colossally big, there are always thousands of underlings who bathe in the excess fame and fortune trickling down. So when J. K. Rowling began selling millions upon millions of books (and raking in millions more in film and merchandising deals) there was plenty of attention to share between fan sites like The Leaky Cauldron. But after the final showdown between Harry Potter and He-Who Must Not Be Named hit bookshelves, She Who Must Not Be Plagiarized filed an injunction to stop The Leaky Cauldron authors from publishing a printed version of their site.

Ms. Rowling had no qualms about the extra promotion and anticipation drummed up by Potter-obsessed sites, but the book that served essentially as a Who’s Who in the Potterverse put a hex on Rowling’s patience. Her counter jinx attempting to block publication of the book, which she viewed as a “regurgitation” of her own work, ultimately won out as RDR Books revised the content drastically under the title, The Lexicon.

Be careful when you ride Ms. Rowling’s coattails (or that of any creative mind). If you come too close to stealing the whole coat, you might get turned into a newt.

• Read J.K. Rowling sues to stop “Harry Potter Lexicon.”

4. Burn Someone’s Flesh Off

If your business model results in blistering, it’s time to adjust your approach. But the ruling in a landmark case against McDonald’s showed that a jury found the fast-food giant at fault for failing to make the necessary adjustments and endangering their customers. The most damning evidence was the simple fact that McDonald’s heats its coffee to a temperature 20 degrees higher than its competitors. And as the 81-year-old plaintiff can attest, it’s not a dry heat.

Don’t injure your customers. They’ll get their pound of flesh in court.

• Read McFacts about the McDonald’s Coffee Lawsuit

5. Use Words and Be Famous

Have you ever heard of Abercrombie & Fitch’s new scent, Fierce? Until she and her Sasha Fierce label were served with court documents, neither had Beyonce. But apparently those scantily clad male models are wearing little more than the scent that shares a name with the diva’s alter ego, and the mere use of that word in eaux de Beyonce’s version constitutes a trade mark violation.

Far less subtle than Disney’s Luxo case, Beyonce is simply using the last name of a character she created. Does an entrepreneur really need to get permission to use their own name on its merchandise? A&F hopes so. But even if they don’t, they’re stealing publicity from Beyonce’s good name. Do we smell counter-suit?

• Read Abercrombie & Fitch sue Beyonce over Sasha Fierce Fragrance

6. Namejacking

For some Internet entrepreneurs, the best way to steal someone’s thunder is to swipe it before lightning strikes. Cybersquatting would-be popular domains attached to celebs, businesses, and misspelled monikers has become an industry of its own. One slight problem: it’s illegal.

Michael Doughney learned the hard way that even a site poking fun at the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals didn’t have the right to steal the PETA.org domain. Doughney’s version was decidedly non-vegan: People Eating Tasty Animals. In a strange twist of fate, Doughney’s defense (that his site was a parody of PETA) fell through on the grounds that it wasn’t imitating PETA enough.

The verdict in this case: choose ethics over taste.

• Read PETA sues over mock site, cybersquatting

7. Online insults

Poor Amanda Bonnen had no idea her seemingly harmless tweet about mold could cost her upwards of $50,000. But, in the case that launched an raging online legal/PR debate, Bonnen’s mild accusation that Horizon Group Management didn’t care about earned her a brand new lawsuit. Despite the fact that she had just 20 followers, she aroused Horizon’s wrath in under 140 characters.

Imagine what may have happened if she had been a corporate employee? While the real estate developers took the brunt of the negative press, the tables could have easily been turned in the realm of public opinion had the insult been made by a big dog instead of an underdog.

• Read Horizon Group Management sues tenant for negative tweet

8. Rat on your customers

Same story, different day. The infamous case of Rosemary Port and her skankified rant against Model Liskula Cohen feeds off the momentum of number 7. The courts ruled that Port’s rights to anonymity were outweighed by the guilt of her online libel against Cohen. The enormity of the case, however, was not the judgment that her words were libelous but in Google’s agreement to fork over her identity. Now Port, a blogger who claimed to have an audience of one (one who just happened to be a supermodel), planned to sue the Internet giant for $15 million.

