Hello and welcome to the brand new Dorm Room Biz located at http://www.dorm-room-biz.com
We are still currently working on getting the site design customized and getting everything organized, so be sure to check back soon for more updates!
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December 5th, 2005
Chris
Filed under: Website Updates / News
I absolutely hate it! This is going to be a bit of a rant, so I warn you now. This has to be the worst feeling in the world- selling back your college textbooks and getting a small fraction of the money that you spend on them.
So I took all but one of my books to the bookstore yesterday and waited in the line for 15 minutes to get only a small portion of money back. I had probably paid well over $350 for my books for this semester, and that was for mainly general education requirement courses. You would think that they would be cheaper books because they are used more often, not!
So I got up to the line and the first book on my stack was “The Great Gatsby” by Ernest Hemingway that I had to buy for an English class. I paid $9.99 for the book, the receipt was still in it. I got $1.50 back for it. Right then I got pissed at the system. The next book, “Beloved” by Toni Morrison, again for my English class, I bought only 3 weeks ago (my teacher made us read a full book - 220+ pages - in less than a week time and it was also the final week of classes). I paid $12.99 for the book and only got $6.50 back for it.
My other books for bigger textbooks and got some more money back from them but it still eats my skin that we are pretty much forced as college students to purchase new books every time that a publisher decides to change some words or add a picture and call it a new edition, therefore forcing the bookstores to not take back the used older edition and only having new editions for sale. Then you have to pay $100+ for a brand new book that you may use 10 times during the semester and when you return it back at the end of the semester you only get $35.00, how does that work? The bookstore than goes and resells it as used for $75.00. It’s ridiculous!
Now this problem has been ranted about many times before and there have even been changed to the legislation in Virginia that requires all universities and colleges to produce a list of all the books that teachers will be using for different courses before the start of the semester so that students have a fair chance to acquire the books via a different means (friends, online, offline, wherever!). So, this is what I shall do from now on. I will be using the website provided by the school and order my books from places like Half.com and Amazon.com.
My schools Student Government Association launched a message board this year along with their website and there is a section for buying and selling books on there with other students but I don’t think that it is going to be as effective as they would like to see it be. I have been trying to come up with ways that would make the buying and selling of used textbooks easy but I can’t come up with much besides launching a forum/message board specific to each school and allowing students to post the books they have and their asking price or students posting the books they need. The other effective way to do this would be to create an inventory of used books by buying them from students at an amount higher than the campus bookstore would give and then selling them with a minimal price mark up per book. This second option just doesn’t seem feasible as it would take a large amount of start up money to purchase a large inventory worth of books.
I would love to hear what some of you out there reading this may be thinking and if you have any ideas for making a feasible business out of this I am very interested.
Your annoyed ripped off college student,
Chris
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December 14th, 2005
Chris
Filed under: Rants / Random
Does the idea of continuous passive income from websites you can set-up and forget about sound good to you? Well that is what niche content websites are all about. Let’s take a look at this online income method.
The concept is reasonably simple. Do some research, find some very tight niches that aren’t well serviced at the moment, build a content website targeting the niche, stick some AdSense, Chitika and similar advertising programs up and just let it sit there earning a few dollars a day.
Yaro Starak has a great article up at his blog, Entrepreneur’s Journey about making money from creating websites. If this is something that you are interested in doing so, then you need to read it! Yaro has some amazing articles on his blog and I plan on bringing a lot of them to you to share the wealth of knowledge that he has!
You can read the full article by Yaro at Entrepreneur’s Journey here.
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December 25th, 2005
Chris
Filed under: Business Ideas AdSense / AdWords Monetizing Websites Entrepreneurship
Before we celebrate the death of traditional marketing, lets set the stage for its timely and fortunate demise.
The long-awaited Iraqi election is over, and I wonder how many people realize the significance of such an event. Millions of human beings - who suffered at the hands of a brutal, murderous dictator just two years ago - have collectively and freely CHOSEN their own leaders. A new day has truly dawned in the Middle East.
