After four weeks of submissions and voting, Grow America is pleased to announce the winners of the Innovative Product Competition presented by Fishbowl Inventory and Intuit. Companies throughout the nation entered their innovative products in hopes of winning a portion of the $35,000 in cash awards ($20,000 for first place, $10,000 for second and $5,000 for third). ZBoard, Owlet Baby Monitor and Slickynotes are the top three winners.

Grow America’s first place winner, ZBoard, entered a weight-sensing electric skateboard. Used for short commutes, it’s top speed is 17 mph and has a range of 10 miles per charge. Zboards aligns with Grow America’s mission of creating jobs and stimulating the economy by manufacturing their product in an old ammunition factory in the middle of an economically depressed area of California.

The second-place winner, the Owlet Baby Monitor, detects whether your baby is breathing at night through a sensor attached to your baby’s foot. The sensor wirelessly transmits information to your smartphone allowing you to see the baby’s vital signs.

And lastly, the third place winner, Ecostatic’s product Slickynotes, provides a type of whiteboard and notecards that uses an electrostatic charge to stick to any smooth surface. Companies are able to have a whiteboard anywhere in the office and then can stick, re-stick and slide the notes anywhere indoors.

Smart business ideas often occur in a flash of inspiration, but it takes lots of perspiration to make them a success. To help you with the inspiration part, we have prepared a list of the top 50 smart new business ideas which had caught our imagination in 2012. This is the ’Smart Business Ideas and Innovations Report 2012’. We hope you will glean some insights!

Free download at http://www.coolbusinessideas.com/Smart-Biz-Ideas-Innovations-2012/

Global energy demand continues to surge and is set to double in the first half of this century, thanks to improved living standards and development in emerging economies. Many of the world’s remaining supplies of oil and gas are in harder-to-reach places such as under deep oceans or in the frozen Arctic. Shell is using new technologies to help us operate under challenging conditions and make the most of existing resources.

• Natural gas. Natural gas is an affordable, environmentally acceptable way to power lives now and in future. Shell uses new technology to deliver more gas responsibly.
• Deep water. Using advanced technologies to responsibly develop energy resources from challenging locations such as deep water.
• Wind power. Shell is also using wind farms to harness one of the cleanest sources of energy available.
• Unlocking energy with advanced technologies. The world will need a mix of energy resources to meet growing global demand. Some of the newer technologies include enhanced oil recovery, seeing under the surface drilling, water protection for wells, smart fields, coal gasification, etc.

For Shell, contributing to sustainable development means helping meet the world’s growing need for energy in economically, socially and environmentally responsible ways. Technology and innovation will be critical to producing enough energy to meet customer needs in the decades ahead — while at the same time safeguarding the environment for future generations.

Population growth and economic development are driving energy demand. All energy sources will be needed, with fossil fuels meeting the bulk of demand. At the same time CO2 emissions must be reduced to avoid serious climate change. To manage CO2, governments and industry must work together. Government action is needed and we support an international framework that puts a price on CO2, encouraging the use of all CO2-reducing technologies. Shell believes that the world can help secure a sustainable energy future by focusing on four main areas: natural gas, biofuels, carbon capture and storage, and energy efficiency.

Consideration was given for the editing and posting of this article.

A new breed of online financial management applications has emerged recently for business owners to take advantage of the technology to develop their business in the Web. Now entrepreneurs can become more comfortable with the “software in the cloud” model and tap into the inherent benefits it offers, from productivity to more sophisticated analysis.

The best small business accounting software – like QuickBooks – is designed for people who are unfamiliar with accounting. Just enter details of customers, suppliers, sales and expenses. Your accounting software does the rest, generating invoices and reports so you can understand your business.  Entry-level business accounting software offers basic features to save you time – and if you choose a package like QuickBooks, you can always upgrade as your business grows.

QuickBooks online accounting software is now seen by both business owners and accountants as a more effective and efficient tool in most modern small business. Whether you’re on a Mac or a PC, using QuickBooks Online is as easy as visiting a website. Since it’s completely web-based, you never have to install or download traditional software, or worry about operating-system compatibility—you just launch your web browser and go. In addition, switching to online accounting is simple—QuickBooks Online imports your existing customer contacts from Microsoft Excel®, Outlook, or Gmail. And the software is capable of facilitating bill payments, electronic checks issuance, digital invoicing, or customer credit verification.

Intuit also has its own desktop software to provide tailored applications for businesses offering true integration with banking, invoicing, billing as well as greater robust ways to analyze performance. QuickBooks is less fiddly than complicated spreadsheets and much faster than manual bookkeeping. Isn’t it time to give it a try?

This post is a guest blog post from one of our supporters.

The business idea that we would like to introduce you to is associated with a largely unsatisfied demand. You certainly noticed how much people strive to be the center of attention and to be admired by others. The same desire applies to business owners. They too want their companies and products to be noticed and appreciated. The lack of attention and admiration is equal to failure. This deficit creates unhappiness in people and makes companies go bankrupt.

There is a whole line of businesses that are highly successful just because they help to implement these strong aspirations of people. Such businesses include manufacturers of fashion apparel, accessories, and even popular social networks. But the demand in those industries is huge! The product we want to tell you about attracts a lot of attention. That product is the Dance Heads studios, where anyone can record their own funny video in 5 minutes, while completely changing their usual image. This incredible transformation, like magic, evokes a storm of positive emotions and admiration from the audience. You can watch an example of a video here: http://dh-business.com/hit-parade/2/4/t

Guests of our booths later show their Dance Heads videos to their friends and upload them on Facebook and YouTube, which multiplies the attention to them tenfold. The Dance Heads studio can be used by individual guests or a company, since we can create customized corporate videos. “For an hour, the booth was surrounded by a crowd of people and everyone wanted to record their video,” said John LeGuen, the owner of four Dance Heads studios.