The case has huge implications for the blogging community, but the possible legislation against Google will send shockwaves through the business community as well. If you want to avoid lawsuits, you’ll need to be careful not to promise more legal protection to your customers than you can provide.

• Read Rosemary Port plans to sue Google for releasing her identity

9. Change the World with Photo Shop

One of the most indelible images of Obama’s ascent to the White House was, according to the Associated Press, a blatant example of copyright theft. The notorious lawsuits—the artist Shepard Fairey filed a preemptive suit of his own—raised an important legal issue in the age of Photo Shop: what exactly constitutes fair use of an image?

The AP believes the work of art, adapted from an AP photo of Obama, amounts to little more than a glorified “paint-by-number,” a complete rip-off. Shepard, who credited Mannie Garcia the photographer, thinks he was well within the bounds of free expression.

But graphic departments around the world took notice: if you plan on putting your art at the center of the free world, it better be completely original.

• Read AP Blasts Obama ‘Hope’ Artist in Copyright Flap

10. Eliminate the Competition

A lot of people have business goals. Becoming the richest person in the world would be the pinnacle for just about anyone. Bill Gates obviously was doing something right, which put a lot of less-wealthy folks on edge. The bottom line: Microsoft all but eliminated the competition from the Internet browser game, bringing anti-trust lawsuits in the US and in Europe. Say what you want about Microsoft’s software or even their business ethics—the industry leader consistently put themselves at the forefront of the industry to the point that for years most customers couldn’t even see the competition.

If you’re that good at what you do, the biggest lawsuit in the world can’t even put a dent in your pile of gold. Even if they do sue your ass off, you can afford a new one.

• Read Microsoft Fights Antitrust Charge Over Its Browser

Well, those were some of the ways you can gets your ass sued off while running a business. If you got anything else that you would like to add, feel free to drop a comment.

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We’ve combed the tabloid trash heap to uncover 6 so-called PR disasters that generated widespread negative buzz—but they all ultimately proved there really is no such thing as negative publicity. All of these 6 examples carry business lessons tailor-made for the savvy entrepreneur.

1. Kanye West, “Imma Let You Finish”

The Setting

The very first award at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Best Female Video. When country ingénue Taylor Swift got the nod over sultry R&B icon Beyonce, the audience could almost hear the moon man trophy calling out to the VMA’s favorite bad boy: “Here, Kanye, Kanye, Kanye. Here, Kanye, Kanye.”

The Disaster

Out of the shadows, Kanye West entered the spotlight, stole the microphone from Swift, and uttered the words tweeted round the world: “Imma let you finish, but Beyonce made one of the greatest music videos of all time. Of all time!” The show’s producers didn’t let Miss Swift finish, however, cutting her mic before the dazed starlet could utter a word.

The Benefit

MTV.com was extra prepared in 2009 to capture the VMA experience with reactions, clips, a running blog, and more—and oh, mama, was there more. News of Kanye’s interruption stormed social media, driving millions of people to the broadcast and the site, which was quickly stacked with the hottest online footage money couldn’t buy. Over the previous year, the 2009 VMA’s witnessed a 21% jump in total viewers (27 million), a 20% increase in unique visitors to MTV.com (2.7 million), and a 24% surge in viewers of VMA exclusive online content (1.7 million).

The Takeaway

Nothing creates friends like a common enemy. Kanye played the villain everybody loved to hate. You might not be able to stage a public scene (though many suggest MTV did just that) but you can create an environment sure to provoke a volatile opposition. Make sure you’re ready to capitalize at any moment by being the exclusive source of the updates everyone is sure to want.

2. The American Family Association Boycotts NYPD Blue

The Setting

In the fall of 1993, ABC was set to premiere the brainchild of Steven Bochco and David Milch, a gritty cop show that would break the age-old laws of network TV: no nudity and no swearing.