Tomorrow and each day forward, an Iraqi government of the people, by the people and for the people tackles the long arduous work of crafting a culture where all human beings are imbued with equal respect and value. A culture where people are free to question and criticize their leaders without fear of being jailed, having an extremity lopped off or a family member raped or beaten. A culture where discussion, discourse and debate is not only allowed, but is viewed as imperative to one’s way of life. A culture in which people are free to learn, evolve and transcend their estate, and thereby make more of their life than the circumstances of their birth might otherwise allow.
You can read the rest of the article over at Small Business Branding.
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December 25th, 2005
Chris
Filed under: Marketing
Now, after a month of researching the topic, consulting with experts, and - in near voyeuristic fashion - simply observing charismatic people, I’m prepared to dispense the fine points of charisma. If I do my job effectively, you should walk away with several tips about how to be more attractive and influential (i.e. charismatic) in your own corner of the universe.
You can read the full article over at Small Business Branding.
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December 25th, 2005
Chris
Filed under: Marketing Motivation
Via Small Business Branding:
If you have ever studied marketing and communications you may have learnt about the different ways people learn and study - by listening, reading, watching or experiencing. Generally most human beings learn through one of these methods and they have a “best” way to digest and comprehend information.
If you follow the 80/20 way of life where you maximize your working hours by only doing tasks that provide the most value for you, then discovering which way you learn most effectively is very important. While some people learn almost equally as effectively by listening to words as reading them, others have a very dominant way of learning and should only study using that method. For example I find I learn best by listening but I’m also good at reading, I’m just a slow reader so I need to skim read in order to best use my time. I tend to mix up my studying with both books and audio.
I produce a podcast show (if you don’t know what a podcast is have a read of this article - What Is A Podcast?) that currently has over 25 episodes, some interviews with entrepreneurs, others instructional “how-to” shows on Internet marketing and business. If you have an MP3 player they make great companions for exercising or road trips or just for times when you can’t read another word but some audio education may be good
Yaro of Small Business Branding and Entrepreneur’s Journey has some amazing podcasts up on his website. I definitly suggest taking a look at them if you are a person who learns better through hearing or if you just want to gather some great business sense from him and his interviews and how-to’s.
You can read the rest of Yaro’s post at Small Business Branding which includes a full list of his previously published podcasts.
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December 26th, 2005
Chris
Filed under: Marketing Motivation
I know it is a bit late for Christmas, but I wanted to wish everyone out there that may be reading this even though the site is not completely live just yet a very happy holiday season and a safe new year!
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December 26th, 2005
Chris
Filed under: Website Updates / News
Via HomeOfficeVoice:
A brand is so much more than your well-researched business name, a flashy logo, your well-designed letterhead and that stylish business card. No, a brand is all that and more.
I’m no brand expert and I will not pretend to be one here, so … instead, I’ve roamed the vast expanses of the Internet and come up with a bunch of articles, definitions and ideas that will make you into a branding expert.
It’s a read … but I recommend all those serious about making their home business (heck, any business for that matter!) last for the long-term to take the time and to really understand what branding is all about.
This article is a great one for those looking to expand your knowledge on small business branding and getting your business/organization/website/self/whatever more known.
Check out the full article over at HomeOfficeVoice!
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December 26th, 2005
Chris
Filed under: Marketing Motivation Entrepreneurship
Originally From YoungGoGetter.com:
Are You Ready?
In business, there are no guarantees. There is simply no way to eliminate all the risks associated with starting a small business - but you can improve your chances of success with good planning, preparation, and insight. Start by evaluating your strengths and weaknesses as a potential owner and manager of a small business. Carefully consider each of the following questions.
Are you a self-starter?
It will be entirely up to you to develop projects, organize your time, and follow through on details.How well do you get along with different personalities?
Business owners need to develop working relationships with a variety of people including customers, vendors, staff, bankers, and professionals such as lawyers, accountants or consultants. Can you deal with a demanding client, an unreliable vendor, or a cranky receptionist if your business interests demand it?How good are you at making decisions?