Dance Heads is essentially a fully operating business that does not have analogues. It is a large, world-famous booth chain, whose product is successfully used for guests at holiday events, corporate parties, weddings, birthdays, festivals, as well as theme parks and entertainment centers.

Every Dance Heads partner receives:

• Training and training manuals for the booth
• Software updates
• New videos and songs
• Promotion materials for the business
• Technical and administrative support from the professionals of the Central Dance Heads office

Our company takes good care of its partners, which is why along with technical support and educational programs you will receive information based on successful business experience, which will help you to maximize your profits. How to do business correctly? Where to use your studios? How to find loyal customers? How to choose a good location for your studios? How to make more money? All of this information and more will help you to thrive in this unique business. Want to learn more? Go to http://www.dh-business.com

Join our team!

This post is a sponsored blog post.

DallasNews.com: Get Yogafied, between Frisco and Denton, is a new community-driven studio that’s all about respecting the environment. Owners Shana Stein and Kimberly Ames operate their business as simply and kindly as possible while practicing mindful consumerism.

They buy recycled and reusable items and offer free filtered water and eco-friendly disposable cups, instead of selling water bottles. There are no membership cards; business is geared to keeping things online and paperless. Studio temperatures are maintained using eco-friendly radiant heat panels that require minimal electricity.

Dallas’ eco-friendly yoga studios [DallasNews.com]

A wedding is a special but stressful event. When the couple come from two different cultures, it’s challenging to incorporate both sets of traditions. A growing number of wedding planners are helping out.

Berkeley, CA-based ZahZoom Weddings helped Rachel Carroll, of Jewish faith, and Trinidadian Michelle Matt in their cross-cultural nuptials. The couple walked down the aisle to Caribbean steel drums and were read the Torah by a rabbi under a chuppah, or wedding canopy. Chinese American Ada Chen and Sachin Rekhi, who is Indian American, had Oakland-based wedding planner Marilyn Ambra assist in blending the styles and traditions of both cultures.

As more people from different cultures marry, planning becomes complicated, with couples seeking to incorporate and honor both sets of traditions. Sometimes it takes a professional to help make the event a meaningful blend. Retail brands could expand their registry offerings to reflect the growth of cross-cultural marriages.

Wedding planners helping couples merge cross-cultural traditions [Iconoculture]

The Register Citizen: Graduates at many area colleges will be wearing “green” caps and gowns at commencement exercises this year, and it has nothing to do with their school colors.

It’s all part of a nationwide trend to graduate in attire made of recycled products, and at Southern Connecticut State University May 28, undergraduates will wear caps and gowns made from recycled plastic bottles. The new products are an alternative to the petroleum-based polyester gowns millions of graduates have bought each year.

Sounds like it could be stiff and uncomfortable, but Heather Stearns, recycling coordinator for Southern Connecticut State University, said the material is actually softer and more breathable than the old gear.

“The beauty of it is, the students coming to the university today come through elementary school, junior high and high school with a sense of sustainability,” Stearns said. “They’re coming with the expectation that we take them to the next level.”

The gowns, which are manufactured by Oak Hall Cap & Gown and known as the GreenWeaver line, are made in Virginia. Oak Hall estimates that it takes an average of 23 bottles to make each gown. In coming up with the final product, officials from Oak Hall settled on material made from recycled plastic after samples made from sustainable bamboo failed to impress customer service reps who wore them for a day.

College students wearing “green” for their graduation ceremonies [The Register Citizen]

MediaBuyerPlannet: Telemundo is increasingly incorporating products into the plot line of its telenovelas, and its newest deals are being made with manufacturers to develop brand new products for viewers to buy – products which didn’t exist before integration with the show.

The first products will be jewelry from the Richline Group. The jewelry will be worn by characters in at least 16 episodes of telenovela El Clon, the first of which will air on Telemundo on April 22. The jewelry is already available on the Telemundo website, reports The New York Times.

Another line of licensed merchandise, home decor products from Arrow Home Fashions, has been created and will begin airing in telenovelas as well as in the Telemundo morning show beginning in September.

Telemundo Creates Products to be Sold during Telenovels [MediaBuyerPlanner]

Beyond Robson: Vancouver has a new connoisseur – the craft beer drinker.

They arrive at parties with bottles of beer you have never heard of, stouts, ales and lagers with names like Dogfish Head, Anchor Steam and Polygamy Porter, cases brought back from a trip to the States and recycled glass jugs they get refilled by their friends who work for local watering holes and breweries. They have beer memberships, wear beer pins and forgo music festivals for ones about beer.

You can’t blame them though. With specialty beer stores popping up all over and existing stores expanding their craft beer selection, it is actually becoming more difficult to make a decision about what to drink each night when faced with rows upon rows of heady deliciousness.

Craft beer refers to beer that is brewed using traditional methods, focused on distinction and flavour and less on mass appeal. Craft beers are typically synonymous with microbrews, but can also be made on a larger scale.

The New Cool: Van Couver’s Craft Beer Drinker [Beyond Robson]

AdvertisingAge: A hot new social-networking service dubbed Bubbly, which is essentially a voice-based Twitter, is quickly gaining popularity among Indians. And thanks to Bollywood celebs being early adopters, Bubbly is growing virally and with virtually zero marketing spend.

Bubbly is the brainchild of 5-year-old mobile and social app firm Bubble Motion, which is based in Silicon Valley and Singapore. Its first product was BubbleTalk, a person-to-person voice-messaging service that, instead of SMS, sends mobile audio messages and has about 100 million users now.

Is Voice-Based Bubbly the New Twitter? [AdvertisingAge]