The Disaster

The American Family Association, based in Mississippi in the heart of the Bible Belt, called for a national boycott of the show, taking out ads in major newspapers, and encouraging concerned citizens to beg their local affiliates not to air the show. By the time NYPD Blue premiered, over 50 local affiliates had buckled to the pressure.

The Benefit

Thanks to the free exposure (and the fact that the affiliates in question were all in small markets), NYPD Blue quickly became a top-20 ratings hit. It went on to run for 12 seasons, rake in 20 Emmys and 4 Golden Globes, and exposing America to more shots of Dennis Franz’s ass than we really care to count.

The Takeaway

If you’re prepared to challenge the vocal minority, they can do you a lot of favors once they get offended. Just make sure you aren’t alienating your primary customer base. There’s a fine line between generating intrigue and breeding disgust.

3. KFC Grilled by Oprah Overload

The Setting

In the spring of 2009, KFC launches its new menu line, Kentucky Grilled Chicken, by offering printable coupons for free meals. To make sure the new lower-fat finger-licking caught headlines, the Colonel brought in the Oprah. The talk-show goddess directed fans to her Web site for the free coupons, sending public interest skyward.

The Disaster

Difficulty plagued every stage of the promotion. The coupons were difficult to print. The Web site was overwhelmed. The lines at KFC’s around the country extended for blocks (sometimes even blocking traffic). And what was the reward awaiting the majority of hungry Oprah watchers: no more chicken. The publicity scheme ran out of control, making headlines for weeks about KFC’s inability to deliver on their promises.

The Benefit

KFC offered a milder, gentler rain check offer that soothed the ire of their ravenous customers—but not all the chicken was free. After a disappointing first quarter and a 7% decline in profits, KFC’s parent company Yum! Brands saw a 35% increase in 2nd quarter profits. KFC had been lost in the fast-food trend of offering healthier menu options. But after the embarrassment waned, there wasn’t a single American who didn’t know about Kentucky Grilled Chicken.

The Takeaway

If you over-promise to the point that the offer (and its under-delivery) makes headlines, your PR might take a hit, but overall business should soar. Who wouldn’t want a scenario where supply is exceeded by demand? If you’re introducing a game-changing revision to your business model, it might not hurt to make a free offer you can’t hope to fulfill. If the next big thing is big enough, the money in your pockets will make up for the egg on your face.

4. New Coke Dethrones a Classic

The Setting

In 1985, Pepsi threatened to overtake Coca-Cola as “America’s Cola.” In an effort to win the “Pepsi Challenge,” Coca-Cola created a new formula that outperformed Pepsi and the original Coke in taste tests. In June, the company announced it was replacing its old product with a new look, a new name (just Coke) and a new taste. According to their research, the new Coke would be a huge success if taste was all that mattered.

The Disaster

Taste wasn’t all that mattered. Public reaction was overwhelmingly negative. Sales suffered, and the general consensus among the American audience was a feeling of betrayal. Contrary to the sales figures, many consumers viewed Coca-Cola as part of the American experience, an icon of modern culture. They were robbed of their cherished Coca-Cola without ever being asked for their opinion. Before the year was through, Pepsi held the market share in the Cola Wars.

The Benefit

By July of 1985, the executives at Coke knew they had made a mistake and announced plans to reissue the older, beloved formula of Coca-Cola, this time with the name “Coca-Cola Classic,” the name it has retained to this day. After Pepsi’s initial surge in popularity, Coca-Cola Classic overtook the new Coke and Pepsi to reclaim its crown in 1986—a title it has yet to relinquish.

The Takeaway

Is there more to your brand than the product or service itself? If you have forged an emotional connection with your customer base, find a way to remind them of how much you mean to them. (Twitter unintentionally employs this tactic every time the Fail Whale takes flight or the entire service goes down for an hour or so.) A move as drastic as reinventing your product is probably too risky, but a short holiday can allow customers’ hearts to grow fonder in your absence.