Small business owners are required to make decisions constantly - often quickly, independently, and under pressure.Do you have the physical and emotional stamina to run a business?
Business ownership can be exciting, but it’s also a lot of work. Can you face six or seven 12-hour work days every week?
How well do you plan and organize?
Research indicates that poor planning is responsible for most business failures. Good organization of financials, inventory, schedules, and production can help you avoid many pitfalls.Is your drive strong enough?
Running a business can wear you down emotionally. Some business owners burn out quickly from having to carry all the responsibility for the success of their business on their own shoulders. Strong motivation will help you survive slowdowns and periods of burnout.
How will the business affect your family?
The first few years of business startup can be hard on family life. It’s important for family members to know what to expect and for you to be able to trust that they will support you during this time. There also may be financial difficulties until the business becomes profitable, which could take months or years. You may have to adjust to a lower standard of living or put family assets at risk in the short-term.Courtesy of the Small Business Administration www.sba.gov
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January 12th, 2006
Chris
Filed under: Business Ideas Success Stories Motivation Entrepreneurship
Originally from ZeroMillion.com:
I remember when I was about 12 years old my Mom and Dad got involved in a multi-level marketing business. They would talk often about dreams and goals and encouraged me to learn all I could about business.
Eventually they burned out and left their MLM opportunity, but the lessons I learned from that early age still apply to my life today. So what did learn?
I learned the value of having a dream. A vision for your life. Without a dream, you will just wander, literally, aimlessly through life. Big houses, nice cars, and gold watches are nice, but they’re not really dreams.
No, dreams are bigger than self. Sure, materialism may intially serve as a great motivator. Afterall, if your 17 years old you’re naturally going to want a cool car. But eventually you need to graduate to a higher level dream.
How can you contribute to make your community a better place? How can you help others on their path to their dreams? What can you do to show people your vision?
Once you have your dreams your next step is to develop a plan to accomplish those dreams. What business will you go into? How will get the capital to start that business? What else do you need to learn in order to make that business successful? These are all important questions and they will help you begin to design a realistic plan to move towards your dreams.
Once you have a plan, you need to set your goals. Goals are like a trail of little gold nuggets that lead right to the goldmine. You set them, reach for them, accomplish them, and the next thing you know, you’re standing at the entrance to a literal goldmine ready to move to a new, unimaginable level.
But you need also to be careful about your goals. Don’t just set an easy goal so you can make yourself feel better about setting goals. Set goals that will challenge and change you and never stop reaching for the next level. Just like you wouldn’t stop picking up gold nuggets on a trail that lead to a goldmine, you should never stop setting and achieving goals that are moving you towards your dreams.
Lastly, think about what it takes to draw people to you that will help you on your path. A powerful team can provide you with valuable insight and shave years off your jounrney.
I heard a preacher speaking on leadership once and what he said was so profound, so clear, that it blew my mind. He said that leaders do not seek out followers, they attract them. What attracts people to you is your passion, the very people that will help you on your journey will do so because you’re passionate about your vision, and your vision comes to you when you understand your purpose.
So it begins with understanding your purpose. The old question, “What is the meaning of life?”. You need to answer this question for yourself if you are to develop a vision and plan for your life.
Once you understand your purpose, you will get a vision (or dream) that is inline with that purpose. That vision will inspire passion inside of you and that passion will inspire others to join you. Anthony Robbins says “There are no lazy men, there are simply men who’s dreams do not inspire them”.
Being an entrepreneur means being a leader. A leader in your business and a leader in your community. Once you begin to apply this philospophy to your life, you’ll find that you can do a lot more than buy that cool car.
© Copyright Gary L Drumm Jr.
Gary is a long-time entrepreneur and the author of Playtime To Paytime - How To Make Money From Your Hobbies and Ideas.. Article on young entrepreneur, life, business, goals, dreams by Gary Drumm
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January 12th, 2006
Chris
Filed under: Success Stories Motivation Entrepreneurship
