A Toy Rather Than a Useful Device Probably the biggest reason for the failure of 3D printing to catch on is that consumers have looked upon the technology as a cool device that could be used for fun. This past Christmas, for example, toy catalogues featured a simple 3D printer that kids could use to print models of the Eiffel Tower, the Capitol building or the White House, etc. and order additional blueprints for other models....

Fortunately, there’s good news. Those tools are now just a quick download away. Here are some of the apps you can use in your daily life to get your mind into the right creative space: Todoist Creativity requires giving yourself the mental room to think. This means having a checklist system that actually works, because a cluttered mind doesn’t have the space to dance around and be creative. Todoist is the go-to application for creating necessary items....

The key to surviving life at home after graduation is to embrace the money-saving factors while demanding independence and respect. It will be difficult to become a successful entrepreneur with a 9:30pm bed time. Make it clear that you are a post-graduate doer, not a pre-graduate couch potato. If you are looking to get some insight from entrepreneurs that have been through it, these four founders and CEOs let us know what it felt like to move home after graduation, and how they dealt with it....

While this might seem like a given for your business, something you do year after year, one aspect of preparing to reach a new audience or to better serve your existing audience that’s consistently overlooked is branding. Far too often, brands rely on the same logo and website that they’ve been using for years, calling their branding efforts “complete.” Unfortunately, in the next year, this won’t be enough. Startups are killing it in the branding arena by taking simple steps that require little effort and lead to big results, blowing long-standing companies and corporations out of the water....

Thinking of starting your own company? Already started it? These are the two questions that opened the Denver Startup Week‘s panel on the tough, tricky, and often necessary tactic of bootstrapping. The three panelists included Mike Freeman, CEO at Innosphere, Colorado’s leading technology incubator; Tynan Szvetecz, founder and CEO at Commerce Kitchen; and Dave Bacon, founder of the technical staffing business BWBacon Group. Some audience members raised their hands for the first question, but far more had already started their businesses....

Having your contact information readily available builds trust and increases the number of leads acquired. It can also increase revenue since customers may have pre-sale questions or need assistance in completing their transactions. Here are a few ways to make it easier for customers to contact you. Display Contact Info Prominently Studies show that 51 percent of customers were put off by a lack of clear contact information on a website....

There are a number of studies that have time and now, highlighted the issue of rising costs of internet and wireless telephone services. Although we are developing in terms of speed and connectivity, it seems that the phenomenon is entirely opposite when it comes to cost and packages. If you are worried about your budget or just looking to save some money, here are 4 tips to cutting down the dollars on your wireless, cable and internet bill:...

Data collection and storage into data banks is just part of the process of getting raw data. This information needs to be presented in ways that make sense to marketers. The data is being collected from a vast array of devices that include smartphones, computers, and all kinds of sensors that are connected to the internet, a concept referred to as IoT. For marketers to get the desired information from the data collected via big data, they require careful analysis....

Let’s talk about these key factors that drive success within a local SEO campaign. Name, Address, Phone Number (NAP) One of the more important on-site tactics within a local SEO campaign is including the business’s NAP within every page of the website. It is vital that this information is displayed in the exact same format across the website. Including a consistent NAP within the website will allow Google to index the necessary information to include the website within the local pack in the SERPs....

According to the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission, travel and tourism is the region’s number one industry, but the technology industry is right behind it at number two. Here are a few reasons why Orlando is a tech city to watch for: Big Tech Players are Moving to Orlando Both Florida and Orlando offer attractive incentives to qualifying relocating and expanding companies. Starting with some great tax incentives, making it an extremely attractive environment for new and established startups....

I’m no stranger to the process. Inspired by the Israelis’ water conservation techniques, I invented and patented a tamperproof device to regulate water flow from bathroom fixtures better than existing methods. If you decide to travel the patent path, then perhaps you can learn from my experience. What Can Be Patented? Contrary to popular belief, patenting an idea isn’t actually an option; execution is required. Patent laws limit what is patentable, and nothing as nebulous as an idea is on the list....

Buying Fans/Likes/Followers The more individuals like your page the more popular it becomes and the more likely it is for people to see it. The idea behind buying likes and followers comes from trying to game the social media marketing engine into thinking a page is more popular than it really is, and thereby giving that page more exposure because of its popularity. To deal with this, social media algorithms have incorporated algorithms that track a page’s interactions with its followers, meaning that buying likes is simply wasting your marketing budget on nothing....

Kayak There are dozens of apps for booking flights and hotel rooms, but Kayak eliminates the need for all of them by comparing all of the major travel sites to find the best deals. This tool not only helps you book flights to the places you know you want to go, it also helps you discover destinations and adventures you never dreamed of. Its “explore” feature displays a world map and shows you flight routes, along with the estimated cost, to even the most remote locales....

The Attractive and Responsive DesignThe key to winning the hearts of all of your app users is beautiful design. However, users can lose interest after a few minutes due to an app’s unresponsive behavior to different kinds of devices. No app developer wants to lose their user, therefore, an app should be responsive that it can adjust its layout dynamically according to the dimension of the device’s screen in order to better serve its user....

There’s a Community of Support If you talk to any startup founder in the Emerald City, they’ll tell you about the tight-knit community of entrepreneurs and startup enthusiasts. Whether you’re looking for feedback on an idea or an introduction to take your business to the next level, you can count on Seattle to be supportive of your endeavor. Every week, you’ll find a wide range of networking events and resources to help you build something incredible....

Naturally, VoIP has some minor drawbacks, but if we draw the line, you’ll see that the advantages are significantly more than the drawbacks. So, if you haven’t explored VoIP’s rich features and advantages yet, then let’s take a closer look at how & why VoIP is essential for business today. Cut Your Costs If you aren’t using VoIP at the moment, then it is almost certain that you are using the traditional phone lines that have been around for decades....

Here are 5 reasons which talk about why starting early is the best way to be a successful entrepreneur. Take a close look at them and start working towards creating your first venture as soon as possible. Minimum Family Pressure When you are in your early 20s, nobody expects you to finance household expenses or pay EMIs of home loan your dad took last summer. If you start a business at this time, no matter how small or big, you don’t have to face any redundant pressure from your family....

While understanding code could certainly be helpful, it’s a far cry from being a critical skill for most tech entrepreneurs. If you have at least one developer and you’re still coding, you are ignoring your core responsibilities. That’s why I’m going against the grain here and discouraging tech entrepreneurs from learning to code. There are way more important things you should be doing with your time. Why Leaders Shouldn’t Learn to Code If you’re starting out by yourself, there’s some merit in learning to code....

The adjustment hasn’t come easy for all of us. And, while the technology behind our new communications is no doubt impressive, it does require a slightly new approach and way of learning to make it successful. We’ve listed some tips below for those of you looking to improve your video meeting skills. To form this advice, we’ve enlisted the expert help of Will Rose, Chief Communications Officer of Harqen.AI, an organization dedicated to the application of tech and AI to job interviews (including by video conferencing)....

However, with innovative technologies comes a need to excessively utilize them. From Pizza Hut’s cardboard DJ table to KFC’s smartphone charger in a Meal Box, there is no shortage of examples of odd uses for new devices. And when it comes to the Internet of Things, there are plenty of strange products being connected on a daily basis. Toilets Who hasn’t been enjoying their morning constitutional and thought, “Man, I wish I didn’t have to turn around to flush”?...