5. Oprah’s Cred Shattered into a Million Little Pieces

The Setting

James Frey publishes his memoir, A Million Little Pieces, and lands a nice publicity boost when, in 2005, Oprah decides to take her book club into more contemporary, edgy territory than Steinbeck or Tolstoy. Frey’s already successful hit secures a spot atop the bestseller lists. Only one problem: his story isn’t his story.

The Disaster

In early 2006, the Web site “The Smoking Gun” publishes a story of their own: A Million Little Lies, revealing James Frey as a fraud whose life is nowhere near as sordid, thrilling, and edgy as his memoir made him out to be. His lies embarrassed his publisher, Random House, and Oprah herself. After initially supporting Frey and feeling the wrath of her fans, Winfrey brought the fictionizer back on her show for a stern tongue lashing. Random House refunded money to angry readers who complained, and Frey lost a pending book deal in shame.

The Benefit

James Frey is a millionaire, and a lot of the money he made came after his lie was exposed. Copies of Little Pieces continued to fly off shelves and through Internet orders, and Frey wasn’t required to forfeit a penny. He did publish a follow-up book, Bright Shiny Morning, and it debuted at number 9 on New York Times’ bestseller list. Oprah’s empire wasn’t exactly destroyed, either. In fact, the Frey incident did more to publicize Oprah’s book club outside of her daily viewership than any other factor. If you doubt it, try naming a selection from her book club from before the incident.

The Takeaway

Don’t engage in fraud, and don’t trust those who do. But the simple fact of the matter is, if you stay in business long enough, someone is probably going to burn you publicly. Don’t ever try to bury the story. Engage in the public conversation, do the interviews, and remind the public of what happened at strategic moments. As bad as the publicity may seem, the advertising is free, and the impression you leave will last.

6. John & Kate Plus An Affair

The Setting

Jon and Kate Gosselin have eight children and a TLC reality show to match, John &Kate Plus Eight. Cute kids, a bickering couple, and the sheer numbers of it all (if all the kids’ friends watch the show, ratings will stay afloat) combine to make the show a cult favorite.

The Disaster

The show’s 2009 offseason didn’t keep the family from creating hours of fresh television footage as rumors of Jon’s infidelity made tabloid headlines. The program’s premise of a family that “keeps it all together” despite their crazy circumstances is threatened by the merciless rumor mill.

The Benefit

For the family, the event was nothing but a tragedy, but for TLC, it was a gold mine. The 2009 season premiere became the top-rated telecast in its time slot, beating even the broadcast networks with 9.8 million viewers (more than double the 4.6 million audience from the previous season finale).

The Takeaway

The so-called success of the sensational turn in the Gosselin’s marriage was short lived, especially after the couple announced plans to divorce. Ratings have declined steadily since—and the family is hurting, too. It goes to show that any positive effects of a tragedy can be sustained only by a rebound from tragedy. If things go from bad to worse, the titillating twists just turn plain sad. The show was defined by its family and lost its identity in the divorce. You shouldn’t be afraid to use a pitfall to your advantage in business—but you’ll be lost if it redefines you.

What do you think? Is there such a thing as negative publicity or it all depends on how you turn it around? Share your thoughts and any other PR disasters that you know of.

Located below are four new business ideas that didn’t exist one year ago:

1. Green Consultant

If you haven’t noticed, the entire world is very concerned with going green. If more people do not stop polluting the atmosphere and living healthier lifestyles, the human species is literally going to cease to exist. Really – it is, it’s all over the news. The poles are shifting and global warming is getting worse. It’s only a matter of time until we are goners. That is why it is important to try to persuade and educate as many people as possible about how they can easily live greener, healthier lifestyles that will contribute not only to their health and their wallet, but the prolonging of our time here on this planet, as well as lengthening the time our planet can thrive.

2. Organic Goods Sales Person

This is another one of the business ideas that costs very little to get started. Some things you might be able to sale are organic t-shirts, diapers, blankets, pillows, etc. You might also want to think about reusing a lot of the things you have to create unique arts and crafts. You could sale your good’s online or at a local market, or even directly out of your home if you would like. You might even want to consider traveling with your organic goods business on the road and hand out small, informational manuals on how organic living is the best way to go.

3. Creating Solar Panels

By learning all that you can about solar energy and solar panels, you could become an expert on the subject. There are plenty of people who would love to have solar panels in their homes, but cannot afford the expensive installation and also do not know how to make them. You had better believe that if more people knew how to do it themselves, they would jump right on it. No one wants to continue paying an expensive monthly utility bill. Chances are, the only reasons why more people have not switched to solar panels is because they do not have the money to install them, and obviously as stated, do not know how to do it themselves. Learn how to make them yourself, and sell them at discount prices. You might also want to offer local courses on how to make them and charge a small fee for your services.

4. Garden Specialist

This is one of the simplest business ideas because all it requires is that you learn about how to garden. It is best if you learn how to garden the organic and natural way, because that is obviously what everyone is interested in. Learn about organic pesticides, pH levels, etc. Create business cards and put up a blog hosting your services. Let people know that you can come out to their area to talk about how to garden, as well as talk about how it can save them a lot of money this year. If you would like, offer to plant their garden for them. Give out your business number just in case they need to you to come out and check something for them.

It’s not hard to see that the world is going green, and the green market is where the green is! But on a more serious note, people really are a lot more interested in living healthier lifestyles than they have ever been before. We should really all work to push this envelope because not only does it involve helping to save our planet and put food on the table, the green market also offers tons of job security – so it really is very good investment with a real future.

It’s your turn to share.

We’re not really sure what possesses people to get corporate logos tattooed on themselves. Even if you love a product… even if the company pays you… and even if you’re bored and can’t think of anything better to tattoo… do you really want to wake up in 50 years, look at your arm and ask your robot butler, “Wait… what in the hell was MySpace again?”

Here are 10 of the most regrettable corporate logo tattoos EVER. Be extremely happy you don’t have one of ‘em.

10. Geek Squad

No word on whether this tattoo was ridiculously overpriced and spent the first hour asking the guy, “Have you tried deleting your cookies?”

9. Olde English Google

It combines the gangsta use of an Olde English font with the rainbow-colored geekiness of the Google logo. Meaning there’s not a single person who wouldn’t want to beat this guy up.

8. Popeye’s Chicken and Biscuits

I guess if you’re gonna get a tattoo on your belly you might as well get one that explains the reason for your belly.

7. No Fear

Remember “No Fear” clothing??? No??? This guy does. Every day for the rest of his life.

6. Zune

People try to make an analogy: iPod and Zune is like Coke and Pepsi. No way. If the iPod is Coke, then Zune is… I don’t know… some cheap carbonated brown soda that if brewed in some guy’s basement in Indonesia and is only served with a ladle. This guy got a tattoo of that.

5. Air New Zealand

Normally, I’d say, “At least he can grow his hair over it.” But it’s pretty clear from the photo that this guy has a raging case of male pattern baldness. So he can either keep his head shaved, showing the tattoo… or grow out what hair he has left and rock a wicked comb-over. Either way, no woman under 275 pounds is ever dating him again.

4. Best Buy

No word on whether the tattoo also has horrible customer service.

3. MySpace

It’s bad when you get a logo tattooed and it’s already out-of-date before the tattoo artist is even finished.

2. Wal-Mart

This guy didn’t just get the World’s Most Evil Corporation tattooed on his body… he got it in the tramp stamp area.

1. Golden Palace

This woman got $15,000 to permanently desecrate her face with the GoldenPalace.com URL.

Wondering why we didn’t include any Apple Tattoos? Well, we would almost have to dedicate an entire post to that but here are a few just for you apple fanboys out there.

For more apple tattoo check out theapplecollection

I know you think this is weird and wacky as all hell, but hey if someone is willing to do it…it might as well be a good business idea to get started with. By the way, there is already a site called TatAd that connects companies to individuals who are willing to ink corporate logos on their body. If there are enough people willing to do it, it sure as heck is a sustainable business, don’t you think?

Anyways, if you got an offer that is simply too hard to resist, which corporate logo would you be willing to get tattoed on your body?

It’s not easy to come up with a business name or a marketing idea that can work wonders. Some go with simple ones and others take it to extreme, and many don’t even realize that their signs and business names might mean something else. Below you will find twenty business names and signs that will make you say “WTF?” There might be a few that you may have already seen, but I am sure there are some that you will be seeing for the first time. To go to the source, please click on the image.

One of those signs that will have most saying “Sure!”

For a good haircut and a great time visit Great Head Inc.

Contractors that keep on giving ….

Today’s Road kill special : Toad

Visit Retarded Children thrift store for all your retarded needs

Someone told me the “employees only” sign was changed to “women only”

Can someone explain this to me..

My toothache is gone! Praise the lord

Country boys will erect it good alright

Noooooooo

No it’s not a charity

If you be good, we will take you to CrapBooks!

It’s BIG

They don’t call us masturbator errrrrrr master baiter for no reason

Definitely something you want to keep clean

Dad, are we going to eat at FuKing at tonight?

Curl Up and Dye hair salon’s ad right next to a cemetery

For passionate gifts, visit Ho Toy

Enjoy your crabs!

Do they mean laundry or…?

Which one do you think takes the cake as the ultimate “WTF” business sign? Share with us.

Before I share some of my reasons which will echo yours, I would like to share a personal story. When I was going to college I smoked marijuana. My GPA was always over 3.5 and my name was proudly mentioned on the wall of College of Business under “Dean’s List.” I smoked, I played Halo with my buddies and there were times I ended up staying up all night to finish Need For Speed. The whole idea of marijuana rots your brain is crap cause if it was, I wouldn’t have made it through college. Anyway, here are five reasons I think the sale of marijuana should be made legal and we should be given the option to choose whether or not we want to smoke some.

1. We Should Have The Freedom To Choose

I think so. I understand that alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other drugs risk our lives to some extent, but as long as we choose to do so without harming the society in any way, I think we have the right to choose to smoke weed. I am sure every single one of you reading this article has tried weed at some point in time. If you haven’t, I am not going to encourage it but it sure as hell ain’t drug like the government makes it sound. Marijuana should be given the rightful place it deserves and weed smokers (as long as they are not harming anyone else) should be allowed to buy marijuana off a “marijuana cafe.” Hell, if it were legal I would be the first one to implement this business idea I have had for a long time – a “marijuana cafe.”

2. It’s a Business That Can Sustain

Do you see alcohol companies going out of business? There might be some going out but mostly alcohol brands stick around. Why? Cause there is a demand for it. Similarly, there is a demand for marijuana. A huge freaking demand, and if the government would let suppliers supply it would boost the economy. I am positive that if the marijuana were legal at this moment, the economy wouldn’t be as down as it is. Of course, marijuana as a legal business wouldn’t altogether solve the problem, but it sure would give the economy some relief. And I am sure the government wouldn’t mind pocketing some tax dollars from marijuana businesses. Hell, if it was legal, California could have a big “Marijuana Sale Day” instead of a public garage sale to raise money for it’s cash stripped state.

3. Prohibition Creates The “Forbidden Fruit” Effect

If you are a parent and going around telling your teens sex is bad, guess what? You will find your daughter knocked up and if you have a son he will soon bring the news about you becoming a grandparent. The key here is that telling people “you can’t do it” isn’t a solution. Why? Simple, cause it doesn’t work. Remember the alcohol prohibition era. When alcohol was prohibited, people made big bucks and government didn’t get any piece of the pie. Prohibition doesn’t work. People always find a loophole and since it’s a prohibited product it costs the government more to track, arrest, seize and burn. It’s just a waste of money. You would think by now the government would be smart enough to “grab a piece of the pie” in the form of tax dollars. They need it now more than ever.

4. Hemp Could Be Huge as Cash Crop For Farmers

Although many think Hemp and marijuana are the same, it’s not. Hemp is closely related to marijuana, however it does not contain significant levels of THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol). If marijuana were legal it would be much easier to utilize the diverse and immense value that can be gained from hemp as a cash crop. Hemp can be used to make ropes, papers, clothes, bio fuels, food, soap among many other things. Since the plant is so closely related to marijuana hemp is often seen as a crop that is illegal. Well, if marijuana was a legal business so would hemp, which means more farmers would have the ability to cash in on this crop besides corn. Also this would substantially increase jobs and boost the economy and I can assure you, no stimulus would be required to do this.

5. Government Cannot Prohibit The Free Exercise Of Religion

The First Amendment of The U.S. Constitution states that the government cannot prohibit the free exercise of religion. There are some religions that use marijuana as part of their rituals and religious ceremonies. For example, on one particular day Hindus celebrate the birth of Shiva where smoking marijuana is legal. I have some Indian friends who say, they find people smoking in the middle of the street on this particular day. Since America is multicultural and there are people from all religion and ethnicity, it is a violation to not to allow someone to buy or sell marijuana or smoke for that matter. The government seems to be a little confused when it comes to exercising power and violating the First Amendment.

I know there are thousand more reasons on why buying/selling and use of marijuana should be legal. I was going to write them all down but I hear a knock on the door and it’s 2 AM. You know why he is stopping by right? Exactly! Now only if marijuana was a legal business, I would have been able to buy it from a store and not have to wait for my buddy until two in the morning. Anyway, while I go play some XBOX and enjoy my time with my bud, share some of your thoughts on why marijuana should be a legal business. If you are one of those who says it shouldn’t, I would love to hear you argument as well.

When I started my own home business, I tried to think in terms of what was going to be around years down the road. I knew that starting a business that was not in high demand was definitely not what I wanted to do. Looking back at all of the people who have started businesses and failed, I was a bit discouraged, but I went with my gut and decided that I was going to be successful with one of the following:

1. Medical Transcription

I thought about this one a lot and knew that it was something that was never going to fade away. The reason why is because it is in the health field. Not only is this line of work popular, but it also offers you a chance to go out on your own and offer your own transcription services to various companies and doctors. The pay is wonderful, and gets even better as you gain experience and better typing speed. I recommend this to anyone who loves to type and wants to make a hefty paycheck from home.

2. Freelance Writing

Yet again, another home business idea that has massive earning potential. Writing is a skill that doesn’t necessarily require a degree, so anyone can go into this career field and come out a successful individual. All you need is basic knowledge of proper grammar, punctuation, and also possess bit of creativity. Some of the things you could write are poetry, e-books, articles, web content, blogs, and children’s books. Freelance writing is considered a business because it is you who contracts your services and calls all of the shots. You can choose your own rates by comparing what others are currently charging. For example, most people charge about $10.00 independently for a 500-word article. There are also websites you can write for, especially if you cannot find any work elsewhere. Writing for websites is also a great way to start out and get the hang of what freelance writing is all about. On top of owning your own website and writing for a couple of content sites, you can also bid for jobs online.

3. Selling Health Insurance

If you can find a good health insurance provider, selling health insurance would be a goldmine opportunity. You can do this from home just as long as you have a phone and an internet connection. Heavens knows that everyone is looking for more affordable health insurance!

Try one business idea or try all three, the choice is completely up to you. But I can assure you that all three of these business ideas will never fail. When it comes to finding something that you can do from home, the thing you need to pay attention to the most is job security, and that is exactly what these business ideas offer.